just wondering.. a few questions about the AC

[kensington]

hey guys i have an 08 coupe 3.5 cvt, just wondering wtf speed-sensitive intermittent wipers are, and how to set the wipers to that setting.. also the book says "heated mirrors with timer" ..why would mirrors have a timer and how does it work? oh and also I haven't read anyone else talk about the steering.. I know its speed-sensitive or something, but am I the only one who thinks its really really hard?? i can drive my moms range rover with one finger, but with my coupe, i have to really use strength to turn the wheel sometimes...... idk maybe its just me lol oh p.s. is there a way to know if my car has the VDC thing, because i cant remember if it does lol

[Blackmobile]

hi and welcome to the forums!

first of all, the speed sensitive wipers only come on the 2009 models. so you'll have to settle for regular intermitten wipers on your coupe.

your mom's car probably just has more power steering than the altima, different cars have different stiffnesses to their steering wheels.

and to check to see if you have VDC, just look at the switches next to your trunk latch on the dashboard, if you have a VDC button then you have it, same goes with TCS.

and this is the first i've hard of any "timers" in the mirrors. hope this info helps a bit

[Hussain]

idk, my power steering is really easy..... ive turned using 1 finger several times easily.... if its really hard, id check the fluid or take it to the dealership (still under warranty)

[Rob.Vegan]

I'm with Hussain on this one, my steering wheel is super easy to turn. and I have you beat... I have made a left turn using only my left knee (My hands were ready in case the wheel slipped I just wanted to see if I could do it)

My mom is actually astonished on how easy it turns, she says it's way better than her '05 (i think) 530i

Never heard of the timed mirror thing either

[SundaysChild]

I believe the mirrors are heated when you hit the button for the rear window defroster, and that is on a timer, ie: it turns off after it has been on for so many minutes.

[marlin29311]

Yup, you don't have speed sensitive wipers - all that they are is that they rate that the wipers go at increases as your car increases its speed.

Heated mirrors are used to help defog the glass on your sideview mirrors when you turn the defroster on - in many cases, if your windshield is frosted, so are your mirrors.

My steering is super easy as well - I've never been a car that turns this simple...you might want to have that checked.

VDC is simple - on the left side of your steering wheel down by where the key slot is there will be a button that either says "VDC OFF" or "TCS OFF." If your's says VDC, then you have it.

[LongBeachCoupe]

I believe the mirrors are heated when you hit the button for the rear window defroster, and that is on a timer, ie: it turns off after it has been on for so many minutes.

Yes, its on a timer.

Hey LBC, WhY???

One of the only things that can run your battery dead while the engine running is defrosters, they are ALWAYS on a timer, to prevent the battery from dying.

[Curtieson]

Thanks, LBC!

[Curtieson]

On with the power steering...the car turns easy...my blazer had more play so the first 1/4 of a turn was easier...so maybe that might just be something you are use to...

But this past week in Europe I rented a car and it was a Smart ForTwo.

It had no power steering and was a manual that automatically shifted. I can't call it an automatic because it shifted NOTHING like an automatic over here. Luckily it is riding on like 9 inch tires so there wasn't much rubber/grip to make the turning difficult.

Duh...maybe your tires on your car are wider then what you are use to, that would also make it more difficult.


Modified by Curtieson at 9:41 AM 5/13/2009

[SHIFT_COUPE]

Steering on the Altima is ridiculously easy. Maybe you need to lift some weights

Welcome to the forums!

[Rob.Vegan]

Steering on the Altima is ridiculously easy. Maybe you need to lift some weights

Welcome to the forums!

[dldjros69]

Yes, its on a timer.

Hey LBC, WhY???

One of the only things that can run your battery dead while the engine running is defrosters, they are ALWAYS on a timer, to prevent the battery from dying.

what? and why?

Doesnt the radio draw more power than a heated mirrior?

Also dont we have speed sensitive steering. The slower you going, the more the steering assist aids in steering. The faster you go there is no steering aid.

[marlin29311]

Also dont we have speed sensitive steering. The slower you going, the more the steering assist aids in steering. The faster you go there is no steering aid.

Erm, yea we do...

[LongBeachCoupe]

There are usually additional amplifiers involved in big radios... a rear defroster can pull as much as 20amps off of the battery, and I believe the engine works harder to compensate for that loss...

(This is info im remembering from a looong time back, i think its still current though)

[brianna71404]

The steering on my Coupe gives me no difficulty, however my last Altima I found that the steering was very stiff. I could never just pull right in a parking spot, I'd always have to back up & reverse 1 or 2 times to get into a spot. I asked others who had the same car if they had difficulty & no one else had that problem. I ignored it & chalked it up to just being different from other cars I was used to. Well within a few months of owning the car my steering rack & pinion went.

The coupe being a smaller, lighter car than your moms Rover should have a lower steering ratio. Which is gonna give the steering a quicker response, meaning you don't have to turn the steering wheel as much to get the wheels to turn, not to mention that the effort required to turn the steering wheel shouldn't be excessive.

If yours was the only coupe you drove, you could always stop at a Dealership & ask them to test drive another coupe. That way you could compare that drive to your coupes drive. If it feels different, there's your answer...If it doesn't, well...

Maybe you need to lift some weights

J/K Honestly, if the car doesn't feel right to you, it probably isn't. Get it checked out, so if there is something wrong with it, you don't do more damage!

[Curtieson]

a rear defroster can pull as much as 20amps

i think its still current though)

HAHA! I get it. Good one!

But he is right, Stereos are intermitten (Booom, dumdum, Boom of the bass). Your system has time to keep up with the demand, especially if you have one of those massive capacitors.

With heating elements though, it is minimal voltage (12) and next to zero resistance giving you and SUPER HIGH current. The electrons get going so fast they cause the friction and thus heat. It is constant and the system has no time to recover/make a surplus.

Also...stereos may run...450 Watts (75 to 6 speakers)? Hairdryers are about 1500 Watts.

Think about it like this...how many times have you seen a HUGE boombox run on batteries (90s anyone?) Now...how many times have you seen a hairdryer run on batteries?

[SHIFT_confucius]

I believe that the timer effect is simply due to the fact that once the rear window and mirror are defrosted the system no longer has to send current to them...the fogged or icing condition should no longer exist, at least for an extended period of time .

[{WBK}Viper]

My power steering is not as loose as my Ford Taurus, and thankfully so.

I like a little stiffness to the steering wheel, otherwise I feel like I'm driving a bus instead of a sporty coupe. Its still easy tho and not as stiff asthe Z

[Colton92]

Its still easy tho and not as stiff asthe Z

After driving my dads Z I drove mine and i really felt how smooth the turning was