Can we agree that it's always desirable for engineers to consider the user's perspective and experience? Why should anyone have to re-learn a common action that should be intuitive?

One example in the TCH is the button that controls the phone on the steering wheel.
It has only two (2) options, "up" and "down".

This is analogous to traditional telephones in use for decades.

To "talk" on most telephones, we pick up the phone or its receiver.
To stop talking, we put the the phone or receiver down.

The engineers chose to defy logic so the TCH button's actions are reversed.

The button even includes a graphics illustrating this.
The top of the button shows the receiver "down" and the bottom of the button shows it "up".

To "talk", the TCH user has to push the button "down".
Don't try this on a traditional telephone.

It's not just annoying, it's unnecessary.

 

But even at your number 25, it may not be as dumb as you think it is.

I presume you are not driving a Canadian version of the TCH.

If you choose to not use the "automatic" lights position but instead turn on the headlights manually, when you turn off the vehicle the lights will remain on until you turn them off via the light switch.

So the "off" position does have a reason for being.

Cheers
Steve

 

Steve,

Thanks for the insight.

I should have been more clear. I have no problem with the existence of that switch position - only with the labeling. The label should say "DRL only" not "OFF."

And you are correct, I drive a US version. Please see upcoming No. 24.

 

From Smilin' Jack's list of the 25 dumbest things about the TCH:

Number 24: The US TCH has a light switch position which turns all of the exterior lights off. but it is not labeled "OFF." It is labeled "DRL off." Obviously it should be labeled simply "OFF." Actually this is substantially dumber than No. 25.

Why is this so dumb? It's bad Human Factors Engineering; it's silly; it's incorrect; it's misleading, and it would be so, so easy to correct. The position should simply be labeled, "OFF."

Why is this significantly dumber than No. 25? Because it has worse consequences. The lack of a light switch position labeled "OFF" obviously gives new owners the false impression that there is no "OFF" position. This, in turn, gives the false impression that the only way to shut the lights all off is to rely on the car to do it automatically. This reliance, in turn, brings on the very real risk of unintended consequences because of unknown undocumented or poorly documented functions of the automatic operations.

Here's the scenario:

Concluding that there is no off position on the light switch, I got into the habit of relying on the car to turn the lights off automatically. It seems to do this within a minute or so, regardless of the switch position.

I return to the parked car in daylight to check my trip mileage. I open the driver's door, change the light switch to light up the display, record the mileage and close the door, relying on the car to turn off the lights as usual.

The next time I go to use the car the 12 v battery is dead, and the car will not start.

Later I figure out that the car will not turn off the lights automatically if the light switch position is changed after the driver's door is opened.

In the process of figuring out what happened I also discovered that the lighy switch position labeled "DRL off" actually turns off all of the exterior lights.

 

There is a way to make this go away. I did it on my HCHII. You can also change the startup wallpaper. Google the regular Toyota Camry forums, and I'll bet you can find instructions. I agree this is a major annoyance.

 

The TCH is a "world" car, and the Daytime Running Lights off switch is only available in some countries where it is legal to not use DRL. It is important that Toyota make it clear that the lights OFF position is also turning off the DRL in those places where it does turn them off. Even in the US, many other cars have DLRs that cannot be turned off, and anyone used to one of those models may mistakenly believe that the off position leaves their DRLs on.

I see no easy solution to this. Perhaps something like marking the off position as "OFF (lights & DLR)"? But, this is too wordy. Maybe, "OFF (no DLR)"? Still pretty wordy for an "OFF" position, but you still need to warn people the DLR's are also being turned off.

-- Alan

 

Alan,

Thanks for the input. Your rationalization of the possible Toyota thinking works for me.

Maybe "ALL OFF" would be more difficult to misunderstand than just plain "OFF." It would certainly be correct and clear, and it would not involve any more characters than the present label.

 

Sooty — Even in the non-AUTO switch position, the Canadian TCH does switch off its headlights 30 (or is it 45?) seconds after the car is switched "off" and the driver's door is opened and closed — it doesn't need to be locked.

Stan

 

Thanks for the info Stan, I guess I didn't leave it long enough.

Or did I open and close the door? D*mn I can't remember now.

Cheers
Steve

 

Stan and Steve,

This automatic turn off occurs on the US car as well. It is not 100%, however, and that was a problem for me. Please see my upcoming No. 23.
and also the rant at the end of my post 94.

You might want to see whether the deficiency applies to the Canadian car as well.

Jack