Electronic annoyances (rant)

[biplaneguy]

Overall, I really like my new ride (2023 base Sport), but some of the electronics... not so much. Most I guess I gotta live with, but maybe some can be fixed?

• That annoying warning that pops up on the touchscreen ("avoid distracted driving", etc.) that pops up on the touchscreen every time you start. There's an "accept" button, but it doesn't seem to do anything, and you can't do anything else on the touchscreen until it goes away....
• ... like turn off the radio, which starts up with a blast of static or annoying radio station until the bluetooth connects. And no way to prevent the radio from turning on when the vehicle is started.
• No media information is displayed if using bluetooth without the usb cable connected for android auto. Other vehicles display this, why not Jeep?
• The touchscreen map going into night mode when the lights are on, even in the daytime. I know I can change that setting, but then it doesn't go into night mode, ever. My phone switches it at sunrise and sunset (or when entering a tunnel!) which makes a lot more sense.
• If you accidentally shut off the car without shifting into park first, it goes to ACC, with no way to get out of that mode without starting the engine again and restopping (in park, this time). Stupid. Seems switching from D to park when in ACC mode should cause it to go to OFF.
• Honking the horn if you take the fob out of the car with the engine running. Really annoying when I get out of the car to unlock the gate with the fob in my pocket. Yes, I get why they do it, but a chime or single chirp would be less annoying. I know I can just leave the door slightly open, but that's not the best solution if it's raining.
• ESS. Enough said.
• Glare from the license plate lights affecting the backup camera. I know this can be fixed with a relay and some wiring, either homebrew or purchased, but it's something Jeep should have thought of.
• Similarly, the backup camera should be disabled when the tailgate is open, or in the halfway position for hauling lumber... it's useless then and just distracting.
• The compass only displaying 8 points (N, NE, E, SE, etc.) instead of degrees. Granted that numbers would confuse 90% of the drivers out there...
• The tiny time display, that moves depending on whether the touchscreen is showing uconnect or android auto.

There are probably some others I'm missing, but that's enough of a rant for now.

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[GeneralMaximus]

All that you have mentioned is even more annoying when you also own a Tesla. Twenty years of touchscreen technology and we are still stuck with this antiquated crap, meanwhile the Teslas user interface is light years beyond anything Ive used in any other car.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

If you accidentally shut off the car without shifting into park first, it goes to ACC, with no way to get out of that mode without starting the engine again and restopping (in park, this time). Stupid. Seems switching from D to park when in ACC mode should cause it to go to OFF.

Not at all stupid - it protects stupid people from themselves, meaning killing themselves or hurting some child nearby because they didn't THINK while acting.
My son screwed up with my JT twice- getting out without putting it in park, etc. - he was used to a total EV that did all of that automatically. You don't have to shift to park or shut anything off. You exit the vehicle, all things are shut down and it's put into "Park". If mine didn't do what you are bitchen about, someone could have been seriously hurt, or at least some property damage to say the least.

That annoying warning that pops up on the touchscreen ("avoid distracted driving", etc.) that pops up on the touchscreen every time you start. There's an "accept" button, but it doesn't seem to do anything, and you can't do anything else on the touchscreen until it goes away....

Seriously? It's amazing what people are annoyed and pissed off about these days. Sure explains road rage out there. Someone or something annoys a person and all of a sudden it's gloves on, or guns out.
If I tap mine on that "announcement", it goes away. Seriously, though - it's displayed for such a very short time - anyone really THAT impatient?
It's a legal notice because more than half the morons on the road out there are DISTRACTED idiots, not driving but merely riding along while they pay more attention to a phone or messing with other stuff.
Is anyone really in such a big-ass hurry they can't find something else to do until that warning goes away - like CHECK mirrors, look for people and things around you, look at the dash warning lights to make sure all worked fine when starting the vehicle and nothing didn't work during POST of the cluster....... I guess I pay so much attention to my vehicle and what's around me I never really even see that screen most of the time! Too busy making sure everything is ready to go, and I'm cleared for take-off, no kids or dogs around my vehicle, and my mirrors are where I want them for that day and so on.

Glare from the license plate lights affecting the backup camera. I know this can be fixed with a relay and some wiring, either homebrew or purchased, but it's something Jeep should have thought of.

And yet for many tens of thousands, it's really a non-issue or at least a minor issue. I mentioned to my wife that a lot of people complain about the backup camera glare at night and she said "why, it looks ok to me" while she was backing my truck down the driveway the other evening. For those few who are annoyed by it - there are very simple solutions and part of the fun of a JT or a JL is "DIY".
For me it wasn't really that bad, but I figured, what the heck - I can easily resolve this, so I did.

My wife has a JLU - pretty much identical in many ways, to my JT. She drives either just fine and has no complaints about the electronics or radio operations and so on.

On the other hand - JD Powers, as well as CR and others, state that the number one biggest complaint owners have about new vehicles of any make or model is - yeah, the infotainment - the electronics! It's across the board, Ford, Chevy, whatever.

 

[NVjeff]

I share some of those annoyances with my two week old '23 Sport too.
The radio on at start up, small clock display, horn beeping when I step out and shut the door.
Also, I would like to be able to move the truck forward with the door open, if this is possible I haven't found the method yet.

I'm hoping someone that has addressed these annoyances chimes in to tell us how to do it.

 

[MPMB]

• ... like turn off the radio, which starts up with a blast of static or annoying radio station until the bluetooth connects. And no way to prevent the radio from turning on when the vehicle is started.

We don't listen to the radio, and we've never had this problem. Carplay or bluetooth, those always connect first. The radio is hardly used. I don't even think we have any preset stations.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I share some of those annoyances with my two week old '23 Sport too.
The radio on at start up, small clock display, horn beeping when I step out and shut the door.
Also, I would like to be able to move the truck forward with the door open, if this is possible I haven't found the method yet.

I'm hoping someone that has addressed these annoyances chimes in to tell us how to do it.

There are logical safety reasons for each -
People have been found to leave modern vehicles RUNNING in a garage, forgetting to shut them off. The risk is death due to the exhaust displacing oxygen (not so much CO these days, but the other gases of exhaust). Yes, it's happened. Ford does an automatic shut-down after so many minutes. It's a reminder - you left the engine running. (I shut off before exiting, never any reason to leave it running and if I exit for that short a time, like seconds, I simply do not close the door fully! Problem solved.

The other is to prevent you from killing yourself. I can point to a case where a guy took his vehicle to a body shop for work and left it there. The body shop employee needed to move that car out of the way to get another one out. So he started it, backed it out of the way and exited the vehicle. It proceeded to back onto a busy highway where it was totaled. (not to mention the traffic issues and damage to another vehicle) Too bad that car didn't have AUTOPARK.
My sister-in-law's RAM truck has autopark - it's several years old, at least 6 or 7, and it does the same thing. So it's been around in various vehicles for quite a while. My wife's last couple of Grand Cherokees had autopark.
Seems to me you can latch the seat belt to get around that.......

Otherwise, there is a great resolution or solution to many of these "first world problems", annoyances or issues - and it comes in multiple forms, gummie, oil, and so on.
CBD

Barring that, buy a 2004 WJ.

 

[MPMB]

Not at all stupid - it protects stupid people from themselves, meaning killing themselves or hurting some child nearby because they didn't THINK while acting.
My son screwed up with my JT twice- getting out without putting it in park, etc. - he was used to a total EV that did all of that automatically. You don't have to shift to park or shut anything off. You exit the vehicle, all things are shut down and it's put into "Park". If mine didn't do what you are bitchen about, someone could have been seriously hurt, or at least some property damage to say the least.

Well, after killing a young hollywood actor, Jeep had to idiot proof the 'Park' process. There have been a couple of times I forgot to put it in park and turning the engine off. No big deal.

 

[ALT2870]

I've never had it honk when I leave with the FOB? Maybe it's a setting?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Well, after killing a young hollywood actor, Jeep had to idiot proof the 'Park' process. There have been a couple of times I forgot to put it in park and turning the engine off. No big deal.

It's actually not the only case - but the one that got attention of the media and thus the public. This sort of thing has happened before - people getting injured, sometimes seriously, kids being backed over by the family vehicle while pop or mom runs in for something they forgot - yes, it's happened. People say "one actor gets killed and this is the result". No, it was the last straw because it was made very public by the media. The others never got more attention than the local or regional newspaper or a blip on some small TV station.
I'm thankful mine does that after seeing my son totally space off that he was not in his EV any more.
I've also watched a person have their DOOR saved because they were backing into the garage and not paying attention, the door was open enough it would have caught but the autopark stopped it cold. That I witnessed myself. I heard an "oops" from inside the vehicle.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I've never had it honk when I leave with the FOB? Maybe it's a setting?

3 honks if you have the vehicle running and leave with the fob and fully close the door. Just closing it and not latching it does nothing. So I simply don't latch it since I won't be out of the vehicle for long, OR, I shut it off. I don't like leaving a running vehicle for any length of time. (rather silly, for one thing, IMO)

 

[biplaneguy]

Not at all stupid - it protects stupid people from themselves, meaning killing themselves or hurting some child nearby because they didn't THINK while acting.

I can understand the vehicle yelling at you so you don't walk away without putting it in park. That's fine. The stupid part is making you start the engine again just to clear it before stopping the engine again, when simply putting it into park should suffice.

Just like beeping if I get out and close the door with the engine running... a chime would be fine, no need to alert the neighborhood if I forget and accidentally close the door. Maybe beep if the fob gets farther away, or if the vehicle is not in park.

Seriously? It's amazing what people are annoyed and pissed off about these days. Sure explains road rage out there. Someone or something annoys a person and all of a sudden it's gloves on, or guns out.

Jeez, I said it was annoying, not that I'm about to get violent.

It's a legal notice because more than half the morons on the road out there are DISTRACTED idiots, not driving but merely riding along while they pay more attention to a phone or messing with other stuff.

Right, it's there to protect the manufacturer if they get sued, not the driver. Do you really think a repetitive legal notice will make somebody not be a distracted idiot?

The real problem is that lawyers (and many programmers) don't live in the real world.

Just this morning, I went out to start the car so it could warm up and save me the trouble of scraping the ice off the windshield. First I had to wait in the cold and listen to the radio static until the warning screen went away (I suppose I could have passed the time by reading the warning message!). Only then could I mute the audio, and turn on the defroster and turn the temperature up... and remember to leave the fob in the car when I went back inside to wait for it to warm up.

I guess I'm just old fashioned... I believe in taking responsibility for my own actions. I expect a machine (and I design machines for a living) do do what I tell it to do, not what some lawyers and programmers think it should force me to do. I don't need a warning label to tell me that a knife is sharp and may cause serious injury or death.

 

[Badunit]

My thoughts:

• That annoying warning that pops up on the touchscreen. I think the radio takes a little while to boot up anyway. It might as well display a message while it does. Mine displays "Jeep" then quickly flashes some disclaimer.
• Radio starts up with a blast of static or annoying radio station until the bluetooth connects and no way to prevent the radio from turning on when the vehicle is started. Turn the volume to zero before shutting down. That is the equivalent of turning the radio off while still leaving al l the other controls in it active.
• No media information is displayed if using bluetooth without the usb cable connected for android auto. Other vehicles display this, why not Jeep? I don't think this is a problem with CarPlay, or I am misunderstanding the problem.
• The touchscreen map going into night mode when the lights are on, even in the daytime. If it has a sun/light sensor then, yes, it should/could have been designed to do this. My bigger complaint is that the max brightness at night (other than clicking it to daytime brightness) is too low.
• If you accidentally shut off the car without shifting into park first, it goes to ACC, with no way to get out of that mode without starting the engine again and restopping. I can shift to park with the engine off, let my foot off the brake, then press twice (run then off).
• Honking the horn if you take the fob out of the car with the engine running. I have a love-hate relationship with this one. I've been beeped at more than a few times but, on the flip side, I have walked away from my idling Jeep in a parking lot. It idles so quietly.
• ESS. Enough said. I agree. At a minimum the button needs memory.
• Glare from the license plate lights affecting the backup camera. I agree
• Similarly, the backup camera should be disabled when the tailgate is open, or in the halfway position for hauling lumber... it's useless then and just distracting. Meh.
• The compass only displaying 8 points (N, NE, E, SE, etc.) instead of degrees. Vehicles move a lot. I'd rather have a solid "S" than it flashing 180,181,182,181,182,183,182, etc. No need for such accuracy
• The tiny time display, that moves depending on whether the touchscreen is showing uconnect or android auto. I haven't paid this any attention but consistency is best with user interfaces.

 

[Artsifrtsi]

Just this morning, I went out to start the car so it could warm up and save me the trouble of scraping the ice off the windshield. First I had to wait in the cold and listen to the radio static until the warning screen went away (I suppose I could have passed the time by reading the warning message!). Only then could I mute the audio, and turn on the defroster and turn the temperature up... and remember to leave the fob in the car when I went back inside to wait for it to warm up.

I just press the remote start button a couple times, the truck stays locked while it heats up cabin, seat , and steering wheel... I stay warm in the house.

The honking when you take the key fob with you, or lock and unlock, can be disabled in the settings.

If you release the brake after you put truck in park, then press the start button, the truck does not start...

 

[biplaneguy]

I just press the remote start button a couple times, the truck stays locked while it heats up cabin, seat , and steering wheel... I stay warm in the house.

Base Sport, no remote start... despite the dealer telling me it did via XM Guardian (nope).

The honking when you take the key fob with you, or lock and unlock, can be disabled in the settings.

Where?

If you release the brake after you put truck in park, then press the start button, the truck does not start...

Interesting, I'll have to try that.

 

[Sweetums]

Overall, I really like my new ride (2023 base Sport), but some of the electronics... not so much. Most I guess I gotta live with, but maybe some can be fixed?

• That annoying warning that pops up on the touchscreen ("avoid distracted driving", etc.) that pops up on the touchscreen every time you start. There's an "accept" button, but it doesn't seem to do anything, and you can't do anything else on the touchscreen until it goes away....
• ... like turn off the radio, which starts up with a blast of static or annoying radio station until the bluetooth connects. And no way to prevent the radio from turning on when the vehicle is started.

Press the center of the volume knob or the Mute button just below it?

• No media information is displayed if using bluetooth without the usb cable connected for android auto. Other vehicles display this, why not Jeep?

Mine takes a second, but it displays the track info via bluetooth when playing Spotify. Not sure about other services.

• The touchscreen map going into night mode when the lights are on, even in the daytime. I know I can change that setting, but then it doesn't go into night mode, ever. My phone switches it at sunrise and sunset (or when entering a tunnel!) which makes a lot more sense.

Turn off automatic headlights and headlights with wipers.

• If you accidentally shut off the car without shifting into park first, it goes to ACC, with no way to get out of that mode without starting the engine again and restopping (in park, this time). Stupid. Seems switching from D to park when in ACC mode should cause it to go to OFF.
• Honking the horn if you take the fob out of the car with the engine running. Really annoying when I get out of the car to unlock the gate with the fob in my pocket. Yes, I get why they do it, but a chime or single chirp would be less annoying. I know I can just leave the door slightly open, but that's not the best solution if it's raining.

Mine doesn't do this, look for a setting in the menu

• ESS. Enough said.

Tazer Mini, 'nuff said

• Glare from the license plate lights affecting the backup camera. I know this can be fixed with a relay and some wiring, either homebrew or purchased, but it's something Jeep should have thought of.

Tazer Mini again. Just having it plugged in shuts off the plate lights when in reverse.

• Similarly, the backup camera should be disabled when the tailgate is open, or in the halfway position for hauling lumber... it's useless then and just distracting.

That would require a sensor to tell if the tailgate is open.

• The compass only displaying 8 points (N, NE, E, SE, etc.) instead of degrees. Granted that numbers would confuse 90% of the drivers out there...

The only people who can convert degrees to a direction currently own planes or boats.

• The tiny time display, that moves depending on whether the touchscreen is showing uconnect or android auto.

There are probably some others I'm missing, but that's enough of a rant for now.

Reconfigure your instrument cluster to display the time and just look for it there instead of the center screen. Your complaint is that Google put the clock in a different place than Jeep - that's asking a lot.

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