design/invent a way to circumvent - or at least control the volume of - the cursed beepers in cars/trucks.

You know, the one that beeps if you leave the keys in the ignition, the lights on, the windows open, the door ajar, the seat belt loose, the glove box open, if it's cold out, if your zipper is open, if you glasses are dirty, if...

I find it almost essential to have the short seat belt extensions plugged in all the time. I even got 2 for my brother’s truck.

It won’t get rid of everything, but especially with a pickup, in & out, short drives.

They've been worse in the past. Most newer ones seem downright melodic by comparison.







If you disabled the chime in a 1990s/2000s Ford Ranger, you were in for a surprise the next time it rained. The chime is built into a body control module (called by Ford a GEM, for Generic Electronic Module); unplugging it disables the windshield wipers and other things.

They don't bother me at all. Of course, I can't hear them, so that may be a factor.

I had a Nissan 200sx that would talk to you.

When is a Door not a door, when its a jar.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
design/invent a way to circumvent - or at least control the volume of - the cursed beepers in cars/trucks.

My wife drives a 2020 Subaru Crosstrek. In addition to the aforementioned beepers and buzzers , it has lane departure. If one moves to avoid a large oncoming vehicle and one gets near the outside lane marker, it beeps. On cruise control, when it senses another car in your path, it beeps. When that car is no longer in your path, it beeps.
We were recently in Northwestern PA. Two lane roads with logging trucks, I give them a wide berth. I am rewarded with a cacophony of beeps.

While we're bitching about intrusive technology...

RAV has adaptive cruise. Overall, I love it. Set it at your preferred speed and following distance and it does it's thing. No fiddling, on, off, reset, wash, rinse, repeat - just drive.

However...

The lateral range of the radar is too wide. If a car is pulling into the right turn lane it WILL hit the brakes, HARD if you have the temerity to pass in your lane on the left. I've learned to tap the brakes to turn it off so I can go by without kissing the dash.

My LYRIQ EV has a user-settable option to silence many of the warnings. Things like sensing pedestrians or other vehicles while maneuvering in a parking lot, activating the turn signal when there's a vehicle in the adjacent lane, stuff like that, I can opt to silence the beeps. When this option is selected, instead of an audible warning, the seat vibrates. Sort of like the vehicle is saying "Get your head out of your ass."

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
While we're bitching about intrusive technology...

RAV has adaptive cruise. ... I've learned to tap the brakes to turn it off so I can go by without kissing the dash.

Another alternative, maybe? I've found that my RAV4 (2024 model year) cruise-control logic respects the gas pedal as a temporary override - so now when on cruise and I see brake lights not in my travel lane that would otherwise trigger the beastie's panic, I gently put my foot on the gas pedal and the system chills rather than over-reacts. It doesn't take much of a touch on the accelerator - I've learned to do this without actually increasing speed.

Plus, no braking and no re-setting of cruising speed. As soon as your foot goes back to wherever it was, Bob becomes your uncle once again and you're cruising at your set speed.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
While we're bitching about intrusive technology...

RAV has adaptive cruise. Overall, I love it. Set it at your preferred speed and following distance and it does it's thing. No fiddling, on, off, reset, wash, rinse, repeat - just drive.

However...

The lateral range of the radar is too wide. If a car is pulling into the right turn lane it WILL hit the brakes, HARD if you have the temerity to pass in your lane on the left. I've learned to tap the brakes to turn it off so I can go by without kissing the dash.

Running adaptive cruise will probably go through brake pads much more frequently, especially if you drive a lot on hills. My sister was shocked when her Crosstrec needed new brakes at around 20,000 miles because she typically got 50K+ out of pads. The mechanic told her the newer Subarus with adaptive cruise are much harder on brakes. Personally I disable the "adaptive" function of cruise on both of my vehicles for various reasons.

Cruise control, adaptive or not, is best used on long, flat, straight and lightly traveled roads, say between Tucumcari and Amarillo.

I have a little dongle I plug into the OBDII port. My phone connects to it; I turned off the seatbelt chime and can adjust many of the other settings for the vehicle, some can even adjust the volume. Handy as hell. I've used it on lots of coworkers' vehicles, too.

I am in the habit of removing my seat belt a block or so before I get to work or home as that is what I do in my patrol car. My 2019 RAM beeps loud and often, found a video that shows how to disable the chime. Will be sure and put it back to factory when ever I sell or trade it in.

The turn signal in the wifes new Altima makes a sound similar to a hammer hitting an anvil.

My 03 Ford F150 chimes for seat belt until you either put the tab in or just press the button..

In the late '80s, Cadillac would use a single note xylophone.

Sounds better than the buzzy chime they have now and can be retrofitted to most any other car.

Most of the newer crap plays stuff over the front left radio speaker now.

Ah, you remember the good ole days when you could reach under the dash and pull the buzzer out?

My wife’s Highlander killed its own battery telling me the window was open. We left it open on purpose in the garage to air the car out. Had to boost it up the next day to start it and the first warning I got was “Window open “

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

design/invent a way to circumvent - or at least control the volume of - the cursed beepers in cars/trucks.

Turn your hearing aids off.