On 05/06/2016 08:24, Bob Eager wrote:


I'm one who only really uses them on motorways (or other long, uneventful
roads). The rest of the time I use the speed limiter, as it's much less
work.


What sort of device is the speed limiter, and how dos it work?
--
Cheers,
Roger
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"Bob Eager" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:15:15 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Bull****. Its fantastic for knowing you are not exceeding stupid
lefty**** speed limits. set it to the limit, and engage it until you
need to slow down : 30, 40 , 50 , 60, 79. It works for all of them so
you don't need to keep looking at the speedo, but can actually watch out
for more hazards than just speed cameras.

It's OK, but an automatic speed limiter is better

IME having cruise contrail is a pre-requisite to having a limiter (from a
marketing pov, obviously it isn't a technical limitation)

I am unaware of any model that only has a limiter

(But quite happy to be proved wrong)

tim

"Harry Bloomfield" wrote in message
...
The Natural Philosopher a écrit :
Bull****. Its fantastic for knowing you are not exceeding stupid
lefty**** speed limits. set it to the limit, and engage it until you need
to slow down : 30, 40 , 50 , 60, 79. It works for all of them so you
don't need to keep looking at the speedo, but can actually watch out for
more hazards than just speed cameras.

I agree and that is what I also use it for, but most with cruise fitted,
will not use it for that purpose, in fact that sort of use is not advised.

what sort of use is not advised?

"setting it to the speed limit so that you can concentrate on "real"
hazards"

seems to be the obvious use case to me

tim

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 04/06/2016 23:33, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
The Natural Philosopher a écrit :
Bull****. Its fantastic for knowing you are not exceeding stupid
lefty**** speed limits. set it to the limit, and engage it until you
need to slow down : 30, 40 , 50 , 60, 79. It works for all of them so
you don't need to keep looking at the speedo, but can actually watch
out for more hazards than just speed cameras.

I agree and that is what I also use it for, but most with cruise fitted,
will not use it for that purpose, in fact that sort of use is not
advised.


Why is that not advised? I suppose that since cruise control only works on
the throttle - and not on the brakes - there is some risk of exceeding the
set speed on a steep decline.

most of my experience with cruise is in the US with autos, and there the
cruise slows you down using engine braking when the car goes downhill

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 04/06/2016 16:23, DerbyBorn wrote:
What is it that tends to define the typical specification of cars
imported
into a particular country?

Some countries I have been to do not seem to have reversing sensors over
a
time when they have become commonplace in the UK.

Cruise Control whilst unusual in the UK is very common across all classes
of car in other countries.

I suppose other additions like GPS / SatNav are a bit country specific.


I can see how an Importer of one brand would make a decision, but this
seems to go across brands.

All of these things are available everywhere as options - even on low end
cars.

As a manufacture fit they are most certainly not available on low end cars.

Agreed that they will be available as an after market modification, but then
you have all the aggro of not easily being able to get competitive insurance
quotes because you tick the "I have modified my car" option when (IME) 80%
of companies magically now refuse to quote (despite your particular
modification being a positive improvement)

tim

Roger Mills wrote:

I suppose that since cruise control only works on the throttle - and
not on the brakes - there is some risk of exceeding the set speed on
a steep decline.

Mine slows itself in exactly that situation using the brakes.

On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 08:10:24 +0000, DerbyBorn wrote:

Bob Eager wrote in
:

On Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:15:15 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Bull****. Its fantastic for knowing you are not exceeding stupid
lefty**** speed limits. set it to the limit, and engage it until you
need to slow down : 30, 40 , 50 , 60, 79. It works for all of them so
you don't need to keep looking at the speedo, but can actually watch
out for more hazards than just speed cameras.

It's OK, but an automatic speed limiter is better.

If I'm in one of those areas with constantly changing speed limits (and
cameras) I just engage the limiter and let it sort it all out.

In practice, I do know what the limit is all the time, but it protects
me against a mistake.




Many Cruise Controls have a "Speed Limiter" Setting.

Yes, but this automatically adjusts...



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On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 10:21:09 +0100, Mike Barnes wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 05/06/16 09:10, DerbyBorn wrote:
Bob Eager wrote in
:

On Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:15:15 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Bull****. Its fantastic for knowing you are not exceeding stupid
lefty**** speed limits. set it to the limit, and engage it until you
need to slow down : 30, 40 , 50 , 60, 79. It works for all of them
so you don't need to keep looking at the speedo, but can actually
watch out for more hazards than just speed cameras.

It's OK, but an automatic speed limiter is better.

If I'm in one of those areas with constantly changing speed limits
(and cameras) I just engage the limiter and let it sort it all out.

In practice, I do know what the limit is all the time, but it
protects me against a mistake.




Many Cruise Controls have a "Speed Limiter" Setting.

Mine doesn't. Wish it did.

I'm uneasy about the idea of a speed limiter when, in an emergency, I
might want to exceed any limit I'd set, without the faff of disabling
the limiter.

There's a kick-down override.


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On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 10:31:29 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

I can set the car to 'beep' when a certain speed is reached, and that
suits me better. Conveniently it's not loud enough to wake SWMBO.

I believe modern satnavs can do this and 'know' what (nearly) all the
speed limits are...

Only use I have come up with for satnavs so far..

Mine uses a combination of satnav and image recognition of speed limit
signs.



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wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
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On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 10:39:00 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

€œBecause Fords Speed Limiter is not linked to the brakes and controls
speed by limiting acceleration, there are situations, for example when
descending steep hills, where the vehicle might exceed the maximum speed
set. If this happens a warning chime sounds and a light flashes in the
cluster display.€�

Seem,s a very sensible way to organise a useful feature.

Unfortunately, its Ford.

Apart from maybe Toyota, the worst cars on the road otherwise.

Mine's a Ford. I'm quite happy to have 'worst cars' that have not failed
since 1997.



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On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 11:46:16 +0100, Roger Mills wrote:

On 05/06/2016 08:24, Bob Eager wrote:


I'm one who only really uses them on motorways (or other long,
uneventful roads). The rest of the time I use the speed limiter, as
it's much less work.


What sort of device is the speed limiter, and how dos it work?

Mine works two ways.

1) Turn it on, and it sets to the current speed. Adjust it up or down as
required. The car won't go faster than the set limit (unless you do kick-
down), but since it doesn't use the brakes, it can go over if (say) on a
hill descent - in that case it chimes and flashes.

2) Turn it on, and it obeys the current speed limit. You can set a
'margin'. This is done by use of the satnav, but primarily through image
recognition of speed limit signs.



--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 05/06/16 12:03, tim... wrote:

"Bob Eager" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:15:15 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Bull****. Its fantastic for knowing you are not exceeding stupid
lefty**** speed limits. set it to the limit, and engage it until you
need to slow down : 30, 40 , 50 , 60, 79. It works for all of them so
you don't need to keep looking at the speedo, but can actually watch out
for more hazards than just speed cameras.

It's OK, but an automatic speed limiter is better

IME having cruise contrail is a pre-requisite to having a limiter (from
a marketing pov, obviously it isn't a technical limitation)

I am unaware of any model that only has a limiter


HGVs??

(But quite happy to be proved wrong)

tim






--
Canada is all right really, though not for the whole weekend.

"Saki"

News a écrit :
I used my last car for 18 years, and very, very rarely used the cruise
control. This car, owned for a year, I haven't bothered finding out how the
cruise control works.

I'm on my fourth car with cruise and each I used extensively. No point
in having a driving aid fitted, if you don't use it. I took time to
learn how all the gadgets on my car work.

The satnav, the auto wipers, the auto seat, the reverse sensors, auto
climate and so on. Even how it constantly checks the caravan's lights
are all working and puts a brake light on half power as a substitute
when a tail bulb fails.

Mike Barnes a écrit :
I can set the car to 'beep' when a certain speed is reached, and that suits
me better. Conveniently it's not loud enough to wake SWMBO.

Mine has one of those, but other than testing to prove it works, I
don't use it. I rely upon cruise to hold my speed and being a manual,
it hold the set speed fairly well.

Tim Streater a écrit :
In article , Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

News a écrit :
I used my last car for 18 years, and very, very rarely used the cruise
control. This car, owned for a year, I haven't bothered finding out how
the cruise control works.

I'm on my fourth car with cruise and each I used extensively. No point in
having a driving aid fitted, if you don't use it. I took time to learn how
all the gadgets on my car work.

The satnav, the auto wipers, the auto seat, the reverse sensors, auto
climate and so on. Even how it constantly checks the caravan's lights are
all working and puts a brake light on half power as a substitute when a
tail bulb fails.

Auto climate is a pain in the arse.

No, it is great. I can just leave it to get on with it. I dislike
manual control, I would be constantly having to retrim it as the
outdoor ambient changed. Slightly better than basic manual, was a
Vauxall I had in the early 1970's, which had a temperature sensor in
the air outlet. It would adjust the coolant flow to the heater, to try
to control the air inlet temperature.

The Natural Philosopher a écrit :
I believe modern satnavs can do this and 'know' what (nearly) all the speed
limits are...

Only use I have come up with for satnavs so far..

My satnav can bleep at you when you exceed the limit, if you enable it.
Trouble is, the change limits more often than they revise the maps, so
its easy to get caught out - better to always use the eyeball, with the
satnav as a backup.

The Natural Philosopher a écrit :
On 05/06/16 10:31, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 05/06/16 10:21, Mike Barnes wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 05/06/16 09:10, DerbyBorn wrote:
Bob Eager wrote in
:

On Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:15:15 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Bull****. Its fantastic for knowing you are not exceeding stupid
lefty**** speed limits. set it to the limit, and engage it until you
need to slow down : 30, 40 , 50 , 60, 79. It works for all of them so
you don't need to keep looking at the speedo, but can actually watch
out for more hazards than just speed cameras.

It's OK, but an automatic speed limiter is better.

If I'm in one of those areas with constantly changing speed limits
(and cameras) I just engage the limiter and let it sort it all out.

In practice, I do know what the limit is all the time, but it protects
me against a mistake.




Many Cruise Controls have a "Speed Limiter" Setting.

Mine doesn't. Wish it did.

I'm uneasy about the idea of a speed limiter when, in an emergency, I
might want to exceed any limit I'd set, without the faff of disabling
the limiter.


Doesn't a massive stab with the right foot do that, the way a stab on
the brakes disables cruise control?


I decided to google this as I was interested.

"He adds: €œA big advantage with Fords Speed Limiter is that the system also
has a built in override feature which allows you to go above your speed limit
if you need to overtake. By pressing the accelerator to the floor, the
software will temporarily disable the speed limit function so the driver can
overtake, and then the system is automatically engaged again when your speed
reduces back to the set limit. If you do override the system, the instrument
panel display indicates you are exceeding your set limit. So with Speed
Limiter the driver can still overtake if necessary, without having to turn
the system off using the steering wheel controls.€�

€œBecause Fords Speed Limiter is not linked to the brakes and controls speed
by limiting acceleration, there are situations, for example when descending
steep hills, where the vehicle might exceed the maximum speed set. If this
happens a warning chime sounds and a light flashes in the cluster display.€�

Seem,s a very sensible way to organise a useful feature.

Unfortunately, its Ford.

Apart from maybe Toyota, the worst cars on the road otherwise.

The one feature missing from limiters and cruise controls is ease of
selection of the speed you want - pressing a button when you are doing
the speed you want, just doesn't hack it for me. An array of buttons
marked 20, 30, 40, 50 and etc.. would be much better.

Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Mike Barnes a écrit :
I can set the car to 'beep' when a certain speed is reached, and that suits
me better. Conveniently it's not loud enough to wake SWMBO.

Mine has one of those, but other than testing to prove it works, I
don't use it. I rely upon cruise to hold my speed and being a manual,
it hold the set speed fairly well.


You mean "being a manual it holds the set speed less well than an auto".

Tim

--
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On 5 Jun 2016 11:55:34 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 10:39:00 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

“Because Ford’s Speed Limiter is not linked to the brakes and controls
speed by limiting acceleration, there are situations, for example when
descending steep hills, where the vehicle might exceed the maximum speed
set. If this happens a warning chime sounds and a light flashes in the
cluster display.”

Seem,s a very sensible way to organise a useful feature.

Unfortunately, its Ford.

Apart from maybe Toyota, the worst cars on the road otherwise.

Mine's a Ford. I'm quite happy to have 'worst cars' that have not failed
since 1997.

You, me and millions of others of course. ;-)

I had the Sierra Estate 23 years and it only let me down twice (cam
belt and a seized caliper) and neither cost much time or money to fix.
I only got rid of it because it was getting tatty (faded (red) paint
and cracked dash etc) and because I was given something 'newer'.

It's the only car I've ever really missed as it's the only car that's
ever done *all* I ever needed without an issue.

Massive long roof with real gutters for roofbars to carry boats, 16'
canoes and lengths of steel and timber. Plenty of (flat) room inside
to take all sorts of stuff, when camping, sailing or EV racing
(including the C5 as a 'pit bike' g). 2L Pinto (safe) engine with
little in the way of 'computers' that cost more than I've paid for
most cars to repair or replace. It towed all sorts of things, some of
which it probably shouldn't and the correct wheels were driven. ;-)

The (Ford Escort based) kitcar is nearly 40 years old and still going.
;-)

Daughter loves her Transit Connect and when she was a kid her trials
bike used to ride on the back of the Sierra. ;-)

But as a motorcyclist maybe I'm not so bothered about all the gimmicks
and expensive 'disposable' technology you find in cars these days.
shrug

Cheers, T i m

On 05/06/2016 12:11, tim... wrote:

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 04/06/2016 16:23, DerbyBorn wrote:
What is it that tends to define the typical specification of cars
imported
into a particular country?

Some countries I have been to do not seem to have reversing sensors
over a
time when they have become commonplace in the UK.

Cruise Control whilst unusual in the UK is very common across all
classes
of car in other countries.

I suppose other additions like GPS / SatNav are a bit country specific.


I can see how an Importer of one brand would make a decision, but this
seems to go across brands.

All of these things are available everywhere as options - even on low
end cars.

As a manufacture fit they are most certainly not available on low end cars.



I'm not sure which low end cars you have in mind, but thinks like power
steering, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, etc. - which were at one
time only available on luxury cars - are now available either by default
or as factory fit options on pretty much everything.
--
Cheers,
Roger
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On 05/06/2016 12:15, Andy Burns wrote:
Roger Mills wrote:

I suppose that since cruise control only works on the throttle - and
not on the brakes - there is some risk of exceeding the set speed on
a steep decline.

Mine slows itself in exactly that situation using the brakes.


Interesting. What car is that?
--
Cheers,
Roger
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On 05/06/2016 12:52, Bob Eager wrote:
On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 08:10:24 +0000, DerbyBorn wrote:

Bob wrote in
:

On Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:15:15 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Bull****. Its fantastic for knowing you are not exceeding stupid
lefty**** speed limits. set it to the limit, and engage it until you
need to slow down : 30, 40 , 50 , 60, 79. It works for all of them so
you don't need to keep looking at the speedo, but can actually watch
out for more hazards than just speed cameras.

It's OK, but an automatic speed limiter is better.

If I'm in one of those areas with constantly changing speed limits (and
cameras) I just engage the limiter and let it sort it all out.

In practice, I do know what the limit is all the time, but it protects
me against a mistake.




Many Cruise Controls have a "Speed Limiter" Setting.

Yes, but this automatically adjusts...




Based on what? Does it use GPS technology and a speed limit database in
order set the correct speed for your location?
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
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checked.

On 05/06/2016 12:58, Bob Eager wrote:
On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 11:46:16 +0100, Roger Mills wrote:

On 05/06/2016 08:24, Bob Eager wrote:


I'm one who only really uses them on motorways (or other long,
uneventful roads). The rest of the time I use the speed limiter, as
it's much less work.


What sort of device is the speed limiter, and how dos it work?

Mine works two ways.

1) Turn it on, and it sets to the current speed. Adjust it up or down as
required. The car won't go faster than the set limit (unless you do kick-
down), but since it doesn't use the brakes, it can go over if (say) on a
hill descent - in that case it chimes and flashes.

2) Turn it on, and it obeys the current speed limit. You can set a
'margin'. This is done by use of the satnav, but primarily through image
recognition of speed limit signs.




Ta! [Ignore the questions in my previous post, which I wrote before
reading this.]

When in speed limiter mode, do you still need your foot on your throttle
- so that you control the speed (subject to the limit) - or does it work
without pressing the throttle, like a conventional cruise control?
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
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checked.

On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 15:43:16 +0100, Roger Mills wrote:

Based on what? Does it use GPS technology and a speed limit database in
order set the correct speed for your location?

It certainly takes input from the satnav, but primarily (I think, based
on observation) it uses the front camera to recognise speed limit signs.
It puts the current limit (and other signs such as 'no overtaking') up on
the dashboard.

--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
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On 05/06/2016 13:58, Tim+ wrote:
Harry wrote:
Mike Barnes a écrit :
I can set the car to 'beep' when a certain speed is reached, and that suits
me better. Conveniently it's not loud enough to wake SWMBO.

Mine has one of those, but other than testing to prove it works, I
don't use it. I rely upon cruise to hold my speed and being a manual,
it hold the set speed fairly well.


You mean "being a manual it holds the set speed less well than an auto".


Why should that be? I've only ever driven one auto with cruise control -
and that was a hire car in Australia. That behaved in a very peculiar
and erratic way. If you started to go up a hill, it would open the
throttle to try to maintain speed - often resulting in kicking down to
the next gear, whereupon it would accelerate rapidly - exceeding the set
speed - and then promptly shut the throttle and change up again - only
for the same gear hunting process to keep repeating.

At least with a manual, *you* choose the gear and the cruise control
only has one parameter to control. Obviously, if it can't maintain the
chosen speed in the current gear even by using full throttle, you'll
need to give it a bit of help - but that's preferable to having an auto
thrashing the gears willy nilly!
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
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checked.

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
On 05/06/16 12:03, tim... wrote:

"Bob Eager" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:15:15 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Bull****. Its fantastic for knowing you are not exceeding stupid
lefty**** speed limits. set it to the limit, and engage it until you
need to slow down : 30, 40 , 50 , 60, 79. It works for all of them so
you don't need to keep looking at the speedo, but can actually watch
out
for more hazards than just speed cameras.

It's OK, but an automatic speed limiter is better

IME having cruise contrail is a pre-requisite to having a limiter (from
a marketing pov, obviously it isn't a technical limitation)

I am unaware of any model that only has a limiter


HGVs??

Great

I'll get my order in straight away :-)

(You forgot coaches and buses BTW)

tim

On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 15:49:24 +0100, Roger Mills wrote:

On 05/06/2016 12:58, Bob Eager wrote:
On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 11:46:16 +0100, Roger Mills wrote:

On 05/06/2016 08:24, Bob Eager wrote:


I'm one who only really uses them on motorways (or other long,
uneventful roads). The rest of the time I use the speed limiter, as
it's much less work.


What sort of device is the speed limiter, and how dos it work?

Mine works two ways.

1) Turn it on, and it sets to the current speed. Adjust it up or down
as required. The car won't go faster than the set limit (unless you do
kick-
down), but since it doesn't use the brakes, it can go over if (say) on
a hill descent - in that case it chimes and flashes.

2) Turn it on, and it obeys the current speed limit. You can set a
'margin'. This is done by use of the satnav, but primarily through
image recognition of speed limit signs.




Ta! [Ignore the questions in my previous post, which I wrote before
reading this.]

When in speed limiter mode, do you still need your foot on your throttle
- so that you control the speed (subject to the limit) - or does it work
without pressing the throttle, like a conventional cruise control?

You need your foot on the throttle. There is separate cruise control (and
no, I've not tried to see if you can combine them!)

--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 05/06/2016 12:11, tim... wrote:

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 04/06/2016 16:23, DerbyBorn wrote:
What is it that tends to define the typical specification of cars
imported
into a particular country?

Some countries I have been to do not seem to have reversing sensors
over a
time when they have become commonplace in the UK.

Cruise Control whilst unusual in the UK is very common across all
classes
of car in other countries.

I suppose other additions like GPS / SatNav are a bit country specific.


I can see how an Importer of one brand would make a decision, but this
seems to go across brands.

All of these things are available everywhere as options - even on low
end cars.

As a manufacture fit they are most certainly not available on low end
cars.



I'm not sure which low end cars you have in mind, but thinks like power
steering, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, etc. - which were at one
time only available on luxury cars - are now available either by default
or as factory fit options on pretty much everything.

we were talking parking sensors and cruise

try finding a low end car which offers you both (either standard fit or a
manufacturer option), finding one or the other is hard enough.

The annoying thing is that these are much easier to make as an after market
modification than ABS, Air Con and Power Steering would be, but see my
previous comment re insurance

tim

Tim Streater a écrit :
In article , Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

Tim Streater a écrit :
In article , Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

News a écrit :
I used my last car for 18 years, and very, very rarely used the cruise
control. This car, owned for a year, I haven't bothered finding out how
the cruise control works.

I'm on my fourth car with cruise and each I used extensively. No point in
having a driving aid fitted, if you don't use it. I took time to learn
how all the gadgets on my car work.

The satnav, the auto wipers, the auto seat, the reverse sensors, auto
climate and so on. Even how it constantly checks the caravan's lights are
all working and puts a brake light on half power as a substitute when a
tail bulb fails.

Auto climate is a pain in the arse.

No, it is great. I can just leave it to get on with it. I dislike manual
control, I would be constantly having to retrim it as the outdoor ambient
changed.

No, it's a pain in the arse, at least as implemented in my C4. I don't
give a monkey's about whether the temperature I want is 22C or
whatever. When I get in the car, if I'm cold I want to get hot ASAP, so
I set temp to max. Once I'm warm enough, air at a somewhat lower temp
is what I want. So I turn the temp down from, say 27 to say 22. But
what actually happens is that instead of getting air at 22 I get air
*much* colder than that, because the car thinks I want the entire
ambient temp to get to 22 ASAP.

What I want is a simple slider or dial, such that I get air out of it
at a temp that exactly relates to the dial/slider position.

Mine makes its temperature changes much more gently, imperceptably. It
doesn't run the blower when trying to warm the interior, until there is
some warmth in the coolant.

Tim+ a écrit :
You mean "being a manual it holds the set speed less well than an auto".

No I mean it holds the set speed much more accurately, at least until I
touch the brake or clutch.

Roger Mills a écrit :
On 05/06/2016 13:58, Tim+ wrote:
Harry wrote:
Mike Barnes a écrit :
I can set the car to 'beep' when a certain speed is reached, and that
suits
me better. Conveniently it's not loud enough to wake SWMBO.

Mine has one of those, but other than testing to prove it works, I
don't use it. I rely upon cruise to hold my speed and being a manual,
it hold the set speed fairly well.


You mean "being a manual it holds the set speed less well than an auto".


Why should that be? I've only ever driven one auto with cruise control - and
that was a hire car in Australia. That behaved in a very peculiar and erratic
way. If you started to go up a hill, it would open the throttle to try to
maintain speed - often resulting in kicking down to the next gear, whereupon
it would accelerate rapidly - exceeding the set speed - and then promptly
shut the throttle and change up again - only for the same gear hunting
process to keep repeating.

At least with a manual, *you* choose the gear and the cruise control only has
one parameter to control. Obviously, if it can't maintain the chosen speed in
the current gear even by using full throttle, you'll need to give it a bit of
help - but that's preferable to having an auto thrashing the gears willy
nilly!

+1 - that is exactly what I found with an auto. I use cruise much more
now with a manual because all that varies is the throttle/ power.

Roger Mills a écrit :
Why is that not advised? I suppose that since cruise control only works on
the throttle - and not on the brakes - there is some risk of exceeding the
set speed on a steep decline.

Maybe they distrust the ability of the driver to cope with cruise, but
I remember my cars handbook says something along those lines.

On 5 Jun 2016 11:53:39 GMT
Bob Eager wrote:

On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 10:21:09 +0100, Mike Barnes wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 05/06/16 09:10, DerbyBorn wrote:
Bob Eager wrote in
:

On Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:15:15 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

Bull****. Its fantastic for knowing you are not exceeding stupid
lefty**** speed limits. set it to the limit, and engage it
until you need to slow down : 30, 40 , 50 , 60, 79. It works
for all of them so you don't need to keep looking at the
speedo, but can actually watch out for more hazards than just
speed cameras.

It's OK, but an automatic speed limiter is better.

If I'm in one of those areas with constantly changing speed
limits (and cameras) I just engage the limiter and let it sort
it all out.

In practice, I do know what the limit is all the time, but it
protects me against a mistake.




Many Cruise Controls have a "Speed Limiter" Setting.

Mine doesn't. Wish it did.

I'm uneasy about the idea of a speed limiter when, in an emergency,
I might want to exceed any limit I'd set, without the faff of
disabling the limiter.

There's a kick-down override.



My Renault doesn't even need a kickdown, just a sufficiently heavy
pressure on the pedal. When you're done, resume limited speed as before.

--
Davey.

On Sat, 04 Jun 2016 18:32:47 +0100
Graham. wrote:

My understanding is that it's very difficult to rent a stick-shift in
the US.

Correct.

--
Davey.

Roger Mills wrote:
On 05/06/2016 13:58, Tim+ wrote:
Harry wrote:
Mike Barnes a écrit :
I can set the car to 'beep' when a certain speed is reached, and that suits
me better. Conveniently it's not loud enough to wake SWMBO.

Mine has one of those, but other than testing to prove it works, I
don't use it. I rely upon cruise to hold my speed and being a manual,
it hold the set speed fairly well.


You mean "being a manual it holds the set speed less well than an auto".


Why should that be? I've only ever driven one auto with cruise control -
and that was a hire car in Australia. That behaved in a very peculiar
and erratic way. If you started to go up a hill, it would open the
throttle to try to maintain speed - often resulting in kicking down to
the next gear, whereupon it would accelerate rapidly - exceeding the set
speed - and then promptly shut the throttle and change up again - only
for the same gear hunting process to keep repeating.

At least with a manual, *you* choose the gear and the cruise control
only has one parameter to control. Obviously, if it can't maintain the
chosen speed in the current gear even by using full throttle, you'll
need to give it a bit of help - but that's preferable to having an auto
thrashing the gears willy nilly!

From the sound of it that is a particularly poor implementation of cruise
control. These days of "fly by wire" there's no overshoot. It's not
typical of autos with cruise control in my experience (across about half a
dozen different autos).

A manual car cannot maintain a constant speed up a steep hill without user
input, an auto can (within limits of course).

Tim

--
Trolls and troll feeders go in my killfile

Roger Mills wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

Roger Mills wrote:

I suppose that since cruise control only works on the throttle - and
not on the brakes - there is some risk of exceeding the set speed on
a steep decline.

Mine slows itself in exactly that situation using the brakes.

Interesting. What car is that?

Audi A4. I presume it uses the ABS reservoir in the same way it does to
hold the car on the brakes (not the "hand" brake) when stationary. It
also periodically "wipes" the brakes to keep them dry.

Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Tim+ a écrit :
You mean "being a manual it holds the set speed less well than an auto".

No I mean it holds the set speed much more accurately, at least until I
touch the brake or clutch.


And on a hill...?

Tim

--
Trolls and troll feeders go in my killfile

Tim+ a écrit :
Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Tim+ a écrit :
You mean "being a manual it holds the set speed less well than an auto".

No I mean it holds the set speed much more accurately, at least until I
touch the brake or clutch.


And on a hill...?

Well it would have to be a serious hill, but I would change down and
re-engage cruise.

Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Tim+ a écrit :
Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Tim+ a écrit :
You mean "being a manual it holds the set speed less well than an auto".

No I mean it holds the set speed much more accurately, at least until I
touch the brake or clutch.


And on a hill...?

Well it would have to be a serious hill, but I would change down and
re-engage cruise.


So, it can't maintain the set speed without intervention. Something an auto
can do. I rest my case. ;-)

Tim
--
Trolls and troll feeders go in my killfile

On 05/06/16 15:32, Tim Streater wrote:
In article , Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

Tim Streater a écrit :
In article , Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

News a écrit :
I used my last car for 18 years, and very, very rarely used the
cruise control. This car, owned for a year, I haven't bothered
finding out how the cruise control works.

I'm on my fourth car with cruise and each I used extensively. No
point in having a driving aid fitted, if you don't use it. I took
time to learn how all the gadgets on my car work.

The satnav, the auto wipers, the auto seat, the reverse sensors,
auto climate and so on. Even how it constantly checks the caravan's
lights are all working and puts a brake light on half power as a
substitute when a tail bulb fails.

Auto climate is a pain in the arse.

No, it is great. I can just leave it to get on with it. I dislike
manual control, I would be constantly having to retrim it as the
outdoor ambient changed.

No, it's a pain in the arse, at least as implemented in my C4. I don't
give a monkey's about whether the temperature I want is 22C or
whatever. When I get in the car, if I'm cold I want to get hot ASAP, so
I set temp to max. Once I'm warm enough, air at a somewhat lower temp
is what I want. So I turn the temp down from, say 27 to say 22. But
what actually happens is that instead of getting air at 22 I get air
*much* colder than that, because the car thinks I want the entire
ambient temp to get to 22 ASAP.

What I want is a simple slider or dial, such that I get air out of it
at a temp that exactly relates to the dial/slider position.

Its the wife and thermostat problem.

In my Jag I left it on 19C in the summer and 21C in the winter. It would
blast hot or cold air at me till it got there.

But it had proper (Indian?) software in it, not froggy crap.


--
Truth welcomes investigation because truth knows investigation will lead
to converts. It is deception that uses all the other techniques.