[Mr.Boss]

Well, coming to Car Accessories we have a dedicated thread on What to have

and, What may be added

and now coming to the next part, What NOT to have.

We live in a planet where anything and everything is possible irrespective of law, rule, standard, and what not. Just to give an example (related to Automobiles) our rules specify some criteria for automotive Horn decibel level. But companies (which are licensed and approved) produce after market products which doesn't satisfy certain (or sometimes any) rules and are being sold in the market. Same applies for the Automotive bulbs as well. Everyday each one of us is facing the menace of loud horns and blinding high beams. I agree it is more to do with self discipline rather than complaining for the source of such products. Other cases like colored / tinted headlamps, for God sake people please stop using them. Couple of weeks back I was riding my bicycle in the dark. On a sharp turn I noticed a Red lamp and assumed that being a 2 wheeler either halted or moving ahead, but that was a Red Demon lamp (or called Evil's eye) and the 2 wheeler is approaching me on a wrong lane.

There are millions of such modifications and accessories available in market which harms / affects the other fellow riders on road. There are few threads on this subject (and similar subject, including self discipline)
High Beam
High Beam
Horn
Power Horn

What we are covering in this thread is, Accessories that are harmful / dangerous to SELF or our own vehicle

[Mr.Boss]

1. Seat Belt Reminder over-ride:



This is the most stupidity one could ever do. Available in in all colors, shapes, forms and what not?







Though n-number of articles available over internet which speaks about the importance of wearing seat belt and the advantages self-spoken by the accident victims themselves, OEs add seat belt reminder warning / chime, Govt enforces (???) the law but people still don't understand the significance. To void the menace of warning chime people go with these accessories, risking their own life.

Alternative:
Nothing except to cultivate the habit of using seat belt

[Mr.Boss]

2. Additional Cup Holders



This is one of the useful accessory and listed here

But what makes it to be a part of this thread is improper placement / usage

Friend of mine has a Tata Nano as his primary ride and added a similar cup holder to the driver side door pad, easy to reach from the steering wheel. One fine day he was driving with a Pepsi can in the cup holder and missed a speed bump. What happened next is horrible. Pepsi can slipped out of the cup holder and rolled right beneath the pedals He slammed the brake, poor tin gave up and spilled the entire liquid on floor, he spent his sweet time cleaning the mess.

What if it was a Hard plastic / Glass bottle?

This is quite unlikely to happen on a factory provided cup / bottle holder. Why? OE cup / bottle holders are designed in such a way and placed close to the floor (except for the ones in dashboard but with some holding mechanism), in other words, close to (or below) vehicle center of gravity. In such cases the probability of bottles / cups escaping from the holder is very minimal.

Alternative:
- Proper placement (better to be avoided on driver side)
- Seat back organisers

[Mr.Boss]

3. Bull Bars



There is a separate thread on this topic Here but covering small covers.

Irrespective of the size and segment of the car, bull bars are equally dangerous in case of accidents. Cars are designed with crumple zone to absorb the energy during collision. Regular energy transfer path will be like Bumper --> Structure behind the bumper --> Crumple zone.

Bull bars are fitted on the frame / body directly by-passing the crumple zone just to save the bumpers and fenders getting scratched / damaged in B2B traffic. In case of collision, energy that the bull bar receives is being directly transferred to the vehicle structure and resulting in much more damage.

Most importantly, there are possibilities that the crash sensor fail to work and Air bags may not deploy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbag#Operation

Alternatives:
- Bumper protectors (couldn't solve all the purpose though)

[Mr.Boss]

4. Overhead LCD Screens



No caption needed.

Does playing movies / videos distract the driver or not is other question. Where is the IRVM in the above snap? Overhead screens (and DVD players) hide the IRVM view and that's equally dangerous as driving with closed eyes. There are people who argue that ORVMs are more than sufficient to drive the vehicle. They fail to understand that ORVMs don't cover things that are close to (or behind) our tailgate. They are classified under regulatory items and all such parts have their own significance on safety.

Alternatives:
Head rest / in-dash screens

[Mr.Boss]

I hope people agree on the above contents and I request fellow members to add your valuable comments and inputs to this thread with below template

x. Item Description
<Image>
How does that affect / harm
Alternatives:

Thanks

Image source for all the above posts : Google

[Jaggu]

Mod Note: Moving from Assembly Line sections. Thanks for sharing.


Excellent thread, voted it 5 star also! The seat belt over ride seems to be the most dangerous of any aftermarket accessory that i have come across.

[Raag Sandhu]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

4. Overhead LCD Screens

Attachment 1611437

No caption needed.

Does playing movies / videos distract the driver or not is other question. Where is the IRVM in the above snap? Overhead screens (and DVD players) hide the IRVM view and that's equally dangerous as driving with closed eyes. There are people who argue that ORVMs are more than sufficient to drive the vehicle. They fail to understand that ORVMs don't cover things that are close to (or behind) our tailgate. They are classified under regulatory items and all such parts have their own significance on safety.

Alternatives:
Head rest / in-dash screens

The overhead screen, if placed well and if it is of compact dimensions then it would make sense, besides they only get used occasionally over long duration of travel. The one in my car opens up at an angle and does not completely cover my field of view. The head rest screens are a bit of hazard if the rear occupants are not belted, IMHO.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Excellent thread, voted it 5 star also! The seat belt over ride seems to be the most dangerous of any aftermarket accessory that i have come across.

Thank you.
Found that on my friend's car and threw it immediately. That's the trigger point for this thread.

5. Body Kits



I don't say 'Avoid it', but avoid the cheap body kits and if installed take care periodically.

Happened to see a Fiesta in a FNG body shop. The fellow used a cheaper body kit with all sorts of juggads to fix it. In less than a year, water splash from tires started accumulating between the side skirt and running board. End result, completely rusted running board and badly needed a complete replacement.

Alternative:
Nothing except for periodic checkup / maintenance

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

4. Overhead LCD Screens

Alternatives:
Head rest / in-dash screens

The monitors integrated into headrests are equally fatal - majority of them available in market are flimsy. They are too easy to bend/ swivel or rotate. That leaves you vulnerable to whiplash on neck.

As an alternative, I would suggest the ones that come as stick on behind the seat. So original head rest remains intact. And the better way is - upgrade ICE as only speakers, amps and subwoofers. That should suffice.

Another debatable topic is - use of mobile holders. And then there are tons of varieties. The ones that goes on vents, stick oddly on the windscreens and protrude out of corners onto the steering wheel area and what not! The best way is to have integrated Carplay or Android Auto HU but otherwise, use as much as voice guidance and keep the phone away as possible.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by Raag Sandhu

The overhead screen, if placed well and if it is of compact dimensions then it would make sense, besides they only get used occasionally over long duration of travel. The one in my car opens up at an angle and does not completely cover my field of view.

Could you please share a snap of your set-up? and what vehicle is that?

[GTO]

Great thread idea, thanks for sharing! Here's my list of stupid accessories.

1. Brand name stickers on your car when you don't even have those parts installed (e.g. Brembo, Bridgestone, Mugen stickers on the side). What's even worse is seeing a 'Ralliart' sticker on a Maruti (or any non-Mitsubishi)!

2. Idiotic rear wings that might actually hamper your car's performance, not improve it.

3. Soft toys on the rear parcel tray - they block the driver's visibility.

4. FAKE Team-BHP stickers! It's either authentic or nothing.

5. FAKE exhaust pipes. Have seen a couple of cars showing off their dual or quad exhaust setup - with 50% of them clean as a whistle (no black soot).

@ Mr. Boss: Would disagree on bodykits. Some are very tasteful.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by GTO

@ Mr. Boss: Would disagree on bodykits. Some are very tasteful.

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

I don't say 'Avoid it', but avoid the cheap body kits and if installed take care periodically.

That's exactly my point as well. I'm speaking about the cheap kits available these days, which don't gel with the original body and leave a gap to accommodate tire splash, dust, etc.

[carwatcher]

Timely Thread!!!

We have replaced my wife's A-Star A/T with i20 (2009) A/T and I have bought many accessories online during last two weeks.

3D Floor mats cost 1700 but are of hopeless quality.

Clip-on vanity mirror couldn't fit the thick sun visor and also broke easily.

Driver Arm rest was ok and had bling chrome.

Front chrome grill was stick-on and not to be screwed like original.

Car Dust bin clipped on door pad makes horrible vibration when the door is closed, have put rubber paddings but still 95% of the problem is solved.

So, all in all ANY accessory especially cheaper ones have to be avoided like plague.

Not to mention the car runs super smooth and absolutely silent otherwise.

[Fillmore]

Originally Posted by GTO

Great thread idea, thanks for sharing! Here's my list of stupid accessories...

how come all of you forgot to add the Reverse Horn ?

Not just the single beep one, but the reverse horn which comes with a fusion of
- Ambulance siren + Fire engine siren + Disco beat + Burglar alarm + DJ fusion mix All combined in one single package and amplified to the extent that even a deaf man can hear it.