Car Extras: An Update

~ beetleypete

Last month I wrote about having extras on my car that confused me.

Extras I Don’t Need Or Want

As mentioned, I went back to the dealership to try to resolve the issue with the experts there. This is what haopened.

I was dealt with by the sales manager, who was very helpful and showed me that nothing was too much trouble when it came to helping a customer. I discussed the speed-sensitive wipers at first, which confused him. He told me that speed-sensitive wipers are not an option on my car. We moved the car around the dealership forecourt, and could find no evidence of speed sensitivity, probably because it wasn’t raining hard enough. In the extensive settings menu, there is no option to turn the function off, as it supposedly doesn’t exist.

When I said that my wife confirmed the same thing when she drove the car, he could only suggest that it was not a normal UK option, but had somehow been added to this particular car because it had previously been a manufacturer’s demonstration car when the new model came out. So I have to conclude that I am supposed to be lucky to have the feature, one that very few other drivers of the same car have benefited from.

Even though I don’t want it.

Next, we proceeded to the Satnav. He admitted straight off that he also found it illogical in the way it operates, but he was happy to spend some considerable amount of time to show me how to get the best from it. I wrote everything down as he slowly went through each step of the operation, as I knew I would not remember the complicated procedure ten minutes after I had left. By the time he had finished the tutorial, I had two full sides of notes on an A4 sheet of paper. A crib sheet that I must never lose.

He went much further, happily entering in some destinations for me that I had to visit over the next few days, and then showing me how to recall those destinations from the ‘History’ function. When I was satisfied that I could use the basics of the system with the help of my notes, I thanked him and left. He told me to pop back anytime if I needed more help, and there was no mention of any charge or fee for his time.

That left me very impressed with the customer service from this dealership, and confirmed my experience since moving from London to Norfolk.

‘Buy locally’.

65 thoughts on “Car Extras: An Update”

  1. Just curious but the wiper speed, is it when you’re driving or just stationary (at traffic lights etc) that the speed alters ? My previous car would change from normal speed to slow when the car was stationary.

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    1. It goes faster ( as in the setting on the control lever) at full speed, then drops to the lower level when the car is in traffic. At a full stop, like traffic lights, it becomes ‘intermittent’. It is supposed to be a ‘good feature’, but I just find it irritating, Claire.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  2. Thank goodness he went slowly and let you write everything down. Having it in History should help…maybe. Today I had to drive to a new place, and I realized how much I missed a hard copy map. The wipers issue is just awful.

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  3. Here we only have one key for the new car. Apparently Toyota still can’t manage to make two. We have been warned that if we lose it we will be unable to drive the car. The manufacturers seem to be having trouble meeting normal expectations( keys, manuals, etc.)

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    1. Is there not a company that will make copy keys for your car? We have those over here. I would be worried about only having one key. We keep the spare key safely shut away in a drawer in case the primary one is lost. This is one company in the UK that offers replacement or additonal keys, there are many others.
      https://key-assist.co.uk/?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwvfmoBhAwEiwAG2tqzD8Mmo-0ZSC842Zgj99b6vsHEiYfujHWqAQ_NF-gdGv4pR5Hpwbr7xoC7k8QAvD_BwE
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. One of my (reasonably wealthy) neighbours has a very expensive Audi car. He was told that there is no manual of any kind, just some basic operating advice that has to be accessed online. They claim this is to ‘save paper’. They also suggested he take it back to the dealership to discuss anything he doesn’t understand, which would incur a charge in his case.
      I have to presume that they reckon if you can afford the car (upwards of £50,000 depending on extras) you can afford to pay for advice.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. Taking it to the dealership to “discuss anything” and then having to pay for it is one of my pet peeves. My air conditioning doesn’t work intermittently. They ran a test and told me it was within “normal specifications.” Never mind that sometimes it blows warm air. I understand they might no be able to diagnose the problem, but what did I pay for???

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        1. That’s why I was so pleased when my car’s dealer sat explaining things to me for so long, and didn’t mention a word about any payment. And that was on a used car that is well out of warranty.

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    1. They go faster when the car is going fast, and slow down when you are in slow traffic or at a dead stop. This operates despite whatever you have them set to on the control lever.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    2. Many of these modern conveniences just don’t seem that convenient to me ~ only more complicated, more wasteful of dwindling planetary resources ~ and much, much more expensive (my van will be an antique next year, but I can still copy my key for $5!)

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  10. Do not let the satnav feature drive you into a river. Mine tried to do that to me once in Michigan. I ended up at river’s edge staring an enormous power plant in the face. Most disconcerting since I cannot swim.

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  11. At first i have to apologize for another delay, Pete! I hope you all are well and enjoy the week. Some years in the past i had made the first time similar experiences with these speed-sensitive wipers. It felt like a restless toddler was sitting on the windshield. There are definitely inventions which could stay in the box. Best wishes, Michael

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  15. Great to see good service, Pete. Just in case, make a copy of the satnav instructions, because we all know sometimes circumstances conspire against us…
    Fingers crossed it all helps make life easier.

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    1. It doesn’t matter which make or model, (I get the joke) as long as the dealer has invested in the local community and knows he has to have a loyal customer base to continue to trade.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. Since moving out of London, I have found that countryside shops and service providers go the extra mile to make customers happy. They need to maintain a good reputation in much smaller communities, or they won’t survive.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  19. I’ve always had good service too from the Honda dealers at Bury, but every few months they send me yet another invite to a new launch. My Jazz is 9 years old now, and still going strong at 48,000 miles. I’ll keep it for a while longer.

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    1. I get those ‘VIP’ invites from local car dealers too. I suppose they have to keep on top of their marketing strategies. I will be keeping this car for at least another five years, possibly longer. (If I live that long! 🙂 )
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. Since moving to Norfolk, I had had excellent service from local shops and suppliers. Everything from tyre suppliers, to new TV aerials, even the man who cuts my grass and hedges. The supermarket staff are incredibly helpful too, and remember me. The experience is like being on another planet, compared to life in London, Jon.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. I have yet to experience any bad customer service in Norfolk, FR. I think operating in the countryside means they have to try harder to keep a customer base. Even the staff at the huge Tesco are really friendly and helpful, and many of the same ones have worked there since I moved here. They actually remember me, and some ask about my dog. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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        1. It is supposed to help with fuel economy, but the wear and tear on the starter motor and battery would wipe out that saving if both needed replacing too soon. The car is already very ‘Green’, supposedly. It is exempt from ULEZ in London, as an example, and that’s without the Stop/Start, which is not standard on all models in the range.
          Best wishes, Pete.

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