Quote:
Originally Posted by bimmerfile
During lengthy periods of nice weather, I rarely put the top up.
Unless it's raining or forecast to rain, the top remains down even when parking for shopping, entertainment, restaurants, etc.
Weather forecasts in our area are generally fairly accurate and so I generally don't get worried about unexpected downpours.
Today the weather was sunny with a few clouds, so when we went for lunch I was going to keep the top up as usual, but I did see one dark cloud on the horizon and because it was humid, something told me that there could be a risk of a passing shower, so I put the roof up.
While we were gone there had been a torrential downpour, so had I not spotted that dark cloud and put the top up, I would have had a bit of a sticky situation.
So my question is - how difficult would it be for BMW to code the rain sensor to remain active while the ignition is off and should it sense rain and the top or sunroof is open, then auto close the close the top - and make that an owner activated option?
In 2006 someone described and applied for a patent describing the process and elements of the system (US20080106116 A1). (see url below)
The 2er cabrio and coupe already have all the elements and electronics required to perform the auto closure, so one has to question whether this is something that could only be done as part of the design/production process or is it something that could be coded post-production by the dealer or even owner initiated?
I gotta figure I'm not the only one who would like this..
http://www.google.com/patents/US20080106116 |
Playing devil's advocate here ... but the system would need to have a speed sensor. Not sure about the 2 Series, but most 'verts don't allow you to raise/lower the top above a certain speed ... and what happens if you slow down below that speed and the top begins to close, and 10 seconds later you exceed that speed again (the average time for a 'vert's top to fold closed is 30-40 seconds, I think)?
I'm betting this problem is the biggest reason why such a system hasn't been fitted to a production car.
[EDIT] Of course, now that I read the entire post :: d'oh! :: ... to wit: is there a car that has this function on the power windows? I can't think of one ... and I'm willing to bet it's a safety issue. What keeps the car from chewing up a fascinated passing kid's finger in your absence if the top goes up because of a rain sensor?