CURB ALERT, should be standard on all cars

[BryceB]

I was pulling out of my secluded spot in the VERY back section of my work parking lot and I turned sharply and ran my back right tire over the curb.I was fortunate it was a really low curb and the rear tires are wide,I was lucky enough there was no scrap or rim damage.I can see fine from the front and rear,my issues are from the sides with curbs.I was really luck there was no damage,so now I'm extra cautious.

[Caspers2SSRS]

Arguing over 25 cents.............................too funny, not. To think, the insanity of all of it..........it takes supposively educated people demanding absorbant salaries and benefit packages to figure out how to save 25 cents. Well not actually saving 25 cents.......................just preserving it for themselves.

[Speedfreak]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

Knowing that we have arguments over 25 cents a car, you can imagine the difficulty in making these decisions.......

I sure the hell hope this is a joke

[mlee]

This thread deserves two or three of these...

Curb sensors...

[HTWLSS]

Originally Posted by Speedfreak

I sure the hell hope this is a joke

Nope, not a joke.

[stray bullitt]

Originally Posted by Caspers2SSRS

Arguing over 25 cents.............................too funny, not. To think, the insanity of all of it..........it takes supposively educated people demanding absorbant salaries and benefit packages to figure out how to save 25 cents. Well not actually saving 25 cents.......................just preserving it for themselves.

He's talking about saving 25 cents per vehicle, and possibly multiple 25 cent savings per vehicle. When these are multiplied by the hundreds of thousands of cars produced, the savings become very worthwhile, and in turn keep the showroom prices as low as possible. Nit picking like this is essential in any corporation, if they are to survive these days.

[PitchBlack]

Originally Posted by Mr_Draco

You've not been able to steal gas for cars in a long time. Anti-siphon tanks have been in use for 10+ years. It's people putting stuff in your tank is why most people want a locking cap or door.

Amen.

[Captain Awesome]

Originally Posted by Hannibal

I'm utterly amazed that GM engineers added this to the rear of the car and not to the front. It falls in with the decision to not make the fuel door a locking release system like so many cars that are so much cheaper than the Camaro.

Rant over.

They added it to the rear because some nameless, faceless, unelected pencil pusher buried deep inside the economic leech attached to our economy decided to FORCE everyone to have to have this on their car for "safety".

Apparently, a $300 sensor isn't good enough, because now they want rear-view cameras on all cars (potentially IN ADDITION) to the bumper zits.

[calbert1999]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

There's a reason for this:

One person wants a leather owner's manual cover.

Another wants a front camera.

Another wants air conditioned seats.

Another wants standard navigation.

Another wants a locking gas cap door.

Another wants lights on the rear package shelf to accompany the rear back-up monitors..................

..........do you see where I'm going here?

For every person who wants one of the above, there are 10 that do not want it -

The Camaro Team - assisted by our Disciples -- look at the 'wish' list and have to make some hard, fast choices - all while keeping the base price affordable -

Knowing that we have arguments over 25 cents a car, you can imagine the difficulty in making these decisions.......

(...and no, making them 'free-flow' is not an option - for many many reasons...)

So - no matter what we decide, we'll always have someone unhappy that we didn't put - oh -- say - a *insert favorite wish-list feature here* in the new Camaro.........


(...and yes, I'm sure there are cars that cost less than Camaro that have a locking gas door - but do they have everything ELSE that the Camaro has standard - plus 323 ponies under the hood and style that stops traffic???)

I guess commone sense is not so common even in the 21st. century.

Locking gas cap door so anyone walking by can't siphon gas or vandalize the fuel system; Standard on just about every single vehicle on the market (doesn't matter how cool or not so cool the car is). Common sense

Navigation, on just about every vehicle in the market. Common sense

Front sensors on a sports car. If not standard make it an option. Common sense

Save time & money on the 100,000 .25 cent burocratic debates and put common sense into the overall design.

I"m not an engineer but I manage projects for a living so deal with similar situations all the time.

In my field we try NOT to re-invent the wheel as much as possible, and we use a common sense approach which allows us to stick to industry standards, that makes the decision making process much easier when we design, and architect our system envirnoments. Might want to recommend this approach up the food chain at GM. I'm sure somebody will listen, but then again considering I'm sure you guys attempt to communicate sensible approaches......... maybe not.

Not picking on you, just saying some decisions shouldn't be so complicated considering they are common sense decisions and I'm sure consumers would be more receptive to paying 50% more (.25 cents GM cost, .50 cents consumer price) than wholesale prices at the retail level than exponentially more for parts, plus labour, loss of warranties, time loss, loss of vehicle use, additional expenses (vehicle rental), aggravation, screw ups, et al; having to go to the aftermarket.

Just my .02 cents.

Originally Posted by stray bullitt

He's talking about saving 25 cents per vehicle, and possibly multiple 25 cent savings per vehicle. When these are multiplied by the hundreds of thousands of cars produced, the savings become very worthwhile, and in turn keep the showroom prices as low as possible. Nit picking like this is essential in any corporation, if they are to survive these days.

I think most people understand the mathematics of quantified savings, but that .25 cents p/vehicle of savings and .25 cents p/vehicle savings for the consumer at the dealers ship costs 100's - 1000's more when said consumer buys that locking gas cap (just using that part as an example) and has it installed aftermarket.

[LnLSS]

Just recieved my Curb Alert today and will install tomorrow. I was so tired of scaping my front end and hopefully this will save me from any major damage.

[Milk 1027]

My front end is scraped mostly from the side. It's when turning or pulling out of a driveway where it scrapes.

[calbert1999]

Originally Posted by LnLSS

Just recieved my Curb Alert today and will install tomorrow. I was so tired of scaping my front end and hopefully this will save me from any major damage.

I think the curb alert is a great idea, but it has to be placed inside the grille somewhere. If you put it on the bottom of front of vehicle it will get sraped off.

[1BADLS3]

You've got to be kidding me. People, spend some time getting to know your car. It's fun, it impresses people when you can park with precision, and inspires your own self-confidence.

Did anyone here take driver's ed? There are some standard methods to determining where the edges of your vehicle in absence of direct line of sight.

For the front valence -- When approching a curb perpindicular (as in parking), line up the curb visually with the bottom edge of the driver's mirror. It works for most vehicles--all you have to do is check ONCE (have someone stand to the side of the vehicle and make sure you don't get too close). Once you establish the exact reference point for your vehicle, you'll never pull up onto a curb again. Take a mental snapshot.

For the Right side of the vehicle -- line up the curb visually with the halfway point in the hood-- meaning, if you were to slice the car in half starting at the front bumper and ending at the rear bumper, you'd line up this imaginary line through the hood with the curb. This should put you within about 6" of the curb when lined up. Once again, have someone stand off to the side and watch to make sure, and take a mental snapshot. This is your reference point.

You can also angle your right mirror down just a little and see where the back tire is in relation to the curb. When I drove bigger trucks for a while (trucks that were as wide as the lane!), this really helped. I could glance at my mirror--on the right side, there was a standard mirror and one that was convex? and it allowed me to reference the lane markings in relation to the tire.

For the left side of the vehicle, you can line up the edge of the left fender with the curb (as seen from the driver's seat, of course). Have someone watch you once, and take a snapshot of the exact reference point for your vehicle.

For the REAR of the vehicle--this is a bit trickier, but for me on most vehicles, I either look over my left shoulder and line up one of the rear windows with the curb or where the floor and wall meet, I look directly behind me, OR reference the right mirror.

This also works for most standard size parking spaces when backing in--OR, you can line up the end of the painted parking line with the bottom of the mirror and come relatively close to being fully in your space. Take caution around short parking spaces, though.

Regarding approaching driveways, curbs, ramps-- My worst vehicles for this were my 4th gen Camaros. The overhang over the front wheels was ridiculous.

In order not to scrape the air deflector underneath the vehicle, or even the front bumper itself, I had to take almost ever elevated or depressed curb/ramp/driveway at an angle. Sometimes at greater than a 45 degree angle. Slow and easy does it-- never head straight at one and hope for the best. It usually doesn't work out well. Drive slowly and ease one of the front tires up on it, and ease forward until you feel the other tire roll up on the lip. Ease forward some more, and you should be good to go!

If it's too steep--there's nothing wrong with going around the block to another entrance.

Give this stuff a try sometime...it works!

PS -- for those that catch their back tire on curbs--turning 90 degree corners in parking lots, or pulling into narrow entrances, remember that your car (all cars with front steering) pivot on the rear wheels. It takes some practice, but try to remember that you have to get the rear wheels to clear the obstacle right as, or just before you start a sharp turn. Mentally imagine where the rear wheels are--in fact, sometimes it's easier to draw an imaginary line off the passenger seat--line of sight will put it in relation to the rear wheel.

This also works for parallel parking. When reversing, as soon as your rear wheel clears the rear of the vehicle in front of you, angle the vehicle at 45 degrees. Use your right mirror or line of sight to estimate to when you are within 18" of the curb, and then turn hard in the other direction. Line up your hood with the curb (or your left fender), and you're golden! --Yes, i can park a 27' RV parallel, and also a fire truck, using exactly this method -- except the reference points change slightly when you're driving a vehicle that requires a CDL. It works, and the knowledge is free, unlike an "electronic curb sensing device."

[Caspers2SSRS]

Originally Posted by stray bullitt

He's talking about saving 25 cents per vehicle, and possibly multiple 25 cent savings per vehicle. When these are multiplied by the hundreds of thousands of cars produced, the savings become very worthwhile, and in turn keep the showroom prices as low as possible. Nit picking like this is essential in any corporation, if they are to survive these days.

I knooooooooooooooow! What he is taking about silly
The supposive savings on 100,000 Gen5's @ .25 per car is $25,000 Total. The cost at retail of one car. V6 model of course....................................

The savings beyond the .25 are balanced by the unneccesary sales of additional bumper covers to unexpecting consumers with curb rash and damage during their visits to the dealerships bodyshops for repairs and repaints . Oh.............I meant additional profits for GM dealerships and GM parts suppilers.......................Gottta keep the greasy wheels turning , and I suppose from a business perspective the initial .25 cost cutting savings measure is a great way of guaranting a future cash flow.