Convertible Question

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by Barry45RPM

I've operated my roof at a crawl once in a blue moon. Don't know if I'd do it @ 25 MPH. Don't forget the air (slight breeze) could be moving too, but your car wouldn't know that, & you'd damage the roof frame.

When I'm slowing down for a light and I want to put the top down I hold the button and it starts when I hit 25. Im always stopped by the time the time the top itself starts moving.

That's how I roll and that's how I win.

[Pangloss]

If the manual says you can do it at 25 (and it does), you can do it at 25. If it breaks, that's their problem.

unless there was an obstacle, of course

That's a valid point. There's no sensor checking that, just your Mark 1 Eyeball.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by Barry45RPM

So the wipers don't turn on in the car wash.

As to the "Auto Roof" request... the roof can't be raised/lowered while driving anyway, and you have to be sure that no arms/heads/pets have their body parts in the way before you close the roof. Unattended raising/closing could be catastrophic.

Even attended, open/closing still has pinch sensors, and the roof button has to be constantly pushed to complete a cycle.
You can plan for problems only up to a point, and common sense has to be used every time.
Even if there is an operator there, that doesn't prevent the random arm, pet, or head from doing stupid things.
Is an inattentive operator any quicker than an anti-pinch circuit?

That's why if I designed it, I would put a button/switch in there so that the driver would press/activate the function if they leave their top open.
If there is a pet or random arm or head in there, then don't activate the feature.
I don't see this type of feature being needed often, but it wouldn't be that costly or complicated to implement.

I thought that you can raise/lower the roof while moving. Many convertible makers advertise up to what speed the roof can be operated.
No?

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by JimD

I do not need or want a system to automatically raise the top. If I guess wrong and get caught in the rain, I will either raise the top or continue to get wet. Doesn't happen often and I can deal with it.

Jim

For you, and anyone else, it's would be an option.
If you want it to close the top when you're not in the car, then you activate the function when you leave the car.

I don't see why an option like this would be such a negative.
My "auto" wipers don't come on automatically, non of ours do. We have to activate the system, then it does it's thing.

BTW, I've used the auto wiper function, and it's not as bad as some have experienced. I wonder if the problem is improperly calibrated sensors, or if some people just don't like the random-ness of when the wipers come on an off. As the wiper function is activated due to how many drops of rain the sensor area, the wipers can go on and off as the level of rain changes. So it's not a steady pattern. Maybe some people don't like that.

The way I avoid having to use my wipers at all, I use liquid-glass (a paint polish) on the windows. It works much better than Rain-X and it lasts longer. Once I'm above 30mph the rain rolls off the windows nicely, no wipers needed.
In stop and go traffic, it's a different story.
Luckily, I don't drive in that type of traffic very often.

[ScotchAndCigar]

First of all, they would never legally allow an unattended car to put it's own top up - huge liability problem. As others have pointed out, they don't even trust us to be marginally alert for 22 secs following the button push, even though we're right there, hence the button hold.

Headlights can be left on auto, because they won't maim anyone. But if you start your car, then pop the hood or go to scrape something off the windshield, they won't let the wipers remain enabled without your "agreement of liability" (pushing the button). The wipers may impale your cornea.

Notice how the front windows are 1-touch up, but not the rears? Liability. You can't see the rear windows because they're in back of you, so you have to keep pressing the "I am liable for the closure of this window" button.

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by ScotchAndCigar

Notice how the front windows are 1-touch up, but not the rears? Liability. You can't see the rear windows because they're in back of you, so you have to keep pressing the "I am liable for the closure of this window" button.

While that may be a possible reason, I suspect it's more likely because of the restriction on raising the 'vert's rear window after the front has been raised - this may cause a misalignment, especially while moving. If you notice, the "all windows" switch is one touch both up and down as it raises the windows in proper sequence, even though you still can't see the rear window while raising it.

Tom

[ScotchAndCigar]

Originally Posted by Tom K.

While that may be a possible reason, I suspect it's more likely because of the restriction on raising the 'vert's rear window after the front has been raised - this may cause a misalignment, especially while moving. If you notice, the "all windows" switch is one touch both up and down as it raises the windows in proper sequence, even though you still can't see the rear window while raising it.

Tom

Hmmm, that's true. Personally, I'm kinda bent out of shape about having to deal with rear windows, after owning the Z3/4 roadsters. I find them to be a pain in the ass, and I'm aware of the "etiquette" restrictions they impose. For example, the rears must be fully up or down, anything else leaves the windows at an odd angle relative to the fronts. And with the fronts down, it looks dorky (from the outside) to leave the rears up, even though it doesn't affect the driving experience.

And when I first put the top down in the morning, the windows all go down all the way, and then I have to put them back up, in the cool New England mornings. My previous verts would just leave the windows alone, as long as they were lowered a little.

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by ScotchAndCigar

Hmmm, that's true. Personally, I'm kinda bent out of shape about having to deal with rear windows, after owning the Z3/4 roadsters. I find them to be a pain in the ass, and I'm aware of the "etiquette" restrictions they impose. For example, the rears must be fully up or down, anything else leaves the windows at an odd angle relative to the fronts. And with the fronts down, it looks dorky (from the outside) to leave the rears up, even though it doesn't affect the driving experience.

And when I first put the top down in the morning, the windows all go down all the way, and then I have to put them back up, in the cool New England mornings. My previous verts would just leave the windows alone, as long as they were lowered a little.

Actually, I just re-checked and the all windows button is not one touch up - only down. Either they operate randomly or I can't always tell up from down.

And it would be nice to have programming options as to how the windows behave when opening or closing the top.

Tom

[ScotchAndCigar]

Originally Posted by Tom K.

Actually, I just re-checked and the all windows button is not one touch up - only down.

Yes, I confirmed this as well, thought maybe they changed it for '11.

[BrokenVert]

08 car

The front windows are one touch up/down. The back ones and the all window button are 1 touch down but hold up.

[ScotchAndCigar]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

08 car

The front windows are one touch up/down. The back ones and the all window button are 1 touch down but hold up.

Same as '11