Misc thoughts: Push-button stop, Devil keyfob, shifting and walmart.

[pcm2a]

Nothing important here but things I have noticed over the past week and thought I would share and see everyone else's opinions. Mostly these are little things, maybe even funny.

Push-button stop:
I was driving in a parking lot and I decided to see what would happen if I pressed that power button. Surely it wouldn't turn off while I'm driving right? Wrong. The car turned off and best I tried various things like pressing power, putting in neutral and pressing power. The car would not start until I was full stopped and in park. What if I pressed that going 80mph on the interstate, that seems like a big hazzard?

Devil keyfob:
I grabbed the wrong keyfob on my way to take a top-down drive yesterday. I fought several times with the seat, why in the world was it moving all around on me. Luckily I could press #1 and get it back. Then I noticed that all my radio presets had changed! What a disaster. Later on I looked in the book and saw that all of the settings will change to keyfob #1 and #2! That is super cool but it was like a devil had infested the XLR when I didn't know that.

Manual Shifting:
The last sports automatic that I owned was a 1998 Mercedes SLK. I had to trade her in because I couldn't afford the constant maintenance on that heap of junk. It had the option to manually shift up and down but it was useless. I can report that in 2006 nothing has really changed. My non-stick shift driving buddy was driving the XLR and said "wow i bet this is just like a stick shift". It is not even close. You can shift up and down and it will let you run it up to the red line, but the delay before it shifts is too long. I think I could shift my mustang 3 times in the time it does it once. Does anyone actually use the manual shifting? I feel like leaving in Drive does a better job if I stomp it down.

Top-Down Walmart:
So I've driven the XLR about 70 miles mostly on nice days with the top down. I've stopped at various places and I always leave it down. Today I went to walmart at lunch and even though I parked way out in the parking lot I just couldn't leave the top down. The walmart is even a very nice one (if that is possible) and in a nice area. Does anyone leave their top down at walmart? Does anyone even go to walmart...

 

[mtrocket]

Push button stop: You know, I've never even wondered what would happen if I pushed the power button while driving... I guess now we know.

Devil keyfob: That happened to me once... but it's still funny when I hear about it...

Manual shifting: I hardly ever use it... mostly just leave it in drive. If I need to slow down quickly, I use it to shift down, but hardly ever any other time.

And:
Top down Walmart: I NEVER leave the top down unless I'm within watching distance of the car, whether at Walmart or anywhere. It's not that I don't trust anyone, it's just, why take a chance??

 

[agwondra]

Push-button stop:
Good info to remember the next time I am car-jacked.

Devil keyfob:
I guess I always knew there were 2 different settings available so my wife and I can personalize our driving. Since she keeps hers in her purse not much chance of picking up the wrong one in our house.

Manual shifting:
The only time I have used manual shifting is when I couldn't afford an AT in the car I was driving. I don't use it.

Top down at Walmart:
Although we do shop at Walmart, I never leave the top down regardless of the location where I park it. With variability of MN weather I just don't take the chance.

 

[cubby558]

Just my thoughts:

Push Button Stop:

Wondering why you would even try that....do you also turn your key off in other cars while driving????

Keyfob: Each keyfob stores information programmed for each driver, therefore when you acces the vehicle, it knows what and how you want everything, including radio stations, seat position, mirror postions, entry/exit preferences.

Top down, vehicle unattended:

If I'm not going to be within visual contact of the vehicle, the top goes up---no matter where I am at. Doesn't take long to put it up or down.

 

[pcm2a]

Why does a child touch the stove? When I go out later the first thing I'm going to try is turning the key off while I'm driving. I assume it is not going to let me do that.

What happens if you (keyfob 1) and your wife (keyfob 2 in purse) are both in the car? Who's radio stations will it pick.

 

[XLRATING]

I always put the top up when I stop. Regardless of whether I trust people, I definitely do not trust birds. Even birds in nice areas (& it's way less likely they'll hit the inside of the car when it's in motion!)

 

[carterchapman]

Why does a child touch the stove? When I go out later the first thing I'm going to try is turning the key off while I'm driving. I assume it is not going to let me do that.

What happens if you (keyfob 1) and your wife (keyfob 2 in purse) are both in the car? Who's radio stations will it pick.

It picks up my #1 key fob (it will say Driver 1 on startup). But if I get out and close my door first, and she is still in the car with her fob in her purse, three beeps of the horn are the result...

 

[ChicagoDave]

Why does a child touch the stove? When I go out later the first thing I'm going to try is turning the key off while I'm driving. I assume it is not going to let me do that.

What happens if you (keyfob 1) and your wife (keyfob 2 in purse) are both in the car? Who's radio stations will it pick.

The antenna that picks up the FOB's is localized (is that a word?) to just the driver's seat - so it should pick up the FOB that was closest to the driver's door when you got in the car. I think that is how it works.

 

[Cadillac Tech]

The antenna that picks up the FOB's is localized (is that a word?) to just the driver's seat - so it should pick up the FOB that was closest to the driver's door when you got in the car. I think that is how it works.

Dave, you are correct, it goes by the one on the driver's side of the vehicle.

 

[graytoad]

Push button STOP: I wondered that too but I was scared I would screw something up.

Devil Key Fob: We were confused when I first got my car: I thought I had programmed all the settings ...... then what the heck? Then we discovered the 2 distinct fob feature: great! It really bugs me if I have the wrong fob so I keep mine in my purse & Steve keeps #2 in his stuff. (thanks CadTech for the FOB FACT: I wondered that too, it appeared the car always mananged to choose correctly when we were both in the car with fobs!)

Manual shifting: only use that to shift down when I want the Corsa's thunder to announce my arrival!

Top Down: I hardly ever leave the top down unless I am just dashing in. I had my nice red leather interior in my 92 Z28 get SHAT-SPLATTED upon by a seagull or some other large crapping bird. Besides, by putting the top up and down I generally end up with an appreciative audience.

 

[BeyondMyCapacity]

Since that was news to you....do you know about the center button of the seat for setting the exit positions when open the door after the engine is off?

J

 

[graytoad]

Yup. that exit setting is handy too, my poor oldbones link the extra lift getting out!

 

[Lola's Mom]

Dave, you are correct, it goes by the one on the driver's side of the vehicle.

Funny: If I approach the car on the driver's side and the doors unlock (#1) .... but I enter on the passenger side .... when Ray gets in the driver's door everything adjusts for me and squishes him into a pretzel position ... I laughed so hard I thought I would die.

So - now he makes sure he approaches the drivers side first, and then I can come in the passenger door. (He did not find it all that funny )

Yes .... sometimes we leave the top down and go have lunch or something if we can still see the car .... and yes, Lola goes to WalMart ... as well as Home Depot, CostCo .... wherever. She is my daily driver - not a Garage Queen. She's spotless.

BTW - you guys remember that at the Rendezvous a number of tops would go down at the stop lights??? That was such a head-turner

 

[grue]

Devil keyfob:
I grabbed the wrong keyfob on my way to take a top-down drive yesterday. I fought several times with the seat, why in the world was it moving all around on me. Luckily I could press #1 and get it back. Then I noticed that all my radio presets had changed! What a disaster. Later on I looked in the book and saw that all of the settings will change to keyfob #1 and #2! That is super cool but it was like a devil had infested the XLR when I didn't know that.

Bumping an old thread I know, but this is too good not to share.

My beloved grandmother left me her XLR when she passed recently, and my uncle has been using it occasionally to keep the battery up while we wait for me to fly to FL to pick it up (next weekend, FINALLY). The first time he went to drive it, instead of using key #2 which was programmed for me (6'3") already (I used to drive the car between her summer and winter homes for her), he used key #1, which was programmed for my 5'2" grandmother. He said "I sat down and closed the door, and then the car tried to do an imitation of a trash compactor"

 

[Crimson Pearl]

Top down and WalMart

I never leave the top down unless I am in the car!

Potential bird target and the fact that the sun is not kind to interiors.

Yes, I stop at WalMart, but only once or twice when in Crimson Pearl.

Speaking of WalMart, they are my customer. They spend more with me than I do with them!

So keep shopping at WalMart, my fellow XLR owners.