New drivers' situations that make them panic when using cars
Many "new drivers" fall into "half-crying, half-marrying" situations due to incorrect driving techniques as well as lack of experience in using car features.
Steering wheel locked
Many drivers in the early days of using a car have to call for "help" from the sales staff or the technical department of the car dealership because they encounter a situation where the steering wheel of the car is locked and they cannot steer.
However, this is not a steering system error but actually a safety feature designed by the manufacturer to prevent theft. When the car is turned off, the power steering does not work and if the driver still tries to turn the steering wheel to adjust the direction of the wheels, the steering wheel will be locked. Therefore, when restarting, some drivers are often "shocked" when they cannot turn the steering wheel. In particular, some car models use mechanical keys, when the steering wheel is locked, the driver will have difficulty inserting the key into the ignition to start the engine.
Many "new drivers" often encounter situations where the steering wheel is locked. |
According to Mr. Dinh Viet Quang - technical expert of Saigon Ford: "In this case, the driver only needs to coordinate the operation of gently shaking the steering wheel to the right or left while inserting the key into the ignition and starting the engine, the steering wheel will be unlocked". In addition, with some car models, when performing the parking operation, do not turn the steering wheel all the way, because after turning off the engine and removing the key, the steering wheel can also be locked.
Cannot remove key from ignition after turning off engine
In addition to the steering wheel being locked, some new drivers of automatic cars often encounter the situation of not being able to remove the key after turning off the engine and pulling the handbrake. According to a sales staff at a Toyota dealership in Ho Chi Minh City, many customers after buying a car often call to ask about this "problem" during the first period of use.
Some new drivers of automatic cars often cannot remove the key after turning off the engine... |
However, the inability to remove the key after the car has been turned off and the handbrake is actually due to the driver's mistake in parking. Accordingly, some automatic cars use mechanical locks, the driver will not be able to remove the key from the ignition if the gear lever has not been shifted to P. This is the design of car manufacturers to ensure safety, limit the situation of the car drifting because the driver still leaves the gear lever in position D, R after turning off the engine.
...the cause comes from the gear lever still in position D, R |
According to experts, in order to not affect the life of the gearbox and at the same time ensure safety, when parking, drivers should follow these steps: Step on the foot brake to stop the car completely, pull the handbrake, then move the gear lever from D or R to P position, then turn off the engine and remove the key from the car.
Smart key out of battery
Many car models today are equipped with smart keys, making it easier to open, close doors or start the car. However, most smart keys today use batteries to operate. Therefore, many "new drivers" are often confused about how to open the door and start the car when the key suddenly runs out of battery.
Most smart keys on current car models have an additional spare mechanical key. |
In fact, when designing, car manufacturers have also taken this situation into account. Therefore, most smart keys on current car models have an additional spare mechanical key. To use this key, the driver needs to open the latch to pull it out, some types of keys only need to press a small button for the mechanical key to automatically turn on. Users can insert the key into the slot on the door handle and open it as usual.
After opening the car door, depending on the structure of each car model, the driver can still start the engine. For cars with a smart key slot, just insert the key to start the engine. However, with some car models equipped with a start button such as the new generation Fortuner with 2.7V gasoline engine, just press or turn the key vertically on the Start/Stop button to start the engine.
