What is this equipment?
Apr 4, 2013, 9:27 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: dca
Programs: Delta Plat, United Silver, Marriott LT Titanium, HHonors Silver, Hertz PC
Posts: 337
What is this equipment?
I recently had a new (<300mi.) Malibu from DCA which had a bunch of aftermarket accessories installed. There were some sort of transmitters and a microphone attached to the windshield and this device next to the ignition. I could not get it to actually do anything but it was powered on and connected to something. Does anyone know what this is?
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Apr 4, 2013, 11:56 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Greenwich, CT
Programs: Amex Plat, Bonvoy Titanium, Jelly of the month club
Posts: 116
ex-Hertz on Demand?
It looks like the unit in Hertz On Demand cars. You have to swipe your key fob against the transmitter on the windscreen to unlock and then confirm the car isn't damaged etc on the controller.
Apr 4, 2013, 12:18 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: YTZ
Programs: Hertz & Avis PC; National EE; SPG & Hilton Gold; AC 35K (yawn)
Posts: 5,921
Brian
Apr 4, 2013, 12:26 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Programs: Amtrak Select Executive, Hertz PC, National EE, IC Diamond Ambassador, ALL Gold, Hyatt Disc
Posts: 531
As stated above, it is a car slated for use as a Hertz On Demand vehicle (a car sharing program similar to ZipCar). I am currently using a car with that set up as well. The Sacramento Downtown HLE Location Manager told me she just obtained the car from the Sacramento Airport location as Sacramento was just starting a trial run of Hertz On Demand.
I had a B reservation as a PC and there were no other C cars available to upgrade me to so she offered me that one as I had a month long rental and it was a 2013 Mazda 3 with only 320 miles on it. Still had that new car smell too. She said just to ignore the equipment and if it bothered me I could always trade it out later. No complaints here
I had a B reservation as a PC and there were no other C cars available to upgrade me to so she offered me that one as I had a month long rental and it was a 2013 Mazda 3 with only 320 miles on it. Still had that new car smell too. She said just to ignore the equipment and if it bothered me I could always trade it out later. No complaints here
Apr 4, 2013, 12:42 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: None
Posts: 375
I had one too, it's the on demand thing, but I still don't know what the whatyamacallit do. The Sirus wasn't turned on, Impala with 800 miles. I called the roadside number at 1am and asked about turning on Sirus. They told me that department was not in until later on that morning. I called in the morning and the tech said to have the car running and radio on for an hour. No time, returned the car and LAX clerk told me about the on demand do hickey.
Apr 6, 2013, 11:03 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 826
Why would they turn the XM on in the car without a subscription? GM fleet sales vehicles have only been coming with a 1 month trial period on XM for some time now, so even low mileage gm vehicles will often not have working satellite radio.