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Many people, when buying a car, are sure that all its functionality is described in the instruction manual. However, this is not always the case. AmperCar talked about the "secrets" hidden by manufacturers in cars, especially in basic configurations.
The world's auto giants have long gone the path of unification and mass assembly line assembly. The fewer unique components in a car, the lower the cost of its production. And this, of course, makes the vehicle more affordable for a wide range of consumers. After all, if each model has only its own unique details, this will add unnecessary costs and make the price of the car higher.
Manufacturers, in order to reduce the cost of cars, produce technically similar models and simply change the software and a few buttons in the cabin to make the equipment cheaper.
For example, not all modifications of the same model have cruise control and audio control on the steering wheel in the list of options. However, you can simply connect this function already on the basic configuration by installing the appropriate buttons on the steering wheel. A set of buttons that expand the functionality of the machine can be easily bought on the Internet for little money.
Thus, owners of some Volkswagen and Skoda models, by contacting a specialized car service, can programmatically connect the functions of heating the steering wheel and seats, change the algorithm of the headlights, activate the CarPlay and Android Auto systems on the infotainment complex. In addition, you can turn off the ban on watching videos while driving on the standard multimedia device.
Even the power of the power unit and the maximum speed can be changed only by installing new firmware in the engine control unit.
On premium cars like BMW and Mercedes, manufacturers have gone even further. They have started connecting pre-installed settings for an additional fee, and for a limited time. For example, heated seats will cost the owner $18 per month or $176 per year. You will also have to pay extra for a heated steering wheel, a built-in video recorder, a system for automatically turning on high beams and a collision avoidance system.
