thrill350z

iTrader: (1)

hey just got an 03 touring and its a blast to drive but i was wondering if anyone has any tips for changing into the left lane, its so tuff to check the blind spot.

tropicalypso

iTrader: (6)

downshift, drop the hammer, and make the lane change... you have a 90% chance that the car will be faster then the person to the left of you

jk

I've noticed the blind spot too, I've just had to lean way the heck forward and look around... not any easy thing to do at high speeds.

Navygold

Check your mirror, side window, then turn your head and check the little window behind the door window...if you see metal, don't change lanes.

boma

iTrader: (2)

you can buy those little wide angle stick on mirrors. they help some. but don't rely on them at night.

davidv

iTrader: (2)

Most drivers have the mirrors adjusted so that they can see the side of the car. Push the mirrors out.

For the right mirror, sit in a left turn lane, and watch the cars on the right passing. Adjust the right mirror so that you can see the car on your rear taillight, not the car beside you. For the left mirror, do the same in a right turn only lane.

You can also make the adjustments during gridlock traffic when the other vehicles are creeping along.

Once the mirrors are properly adjusted, trust them: they are your friends.

cloudy

iTrader: (3)

Use the mirrors, but what i do is since there is such a large blind spot... If i need to make a left lane change, i just lean my body to the right a little and turn my head so i can see around the headrest... i guess this can be sorta dangerous, but still better then going into another car :P.

cwerdna

I too also was not used to the huge blind spots in the Z. I used the technique at http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/mirrors/. It helps a LOT! You still need to look over your shoulder before changing lanes, but this really helps increase how much you can see w/all your mirrors.

Navygold

cwerdna...good link. They do state what is quite obvious and what most people don't understand...any part of your car you can see in your mirror is just wasted mirror space.

ShadesofBlonde

ummm... close your eyes and hope for the best??

actually, setting the rear view mirrors as instructed in the link is a good way to start

also, its just as important to know whats going on behind you as it is in front of you. if you lose sight of someone that you knew was back there, you better find him before you move anywhere

hate to admit, i rarely shoulder check, and I have yet to cream into the side of someone elses car, or even come a close second

yobri

iTrader: (2)

Position your side mirror perpendicular to your side window. Will cover that blind spot quite well. That and have a good grasp of your driving environment (which is rather fundamental) and you're golden.

The Mike

just start swerving about 10 seconds prior to lane change..... people will assume your drunk and stay away from you. It's coast clear to make your move then

Wired 24/7

iTrader: (2)

When you have your mirrors adjusted *correctly,* it will be pretty nice.

Let's say a car is approaching you from the rear left.

You will see it in your rear view mirror, then as soon as it disappears from your rear view mirror you will see it show up in your driver's side mirror. As soon as it disappears from your driver's side mirror, you will see it in the corner of your eye.

When your mirrors are set correctly, you will be able to see everything that's behind you in the left and right adjacent lanes. However 2 lanes over you will not really see, so you still need to check over your shoulder if there are 2 lanes to your left or 2 lanes to your right.

Adjust the mirrors to a fairly WIDE angle and you will see what I mean.

You can check if they're about right by doing the following...put your face up to the driver's side window (while sitting in the driver's seat). Now adjust the left mirror so that you can just see a little bit of your car's rear fender. When you are not pressing your face up against the window, you will not see your car in the mirror at all.

Now put your face about dead center in the car, above your center console. Do the same thing for the right mirror, so that you can just see a little bit of rear fender.

So you won't see your car in either of the side mirrors, but you won't really have much of a blind spot either.

I felt just as scared the first day or two about blind spots when I got the Z, but believe me, the mirrors on this thing are really good.

SB Track

Add another plus to the mirror trick. Once you get used to it, you'll wonder how you got by without it.

pacfwu

iTrader: (4)

Yeah, the whole having the mirrors adjusted proper was the best thing ever. I'm used to driving sports cars/coups that have blind spots and terrible rearward vision. But the Z was the worst I had ever been in.

No one had ever (not even in driver's ed) told me the correct way to have the mirrors set. I think that was the same cartalk article that I saw in the local paper abiout a year and a half ago and I thought "huh, I've been doing this wrong" so I went out and adjusted my mirrors just like they said to do and, yeah it took a little getting used to, but I couldn't believe how much more I could see.

dcmidnight

+100

I never realized how little I used mirrors to look around a regular sedan. But when you correctly align these mirrors, its really amazing how well you can see around this car. I know the first time I ever sat in a Z two years ago I thought, how they hell can you drive this car, you cant see around it.

tlewis

iTrader: (3)

+1 on the mirror trick. I have it setup differenly than any other car I've owned, but once you get used to it, trust it... It works! (If you can see your own car in your side mirrors, then they are in too close...)

Fletch69z

iTrader: (50)

+1. I use the little window everytime with the mirror.

FairladyZ

cool gonna try that

ZsAllright

I've used the "wide" mirror position on my vehicles for a long time.

On my Z I also have a "passenger" mirror from the Australian right-hand
drive model...it has a little curve to it (and no stupid warning printed
on it).

I won't have the heated mirror function any more, but don't need it.

ShadesofBlonde