What is this thing?

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Without already knowing what it is, what terms would OP have searched to find that dome shaped thing on the dash?

It wouldn't really apply to OP, as that would be more of a service manual thing. But I'm pretty sure on my 15 the interior diagram shows the sensor in the owners manual, as that was the first year the FR-S had auto headlights standard. Something like "control sensor", or "automatic lights" would've easily sufficed

Here it is in the 17 86 manual:

[accwai]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Without already knowing what it is, what terms would OP have searched to find that dome shaped thing on the dash?

Well, OP already used the word "sensor" in the first post. Open the PDF version of 2017 86 Owner's Manual (OM18069U), go to "Edit → Advanced Search" and search for "sensor" returns 44 results, each in a line with surrounding context. These two lines are together:

• control sensor -Automatic light off system The light swith is in , the
• control sensor is located on the passenger's side. The sensor may not function properly

Hitting either of these would bring one to p.174, which has a picture of the button thingie under the heading "Headlight control sensor". That's exactly how I came up with the page number posted earlier in this thread. By the way, this particular term is not in the index of the 2017 owner's manual from either Toyota or Subaru. As far as I can tell, the printed and PDF copies are identical, at least on the Toyota side.

Now I'm really curious how the smart people would be able to locate this reference in the printed manual...

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by accwai

Well, OP already used the word "sensor" in the first post. Open the PDF version of 2017 86 Owner's Manual (OM18069U), go to "Edit → Advanced Search" and search for "sensor" returns 44 results, each in a line with surrounding context. These two lines are together:

• control sensor -Automatic light off system The light swith is in , the
• control sensor is located on the passenger's side. The sensor may not function properly

Hitting either of these would bring one to p.174, which has a picture of the button thingie under the heading "Headlight control sensor". That's exactly how I came up with the page number posted earlier in this thread. By the way, this particular term is not in the index of the 2017 owner's manual from either Toyota or Subaru. As far as I can tell, the printed and PDF copies are identical, at least on the Toyota side.

Now I'm really curious how the smart people would be able to locate this reference in the printed manual...

See my above post

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by jabe

I'm a fairly new owner and also overly curious how things work.


I see on top of the dash, forward near the windshield, passenger (right) side, there's a small, raised dome-shaped "button".

(I've probably got a few more silly questions coming!)

Hello Jabe and welcome aboard -

Congratulations on the purchase of your new machine -

Now, see what you went and did - you asked a question and set the forum racoons to growling at each other.

Now, asking questions is just fine - if you have done a search before and still are confused.

A few topics should NOT be brought up, because they throw the forum into a spin.

An example is "light weight pulleys".

Enjoy your new machine!


humfrz

[accwai]

Originally Posted by humfrz

[...] you asked a question and set the forum racoons to growling at each other.

Well I am not one of them coons:

[...] A few topics should NOT be brought up, because they throw the forum into a spin.

An example is "light weight pulleys".

Something's been bothering me a lot me lately though: When I was shopping for my car, there was one dealership with a pair demos, same model year, same equipment level and same color. One was manual while the other was auto. The manual has TRD quick shifter and JDM side makers. I picked the manual but lately everybody on the net's saying auto is actually the right way to go. So did I make the wrong choice?

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by accwai

Well I am not one of them coons:

OK, so you're a Canadian beaver -

So what's a light weight pulley? Something else's been bothering me a lot me lately though: When I was shopping for my car, there was one dealership with a pair demos, same model year, same equipment level and same color. One was manual while the other was auto. I picked the manual because everybody on the net said that's the right way to go. But lately everybody on the net's saying auto is actually the right way to go. So did I make the wrong choice?

First off, I'm ah gonna hafte you unless you go back and edit your post and strike out "light weight pulley".

In addition, surely their was some difference between those two cars besides the transmission, that you could have talked about -

So, striking that, would negate the need for an answer to your question.

Now, behave -


humfrz

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

Something like "control sensor", or "automatic lights" would've easily sufficed

He didn't know what kind of sensor it was (or if it was a sensor at all), and there's not anyone here who would look at that thing and say, "Hey, I should search my manual for 'control sensor.'"

Meanwhile, if he just searched for "sensor":

Originally Posted by accwai

... search for "sensor" returns 44 results

And very few people would wade through a wall of 44 text results to find a term they're not even sure is correct. You found it because you already knew what you were looking for. Without that knowledge, search would be nearly useless.

Originally Posted by accwai

Now I'm really curious how the smart people would be able to locate this reference in the printed manual...

I knew what it was because I took the time to read the damned thing when I first bought the car. Finding it again was a simple matter of looking in the table of contents for the section on operating the lights, then flipping through that chapter. I timed myself; it took 25 seconds to find it on page 205 of my 2014 manual.

But again, I already knew what I was looking for, not just "dome-shaped thing on dash." If you didn't already know what it is, finding it again would be equally difficult with either a printed manual or a PDF. Then you'd need to ask on the message board and have people ridicule you.

[extrashaky]

By the way:

Originally Posted by accwai

Well, OP already used the word "sensor" in the first post. Open the PDF version of 2017 86 Owner's Manual (OM18069U), go to "Edit → Advanced Search" and search for "sensor" returns 44 results, each in a line with surrounding context. These two lines are together:

• control sensor -Automatic light off system The light swith is in , the
• control sensor is located on the passenger's side. The sensor may not function properly

I have a PDF copy of the 2013 BRZ manual, so I tried your method. It returned 61 results, and the lines you quoted out were actually buried at lines 50 and 51. How many would you expect someone to click through before giving up? You really think someone would click through dozens of results to find it?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

By the way:



I have a PDF copy of the 2013 BRZ manual, so I tried your method. It returned 61 results, and the lines you quoted out were actually buried at lines 50 and 51. How many would you expect someone to click through before giving up? You really think someone would click through dozens of results to find it?

I would.

I have.

I will again.

Many times.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I would.

I have.

I will again.

Many times.

Yeah, but you and I both know you're not normal.

Truth be told, I probably would also, but you and I both know I'm not normal either.

Most normal people will not.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Yeah, but you and I both know you're not normal.

Truth be told, I probably would also, but you and I both know I'm not normal either.

Most normal people will not.

Now that it has been established that @Tcoat and @extrashaky are NOT normal - that means the rest of us are normal.

I feel better now -


humfrz

[accwai]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

[...] I have a PDF copy of the 2013 BRZ manual, so I tried your method. It returned 61 results, and the lines you quoted out were actually buried at lines 50 and 51. How many would you expect someone to click through before giving up? You really think someone would click through dozens of results to find it?

Don't know about the Subaru side, but in the 2017 86 manual, most of the search results above the two I quoted have "impact", "airbag" or "rollover" in front of "sensor". Skipping all those and the leftover "sub", "system" and "safing" could be eliminated after one click. Then we're down to the "control" entries. It even says "located on the passenger's side" right on the list. So 4 clicks and I was looking at the picture with the button thingie.

Originally Posted by humfrz

Now that it has been established that @Tcoat and @extrashaky are NOT normal - that means the rest of us are normal.

I feel better now -

humfrz

Well normal or not, Tcoat is always welcome in the GTA. I bet a get together with him here would draw a enormous crowd

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Yeah, but you and I both know you're not normal.

Truth be told, I probably would also, but you and I both know I'm not normal either.

Most normal people will not.

I can't even debate that!

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Yeah, but you and I both know you're not normal. Truth be told, I probably would also, but you and I both know I'm not normal either. Most normal people will not.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I can't even debate that!

Actually, my theory is this is "old normal" vs "new normal". Those of us that grew up having to research things through persistence and voluminous searching versus googling and binging tend to be willing to read through more search results to find something.

I've noticed this just in my own family. I usually find things faster than my sons because I'm willing to look on the second page of search results where they won't look past the first two or three entries.