So your fancy Mercedes has blank buttons?

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck) 10/20/2016 at 12:41 • Filed to: Loaner tundra

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Big deal, my Tacoma has fourteen. BUT AN EVEN BIGGER DEAL is that this Tundra not only has blank buttons; it has a SELECTABLE blank button that actually tells you that it does nothing! I think this is awesome and you should too.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 12:44

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Tundra - better than a Mercedes.

S65 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 12:44

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In the reflection of the shiny black bit of f plastic it looks like there’s a person with a paper bag on their head.

MonkeePuzzle > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 12:45

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so its not a blank, its a legit button that pushes makes an electrical connection!? how is it not configurable!?!?!?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > MonkeePuzzle 10/20/2016 at 12:47

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Over-under Engineering

EL_ULY > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 12:48

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My W210 and ML have buttons for feature it doesn’t have. My Volvo has many blanks.

CalzoneGolem > S65 10/20/2016 at 12:48

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You can never be too careful exposing your face to the internet.

jimz > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 12:48

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should come up with a factory-looking label which says “DO NOT PRESS”

LongbowMkII > MonkeePuzzle 10/20/2016 at 12:49

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How is it cheaper to design a button that does nothing than just making it do whatever it does on higher trims?

TysMagic > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 12:52

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what is it supposed to do? Because it’s all but doing it

dsafsdfddddd > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 12:54

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This shitty article intentionally left blank.

vicali > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 13:02

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It’s probably the fuel economy mode..

or hybrid mode;

Tatanko > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 13:06

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Reminds me of this:

http://jalopnik.com/this-is-the-saddest-button-in-all-of-automotive-existen-1751139157

JohnH3ASP > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 13:07

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If it is your Tacoma, why does it say Tundra...?

Xyl0c41n3 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 13:08

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I’ve got two labeled-but-useless buttons in my car: Sirius radio and CD player. My car didn’t come equipped with a CD player and I’ve never had a satellite radio subscription. They both pop up with messages if you press them, but I forgot what they say.

Klaus Schmoll > LongbowMkII 10/20/2016 at 13:12

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It probably isn’t cheaper really. This is just a giant eff-U to people who didn’t fork over a couple hondos more. Constant reminder that you are a cheap ass and that you should do better next time.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > JohnH3ASP 10/20/2016 at 13:22

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Big deal, my Tacoma has fourteen. BUT AN EVEN BIGGER DEAL is that this Tundra not only has blank buttons;

Tristan > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 13:23

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It should make a picture of Nelson pop up on the screen while the audio plays “HA, HA! You’re poor!”

JohnH3ASP > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 13:28

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Oh I only noticed Tacoma sorry

404 - User No Longer Available > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 13:30

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Saab did this years ago.

Probenja > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 13:38

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It should play this sound each time you press it:

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 13:46

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It’s the perfect way to demonstrate to your customers that you’re not incompetent or lazy, you’re just a bastard.

Orange Exige > 404 - User No Longer Available 10/20/2016 at 13:50

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“Hold on to your pants! I’m putting it into EXTRA MODE!!”

Orange Exige > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 13:54

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That is in fact amazing.

But also just a sad view into the future of car features in the Tesla Age. I’m a big fan of what they’re building overall, but the whole ‘software feature lock/unlock’ thing they’re doing will no doubt become the norm. It would happen eventually no matter what so I wouldn’t be silly enough to call them evil or anything though.

Funktheduck > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 14:10

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Without going out to my car and looking I have 3 blanks on a bank of buttons I can’t see without bending and looking. The blanks are for the high trim extra safety on/off switches. But.....I do have a nav button that shows a compass and a message telling me I can get nav from my Mazda dealer. That’s more annoying. It is capable of nav but won’t without a $400 SD card with maps on it.

For the blank buttons I want to install an aftermarket extra loud horn and maybe some LED driving lights.

Sam > MonkeePuzzle 10/20/2016 at 14:14

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It’s probably for Nav, so it would likely work if you install the CD/USB navigation.

Sam > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 14:15

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The worst is cars that have buttons which are permanently blanked, no matter what options you have. My E34 has blank spots for options we can’t get in the U.S., like a rear fog lights or the wheel for the dash light adjustment being moved for RHD.

LongbowMkII > Orange Exige 10/20/2016 at 14:42

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Extra what?

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 14:43

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My moms Volvo S60 does the same thing. When you push the button for the backup camera, it goes to a black screen with parking lines, freezes for a second, and then says camera not available.

LongbowMkII > jimz 10/20/2016 at 14:47

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Then have a cycle of displayed messages:

“We told you not to press it.”

“Do you think you’re funny?”

“This may void your warranty”

“Not really, but please stop”

“Seriously?”

“You really could break something.”

“DANGER TO MANIFOLD”

“Fine, you win.”

LongbowMkII > Xyl0c41n3 10/20/2016 at 14:48

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“You should have bought a hatchback.”

*runs*

J_P_Cars10s > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 15:17

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My base model Outback has 1. For the fog lights that are a dealer option.

No heated seats, okay here’s a bigger cubby behind the shifter instead. Subaru.

JRapp: now as good as new again > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 15:17

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My Audi had a button with a label on it even, some picture of a person, that when pressed, displayed a message that this feature is not available. I’m not sure which I prefer. I think blanks are a more honest approach maybe.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/20/2016 at 18:45

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I have to say, despite the hilarity of that button, I’m more of a fan of how GM does it with the Colorado / Canyon (and maybe others).

My truck has almost no options, and so it would traditionally have blank buttons/switches where the heated seats, tow/haul mode, power adjustable pedals, etc, etc would go. But instead, they actually made slightly different dashes for different configurations. Where a loaded truck will have five or six switches, I have three. And they’re just wider in my truck.

Even the climate controls are different. I was looking at my buttons, and I realized that there was no spot for a rear window defrost button. (Still stupid that that’s an option you can get with a manual in a Canyon but not a Colorado... but I digress.) It seemed strange to me until I sat in a higher trim truck. Whereas I have a button for fresh air and a button for recirc, there was only a button to turn recirc on/off in the higher trim. And the now available space had the rear defrost.

I don’t feel, or look cheap. Even though I am. And I have bluetooth and a back-up camera (with the lines that move with the steering wheel!) which helps people actually think that I’m not cheap!

In my head, this way is more about making your products not look like they’re low-grade. And also, not insulting the customers. I really think others should invest the little extra into their dashes to bump up the perceived premium-ness inside.