find that engineer and shoot him

[crunchcity]

I think I can still rant, can't I? :wink2:

Definitely you can. There are some who think forums should only be reserved for fanboy praise-fest type threads so just expect some dismissive knee-jerk type comments if you criticize/rant but don't let that deter you.

Regarding the climate controls, it sounds like you would actually prefer the SR5's climate system. No dual zone and a few big knobs.

 

[1engineer]

more about design:
you ever seen those doors in some buildings, where the handle is exactly the same width and shape from both ends? You have no idea which end to push to open the door. Yep, that is when someone needs to find the engineer and have him shot. :laugh:

I am an engineer. What do you do for a living? I just need to know so I can start a thread....

 

[Ducmonsta]

more about design:
you ever seen those doors in some buildings, where the handle is exactly the same width and shape from both ends? You have no idea which end to push to open the door. Yep, that is when someone needs to find the engineer and have him shot. :laugh:

The engineer designed the hinges, the architect designed the handles.

 

[hipnix]

Quick question. Is there anyway to stop the stereo from switching to iPod (or is it aux?) when you plug in your phone? It frustrating when I'm listening to the radio and I go the plug in my phone to charge and the stereo automatically switches inputs.

 

[DannyLlama]

For a second my brain registered "find that [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] and shoot him"
My initial thought "Greg pissed someone off"

Back to work :keyboard:

 

[sweaty]

[MENTION=102590]sweaty[/MENTION]
Do you miss having to put a key in the door to get in? How about that annoying push start? I'm sure your still trying to put a key in the dash to start, right?

I don't like the proximity sensor door. I prefer press the button to open the door. But it is just me.

I haven't figured out how that sensor works anyway. I walk up to the car, the driver side door unlocks. but (this is the part I am not sure about) the passenger side door is unlocked and the rear doors are not opened. (I think this is how it works, but I have to confirm) anyway, on more than one occasion, I thought the other doors were open and ended up with people standing there staring at me. LOL.

I don't try to stick the key to start the car because there is no key only a remote control thingie. but occasionly after I stop the car, I reach out there and try to grab the keys out of an imaginary key hole, with only air in my hand.:doh:

 

[Antman]

Damn . I think this thread done scared the engineer! :lol:

 

[sweaty]

I am an engineer. What do you do for a living? I just need to know so I can start a thread....

I am an engineer, I just don't design doors. And I have been taken out and shot ten times.

 

[badhabits]

well, it was all for fun. :wink2:

I chose this vehicle knowing what I am getting and I knew I would have to live with the imperfect design.

bad design is bad design. I like the car but I am not attached to it. I think I can still rant, can't I? :wink2:

I don't think it is champagne taste on beer budget: the 4Runner limited costs over $40,000, more than a lot of the fancy European cars. My other car costs $25,000 and it has the perfect climate control layout.

More about my other car's design: three big dials. One for direction. You turn it and it lights up where the fan is blowing, the window, the feet, whatever. Second one for speed. You turn it clockwise to increase fan speed and counter clockwise to decrease and the end of a counter clockwise turn will shut off the fan. a third dial is temperature. turn right for hot and left for cold. I think there is a button in the center of this dial to manually turn AC on and off. That is it. Beautiful design. Dial is always better than buttons because if you make a mistake, you don't need to move your hand. you just make another turn. With buttons, you make a mistake, you have to search and look for another button. with time, it gets easier but a good system will not need to "train" its users.

as to cutting the engine without cutting the stereo, I've always been doing this: firm brake/shift to Park/apply parking brake/cut engine/foot off brake. this is second nature to me now. I can give your tip a try but I might forget one of these steps and the car would be rolling down a hill :laugh:

To keep prices down Toyota needs to cut cost somewhere. I would rather the leave out a few lights and leave the important stuff alone like the: off road abilities, and the other features that make the 4runner what it is.

:behindsofa:

 

[1engineer]

I am an engineer, I just don't design doors. And I have been taken out and shot ten times.

You are an engineer and you STILL bought a 4Runner LE after testing it for several hours over several days before purchasing it? Even after reviewing your copious notes that you took from reviewing sites such as this for months before purchasing? EVEN after interviewing other engineers on the HVAC control systems? You are an engineer and yet you come here to RANT about your 1st world dual climate control problem instead of helping non engineering types understand the complexities of your discipline? C'mon man. You are an engineer and yet you want to shoot one of your own species? You must be one of those "special" engineers lol.

 

[dekeman]

Not special, spacial.

 

[sweaty]

You are an engineer and you STILL bought a 4Runner LE after testing it for several hours over several days before purchasing it? Even after reviewing your copious notes that you took from reviewing sites such as this for months before purchasing? EVEN after interviewing other engineers on the HVAC control systems? You are an engineer and yet you come here to RANT about your 1st world dual climate control problem instead of helping non engineering types understand the complexities of your discipline? C'mon man. You are an engineer and yet you want to shoot one of your own species? You must be one of those "special" engineers lol.

Did you design that door? :roll:

 

[crunchcity]

I am an engineer, I just don't design doors. And I have been taken out and shot ten times.

Cool, an engineer that is actually human...please stay lol.

 

[gwcpa]

But no problem with the temperature setting reading in 10ths, but you can only change it in full degrees??? It is always XX.0 degrees! Why????

Actually I think the dual works pretty well. Either that or the placebo effect works great with my wife.

 

[gwcpa]

Quick question. Is there anyway to stop the stereo from switching to iPod (or is it aux?) when you plug in your phone? It frustrating when I'm listening to the radio and I go the plug in my phone to charge and the stereo automatically switches inputs.

Oh, yeah, ditto...

 

[sweaty]

But no problem with the temperature setting reading in 10ths, but you can only change it in full degrees??? It is always XX.0 degrees! Why????.

You beat me to it! But to quote you, and buy me a vowel, or an Exclamation, Why?????

 

[sweaty]

Quick question. Is there anyway to stop the stereo from switching to iPod (or is it aux?) when you plug in your phone? It frustrating when I'm listening to the radio and I go the plug in my phone to charge and the stereo automatically switches inputs.

I can't help you with that, but I can rant.

My android phone starts playing mp3s automatically whenever I plug in the earplugs, even though I wanted to use them for a phone conversation. Dumb "smart" phone trying to be smart and make a decision for me!

And I heard that on some vehicles, whenever you turn Bluetooth on to connect your cell phone to your car, it'll start playing your mp3s automatically. We 4runner owners are blessed in this regard!

 

[4RunningIdaho]

well, it was all for fun. :wink2:

I chose this vehicle knowing what I am getting and I knew I would have to live with the imperfect design.

bad design is bad design. I like the car but I am not attached to it. I think I can still rant, can't I? :wink2:

I don't think it is champagne taste on beer budget: the 4Runner limited costs over $40,000, more than a lot of the fancy European cars. My other car costs $25,000 and it has the perfect climate control layout.

More about my other car's design: three big dials. One for direction. You turn it and it lights up where the fan is blowing, the window, the feet, whatever. Second one for speed. You turn it clockwise to increase fan speed and counter clockwise to decrease and the end of a counter clockwise turn will shut off the fan. a third dial is temperature. turn right for hot and left for cold. I think there is a button in the center of this dial to manually turn AC on and off. That is it. Beautiful design. Dial is always better than buttons because if you make a mistake, you don't need to move your hand. you just make another turn. With buttons, you make a mistake, you have to search and look for another button. with time, it gets easier but a good system will not need to "train" its users.

as to cutting the engine without cutting the stereo, I've always been doing this: firm brake/shift to Park/apply parking brake/cut engine/foot off brake. this is second nature to me now. I can give your tip a try but I might forget one of these steps and the car would be rolling down a hill :laugh:

Sounds like you should have shopped around a little more, I bought a 2013 SR5 Premium edition, it has all the same bells and whistles, minus dual climate control (I only have 3 knobs), and push button start. The radio is the same though. And a plus I only paid $37,000. Just saying Toyota seems to make a ride with package you want for everyone!!. :driving:

 

[ic0517]

I'm an engineer too.

Complaint#1 is the lack of a locking gas cap, and yes, I knew that when I drove it off the lot. Just can't understand how the 1999 Sienna and the 2009 Sienna can have them, and this can't.

Complaint #2 is the thin sheet metal. And yes I read other people beotching about it before I bought it.

Complaint #3 with the center console stuff is that the passenger can't enter in a GPS destination.

Complaint #4 is no blue or red 2013 TE in Illinois. That sucked. There was one in a town in western illinois, a track of its VIN showed it came from some other dealer from another state, maybe it was a trade, but I was pretty leery of driving all the way out there to buy a car and trade in the one I came with, they would know they had me over the barrel, I like it when I can walk out the door.

Now that I have had a TE for a year, I wouldn't have a problem with asking my local dealer to do a swap or do a fly-n-drive.

What's the opposite of a complaint? Praise?

Praise #1 - Can fit three kids across the back seat.

Praise #2 - The center arm rest, folded up, isn't a dagger in the back to the person sitting there. Honda Pilot and Subaru Outback sucked. Every car I sat in at the Acura dealer sucked. The only two other cars that I looked at that had a comfortable center rear seat was the Avalon and Nissan Xterra. Highlander sucked too.

Praise #3 - The rear window. Wow. Like I say to the family, roll every window down and open the sun roof, and you got 90% of a the fun of a convertible with 0% of the hassle. Great for getting kids stuff in the back - my garage door height is only a bit over 6', and from the floor to the top of the open door is too low, but no problem, just roll down the glass.

Praise #4 - big knobs on the radio/nav. I was looking to upgrade the radio on the 2002 Forester on Crutchfields and Best Buy, and I was trying to figure how to get the various radios to STFU. Not a problem with the 4runner, just press the button.

 

[Yotta]

...the perfect climate control layout.

More about my other car's design: three big dials. One for direction. You turn it and it lights up where the fan is blowing, the window, the feet, whatever. Second one for speed. You turn it clockwise to increase fan speed and counter clockwise to decrease and the end of a counter clockwise turn will shut off the fan. a third dial is temperature. turn right for hot and left for cold. I think there is a button in the center of this dial to manually turn AC on and off. That is it. Beautiful design.

Ah, I see. You just want the SR5/Trail trim.