NPR: Modern Cars Freaking Out in Car Washes

"LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com" (limitedtimeonly)
10/27/2016 at 08:27 • Filed to: None

I just heard a piece on NPR regarding the semi-autonomous cars having issues in washes, and they had Jason Torchinsky of Jalopnik commenting. I was a bit surprised . . .

To have Torch as the go-to for perspective on this seems to legitimize Jalopnik in a strange way, because regardless of his knowledge, I don’t think Jalopnik is doing original reporting much in general and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in particular was the standard re-reporting/news aggregation.

Good for Torch to get to provide a car publication perspective, and happily NPR had some other expert then give additional perspective, but I would have expected Consumer Reports or something in place of Torch.

What are your thoughts? What source would have been best for the “car-person” voice in a report on this concern? Is Jalopnik as appropriate as any other?

DISCUSSION (10)

Sam > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
10/27/2016 at 08:32

It’s neat. And Torch is awesome, so that’s a bonus.

Also, rain-sensing wipers and parking sensors are already an annoyance in car washes. So I can see how semi-auto cars would flip out.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Sam
10/27/2016 at 08:40

It occurs to me that I have left my rain-sensing wipers on when handing off my car at the wash, and I don’t know if they have been turning them off before it goes through. It’s a new feature for me, so I haven’t given it thought until right now.

I’ll have to pay attention next time. They still work, so the workers probably have been turning them off.

Sam > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
10/27/2016 at 08:53

Whenever I would get in a freshly-delivered Volvo or Range Rover, they would be on by default (not in Jags for some reason). And I always flailed around trying to turn them off, because the amount of water would set them on maximum-swipe. Doesn’t really hurt them if they’re on, but it’s annoying and there is the potential it could get caught in the brushes and tug on them.

To be honest, a lot of the car wash workers probably just leave them on. They don’t really get paid to care that much.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
10/27/2016 at 08:58

I heard the interview with Torch on my way into work this morning. I think he’s a great representative for automotive dorkdom.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Sam
10/27/2016 at 09:02

Yes, that’s a more likely explanation. I am the weirdo who actually watches his car go through, and I haven’t seen the wipers running, so maybe it knows enough? Nah, that’s unlikely, gives VW too much credit. I don’t know what’s happening, then.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > The Lurktastic Opponaught
10/27/2016 at 09:07

I did think that he explained the concern well and in an engaging way.

Dave the car guy , still here > The Lurktastic Opponaught
10/27/2016 at 09:59

Dorkdom has its place in this world and no where better to hear about common issues than the common man. I used to have a GM quality control guy call our dealership whenever he came across issues that nobody in Flint had seen. Sadly this same guy that knew different laymen to call got canned during the GM bankruptcy. He once told me he had about 10 dealerships he trusted to ask about things that come up in the field and not under controlled conditions.

Textured Soy Protein > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
10/27/2016 at 10:39

This was also on the FP.

My wife’s Subaru Impreza with EyeSight has never freaked out in an automatic car wash.

Textured Soy Protein > Sam
10/27/2016 at 10:40

I’ve never had the parking sensors or rain sensing wipers in my 335xi do anything weird in an automatic wash. The wipers only go into rain-sensing mode when you push a button, and the parking sensors only come on when I shift into reverse or press a button.

Dusty Ventures > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
10/27/2016 at 11:52

In fairness the Jalopnik staff are regularly called on for insight by other media outlets (CNN, Bloomberg, MSNBC, etc). Do an Oppo search for “screenshot roulette”