Owned a Peugeot many years ago that had sensors on the pads to indicate changing them before the discs became damaged. Ford pay their designers handsomely, so instead of fancy anti glare mirrors and "intelligent" wipers, why can't these boffins design, on all models, a device to warn when the pads are low. Simple technology. The new Focus apparently has a warning for low tyre pressures. More important than brakes then.
I have seen many complaints in other forums of the lack of thought in making it nigh on impossible to undertake basic maintainence, like changing bulbs. As has been pointed out it should be made as easy as possible.
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Why pick on Ford?Most manufacturers have used brake wear sensors at some time-offered on Sierra's in the 80's-dropped due to total lack of interest by drivers who would rather buy CHEAP spares than the correct bits-also lot of false signals due to loose wires,debris,dust water etc.There is no substitute for the eyeball or don't you look at your tyres either?
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Yep, check pads monthly, tyres on both cars weekly, bulbs(which are a pain to get to on modern cars nowadays) as often as possible. Never had the problems with the brake wear indicators on the Peugeot that you list. I am talking 21st century technology that could be used not belt and braces 70/80s products.
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It's not expensive - a number of Vauxhalls have simple L-shaped attachments fitted to the brake pads which hum loudly like a tuning fork when they touch the disk due to wear - called "audible brake wera warning device".
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The Mk3 Mondeo has the same device, far simpler and just as reliable as a wired sensor.
I've never actually heard the device working as my pads never get down to the wear indicator. I check them every six months until they get below 5mm thick and then every month after that and replace them at 3mm.
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yep, Toyota do the L-shaped metal finger 'audible indicator' too - much more reliable than any electronic sensor.
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It's not expensive .........
But it all adds to the cost of the car. It's a matter of where you draw the line as to what the car incorporates and what it doesn't.
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That was scribe's point - Ford's designers seem happy to spend money on non-essentials but not on essentials - having seen the devices Vauxhall use we are talking pence added to the cost of brake pads.
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Ford's designers seem happy to spend money on non-essentials but not on essentials
>>
A good example at a very basic level was the last Cortina Crusaders.
No longer fitted with a dipping interior mirror just a plain one and the boot light was not fitted. Of course the wiring was all there and the light unit was incredibly cheap and just snapped in. A loop of earth wire was all that was required to complete the job.
These were really stupid penny pinching ideas by Ford
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They're still at it. I found (thanks to you lovely people on here) that I had all the necessary apparatus for front footwell lights bar the actual bulbs (5w wedge type, for a pair of which you'd struggle to pay more than a quid at a factor) on the Mondeo. One assumes that the lights are only operational on Ghia or Titanium models (mine is a Zetec). Assuming a generous bulk discount that must have saved them, I don't know, all of about 30p per car.
I know mony a mickle maks a muckle (as our friends north of Hadrian's Wall are alleged to say) but that's plain daft.
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 08/01/2008 at 18:18
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No doubt to distinguish the more aspirational models in the range ...
as someone would say
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Oh no - "A" word - quick open the swear filter !
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Oh no - "A" word - quick open the swear filter !
:)
Never thought I'd use it.
Where's the soap?
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Where am I supposed to be looking for these bulb-less lights? Thrilled at the possibility of a genuinely necessary trip to Halfords (that makes me sound so sad) I ran outside with a torch and started shining it into nooks and crannies to no avail. Found the heater vents, some pedals, a Werthers Original and 20p but no light fittings. Mine's a 2001 Zetec with such a dark interior it's like being sucked into a black hole getting in on these dark winter evenings. Where are they?
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"Thrilled at the possibility of a genuinely necessary trip to Halfords"
Its a chap thing - you can't walk past one !
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I tell that to SWMBO but she doesn't understand.......
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The whole purpose of the Cortina Crusader was to get rid of the last of a very long (and successful) run of Cortina models. It was equipped with the bits and pieces that were left from a production run that had fed millions of cars. I imagine that there were insufficient dipping rear view mirrors left. Ditto boot lights.
I sold Fords in the 80's and the Crusader was a very popular model and a successful way for Ford to clear the decks prior to the launch of the Sierra.
A later post regarding footwell lighting in the Mondeo also indicates a lack of understanding in the way that Ford (and most other manufacturers) add apparently minor accessories in order to make the next model in the range more attractive - and therefore more expensive.
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A later post regarding footwell lighting in the Mondeo also indicates a lack of understanding in the way that Ford (and most other manufacturers) add apparently minor accessories in order to make the next model in the range more attractive - and therefore more expensive.
Most of us are well aware of this.
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You are but not, apparently, henryk and paulb. But let us not fall out.
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You are but not apparently henryk and paulb. But let us not fall out.
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As you know well, there was no higher spec than the Crusader so no ladder of specs to yearn over.
The boot light is of little importance. They managed to find plenty of tree wood for the interior so I do not accept they could not muster up some mirrors.
I was not impressed with them removing an item that is in the safety area.
They could have resorted to only one reversing light or only one rear fog light ( as many cars are equiped).
I guess it is all in line with "sporty" fogs lights that they advertise.
Edited by henry k on 08/01/2008 at 22:29
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A later post regarding footwell lighting in the Mondeo also indicates a lack of understanding in the way that Ford (and most other manufacturers) add apparently minor accessories in order to make the next model in the range more attractive - and therefore more expensive.
It's not lack of understanding at all. My point was that if you are going to install all the wiring, bulb holders and whatnot, why not just put the bulb in as well?
The way they've done it means that on LX and Zetec models (and conceivably other special edition models too) they've wasted money putting in wiring that is never going to be used, unless the car's owner is among the small number of people who have twigged that the lights can be made to work simply by fitting bulbs.
Doubtless their production accountants would argue that it's easier to make all the dashboards the same, but it seems silly to me.
And quite apart from anything else, the extra toys required to justify a higher price for a higher model would need to be a little more exciting than extra cabin lights.
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A question that's haunted me for 25 years. Was the Crusader anything to do with the Daily Express ? Some of you may recall that they carried a little logo on the back panel that was identical with the paper's.
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ISTR The Express gave away several as as competion prizes, and I suspect Express readers were consulted on their preferences for trim. Evidently Express readers of the late 70's/early 80's didn't want dipping mirrors, but did want fog lights and wood trim.
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Was the Crusader anything to do with the Daily Express ?
>>..... they carried a little logo on the back panel that was identical with the paper's.
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As a ( say it quietly) previous owner of two white Crusaders, one of them had the logo and the other did not.
So I am no wiser and cannot enlighten you.
Sadly the first one was nicked and stripped and the second one rotted away.
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There were a lot more Crusaders on the road than Ford ever made.
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Most of us understand it all right, Scouseford: we just don't like it. Ford would generate more oodwill iof they found a more sensible and less cynical way of differentiating the models (which I agree has to be done). Fitting lights with the bulbs missing is effectively treating customers like idiots by tricking them.
I looked carefully at the C-Max last year; even the top model (Titanium) had some items as extras thet were standard on the competition.
In fairness, Ford aren't the only ones: there is currently a Mini brochure called 'Create your own Mini'. What this actually means is 'everything is extra'.
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IIRC the "Popular" and "Popular Plus" models of Escorts and Fiestas of a generation ago were stripped of many features which other manufacturers wouldn't have dreamed of leaving out. Certainly not the Japanese makers then making such impressive inroads into the market. Datsun gave us cigarette lighters, an illuminated locking glovebox and push button radios while Ford's accountants were stripping "economy" cars of... foglights, reversing lights, laminated windscreen, halogen headlights, hazard lights, heated rear screen, inertia reel seatbelts, electric screenwash, disc front brakes,... (and that's just a few safety features gone, never mind the rest!)
Oh, the ignominity of giving a friend or colleague a lift home in the early 80s in a car with a dashboard full of blanked out switches and the magic words POPULAR PLUS helpfully stencilled in white on the passenger's portion of the facia (a cunning coded message to apologise for lack of glovebox and sunvisor).
Scrimping on the footwell lights is one thing, but actually disabling the reversing lights and leaving a white lens in place to the consternation of other drivers ??
Hello....?
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No heaters or carpets in the "original" Escort Pop, Vauxhall also made a bargain basement Viva in a beautiful (now) 2 door coupe on cross ply tyres and no heater !
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GM are still at it - they call it "De-contenting"...
Hence the absence of a remote petrol cap release on the "Dame Edna" 9-5... They obviously thought it more prudent to invest the money on cheap chrome adornments of the headlights in order for the car to manifest a visage so ugly as to make Stevie Wonder feel ill.
Edited by J i m s t e r on 09/01/2008 at 14:04
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My Escort Popular certainly had a heater tho' it did have rubber mats;do you mean the 100E Popular-the one of those I owned had a heater but not owning it from new,I wouldn't know if it was std.My E93A Popular(103E) didn't have a heater.
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I think my memory must be going and I was confused with the Viva E of that era where a heater was an option !
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It amazes me that Mum's 1975 Escort L had a dipping rear-view mirror yet fast-forward 18 years it still wasn't on the base spec. 1993 Fiesta.
With regards to boot lights etc. you have to remember that someone has to procure it, count it, and fit it. Multiply this (particularly the latter) by a few thousand and as the guy from Nationwide would say you're soon eating in to the shareholder's bubbly :-) .
Other manufacturer's do the same - my mate's Corsa comes with nearside rear foglight holder and bulb but no wiring.
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Re dipping mirrors, has anyone ever actually dipped one? I haven't.
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Re dipping mirrors has anyone ever actually dipped one? I haven't.
Yes it stops me getting blinded by the headlights behind when I look in the mirror.
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My last four BMWs did it on their own :-(
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Yes it stops me getting blinded by the headlights behind when I look in the mirror.
Isn't that what rear fog lights are for?
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rear fog lights
...and they're what main beam headlights are for :-P
PU I feel the same when I see a blinding flash of light behind me suddenly disappear again and again.
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Also remember that about 90% of production is built for LHD markets so that in many cases it's cheaper to fit bits and then not connect them-many non-UK vehicle offerings are not the same as UK ones(no Populars sold outside UK but base Escorts certainly were) and then there are peculiarities;in the 70/80's Austria took LHD Cortinas rather than the virtually identical Taunus!!
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The LHD issue raises its head again: For years many European manufacturers didn't bother changing over wipers, stalk controls, even the bonnet release, and left us with a single rear foglight and one lonely door mirror. Ford, to their credit, changed most things over for the British market.
There is much more uniformity now as MPVs largely have *almost* symmetrical wiper patterns and Scenics and BMWs make theirs leap into corners; twin reversing lights and twin foglights (or perhaps one centrally sited item) are surprisingly common, too.
And let's not forget the proliferation of the English language wherever a symbol won't do: We so take for granted seeing words like PARK STOP LOCK FUEL OIL MAX HIGH LOW and countless abbreviations (FM, AM, EBD, ESR, A/C, rpm, etc.) All due, in no small part, to Uncle Henry's pioneering mass production 100 years ago.
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