# 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:** 8
**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 9, 2016, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/141 "2016-05-09T13:21:07Z")
Bumping because today is FEB 99. The weird stuff starts tomorrow. I’ll try to remember to snap a photo every day and will post them when I have a chance. ---
**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 9, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/142 "2016-05-09T15:14:30Z")
It’s amazing how much fun we’re getting out of this dumb clock. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/143 "2016-05-09T15:37:06Z")
So it turns out to be quite useful after all. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/144 "2016-05-09T22:49:55Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > So it turns out to be quite useful after all. So it’s a feature, not a bug. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/145 "2016-05-09T23:59:36Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Bumping because today is FEB 99. The weird stuff starts tomorrow. I’ll try to remember to snap a photo every day and will post them when I have a chance. Tomorrow the party’s over, oops out of time. I hope you’re partying tonight like it’s Feb 99. ---
**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:** [May 10, 2016, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/146 "2016-05-10T00:09:25Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > It’s amazing how much fun we’re getting out of this dumb clock. Well, it worked for Ahmed Mohamed… ---
**Author:** ![Geneaholic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Geneaholic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geneaholic)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/147 "2016-05-10T22:48:00Z")
As Expected, today is Feb degree symbol? 0. I’d post a photo, but I am not that motivated (i.e. lazy). ---
**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 11, 2016, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/148 "2016-05-11T02:04:08Z")
Same exact behavior in two specimens. So it’s a coding error in the special handling code for leap years. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/149 "2016-05-11T18:05:18Z")
I’ve ordered my Feb33 Holiday Photo Cards. Thanks! ---
**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 9, 2016, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/150 "2016-06-09T13:14:28Z")
After three iterations of FEB °#, this morning it is changing things up and displaying FEB \_0. ---
**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 9, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/151 "2016-06-09T14:38:23Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > After three iterations of FEB °#, this morning it is changing things up and displaying FEB \_0. You’ve never seen that before? What was it doing before the three ‘#’? Did it normally do three ‘#’ in the past? ---
**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 9, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/152 "2016-06-09T16:55:21Z")
I don’t remember the underscore before, but I may have gotten to a point four years ago where I quit paying that much attention to it. According to post 79 it went back to a blank left character on June 23, then later on July 7 it was back to the degree symbol. At some point soon after that I remember my car going into the shop, the battery was disconnected, and the clock reset. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/153 "2016-06-09T17:07:17Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I don’t remember the underscore before, but I may have gotten to a point four years ago where I quit paying that much attention to it. According to post 79 it went back to a blank left character on June 23, then later on July 7 it was back to the degree symbol. At some point soon after that I remember my car going into the shop, the battery was disconnected, and the clock reset. Well, now you know that keeping us updated and entertained through this thread is more important than any “service” your vehicle may “need.” We’ve got ignorance to fight, here! ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/154 "2016-06-09T17:54:55Z")
As a relative newcomer to SDMB, this is the first thread to which I’ve subscribed for email updates. ---
**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 9, 2016, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/155 "2016-06-09T18:39:11Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > As a relative newcomer to SDMB, this is the first thread to which I’ve subscribed for email updates. Every four years until he gets a new car. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2016, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/156 "2016-08-18T13:31:20Z")
Day 200. I thought I would give an update on what the display has been showing over the last few months. May 10 (Day 100): FEB °0 May 20 (Day 110): FEB °0 May 30 (Day 120): FEB °0 Jun 09 (Day 130): FEB \_0 Jun 19 (Day 140): FEB [blank]0 Jun 29 (Day 150): FEB °0 Jul 09 (Day 160): FEB [blank]0 Jul 19 (Day 170): FEB °0 Jul 29 (Day 180): FEB °0 Aug 08 (Day 190): FEB °0 Aug 18 (Day 200): FEB °0 No obvious pattern that I can see, and only a few weeks where the first “digit” was not the half-circle/degree symbol. I’ll be curious to see if the same pattern repeats over the next 100 days. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/157 "2016-08-18T13:46:18Z")
I can’t possibly be the only person whose day is brightened every time there’s an update to this thread, can I? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/158 "2016-08-18T14:29:17Z")
My day is brightened, yet I’m also left slightly frustrated. I crave order in the universe, and the lack of pattern is annoying. Make sense, you damn date display! ---
**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:** [August 18, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/159 "2016-08-18T14:46:29Z")
My day is brightened by the discovery that there is still more to this puzzle. ---
**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:** [November 10, 2016, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612/160 "2016-11-10T13:58:44Z")
An update! After it started to look like the display was locked into an endless cycle with the ° symbol, I noticed a few weeks ago that it was back to the leading zero (FEB 01). I didn’t pay much attention to it after that, and then I was gone on vacation for over a week, but when I got into the car the other day I noticed that it said FEB 25. So I’m assuming it rolled over from FEB 09 to FEB 10 and then from FEB 19 to 20. This morning it is showing FEB 28. Can’t wait to see what happens next. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-useless-accessory-in-my-car-is-now-even-more-useless/614612.md?page=9)