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or not set it at all! Only problem with setting it to warn you are going to fast is that you have to go that speed in the first place. Can anyone else see the flawed logic in that. smashfreakB.gif

I set it to 0mph a couple of times when I first had the car, and have never used it since.

A better check of speed will be something like a Road Angel or GPS.

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I would hope not! If so it must be the most inaccurate GPS system on the market. Who told you that?

By the way, you two are missing the obvious logical way round your conundrum - set the speed warning slightly lower than "too fast". I think it's a waste of time, now the speed LIMITER fitted to the Merc (as well as cruise) now that was very handy in GATSO/TRUVELO infested areas

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Hi Aswell....The stealer (not my usual one) told me. Perhaps she meant that the readout could be set (by the user?) at up to 3mph slower. I was surprised and questioned it but she was very definite that Angel's readout would be 3mph less than the car's clock. I now don't know what to believe! We can't assume that everything that every stealer tells us is a lie! Can we? I shall speak to Road Angel themselves on Monday and report what I'm told in the Sweet Black Angel thread.

My days (actually 25 years!) of driving around London and hence camera infested areas where they are somewhat camouflaged by the rest of the street furniture, are over - but I still visit. Using Cruise in central London would obviously be suicidal and I don't like or use cruise ever anyway - Simply not my style of driving. Now the Limiter you mention could be a good feature in 'speed constant' areas but, in somewhere like London where there is such a variation in speed possibilities you'd be stuck....Set Limiter to 30 or 50mph? for example, and where does it change?

With the variation in speed limits I don't want to be fiddling about setting the GTI's Speed Warning - Especially as you have to travel at the warned speed in order to set it! Each and every time!! Also it assumes you know WHERE you want it to activate....Which is where Road Angel or similar comes to your rescue.

So, in conclusion for what it's worth, in my opinion all the Speed Warning/Cruise/Limiter features are a waste of time - Whatever happened to focussed driving?! A car isn't a mobile living room!! Or is it just my generation? (not by The Who).

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Red I see what you mean, just turn it around. Basically she could be right, but it might not be 3mph.

The Road Angel will give you the accurate speed within 0.1mph I think, your stealer is suggesting that the clocks on the car will be out by +3mph.

I wouldn't listen to that too much though as each car will be different up to a max permittable 10% difference, hence why those nasty cameras are always set with some tolerance too.

Anything GPS based will be more accurate than the clocks in the car unless you are driving a calibrated police car 169144-ok.gif

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[ QUOTE ]

The Road Angel will give you the accurate speed within 0.1mph I think, your stealer is suggesting that the clocks on the car will be out by +3mph.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ack! I've yet to see any car that reads over the odds, it's normally the other way round since it's always safer to do so. To my knowledge all speedo's (except possibly those that are recalibrated on a weekly basis) will read faster than the actual vehicle is going, and the variance increases as you go faster.

As an example: at a true 30mph your speedo may say 31mph, and at 70mph your speedo may say 74mph.

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Robin, perhaps you need to use a limiter to appreciate it's usefulness before deciding they're a waste of time. They're set buy a tap on the cruise lever (one does both) which is itself much less fiddly than the VW. Once set you can tap up or down to change the limiter and just forget about watching the speedo and concentrate on the road. Maybe it's due to me being part of the first video game generation but I am very comfortable using lots of different controls while driving, particularly ones that make things safer. It's just a question of practice to develop coordination I guess.

Re the Roadpilot, as Andy says, they've turned it around. While doing a constant speed the GPS is incredibly accurate, just needs to be a steady speed for a few seconds though as they usually only sample your position about once or twice a second. The car clocks on the other hand will being anything from slightly out to comedy numbers. Small cars are worse, my step daughters Corsa was apparently reading 92mph when we were travelling in convoy at a constant 80mph on the motorway laugh.gif

Golfs seem to average 5-10% over read (under read is illegal) with mine coming out near the low end of that i.e. reading 100mph actually doing 94-95mph

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Thanks Andy. Either way, with a Road Angel or similar, it'll be easier to stay within speed limits when appropriate.

I'm told that some of the Drug Squad use Mk5 GTIs - I wonder if they are calibrated but can't imagine it necessary. I wonder what colours they use too and how long they waited - Idle thoughts.

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Thanks Andy. Either way, with a Road Angel or similar, it'll be easier to stay within speed limits when appropriate.

I'm told that some of the Drug Squad use Mk5 GTIs - I wonder if they are calibrated but can't imagine it necessary. I wonder what colours they use too and how long they waited - Idle thoughts.

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I have a friend in the Drug Squad and believe me, the last thing they care about is speed limits -friends in the right places FIREdevil.gif

EDIT: He doesn't get to use GTIs though - they have crappy Toyota Corollas jump.gif

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The speed limiter was particularly useful where there are SPECS cameras that measure your average speed over a set distance, something we are being infected with up here. Cruise and a GPS detector are good also but the limiter provided that extra bit of assurance should you inadvertently drift a bit faster. One of the few Merc things I miss

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[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

Pointless piece of kit..... you know what speed you are doing at ALL times!

Just switch it off and enjoy driving 169144-ok.gif

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? ROLLEY~14.GIF (Scratches head)

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Well its true..... drivers have managed for years without an electronic device to warn them that you are over the speed limit, so why do we need one now.

I'm fully aware of what speed I'm doing when I'm diving, if not I shouldn't be in a car, so I def don't need a buzzer to let me know I'm going too fast!!

Quite a lot of my mates , family, etc drive VAG cars and have this function.... not one of them uses it as their opinion is the same - whats the point of it!!!!!

smile.gif169144-ok.gif

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Aswell, you are absolutely right: I should actually use a Limiter before dismissing it - It's definitely the best of the other features discussed and it's useful when it's operated as simply as you describe. Pity it's not available on the Mk5 GTI....Mk6? But I can't tell how often I would use it nevertheless.

Any features/gadgets which improve safety are to be praised. I'm probably safer when not fiddling with various other controls while driving - Just me.

As I said earlier, I much prefer to stay focussed on driving and enjoy it without those extras. Each to their own.

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Well its true..... drivers have managed for years without an electronic device to warn them that you are over the speed limit, so why do we need one now.

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In a word - cameras

I wouldn't use the VW speed warning though, I'd never hear it over the stereo. I was talking about a proper limiter. Use one and then decide if it's a waste of time. If you never get caught by a camera without any aids to help you then well done. Me, I'll take every bit of help I can get, my license is too valuable

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[ QUOTE ]

Well its true..... drivers have managed for years without an electronic device to warn them that you are over the speed limit, so why do we need one now.

[/ QUOTE ]

The reason these types of gadgets are becoming necessary is due to how refined modern cars are. In days gone by (ones that I've not personally witnessed, but I'm assured by those that had) you knew what speed you were doing because you couldn't hear the stereo any more over the engine and wind noise. These days though, sound deadening and better dynamics allow cars to get up to higher speeds before the side affects become obvious. And it's not always easy to visibly detect your speed either when cruising along a motorway -- granted you might be flying past cars but that can be done without ever breaking the law too, so it's not quite as fine grain as you claim.

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I'm fully aware of what speed I'm doing when I'm diving, if not I shouldn't be in a car, so I def don't need a buzzer to let me know I'm going too fast!!

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If that's true then good for you, but I know for a fact how easily variations in the road surface and incline can affect your speed, and it only takes a few mph to creep up on you before a money box will flash you.

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I know I'm going too fast from the wind noise on the drivers side lol

In all seriousness, I constantly check my speed, it's what I was taught by both my instructor and father when I was learning to drive. 13 years with a clean license is testament to their teachings.

Too much emphasis is placed on using technology these days and providing too much of a comfort zone for the driver which makes you less attentive. I'd rather rely on my own judgement than technology in order to keep my license.

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There are speed limits and there are speed limits:

One is the type which is to stop and catch people speeding in areas where there is obviously a danger to others - Villages, schools, lots of pedestrians, accident blackspots and I wholeheartedly support and adhere to those whenever possible. Never been 'caught' in 40 years of driving and without any in-car gadgets.

The other is the sort where the authorities are just out to steal revenue - Sneaky hiding on open and fast dual carriageways designed to allow speed WHEN the road conditions of traffic and weather allow. I have zilch respect for them! I care passionately about safety and do my utmost to be responsible within road conditions but the law is man-made and not right about everything.

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[ QUOTE ]

I know I'm going too fast from the wind noise on the drivers side lol

In all seriousness, I constantly check my speed, it's what I was taught by both my instructor and father when I was learning to drive. 13 years with a clean license is testament to their teachings.

Too much emphasis is placed on using technology these days and providing too much of a comfort zone for the driver which makes you less attentive. I'd rather rely on my own judgement than technology in order to keep my license.

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....In a nutshell! I agree wholeheartedly 169144-ok.gif Only one small 'but' and that is Aswell's point about so many cameras infesting our roads - We can benefit from systems like Road Angel just to cover anything we miss as humans.

169144-ok.gif

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