Side mirrors not mounted symmetrically and other fun facts
05-26-2007, 03:12 PM
#31
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Originally Posted by GabiOsz
The spoiler light is actually for the contol module that gauges the speed of the car. If it isn't working and the spoiler dosen't rise, engine cooling isn't efficent as the spoiler also "catches" air and directs it down into the engine compartment.
05-26-2007, 03:16 PM
#32
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Originally Posted by JPS
Qs:
1) Why isn't the steering wheel centered on the seat?
2) I'm not understanding about the plug on the keys...I can unlock my car with key from both sides. But I'm '95 and don't have remote either...
1) Why isn't the steering wheel centered on the seat?
2) I'm not understanding about the plug on the keys...I can unlock my car with key from both sides. But I'm '95 and don't have remote either...
05-26-2007, 06:29 PM
#35
Drifting
Originally Posted by Ed Burdell
I've driven, washed, and otherwise fussed over my car for over a year and never noticed this until now: driver and passenger side mirrors are mounted on different places on their respective doors. In retrospect, it makes total sense to ensure clear lines of sight, but I was amazed to stumble upon this nonetheless.
Any other quirky oddities lurking on our cars that you folks have found? I'm just curious more than anything else.
Any other quirky oddities lurking on our cars that you folks have found? I'm just curious more than anything else.
It took a year???Huh?.....you may need to have your eyes checked for possible blindness....don't get mad I was just kidding.................I guess you have never seen overhead photos of every later than 73 model 911with two mirrors....as far as I know, all of them are off set for visibility.
ZP44
06-03-2007, 10:32 AM
#36
Pro
You can't get just the tracking done on these cars. You have to do a full suspension alignment. On 'normal' cars, if you have some uneven tyre (tire) wear on the front, they can adjust the tracking, but not on a 993.
06-03-2007, 11:03 AM
#37
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Thread Starter
Originally Posted by ZombiePorsche44
...I guess you have never seen overhead photos of every later than 73 model 911with two mirrors....as far as I know, all of them are off set for visibility...
ZP44
ZP44
Back to German engineering - these guys clearly have their hearts in their engines and not on creature comforts, which is a wonderful thing for enthusiasts like us. It's a common Teutonic foible to be able to do incredibly clever engineering, yet miss some rather obvious points. That's probably one of the many reasons why WWII turned out the way it did.
Back in my recording studio days, we auditioned a used Studer 24 track tape machine. These beasts are designed to shuttle massive reels of 2" wide tape at extremely high speeds with great precision. This one did so with astonishing composure - smooth as glass, no shudder, no noise save for the whoosh of the spool. But then came time to maintain and calibrate. Very tricky, very finicky.
Our Japanese entrant, a brand new Otari, made more racket than my washing machine at home, but it was easy to keep in spec. For a shoestring budget like mine was, I needed bulletproof.
Nowadays the equation comes up differently. My wife gets a carefree Honda Odyssey, while I get a somewhat more demanding critter.
06-03-2007, 11:31 AM
#38
Originally Posted by Amfab
....Can someone tell me what those indentations which look like they are for optional electrical accessory switches, are for? The ones on the dashboard, one next to the ignition....
Originally Posted by Amfab
....and one next to the fog light/defroster switches...
06-03-2007, 11:56 AM
#39
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Originally Posted by ron_dargenio
Sure, in the engine compartment on the right side, you'll see a large cap that is marked OEL, which means "Open for Engine Liquid". 
Peter R.
06-03-2007, 03:44 PM
#40
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by Ed Burdell
Any other quirky oddities lurking on our cars that you folks have found? I'm just curious more than anything else.
Look very closely at the top of the turn signals inside, curious design.
here are the gaps
06-03-2007, 06:37 PM
#41
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Originally Posted by Amfab
Quirky is a car that you can take 4 hours or more to change spark plugs, with innumerable socket extensions, with a difficulty level that reaches a point where some people just give up on the 12th plug while you can remove both front headlight assembly without tools in less than 45 seconds.
Im sure the designer who came up with the headlight mechanism has been fired.
I will give Porsche this though, it only took less than 30 years to move the positive terminal of the battery more than 3/8 inch away from the body. The basic concept of turning the battery 180 degrees was a monumentally huge engineering breakthrough, I am sure other auto manufacturers were stunned at the technology leap.
And those window switches. Man they are on top of it! The old ones with the contacts that broke off the back all the time- they fixed that design in just over 10 years! Maybe they will fix the rocking point where they break by 2010. Although it would probably ential actually talking to Bosch.
The 8 way power seat switches, now thats something they can get to later, they are just SO durable, maybe after they tackle the enormous engineering task of designing a superceding cockpit floorboard/footboard part.
And the air conditioning, another lightning fast solution to complaints from customers. It took them under 30 years to get a solution that cools the cockpit down better that a penguin blowing through a straw. Stunningly fast revision.
Can someone tell me what those indentations which look like they are for optional electrical accessory switches, are for? The ones on the dashboard, one next to the ignition and one next to the fog light/defroster switches, they have been around forever.
-Andrew
Im sure the designer who came up with the headlight mechanism has been fired.
I will give Porsche this though, it only took less than 30 years to move the positive terminal of the battery more than 3/8 inch away from the body. The basic concept of turning the battery 180 degrees was a monumentally huge engineering breakthrough, I am sure other auto manufacturers were stunned at the technology leap.
And those window switches. Man they are on top of it! The old ones with the contacts that broke off the back all the time- they fixed that design in just over 10 years! Maybe they will fix the rocking point where they break by 2010. Although it would probably ential actually talking to Bosch.
The 8 way power seat switches, now thats something they can get to later, they are just SO durable, maybe after they tackle the enormous engineering task of designing a superceding cockpit floorboard/footboard part.
And the air conditioning, another lightning fast solution to complaints from customers. It took them under 30 years to get a solution that cools the cockpit down better that a penguin blowing through a straw. Stunningly fast revision.
Can someone tell me what those indentations which look like they are for optional electrical accessory switches, are for? The ones on the dashboard, one next to the ignition and one next to the fog light/defroster switches, they have been around forever.
-Andrew
06-03-2007, 08:31 PM
#42
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Why did they put an "intensive washer" bottle above the ABS control unit so any leaks short-out a rather expensive bit of hardware?
Marc
Marc
06-03-2007, 11:37 PM
#43
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Based on the comments here, during today's drive I made it a point to pay attention to where the center line of my steering wheel was vis a vis the centerline of the driver's seat. (cut to "Twilight Zone" music) OMG, they're not lined up! I feel so asymmetrical now.
Perhaps too much knowledge is dangerous at times.
Perhaps too much knowledge is dangerous at times.
06-03-2007, 11:54 PM
#44
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by Ed Burdell
Based on the comments here, during today's drive I made it a point to pay attention to where the center line of my steering wheel was vis a vis the centerline of the driver's seat. (cut to "Twilight Zone" music) OMG, they're not lined up! I feel so asymmetrical now.
Perhaps too much knowledge is dangerous at times.
Perhaps too much knowledge is dangerous at times.
sit in!
BTW The steering wheel in my 2003 VW GTI doesn't seem perfectly on center
either.... (re enter Twilight Zone music)...
06-04-2007, 12:05 AM
#45
How about the fact you must buy a special tool, or design one yourself, to replace the belts on the car. Love the sense of humor those German engineers have....I really enjoyed putting new spark plug wires on the car.