Volkswagen doesn't swap signal/wiper levers?

**Marakai** · 16-12-2012, 07:11 AM

Had almost completely escaped my mind that I wanted to ask here:

During our test drive of the Alltrack, we were surprised to find that Volkswagen apparently does not swap the signal/wipe levers to "Australian standard". Meaning they leave them as you would find them in European LHS cars: signal on left, wiper on right. Whereas every Aussie car I've driven so far, as well as every import, put signal on the right, wipers on left.

This will lead to hilarity - it already took us a while to not constantly give friendly waves of our wipers every time we wanted to signal a turn or lane change when we first move here.

Now, with two vehicles to go back and forth in , I'm sure it will all happen again. Not like it's dangerous, more like embarrassment-inducing.

Do people who drive a VW as well as a non-VW car put little reminder stickers on their steering wheels?

Or do you have your service centre swap the levers (and now all the labels and buttons are upside-down!)

**2muchcoffeeman** · 16-12-2012, 07:14 AM

Welcome Marakai,

You haven't driven too many European cars have you?

You will get used to it....

**wai** · 16-12-2012, 07:21 AM

Actually, this is more common that you might think. A friend had a Volvo, way back in the 1980's and it had the turn signal on the left.

I would not be too surprised to find that it becomes an ADR to have the turn signal on the left. These days, with world cars, the majority of sales are actually in countrues with LHD, hence turn signals on the left. As a result, when the cars are sold into RHD markets, the steering wheel moves to the right, but the controls remain as they are.

It takes a bit of getting used to, and yes, you do end up with the cleanest windscreens in the country.

As said, you do get used to it, and the interesting thing is that when you switch back to a car with the turn signal on the right, you don't seem to have any problem adapting. It's a bit like the auto to manual transmission switch. Drivers seem to know what type of transmission they have when they switch.

**joel0407** · 16-12-2012, 07:42 AM

Every European car I have driven has had the left hand turn signals. BMW, Merc, Audi, VW, Skoda, even a Opel built Holden Astra.

Happy Days.

**Umai Naa!!** · 16-12-2012, 07:45 AM

It wouldn't be a European car if the indicator and wiper stalks aren't in the correct arrangement.

I find I've got to get used to driving non-VWs.

I wouldn't stress too much about it. It's not like anybody uses their indicator these days anyway...

**Umai Naa!!** · 16-12-2012, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by joel0407

Every European car I have driven has had the left hand turn signals. BMW, Merc, Audi, VW, Skoda, even a Opel built Holden Astra.

Happy Days.

UK-built N16 Nissan Pulsar hatches, too.

All Euro Holdens are like that. It was a sad day when they went Korean with their non-Commodore models.

**Hillbilly** · 16-12-2012, 08:36 AM

Lol Just to make it more interesting we had Mercedes buses with Euro stalks EXCEPT for 1 which had been changed over Made it interesting remembering which one you were driving.

Also had several Scanias which had been changed over. Could be an interesting morning when you werent quite awake on a 4 am start.

Daewoos were the same Nearly wore the wipers out on that when I borrowed it for a week

**Marakai** · 16-12-2012, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by 2muchcoffeeman

Welcome Marakai,

You haven't driven too many European cars have you?

You will get used to it....

Uhm, no. Quite the contrary. I *am* from Europe, originally. But there you drive on the other side of the road, natch! Just as in the US. Australia is the first country where I consistently drive on the left, though the VW will finally see me returning to a European made car. I'd simply assumed that the switching of levers was one of those ADR things, just like having the steering wheel on the other side.

Which reminds me: how are manual transmissions here laid out?! LOL, yeah, have had to only have automatics here, she's a yank and can't deal well with clutch and stick.

Only time I still get to drive a stick is when I take a trip back to Europe.

**Marakai** · 16-12-2012, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by wai

It takes a bit of getting used to, and yes, you do end up with the cleanest windscreens in the country.

As said, you do get used to it, and the interesting thing is that when you switch back to a car with the turn signal on the right, you don't seem to have any problem adapting. It's a bit like the auto to manual transmission switch. Drivers seem to know what type of transmission they have when they switch.

LOL @ "cleanest windshields".

Guess it just caught us by surprise during the test drive. You just make the assumption. Once I knew, it just came back to me (just like going back to driving on the right when I go back to Europe, take me only about 30 mins of increased alert while driving then the old reflexes from way back take over and I'm fine).

I think I'll keep a little list to track how often it happens to me or the missus.