[–] ardvarcus 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago (edited ago)
You can tell if your battery is discharging or charging, and that way you know if you need to check your ground wire, or terminals, or get a new battery or new alternator. If you are driving around and your gauge shows a steady discharge instead of a charge, it won't be long before your battery is flat and your car won't start. You can also get an indication when you have a short circuit in your wiring. It's a very useful gauge to have.
[–] dangerous_ai 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
If your voltage indicator is reading higher than it should it can indicate your battery has lost a cell. It may still start your car, and take you down the road, but your generator is now working harder than it should.
[–] clamhurt_legbeard 1 point 1 point 2 points (+2|-1) ago
Mazda Miata has a fake oil gauge.
It's kind of a temperature/pressure gauge based on your RPM, and it moves around to act like its doing something.
Wow.. thats interesting. Ive never thought of it (I drive old vehicles) but now that you mention it I think you are right. Many of my friends and coworkers have new cars and I dont think they have a temp gauge.. Going to make a point of checking next time I ride with someone with a newer car.
[–] birds_sing 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
Things like gauges are too confusing and intimidating for today's car buyers. I know it sounds like I'm joking, but 28% of 2017 vehicle models didn't come with a spare tire. Because changing a tire is too intimidating for people now.
Damsels in distress are a market that is so huge that automakers are purposely changing their vehicles to appeal to them. And it's not just vehicles, if you look at our society as a whole, its changing into one where if anything goes wrong it has become acceptable for people to just sit there like a damsel in distress as they call for a hero to come and save them.
[–] level_101 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
what the hell. People buy cars without a spare tire now? How the fuck. Even all of the women I know are able to change their own tire if they need to. If you have a friend or family member that cannot change a tire.. Fix that shit or you are a bad friend.
[–] birds_sing 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
The sad thing is that there are people in our society who think that doing things like changing a tire is beneath them. That they'll just pay someone to do it for them.
So they sit there like a damsel in distress calling for a hero to come and save them. All the while trying to convince themselves that they're somehow better than their hero, and that they're not some useless burden on society. A useless piece of shit that forces society to accommodate their uselessness.
So instead of changing the tire, our society has to provide them with a hero. Someone who could be bettering society in numerous ways, but instead has to compensate for someone's uselessness (or their I'm too good to do that attitude). Then traffic slows because everyone has to slow down and look. So now traffic is congested because of them. Then someone isn't watching the road and hits someone else. So now everyone's insurance rates are higher because we're all paying for these fender benders that wouldn't be happening if they just changed their fucking tire themselves.
And this can be said about everything that these burdens of society all feel that they're too good for. Not just changing tires, but everything. Society would be far more advanced if we didn't have to compensate for prissy little soyboys who act like they're too good and too important to take care of themselves.
Yeah, I rant when I'm tired.