Off centre steering wheels and strange RHD oddities

maidhc

I was sitting in traffic today and I noticed that the steering wheel on my recently enough acquired C180 is not completely centred with the dash. (Most people are convinced I have OCD...)

Now there is no problem with the car, and on close inspection it is evident that this is how Mr. Daimler designed the car, and made an asymetrical plastic steering column cover to take account of this.

Having googled it seems this is pretty common, and the w211 is the same along with a brace of Opels and VWs.

I assume the LHD versions of these cars are perfectly symmetrical, and it amazes me the strange engineering kludges you find in cars, particularly premium Germans... e.g. wrong way wipers on the 5 series, no turbo diesels in the w201 and probably lots more I can't think of.

Has anyone else noticed this strange phenomenon?

MuppetCheck

Off set pedals drive me nuts in some cars, as do the wipers.

mike65

maidhc wrote: »

I assume the LHD versions of these cars are perfectly symmetrical, and it amazes me the strange engineering kludges you find in cars, particularly premium Germans... e.g. wrong way wipers on the 5 series, no turbo diesels in the w201 and probably lots more I can't think of.

Has anyone else noticed this strange phenomenon?

The w201 and w124 series engine/transmission design was such that fitting a blower was seen as needing too much engineering for the likely market, you could get it done by a couple of specialists but it cost about 2000 quid a generation ago. I'll have to consult my back issues of Diesel Car to check details.

Oh, filler caps on the wrong side of the car - very annoying.

colm_mcm

What side would you rather the filler cap to be on, out of interest?

I like passenger side

Dr.Rieux

I think the 206 has the wipers the wrong way too. The key slot on the B6 Passat is on the right side of the steering wheel both RHD and LHD

_Kaiser_

colm_mcm wrote: »

What side would you rather the filler cap to be on, out of interest?

I like passenger side

The RIGHT side for me please.

mike65

Drivers side every flipping time.

colm_mcm

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

The RIGHT side for me please.

What's right for you mightn't be right for everyone!


Had an FTO (well, had a few) which was a RHD only model, and the filler was on the drivers side. So annoying at petrol stations, as the doors were quite long too.

colm_mcm

Dr.Rieux wrote: »

I think the 206 has the wipers the wrong way too. The key slot on the B6 Passat is on the right side of the steering wheel both RHD and LHD

The penny pinching on the 206 lhd to RHD didn't stop there...


Re the passat - So is the wiper stalk...

mickdw

Offset pedals seem to bother alot of people. From my own experience, I cant say I would notice them if it wasnt mentioned even though my pedals are reasonably offset.

Chris_Heilong

colm_mcm wrote: »

What side would you rather the filler cap to be on, out of interest?

I like passenger side

driverside for me, the wipers on Jap imports is what I am used to now but it used to drive me crazy when I first started driving them but it is the correct way for right hand drive cars.

Chris_Heilong

colm_mcm wrote: »

What's right for you mightn't be right for everyone!


Had an FTO (well, had a few) which was a RHD only model, and the filler was on the drivers side. So annoying at petrol stations, as the doors were quite long too.

This is what i liked about the FTO.
you must have been parking right next to the pumps, you should have given it a little room and it was convenient you didnt have to walk around your car to access the fuel cap.

colm_mcm

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

This is what i liked about the FTO.
you must have been parking right next to the pumps, you should have given it a little room and it was convenient you didnt have to walk around your car to access the fuel cap.

Problem is, in some petrol stations, space is tight, what I'd usually do is drive past the pump then get out. Sometimes you can't do that.

To be fair, I wasn't filling up so often that the extra 6ft walk would have bothered me

I never copped that the wiper sweep was reversed on LHD vs RHD. You learn something new every day.

colm_mcm

Was it the Morris marina that had the wipers going the wrong way for RHD, and then also the wrong way for LHD?

mike65

Probably urban legend designed to evoke a giggle at the expense of honest craftsmen at Cowley

maidhc

mike65 wrote: »

Probably urban legend designed to evoke a giggle at the expense of honest craftsmen at Cowley

Seems true from the attached image. Wrong way 'round wipers and blanking holes!



Seems as if its replacment the Ital was the same!

maidhc

Speaking of the Ital:

How about this for ergonomics:

djimi

Dr.Rieux wrote: »

The key slot on the B6 Passat is on the right side of the steering wheel both RHD and LHD

Is that unusual? Im pretty sure any LHD I have driven (havent been many in fairness) had the key on the right hand side of the steering wheel.

milltown

The '03 Audi A8 I had a lend of the other week had an oddity that should have been a piece of cake to fix but would have driven me crazy if I'd paid €80k+ for it new.
The on board computer called the left hand seat the driver's seat and the passenger seat the driver's seat, for the purposes of heating, air con etc.

Red Kev

djimi wrote: »

Is that unusual? Im pretty sure any LHD I have driven (havent been many in fairness) had the key on the right hand side of the steering wheel.

Vast majority of ignition keys are on the right as most people are right handed. Exceptions include SAAB (in the middle) and Porsche. Porsche have them on the left traditionally, the reason for this was they places them on the left for the Le Mans cars, so for the original traditional start it was that bit quicker to turn the key with the left hand and stick the car in gear with the right hand. It's something they kept on after that.

HandsomeDan

Wipers on the 5 series are cantilevered, so no, they're not the wrong way around.

mike65

Do Mercs still have the ignition key on the left?

Sam Russell

colm_mcm wrote: »

What side would you rather the filler cap to be on, out of interest?

I like passenger side

Most cars have a little graphic of a petrol pump symbol. If you look at it, the side the hose is on is the side the filler cap is on. Most petrol stations allow a left-hand lane and a right-hand lane. Just look down and choose what is right (or left) for you.

Simples.

bmwguy

A girl i work with claimed that she can only open her Clio 2008 with the remote and the key doesnt open the door as there is no key slot in the handle. I disagreed and we went out for a look and lo and behold she was right, there was not a key slot in the drivers door handle, but there was in the passenger door handle that operated the central locking, surely this is a LHD to RHD shortcut?

heroics

Red Kev wrote: »

Vast majority of ignition keys are on the right as most people are right handed. Exceptions include SAAB (in the middle) and Porsche. Porsche have them on the left traditionally, the reason for this was they places them on the left for the Le Mans cars, so for the original traditional start it was that bit quicker to turn the key with the left hand and stick the car in gear with the right hand. It's something they kept on after that.

In the A6 the ignition key is on the left of the steering wheel. Every time I drive a different car I always reach with the left hand to turn them off out of habit.

Guy:Incognito

Sam Russell wrote: »

Most cars have a little graphic of a petrol pump symbol. If you look at it, the side the hose is on is the side the filler cap is on. Most petrol stations allow a left-hand lane and a right-hand lane. Just look down and choose what is right (or left) for you.

Simples.

Since that was first posted on here ages ago ive had a look on loads of different makes and models. Seems to be 50/50 so probably not intentional at all.

Stallingrad

Our Scenic has a huge glovebox lid, of which about a third inside is usable, more RHD conversion shortcuts. Thankfully not a problem as there are cubbies everywhere.

mickdw

milltown wrote: »

The '03 Audi A8 I had a lend of the other week had an oddity that should have been a piece of cake to fix but would have driven me crazy if I'd paid €80k+ for it new.
The on board computer called the left hand seat the driver's seat and the passenger seat the driver's seat, for the purposes of heating, air con etc.

I cant see that it left the factory like that. More like someone was playing with vag com and messed it up.

colm_mcm

HandsomeDan wrote: »

Wipers on the 5 series are cantilevered, so no, they're not the wrong way around.

So are the lhd ones cantilevered the other way so?

islanderre

Mercedes W124 series has the ignition on the LHS of the steering wheel, Bonnet release is done from the passenger side and the PRD123 indication for the Auto box is on the passenger side too........ oh yea another oddity; the slot in the door for placing the service record is on the passenger door..... they could not be arsed changing the door cards for the RHD market....... feck; I'm surprised they bothered building the the RHD version!!!!!

JohnxF

The W124 has the ignition on the left side, the W140 on the right side. So I don't think it's necessarily a RHD v LHD issue. The W124 also has a single extending wiper to clear almost all of the screen regardless of which side the driver sits.

HandsomeDan

colm_mcm wrote: »

So are the lhd ones cantilevered the other way so?

No, why would they be?

DanWall

A lot of cars have the hand brake lever to the left of centre, which means the passengers hand can get in the way. We found this very irritating on the Mitsubishi

ianobrien

bmwguy wrote: »

A girl i work with claimed that she can only open her Clio 2008 with the remote and the key doesnt open the door as there is no key slot in the handle. I disagreed and we went out for a look and lo and behold she was right, there was not a key slot in the drivers door handle, but there was in the passenger door handle that operated the central locking, surely this is a LHD to RHD shortcut?

The '03 to '07 Nissan Almera's were the same. There's no slot for a key in the RHS door. There is a slot in the LHS door under a plastic cover, and that then only unlocks that door!

Guy:Incognito

ianobrien wrote: »

The '03 to '07 Nissan Almera's were the same. There's no slot for a key in the RHS door. There is a slot in the LHS door under a plastic cover, and that then only unlocks that door!

These things are only meant for emergency use like if the battery goes in the key. Hardly an issue anyway since its never used.

keithsfleet

I've had a few e36s and one thing I noticed in all of them.
Sitting in the drivers seat, you're feet are planted on the pedals perfectly but with the position of the steering you are facing slightly left.

maidhc

HandsomeDan wrote: »

No, why would they be?

Because they couldn't be bothered parking the wipers the right way on the RHD!

The PRND gate is at the wrong side in most mercs I have seen, including the newer ones.

FGR

Wouldn't the Nissans be naturally designed as RHD vehicles anyway? Can't see how you can cut costs on an RHD car that was designed as such.

I've noticed that the last few VW Golfs had the Handbrake on the wrong side. The exception is the VII with an electronic brake. My last 2010 Octy had it on the right side but has been moved to the left on the latest model.

darragh o meara

colm_mcm wrote: »

The penny pinching on the 206 lhd to RHD didn't stop there...

+1 had to change a brake light switch in my one years back and the switch is in the passenger footwell. Seems as if they just ran bars across from one side to the other and welded on a few pedals.

joujoujou

Best RHD to LHD conversion ever.