It is not about destination, but about travel. And if this journey is by road, you might be surprised to find out how many secrets are hidden behind the four wheels of your car.
From tools and features hidden to the truths about red cars, fasten your seat belt and join me on a journey through some of the secrets of the wildest cars that only the most experienced drivers know.
Extend the range of your remote control
Every driver has already found himself in this situation: you are in a crowded parking lot and you can no longer remember where you parked your car.
You press the button of your remote control frantically, but the car is too far to respond. A surprising solution is to use your head as an antenna. It may seem like an invented trick, but it really works.
Car remote controls are essentially short-range radio transmitters using radio frequencies to send a signal to a receiver in the car. By holding your remote control against your head, the range can go from 10 meters to more than 25 meters.
Indeed, about 85% of our brain is water, which is great for conducting electromagnetic waves. The signals in the remote control interact with the water molecules in your head, amplifying the signal and thereby increasing the range.
Although this may seem dangerous, remote controls generate too little power to be harmful.
Key hidden in the remote control
Remotes do not just extend their reach through your head, they often hide a traditional key inside. This key is useful in the case of a battery discharged from the remote control, allowing you to manually open your car.
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Myths about red cars
A persistent myth is that red cars have higher insurance premiums and are more often stopped by the police. This probably myth related to color psychology, because red is often associated with danger and is one of the most visible colors.
Studies have shown that white cars are actually stopped most frequently, followed by red cars.
As for insurance, premiums are determined by the model, the history of the driver and the frequency of use of the vehicle, and not by the colour.
Refueling in the morning: myth or reality?
Some people think it’s more advantageous to refuel in the morning, when the temperatures are cooler, hoping to receive more fuel for the same amount. Although fuel expands with heat, stations stock their gasoline in well-insulated underground tanks, maintaining a relatively stable temperature. So there is no real difference depending on the timing of the day.
Current error on motorways
Changing lanes in traffic jams may seem faster, but studies show that staying in the same lane allows you to get to the destination at the same time while reducing stress. Frequent lane changes can create phantom congestion by disrupting the flow of traffic.
The secrets of the seat belt
Have you ever noticed an extra buckle on your seat belts? This detail, called the energy management loop, is designed to absorb part of the impact in an accident by giving a few centimetres more to the belt. This reduces the risk of serious injuries. For the driver, however, this loop could cause a collision with the steering wheel.
On the other hand, the small plastic button on the belt prevents the buckle from slipping too far, thus avoiding wasting time finding it.
Problems of the engine indicator
The engine control light can be switched on for several reasons, up to 1400 different patterns. One of the most frequent reasons is a poorly screwed fuel plug. This can make the vapour emission control system (EVAP) inefficient, triggering the warning light. To avoid this, always be sure to close the cap tightly after each refill.
Clean or dirty car: What’s really effective
Contrary to popular beliefs, a clean car is more efficient in terms of fuel consumption than a dirty car. A dirty surface increases aerodynamic drag, making the car less efficient. In this sense, a regularly cleaned car benefits from an improved fuel consumption of about 0.85 km/L compared to dirty cars.
Hidden features that make life easier for you
Many vehicles have hidden functionalities. For example, some Skoda incorporate a concealed umbrella or ice scraper. The Vauxhall Corsa models of the 2000s had a retractable drawer for carrying bicycles. On the Volkswagen side, the reversing camera is often hidden behind the VW logo at the rear of the vehicle. Even if your vehicle does not have these features, you can still add accessories to enhance your experience.
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The phenomenon of moving parallax
One phenomenon that many road users do not notice is the moving parallax: nearby objects pass quickly while distant ones seem almost immobile. This can lead drivers of large vehicles to drive faster and those of sports cars, lower, to drive more slowly because of their perception of speed.
Vehicle design: a thorough process
The design of cars requires rigorous steps. Clay mock-ups are commonly used to evaluate the shape and aerodynamics of new designs. Despite technological advances, these mock-ups remain crucial for testing and fine-tuning vehicles before mass production.
What secret car characteristics impressed you most? Do you know of any other secrets hidden in cars? Let us know in the comments. And as always, thank you for reading.