The Little Stuff

[ziggy15]

Well I've been a new owner of a new IQ2 now for two months and clocked up 1800 miles, and love the car to bits. Here are a few of my own minor niggles, not big hassles, just slightly irritating.

1. Front window seems to fog up whatever the temperature, whatever setting I have everything on rather too easily and too much. The only thing that cures it apart from having the driver window down, is having the aircon on. That's fine, it all clears in seconds, but assuming everything I've heard is tru must effect the fuel consumption.

2. That shift indicator, either I'm a lousy driver or it's way too sensitive. Even changing down it suggests it on the slightest motorway incline and it suggests 5th sometimes when it would be really struggling. If I changed as often as it suggested I'd be knackered in 10 minutes. Presumably it's a fuel economy fix, just so they can say that if you're not getting the right mpg you're not following the change instructions. I change as I've always done, when it's necessary and basically ignore it.

3. Drivers door. Too easy to set off with it not properly shut. It doesn't really give a good thunk on shutting and seems to require a sort of medium pull to shut it properly. Too light and it half shuts and too heavy, well it shuts but isn't really needed and would hurt your arm eventually. Basically it's best to get it just right, which is hard to judge.

4. After two months, well I've more or less got the hang of the radio!

P.S. Current MPG 47.3. I do mostly local stop start trips though delivering newspapers and collecting for a charity. Every couple of weeks I do a 160 mile round trip to watch the mighty Huddersfield Town from home on Teesside. Three trips so far since I got the car.

[FROSTYBALLS]

As regards the gear change indicator, you will need to get used to it as they are mandatory for all new cars undergoing type approval after 1st November 2012, and for all new cars sold in the EU from 2014.

Below is a summary of the EU requirements:

• All vehicles must carry an optical and audible safety belt reminder for the driver’s seat.
• Electric cars now face a more stringent range of safety tests to ensure there is no risk of an electric shock to users.
• Cars’ rear seats must incorporate a minimum of two ISOFIX child seat anchor points. New labels warning against the use of rearward-facing child seats in the vicinity of an active frontal airbag have been introduced.
• Rear passenger seats must be sufficiently strong to protect against any luggage in the boot displaced in the event of a crash.
• All passenger cars must be fitted with a tyre pressure monitoring system, with the aim of both reducing risk of tyre blowouts and reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
• New passenger car models must be fitted with suggested gear shift indicator lights to encourage a frugal driving style, with the aim of reducing global CO2 emissions.

The new requirements are mandatory for all new vehicles which undergo type approval from 1st November 2012 and all new vehicles sold on the EU market in 2014

[Soeley]

With respect to point 1, I seem to find once you have used the air con to dentist the windscreen it always seems to fog up much quicker again once it is turned off. Resulting in you having it on nearly all the time, hence the reason I never use the air con to dentist. I put it on screen only, turn up the fan speed and adjust the temperature to suit.

[Soeley]

Point 3, maybe the catch plate needs slight adjustment, never had a problem closing my doors and the close with a nice solid 'thunk' sound.

I like the radio, (I have the basic std radio, not the touchscreen DAB) once you set it up right: Balance, Fade Bass & Treble i think it sound good, glad I didn't go for the £600 upgrade ;)

[ziggy15]

Thanks for the replies folks. As I said really pleased with mine anyway and not complaining. All cars have peculiarities that one gets used to. Will try the demist without aircon again, and can live with the gear change indicator. I'm getting a reasonable MPG for the type of mileage I do with regards to other posts it seems similar so can't be driving that bad. As for the radio I just ment it was a little bit different from the normal set up for stations etc and had taken a while to get used to. Maybe the doors just me. lol

[craggle]

I find the door seals are quite good on my car. If I have only the drivers door open it requires quite a slam to close it but if the other door or the boot is open it requires hardly any effort at all to close.

All about air pressure in the car I guess.

Craig.

[Dark Matter]

1. The iQ 2 has climate control not air conditioning. The difference is significant. In nearly 2 years of ownership I've hardly ever touched the dial . The interior stays at a constant 20 mist and condensation free degrees whatever is happening outside. The effect on fuel consumption is negligible and frankly overwhelmingly overshadowed by the comfort it offers.

2. It's rubbish. Ignore it.

3. not an inherent problem. My door shuts fine. May be in need of adjusting but more likely just something you need to adapt to.

4. Nightmare to set up. Do it once and forget it. Main point that escapes most people is that some set up functions are only available when the engine isn't running.

[ziggy15]

Thanks Dark Matter. Yes I should have said Climate Control, apologies, there are still a few of us old Luddites left you know! I agree though it is fantastic when it's on whatever the conditions and haven't noticed any problems either whatever the temp. My thoughts on point two exactly, and I do, ignore it that is. Cheers.

[Sensha]

By any chance, is the Recirculate button (if fitted) in the "ON" position? We've been told to do this here in Texas, and nothing will fog up the interior faster than to operate with internal air only.

To properly demist/defog the windows, the proper setting is for the ducts to at least partially be diverted to the window openings, the air conditioning switch to be in the "ON" position, and the Recirculate button to be in the "OFF" position.

[Cyker]

The recirc is a good tip (You want it on off, i.e. fresh air!)

If it gets quite chronic you can get an anti-mist cloth/spray from places like Halfords which may help stop it misting up so badly, but I've had varying success (Didn't work so great on my old Fiesta but seems to help in the Yaris, although I use the AC trick more on the Yaris!)

It also may be the interior of the car is a bit damp; You can try leaving a big bowl of silica gel/rice/coffee on the back seat overnight which will suck up a lot of the moisture and stop it misting up so badly!

(Just don't forget to take it out before you drive of!!! )

If you actually have climate control rather than airon tho', just use that. The thing about climate control is that it will fire up the AC compressor now and then which will help keep the windows clean but also keep the AC unit from drying out from non-use.

It's actually worth running the AC every now and then anyway as it will stop the seals drying out and all the gas leaking out. My dad only uses his in summer and needs to regas it every couple of years, but mine has never been refilled since I bought it!

[ziggy15]

Thanks again. Yep I'd worked that out regarding the recircling switch. I do switch it off but it seems to come back on of it's own accord to be honest. Maybe somebody knows if that's the automatic setting or am I just dreaming. Pretty much the same with the passenger auto window lock. Wife moans like mad that she can't control her own window, but honest I never touch it. I can only assume I'm accidentally knocking it getting in and out sometimes..................unless that goes to auto lock as well. lol

[johnan]

The recirc is a good tip (You want it on off, i.e. fresh air!)

If it gets quite chronic you can get an anti-mist cloth/spray from places like Halfords which may help stop it misting up so badly, but I've had varying success (Didn't work so great on my old Fiesta but seems to help in the Yaris, although I use the AC trick more on the Yaris!)

It also may be the interior of the car is a bit damp; You can try leaving a big bowl of silica gel/rice/coffee on the back seat overnight which will suck up a lot of the moisture and stop it misting up so badly!

(Just don't forget to take it out before you drive of!!! )

If you actually have climate control rather than airon tho', just use that. The thing about climate control is that it will fire up the AC compressor now and then which will help keep the windows clean but also keep the AC unit from drying out from non-use.

It's actually worth running the AC every now and then anyway as it will stop the seals drying out and all the gas leaking out. My dad only uses his in summer and needs to regas it every couple of years, but mine has never been refilled since I bought it!

Am I right in thinking that to use the full climate control you have to have the "auto" switch "on" as well as the "A/C" switch at "on", and let the A/C work out if it is needed or not?

Normally I just put the A/C on if the car is hot inside but I suppose that is missing the point of automatic climate control.