Installed European "Smart Turn Indicator" module on US M5GT

[ditops]

I've been lurking for a while but thought it was time I added to the conversation.

If you've ever driven a German car, it's that feature that lets you tap once on the turn signal stalk and it automatically flashes three times. They call it a "Komfort Blinker" in German. It's ideal for lane changes, as you don't have to hold down the stalk to activate a few flashes of the turn signal. It's available as a dealer-installed accessory in the European market, but for some reason is not an option in the States. It's part # C830-V7-160A and is listed on the UK web site under "safety" accessories.

http://www.mazda.co.uk/showroom/mazda5/accessories/

 

[Nurburgringer]

That's cool - something I've noticed as missing in our M5.
However, last week on a business trip I rented a Chevy Malibu (which I have rented in the past and quite liked, but this one had some nasty squeaks from the front end and only 1500 miles, so maybe an accident? Also disliked the auto transmission) that had this "tap and get 3 flashes". It actually annoyed me, so maybe I'm used to holding down the M5s a few seconds

I would be interested in hearing more about the overhead LEDs. Our old E39 BMW has orange lights overhead that softly illuminate the center console, really like these.

 

[ditops]

Yes, the comfort blink is a matter of preference. Having always had a BMW in the fleet, I've grown used to having it. But I can certainly understand others finding it annoying.

 

[90210]

We have two german cars (BMW and a MINI), and hate the comfort blinker. Yea its cool to click light for lane change, but if you have to press it much harder for the full time blinker (i.e. for turning). So I have to modulate my finger pressure for soft vs hard push, and I rather not think that much with my fingers.

I much prefer the Japanese.