Ford turn signal controls. (rental, vehicle, 2013, lane)
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Because my company car is in the shop, I got to rent a vehicle and ended up with a Ford Flex Limited. Kind of a funny looking ride, but actually it's rather nice. Very roomy and luxurious by my standards anyway.
The one thing I have a problem with is the turn signals. I cannot get used to the "feel" of the control. The movement to turn the signals on so they stay on is so tight that I end up flashing my brights most of the time. The forward/backward motion to flash or turn on the brights seems to be easier to overcome than the turn signal direction.
Do all the new Fords have these controls in their 2013s or 2012s? We may be in the market for a new car in the coming months. While it might be a small factor to some, it is a constant annoyance to me.
As much as it annoys me, it must really annoy anyone in front of me.
I drove a newish Ford truck recently (rental) where the turn signal lever doesn't actually physically stay down or up. You push down or up on it to activate the signal, and it stays on and cancels I guess electronically after you complete the turn. If you're doing something else like changing lanes on the highway or some other turn that's too small to trigger the auto-cancel, then you have to push the lever again in the opposite direction instead of just returning it to center.
Not sure if this is same as you describe, but I found that pretty annoying.
I drove a newish Ford truck recently (rental) where the turn signal lever doesn't actually physically stay down or up. You push down or up on it to activate the signal, and it stays on and cancels I guess electronically after you complete the turn. If you're doing something else like changing lanes on the highway or some other turn that's too small to trigger the auto-cancel, then you have to push the lever again in the opposite direction instead of just returning it to center.
That sounds like a nightmare. I'd hate it. So, if y ou want to change lanes to the right and then back to the left, you have to push it up once, and then down twice, once to cancel the right, and once to activate the left, and then back up again to cancel, all the time checking the dash indicators to make sure the space-age digital computer is telling it to do what you want it to do, is that it? Texting on a cell phone doesn't require that much distracting concentration.
Some people require a longer learning time when driving a different car. The signal lever/high beam controls are different between my to cars. I got used to it.
I drove a newish Ford truck recently (rental) where the turn signal lever doesn't actually physically stay down or up. You push down or up on it to activate the signal, and it stays on and cancels I guess electronically after you complete the turn. If you're doing something else like changing lanes on the highway or some other turn that's too small to trigger the auto-cancel, then you have to push the lever again in the opposite direction instead of just returning it to center.
Not sure if this is same as you describe, but I found that pretty annoying.
No, I'm reading it again and maybe it wasn't clear. What I'm saying is that after you activate the signal, the lever always springs back to center *even while the signal is still blinking*. It does not have a physical lock into the up or down position but always springs back to center. I'd never used one like that before. Even the other 2012 rental cars I've driven have the traditional levers that stay in the down or up position while the signal is blinking, which granted is the same way they've operated for at least 40-odd years or so but still, if it ain't broke....
The annoyance comes in what jtur88 describes, in that instead of having an easy physical movement to move it back to center when it's still blinking, you have an unfamiliar tap on the lever that doesn't exactly make sense compared to how they have worked in the past.
Reminds me of when they tried putting the horn control on the stalk (remember that on Escorts back in the 80s?)
It is something new, I think they started in 2011. The Fords I've drove with the feature, it doesn't bother me. tag it once to signal the turn and let it do its things.
It is something new, I think they started in 2011. The Fords I've drove with the feature, it doesn't bother me. tag it once to signal the turn and let it do its things.
I guess you're one of those who don't signal lane changes on the highway? It has no way of sensing this. Also even just driving that truck for a little while I hit multiple turns that were not big enough to cancel the signal. It seems like it's tailor made to make people signal less often or drive even longer with their signal still blinking!
I had a new Focus as a rental I guess it was late last year so that was a 2012 and that didn't have this setup.
I guess you're one of those who don't signal lane changes on the highway? It has no way of sensing this. Also even just driving that truck for a little while I hit multiple turns that were not big enough to cancel the signal. It seems like it's tailor made to make people signal less often or drive even longer with their signal still blinking!
I had a new Focus as a rental I guess it was late last year so that was a 2012 and that didn't have this setup.
You, once again, assumed incorrectly.
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It has no way of sensing this. Also even just driving that truck for a little while I hit multiple turns that were not big enough to cancel the signal. It seems like it's tailor made to make people signal less often or drive even longer with their signal still blinking!
