# 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:** 4
**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:** [May 14, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/61 "2012-05-14T23:50:26Z")
> [@Jesta](#): > > Might want to be a bit more specific with your claim to have predicted the obvious! 😃 You went through and found all of my posts? You have a lot of time on your hands, don’t you? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mdtljt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@mdtljt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mdtljt)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/62 "2012-05-15T03:17:55Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > It’s a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. > > Yeah, there is. I just want to see where it goes on it’s own. that should be on its own, not on it is own, which is what it’s means 1st grade English ---
**Author:** ![mdtljt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@mdtljt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mdtljt)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/63 "2012-05-15T03:21:27Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I’ll put my money on it running up to Feb 99 and then rolling over to Feb 00. i will probably roll over to march 01, and just be 72 days behind ---
**Author:** ![mdtljt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@mdtljt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mdtljt)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/64 "2012-05-15T03:24:13Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > At that point it will tear a hole in the time/space continuum and nobody can say what happens then. > > Just keep it below 88 MPH! it doesn’t matter anyway, since the Mayans calendar, and because of it, the Earth will cease to exist on Dec. 21 anyway ---
**Author:** ![sittininlab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/54ee81/32.png) [@sittininlab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sittininlab)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/65 "2012-05-15T13:29:22Z")
Sell! ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/66 "2012-05-15T14:30:44Z")
> [@mdtljt](#): > > that should be on its own, > not on it is own, > which is what it’s means > 1st grade English As long as we’re being pedantic, ‘That’ should begin with a capital letter, ‘1st’ should be spelled out, there should be a period after ‘English’, and the whole thing should be on one line, not four. (Unless your intent was blank verse.) I also don’t remember studying grammar and usage in the first grade. Reading, yes, and learning to write the letters of the alphabet. Not grammar. That was closer to third grade. [/pedandic hijack] Hey, **Shoeless**! What day is it now? ---
**Author:** ![Jesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesta)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/67 "2012-05-16T11:00:07Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > As long as we’re being pedantic, ‘That’ should begin with a capital letter, ‘1st’ should be spelled out, there should be a period after ‘English’, and the whole thing should be on one line, not four. (Unless your intent was blank verse.) > > I also don’t remember studying grammar and usage in the first grade. Reading, yes, and learning to write the letters of the alphabet. Not grammar. That was closer to third grade. > > [/ **pedandic** hijack] > > Hey, **Shoeless**! What day is it now? 1 from 2 isn’t all bad, but since you’re on the theme of being pedantic… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/68 "2012-05-16T16:46:02Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Debon\_Err](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@Debon\_Err](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debon_Err)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/69 "2012-05-16T17:58:16Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > As long as we’re being pedantic, ‘That’ should begin with a capital letter, ‘1st’ should be spelled out, there should be a period after ‘English’, and the whole thing should be on one line, not four. (Unless your intent was blank verse.) > > I also don’t remember studying grammar and usage in the first grade. Reading, yes, and learning to write the letters of the alphabet. Not grammar. That was closer to third grade. > > [/pedandic hijack] > > Hey, **Shoeless**! What day is it now? > [@Jesta](#): > > 1 from 2 isn’t all bad, but since you’re on the theme of being pedantic… 😛 From here out I shall refer to you both as Pedabear 1 and Pedabear 2, respectively. Or should that be Pedabear One and Pedabear Two? Or Pedabear one and Pedabear two? Peda-Bear? Peda-bear? Peda Bear? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![SprungFromCages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@SprungFromCages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SprungFromCages)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/70 "2012-05-16T18:17:13Z")
It’s not really an accessory issue, but I knew a guy who knew a guy who had a Jeep Wrangler with power windows, except he had taken the windows out. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/71 "2012-05-17T02:51:47Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I cannot believe I’m the first one to make a reference to February being the month of Groundhog Day. Now that you mention it, I can’t believe it either. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/72 "2012-05-18T09:50:16Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I cannot believe I’m the first one to make a reference to February being the month of Groundhog Day. But you said that [last month](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15062439&postcount=59). ---
**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:** [May 21, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/73 "2012-05-21T18:00:33Z")
Hey folks, sorry, busy weekend and I didn’t have a chance to check in with an update yesterday, which should have been Feb 110 if my count is correct. The [sup]0[/sup] is still displaying as the left digit, so we may have reached a point where that isn’t going to change and the right digit will continue to cycle around from 0 to 9. I’ll keep watching it for a few more weeks to see if it does anything interesting. ---
**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:** [May 21, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/74 "2012-05-21T21:03:49Z")
The leftmost digit may eventually overflow and go back to 0. If it’s using BCD encoding then that may not occur till another 5 cycles of the rightmost digit; around 150 days depending on where it is now. ---
**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:** [May 21, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/75 "2012-05-21T23:17:31Z")
Great. By the time it rolls over to March, it’s going to be February again! ---
**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:** [May 22, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/76 "2012-05-22T02:41:55Z")
It may never change the month again. It’s hard to say. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/77 "2012-05-22T18:35:28Z")
The o may stand for overflow, and thus will never change again either. It seems odd planning for that contingency and not making sure the leap year function worked, though. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/78 "2012-05-22T18:51:55Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > The o may stand for overflow, and thus will never change again either. It seems odd planning for that contingency and not making sure the leap year function worked, though. I was thinking that it’s a degree symbol, since LEDs are often used to display temperatures, but I could be mistaken. ---
**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:** [June 23, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/79 "2012-06-23T16:56:02Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > The leftmost digit may eventually overflow and go back to 0. If it’s using BCD encoding then that may not occur till another 5 cycles of the rightmost digit; around 150 days depending on where it is now. **davidm** , you may be on the right track here. Tuesday, which I calculate would have been day 140, the [sup]0[/sup] disappeared (left digit is now blank) and the display was back to FEB 0. Today is showing FEB 4. ---
**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:** [June 23, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/80 "2012-06-23T17:22:50Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > **davidm** , you may be on the right track here. Tuesday, which I calculate would have been day 140, the [sup]0[/sup] disappeared (left digit is now blank) and the display was back to FEB 0. Today is showing FEB 4. It may just loop through the same pattern from here on. It would be interesting to see what happens next year. If the year correctly changes internally (doubtful) then the first time it hits Feb 28 in 2013 it may roll over to March 1 the next day. I suppose there’s also a chance that this time around it will think the year changed and will roll over to March after it says Feb 28. I guess we’ll know in 25 days. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612.md?page=5)