# The most useless accessory in my car is now even more useless **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 3, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612 "2012-03-03T01:54:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/1 "2012-03-03T01:54:47Z")
My car has this date display which I think is the most completely useless accessory possible. It’s not part of the clock - the clock is part of the radio display. This date display is a separate LED display built into the plastic thing on the ceiling that the rear-view mirror hangs down from, which also has the sunroof controls and the compartment for my sunglasses. In fact, if it weren’t for me looking up to get my sunglasses, I’d probably forget the date thing was even there. It doesn’t even display the year. Just the month and the day. Hey, if you’re going to put a date display in the car, you might as well go all out, right? Apparently leap day has thrown my date display for a loop, because my car still thinks it’s February. Yesterday the date display said FEB 30. Today it says FEB 31. So now this useless accessory is even more useless because it’s WRONG! Any guesses when it will eventually roll over to March? My guess is that it will be tomorrow (on the assumption that a max of 31 days is programmed in). But part of me hopes to see it go all the way up to 99. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/2 "2012-03-03T02:00:46Z")
What kind of car (make, model, year) is it? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/3 "2012-03-03T02:06:21Z")
Does your car have a CB radio? I’ve heard that those were popular, too, at one time. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/4 "2012-03-03T02:10:06Z")
There’s no way to adjust it? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/5 "2012-03-03T02:31:05Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > In fact, if it weren’t for me looking up to get my sunglasses, I’d probably forget the date thing was even there. I don’t have a date thing in my car where my sunglasses holder is. Of course, my sunglasses holder doesn’t hold my prescription sunglasses. I’d call that pretty useless. Not to mention the cigarette lighter outlet that no longer comes with a cigarette lighter. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/6 "2012-03-03T02:40:21Z")
Feb. 31. I’m giggling. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/7 "2012-03-03T03:09:36Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > What kind of car (make, model, year) is it? It’s a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. > [@davidm](#): > > There’s no way to adjust it? Yeah, there is. I just want to see where it goes on it’s own. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/8 "2012-03-03T03:31:41Z")
I’m pretty sure it’s a clock, also. My wife has a 2002 Santa Fe, and that’s where her clock is. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/9 "2012-03-03T14:50:27Z")
Today it says FEB 32, so this could go on for a while. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/10 "2012-03-03T15:23:43Z")
tell us what happens after FEB 39. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/11 "2012-03-03T15:39:21Z")
Maybe it will hit Feb 99 then, the next day when it tries to roll over, all the electronics will lock up and the car won’t start. Either that or the car will explode. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/12 "2012-03-03T16:59:02Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > It’s a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. > > Yeah, there is. I just want to see where it goes on it’s own. Did you have the car in 2008, and if so, did it work correctly then? If it did, it is weird that it is screwing up in 2012 but not in 2008, which should be the same since no year is involved. Or maybe it is because it is 2012… Seriously, I think it is some software bug where the programmer had it change month when the day reached 28 in February (i.e. Feb 28 becomes March 1, but for leap years it goes to Feb 29… then the logic fails because it is like “if(day == 28){month++;}”; this expression fails for day = 29 (to avoid this, logic for leap years can be added; check for 28 for non-leap years and 29 for leap years and change it to “greater than or equal”). This assumes that the year is indeed stored somewhere but not displayed. Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens when it reaches 99, probably just rollover (I really doubt the car will fail, what would be that dependent on the date; I once found an old computer where it thought 20xx was 19xx yet it worked just fine). ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/13 "2012-03-03T23:07:55Z")
That’s what you get when you buy timepieces from Mayans. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/14 "2012-03-03T23:49:08Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Not to mention the cigarette lighter outlet that no longer comes with a cigarette lighter. That’s not useless at all. They’re there to plug things into. I don’t think they even call it a cigarette lighter anymore, it’s a “utility port” or something like that. I don’t use one very often, but I use it more than I ever did to light a cigarette (never). ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/15 "2012-03-04T00:26:17Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > That’s not useless at all. They’re there to plug things into. I don’t think they even call it a cigarette lighter anymore, it’s a “utility port” or something like that. > > I don’t use one very often, but I use it more than I ever did to light a cigarette (never). It’s a TomTom conspiracy to put Marlboro out of business, I tell ya. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/16 "2012-03-04T00:32:45Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Today it says FEB 32, so this could go on for a while. Please can we see a picture? Pleeeeeeeease? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/17 "2012-03-04T00:54:22Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Not to mention the cigarette lighter outlet that no longer comes with a cigarette lighter. Mine has one of those and I only discovered it the other day. It is in front of the gear shift alongside a little recess that holds my security gate tags but has a spring loaded flip lid. I guess the recess is designed to hold a packet of cigarettes but the car has no ashtray? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/18 "2012-03-04T15:18:16Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > …but the car has no ashtray? If you check the options list for many cars, you’ll probably find a ‘lighter/ashtray’ package listed. With Volvo, I think the ashtray is an insert for the cupholder. Hey, **Shoeless** , what’s the update on today’s date? Is it the 33rd? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/19 "2012-03-04T16:07:15Z")
This thread has the potential to be a very long one ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/20 "2012-03-04T16:44:11Z")
> [@Michael63129](#): > > Did you have the car in 2008, and if so, did it work correctly then? It didn’t work in 2008 (or 2004) but I just reset it instead of waiting to see how far it would go. This time around I decided to have some fun with it. I doubt I’ll still have this vehicle 4 years from now! > [@postcards](#): > > Hey, **Shoeless** , what’s the update on today’s date? Is it the 33rd? [Yep.](http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh555/Shoeless62/030412100017.jpg) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612.md?page=2)