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anyone else think this is a problem? (VW horn issue)

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#41 ·
Horn does not work in the focus with the car off, nor do the headlights
same as the VW
on a side note my VW's power steering works with the car off, but only until you come to a complete stop. Eeample: you can turn off the car and remove the key while it is still rolling and the power steering will still work
 
#42 ·
Re: (focalBlur)

Does the Kubewagen's horn work with the key off? Could be the reason for it right there. I'm just grasping at straws here but wouldn't it suck if the key was out but the enemy cold still honk your horn......uhhh, nevermind
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#43 ·
Re: anyone else think this is a problem? (punkrockdub)

wow that's about the dumbest question i've EVER head on the tex, who's your weed man cuz i want his number...
Quote, originally posted by punkrockdub »
So a friend of mine told me she was in a parking lot parked, and some old lady was about to back up and she knew she didn't see my friend....
she went to the use the horn, guess what, it doesn't work when the car's turned off!
added detail (this is a MK V jetta we're talking about)

*SMACK*
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i could see how this might be a bit of a pisser! anyone else have this happen?

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#44 ·
Re: (adrew)

Quote, originally posted by adrew »
All of my cars I've ever had will honk with the car off...
'86 Trooper, '84 Accord, '99 Protegé, '96 Outback, '03 Civic, '07 Sonata

Those are all Asian vehicles. The Asians just do certain things differently than Europeans or Americans. For example, the wiper stalk. Asian cars usually put the "off" position near the top, while European cars usually put "off" at the bottom. Also, Asian cars usually integrate the headlight switch with the turn signal lever, while European cars usually put the light switch on the dashboard. Etc., etc....
 
#47 ·
Re: (AZGolf)

Quote, originally posted by AZGolf »
I didn't know any cars disabled the horn when it's switched off. Do other cars disable the brake lights too? That's another thing I know works on my Civic and S2000 at least - the brake lights still come on when you hit the brake pedal, even when the key is not in the ignition.

IIRC our BMW X3 doesn't have brake lights w/the ignition not on.
 
#48 ·
Re: anyone else think this is a problem? (JrodVW)

Quote, originally posted by JrodVW »

Everything except VW's

Yup, everything except, VW, Saab, Mercedes, BMW, Renault, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo.
Seriously, WTF would you need a horn whilst your car is stationary ?
 
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#50 ·
Re: (Lumis_Wolfy)

Quote, originally posted by Lumis_Wolfy »

no, i read the post.
what im saying is.
volkswagen isnt going to make a useless feature useful for the one in a million occasion.
hey i need windows and doors that wont ever leak a drop of water into the doors for that off chance i drop my car into a lake, sound good?

Who are you to deem whether or not a feature is deemed useless? Even if a feature is useful only one time out of a million times, it should still be seen as useful, regardless of its practicality. By your logic, I shouldn't need airbags or seat belts because I've never actually needed to use them.
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#51 ·
Re: anyone else think this is a problem? (J-Tim)

Quote, originally posted by J-Tim »

Seriously, WTF would you need a horn whilst your car is stationary ?

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Read the original post, he explains the scenario quite clearly:
Quote, originally posted by punkrockdub »
So a friend of mine told me she was in a parking lot parked, and some old lady was about to back up and she knew she didn't see my friend....
she went to the use the horn, guess what, it doesn't work when the car's turned off!



Modified by RobMan8023 at 11:25 AM 4-24-2008
 
#52 ·
Re: (scsuh)

Quote, originally posted by scsuh »

Who are you to deem whether or not a feature is deemed useless? Even if a feature is useful only one time out of a million times, it should still be seen as useful, regardless of its practicality. By your logic, I shouldn't need airbags or seat belts because I've never actually needed to use them.
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Excellent logic scsuh! I can't understand what is so difficult to grasp here for these folks.
Scenarios in which you might want to honk your horn without the key in the ignition:
1) To warn an old lady who's about to back into your car before you've had a chance to turn on yours.
2) To get the attention of your significant other who is still in the house so they can bring the keys you forgot to grab and only realized it after you sat in the driver's seat.
3) To warn an old lady who's about to back into your car before you've had a chance to turn on yours.
4) To draw attention to your vehicle when someone was hiding in the back seat and they popped up and started to strangle you before you had a chance to actually turn your car on.
5) For ****s and giggles.
6) To warn an old lady who's about to back into your car before you've had a chance to turn on yours.
 
#53 ·
Re: anyone else think this is a problem? (Live-Wire)

Quote, originally posted by Live-Wire »
On a Mk5 activating the turn signal when the ignition is off switches the turn signal on solidly
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or at least it did on the Jetta I tried at a dealership.

This is a feature. At least on all of the European models of Benz and BMW cars that I owned, anyway. It's so that you can park halfway up on the curb on narrow, dark European streets and leave a light on so that passing and oncoming traffic can see your car. On my E21 and 6.9, and my friend's MkII VW, this was considered a "feature".
To the OP; I see your point. My MkI and MkII VWs have all had horns that worked when the ignition was off. I'd be interested to find out when they stopped doing this.
 
#54 ·
Re: anyone else think this is a problem? (CasaDelShawn)

Ok, now let me give you a reason that you don't want it to be able to sound without a key in the ignition.
This actually happened to me. My wife heads off to work one morning (I was off that day) and shortly there after I get a frantic call from her that the horn is sounding while she's driving and she can't turn it off. She tried turning off the car and it still sounds. (It obviously shorted out somewhere). So as she wasn't far, I told her to high tail it back home. So it's about 7 AM or so in the morning when I hear the horn approaching (well before I can see the car). She pulls around (I'm sure to the enjoyment of my neighbors who I can only hope were already up. So horn is sounding like a mofo and I can't easily find the fuse for the horn, So I pop the hood.....and while going deaf, disconnect the battery. (needless to say, it took longer to do that then the time here to read it). It had shorted out in the steering column.
Anyway, if it wouldn't sound with the ignition off, no big problem!
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#56 ·
Re: anyone else think this is a problem? (1320-20V)

Quote, originally posted by 1320-20V »
I heard that you should never date a man in a Renault, but occasionally a good one comes along.
Isn't that right Alex?
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Got that right, deary!
Honestly, I think three total people in here understood my original post.


Modified by atomicalex at 1:37 PM 4-24-2008
 
#58 ·
Re: (scsuh)

Quote, originally posted by scsuh »

Who are you to deem whether or not a feature is deemed useless? Even if a feature is useful only one time out of a million times, it should still be seen as useful, regardless of its practicality. By your logic, I shouldn't need airbags or seat belts because I've never actually needed to use them.
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I dont think the problem is me deeming the feature usefull.
the MANUFACTURER did, probably for better reasons than grandma barb who cant drive right.
"by my logic", they didnt put a horn when the car is off, because it isnt practical.
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#59 ·
Re: anyone else think this is a problem? (Jetty!)

Quote, originally posted by Jetty! »
If worse comes to worse the highbeam flask should still work.

In this particular case, if the high beams would work, you wouldn't need them anyways, since the other driver would already see that your car is behind them.
I'm befuddled that the horn doesn't work without the car being on. Every single car I've ever driven has a working horn even without a key in the ignition.
 
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#60 ·
Re: (Good1Spd)

My car don't axelorate when Is aint's in it. Why does VW do this? Sometimes I wanna go FAZZZT when i am not in my car but Is can't why? All them other carz dos this WTF VW?
I think I have to take a break from the Car lounge. See if maybe after I come back from vacation or something it will have car enthusiast in it again.
 
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