How many switches can you reach

[jdandy]

Today I found myself sitting in the parking lot at our country doctor's office waiting for Marlene to complete her appointment. Surfed AA on my phone a bit then had a thought. How many switches can I reach from the driver's seat in my Tahoe LTZ. I began to count and was flabbergasted at the total. From my driver's seat there are 95 switches I can reach that perform one function or another. If I count the other 5 switches on the rider's side door and seat there is a total of 100 switches in the front of the Tahoe. This doesn't count the switches in the rear passenger area for heated seating, independent air conditioning control, electric windows and door locks, or the switches in the far rear of the vehicle that raise and lower the third row seating, open and close the rear hatch, or the push buttons on each exterior door handle that lock and unlock the doors when the key FOB is near. It is crazy how many switches there are in modern vehicles. I am still amazed that I can reach 95 of them from the driver's seat.

[Mikado463]

Holly Molly !!! , be thankful Dan that they all still work...... so I presume !

[PHC1]

Dan, that is probably only a few dozen less than a Boeing 747.

I completely agree with you, modern cars have way too many buttons, switches and when I go into the infotainment menu in my Jeep Grand Cherokee, the are at least three dozen apps for music, navigation, audio settings, climate control, off road, suspension and all wheel drive settings and information, assist, phone integration, etc... etc... Each one of the apps has probably another few dozen possible variables and buttons to press to change one thing or another. Ok, it's all logical and accessible but a total overkill.

On the other hand, the cars are getting very smart, the other week it was really cold out and I pushed the remote start button on the key fob while still in the house and when I came out 10 min later, the Jeep was defrosted, the heated seats and the wood trimmed steering wheel were nice and toasty and off I went without freezing my ass off like it used to be. It did all of that because the Jeep knows if the temps outside are freezing, I would want that.

We've come a long way since window cranks and manual vent control levers that would warm the car up from the air cooled engine in my '67 VW Beetle. Double clutching while shifting gears since there were no synchros in that gearbox and loving every minute of it. I was 18 years old and the Beetle was just as old.

[jdandy]

Serge.......Yes indeed, having the vehicle warm, seats warm and the steering wheel warm using remote start is a BIG plus on those cold mornings.

I didn't count any of the virtual software buttons related to MyLink and the touch screen. Then there are the hidden switches like the one on the brake peddle that closes when you must place your foot there to start the engine, or the other switch related to touching the brake peddle to release cruise control, or the switches that signal the computer if a passenger is in the seat for airbag deployment and seat belt warnings if not in use. There are the magnetic switches in the doors that turn on and off interior lighting and signal the computer if a door is ajar. And lets not forget those pressure switches and micro transmitters for tire pressure monitoring, and the switch associated with the gear shift that turns on and off the backup camera. I'm sure there are lots more switches I am unaware of. My Tahoe has GM's magnetic ride control, too. I can't begin to get my mind around the complexity of that system. It is astonishing how complicated, yet incredibly reliable technology is in today's modern vehicles.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Serge.......Yes indeed, having the vehicle warm, seats warm and the steering wheel warm using remote start is a BIG plus on those cold mornings.

I didn't count any of the virtual software buttons related to MyLink and the touch screen. Then there are the hidden switches like the one on the break peddle that closes when you must place your foot there to start the engine, or the other switch related to touching the break peddle to release cruise control, or the switches that signal the computer if a passenger is in the seat for airbag deployment and seat belt warnings if not in use. There are the magnetic switches in the doors that turn on and off interior lighting and signal the computer if a door is ajar. And lets not forget those pressure switches and micro transmitters for tire pressure monitoring, and the switch associated with the gear shift that turns on and off the backup camera. I'm sure there are lots more switches I am unaware of. My Tahoe has GM's magnetic ride control, too. I can't begin to get my mind around the complexity of that system. It is astonishing how complicated, yet incredibly reliable technology is in today's modern vehicles.

They are but one EMP pulse and all the modern cars will be turned into junk instantly. Let's hope it NEVER comes to that.

[SomeGeoffGuy]

I agree there are a ton of switches, but my wife leased a Ford Flex a few leases ago and a bunch of the controls were moved onto the touchscreen. The clutter was gone, but you had to go through a couple menus to activate your air conditioned seats or heated steering wheel. After that, I am all "Bring on the buttons!".

-Geoff

[PHC1]

Honey don't worry, I hold a "modern car certification" and do remember what MOST of these do.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by SomeGeoffGuy

I agree there are a ton of switches, but my wife leased a Ford Flex a few leases ago and a bunch of the controls were moved onto the touchscreen. The clutter was gone, but you had to go through a couple menus to activate your air conditioned seats or heated steering wheel. After that, I am all "Bring on the buttons!".

Geoff.......I hear you. Both of my Jaguar XF's had software control through the touch screen for climate control, seats, and many other functions. It was a pain to control these functions, especially while driving. Like you, I like buttons and switches. They are not pages deep in some damn menu behind the navigation, radio, and vehicle features windows.

What surprises me most about the number of switches and buttons in the Tahoe, besides the sheer quantity, is just how intuitive they are to use once accustomed to their locations and purpose. I know what every switch and button does and have no issues using any function while I pay attention to driving.

[Yamaki]

Dan...I haven't counted mine but, sadly, I have to be close to that number.

Makes me miss the old days...

[jdandy]

Michael.......Yep, everything was mechanical or hardwired. Even the memory buttons on the radio were mechanical. You could pretty much fix everything yourself with a friend or two in the garage or backyard. Those days are long gone.