What is

On Tuesday, November 26, 2013 3:49:39 PM UTC-6, AMuzi wrote:
> On 11/26/2013 2:01 PM, Tegger wrote:
>
> > JR > wrote in
>
> > :
>
> >
>
> >> the reason for those steering wheel locks the auto factories install
>
> >> underneath the steering wheels?
>
> >>
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > To prevent theft by making it impossible to steer the car when the key is
>
> > not used to start the engine.
>
> >
>
> >
>
>
>
> The practical effect has been to eliminate joyriding in
>
> favor of carjacking. One of those hope-n-change things.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Andrew Muzi
>
> <www.yellowjersey.org/>
>
> Open every day since 1 April, 1971

I have been driving since 1957, I hope to keep on driving as long as I can. ....'Befuddled'

On 11/26/2013 03:06 PM, wrote:
> On Tuesday, November 26, 2013 1:44:17 PM UTC-5, JR wrote:
>> the reason for those steering wheel locks the auto factories
>> install underneath the steering wheels?
>
>
>
> the reason why cars have zig-zag automatic transimission shifter
> plates in modern cars instead of a simple STRAIGHT PRNDL1L2?? On my
> particular car I am always shifting into Neutral instead of into
> Drive - something I didn't have to look at when I owned a car with a
> straight shift.
>

So you don't overshoot Neutral and inadvertantly hit Reverse while the
car is moving (e.g. the engine stalled and you need to restart it)

nate


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On 11/26/2013 03:36 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Nov 2013 12:06:24 -0800 (PST),
> wrote:
>
>> On Tuesday, November 26, 2013 1:44:17 PM UTC-5, JR wrote:
>>> the reason for those steering wheel locks the auto factories install underneath the steering wheels?
>>
>>
>>
>> the reason why cars have zig-zag automatic transimission shifter plates in modern cars instead of a simple STRAIGHT PRNDL1L2?? On my particular car I am always shifting into Neutral instead of into Drive - something I didn't have to look at when I owned a car with a straight shift.
>
>
> They are not required to be zigzag. My PT has a perfectly straight
> PRNDL shifter. But some automakers make them zigzag for reasons one
> can only guess at. I drove a Jeep Patriot that had one of those
> zigzag shifters and it was impossible to shift the damn thing even for
> something as normal as backing out of a parking space and then leaving
> the lot without looking down at it twice, once to get it in R and then
> a second time to get it into D.
>

I can deal with those OK but recently I was in a new Chrysler 300, that
thing has an electronic shifter that you tap to change one position each
direction and you have to look at the shift knob to tell what position
is selected... I didn't like it.

I still prefer a good old H pattern (well, these days it's more like a
double H with an L off one end for good measure but you know what I mean)

nate

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On Tuesday, November 26, 2013 5:54:27 PM UTC-5, Nate Nagel wrote:

>
>
> So you don't overshoot Neutral and inadvertantly hit Reverse while the
>
> car is moving (e.g. the engine stalled and you need to restart it)
>
>
>
> nate
>
>
>
>
_________________
Never had that problem with either of my previous straight shifter automatics.

Mfgs. just love to overthink things.

Nate Nagel > wrote in
:

> On 11/26/2013 03:06 PM, wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> the reason why cars have zig-zag automatic transimission shifter
>> plates in modern cars instead of a simple STRAIGHT PRNDL1L2??
>
>
>
> So you don't overshoot Neutral and inadvertantly hit Reverse while the
> car is moving (e.g. the engine stalled and you need to restart it)
>



Changing gear while the car is moving is apparently damaging to automatic
transmissions, so I wouldn't be surprised if prevention of that was the
reason for the zig-zaggy lever.

Our brand-new RAV4 has a zig-zaggy lever. After 23-years of a 5-speed
Integra, I now have to get used to this new automatic. <scowl>


--
Tegger

On Tue, 26 Nov 2013 17:54:27 -0500, Nate Nagel >
wrote:

>On 11/26/2013 03:06 PM, wrote:
>> On Tuesday, November 26, 2013 1:44:17 PM UTC-5, JR wrote:
>>> the reason for those steering wheel locks the auto factories
>>> install underneath the steering wheels?
>>
>>
>>
>> the reason why cars have zig-zag automatic transimission shifter
>> plates in modern cars instead of a simple STRAIGHT PRNDL1L2?? On my
>> particular car I am always shifting into Neutral instead of into
>> Drive - something I didn't have to look at when I owned a car with a
>> straight shift.
>>
>
>So you don't overshoot Neutral and inadvertantly hit Reverse while the
>car is moving (e.g. the engine stalled and you need to restart it)
>
>nate


It's easy to provide that kind of lockout with a straight pattern, no
need for the zigzags. You can only shift my PT between N and D unless
you push the BUTTON down.

On 11/26/2013 10:36 AM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
> They are not required to be zigzag. My PT has a perfectly straight
> PRNDL shifter. But some automakers make them zigzag for reasons one
> can only guess at. I drove a Jeep Patriot that had one of those
> zigzag shifters and it was impossible to shift the damn thing even for
> something as normal as backing out of a parking space and then leaving
> the lot without looking down at it twice, once to get it in R and then
> a second time to get it into D.
>
I don't have any problems with the zig and the zag. You should avoid
looking at the track on the shifter when you move it anyway. All you
have to do is move the lever to the right and then pull it straight
back. Let the spring loading do all the work. To reverse, just move the
lever to the right and push forward. Easy as pie but you have to
remember to not ever look at the track. I like these transmission
because I don't have to push no stinkin' button on the lever. OTOH, I am
missing my thumbs so I'm a little biased.

dsi1 wrote "because I don't have to push no stinkin' button on the lever. OTOH, I am "

I guess it's cheaper to manufacture a zig-zag shift than a straight with the button.

But it sure sucks having to look down everytime to shift, esp in tight quarters/traffic. I always try to drive away in Neutral! smdh....

On 11/26/2013 5:46 PM, wrote:
> dsi1 wrote "because I don't have to push no stinkin' button on the lever. OTOH, I am "
>
> I guess it's cheaper to manufacture a zig-zag shift than a straight with the button.
>
> But it sure sucks having to look down everytime to shift, esp in tight quarters/traffic. I always try to drive away in Neutral! smdh....
>

Any competent driver who want's to should be able to master one of these
in short order. You should never look down when shifting. That's a no
no! What can I say? Your eyes will always mess you up when shifting.

OTOH, I would sometimes shift into R instead of 2nd with the dopey
English made transmission in my old Capri and I never liked the shift
pattern in my brother's Porsche. First was a spring loaded push to the
left and then back. Phooey!

On 11/26/2013 11:11 PM, dsi1 wrote:
> On 11/26/2013 5:46 PM, wrote:
>> dsi1 wrote "because I don't have to push no stinkin' button on the
>> lever. OTOH, I am "
>>
>> I guess it's cheaper to manufacture a zig-zag shift than a straight
>> with the button.
>>
>> But it sure sucks having to look down everytime to shift, esp in tight
>> quarters/traffic. I always try to drive away in Neutral! smdh....
>>
>
> Any competent driver who want's to should be able to master one of these
> in short order. You should never look down when shifting. That's a no
> no! What can I say? Your eyes will always mess you up when shifting.
>
> OTOH, I would sometimes shift into R instead of 2nd with the dopey
> English made transmission in my old Capri and I never liked the shift
> pattern in my brother's Porsche. First was a spring loaded push to the
> left and then back. Phooey!

There's a reason for the latter; you can rip through 1-2-3 without your
hand having to do anything but push the lever in a straight line. Also
for racing, 4-5 are in a straight line as well. 3-4, 4-3 and 2-1 (the
last almost never used in a racing scenario) are the only shifts that
require other than straight line motion. Pretty smart, those Krauts.

nate

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