Figure out why a car suddenly won't go over 19 mph from a dashboard photo with ChatGPT
- Posted
- by Graham Barlow (TechRadar)
- Last checked
- Method:
- How we verify
Evidence: Article or interviewA newsletter, journalist or interview account of what happened.
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Outcome
On a dark, rainy drive, TechRadar's Graham Barlow's second-hand car would only crawl and the dash showed '19 mph limit'. He photographed the dashboard and asked ChatGPT; it said a speed limiter was switched on at 19 mph and was probably controlled by a button on a stalk behind the wheel. He found the button labelled 'Limit', turned it off and drove on without calling roadside recovery.
Agent
Prompt Recreated prompt
The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote this from what it describes.
Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to. Goal: Tell me what this dashboard message or light means and whether I can fix it safely myself right now. Fill in before running: - Photo of the dashboard: [ATTACH] - Car make, model and year: [CAR] - What the car is doing: [e.g. won't go faster than X] - Where I am: [roadside / parked safely] Safety first: anything touching brakes, steering, airbags, fuel lines or lifting the car is a job for a qualified mechanic unless I confirm I have the tools and experience. Say so clearly. Rules: - Explain the message in plain words first. - If it could be a simple setting (limiter, cruise control, eco mode), tell me where the button usually is on this model. - If it could be a fault, say whether it's safe to keep driving and when to call recovery. - Tell me to stay pulled over safely while I check. - Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify. Output: What it means, the most likely fix, and a clear 'safe to drive / call for help' verdict. You'll know it worked when: the warning is gone or I know for sure I need recovery.
Optional stronger version
Our rewrite with extra checks. The poster didn't test it.
Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to. Goal: Tell me what this dashboard message or light means and whether I can fix it safely myself right now. Fill in before running: - Photo of the dashboard: [ATTACH] - Car make, model and year: [CAR] - What the car is doing: [e.g. won't go faster than X] - Where I am: [roadside / parked safely] Safety first: anything touching brakes, steering, airbags, fuel lines or lifting the car is a job for a qualified mechanic unless I confirm I have the tools and experience. Say so clearly. Rules: - Explain the message in plain words first. - If it could be a simple setting (limiter, cruise control, eco mode), tell me where the button usually is on this model. - If it could be a fault, say whether it's safe to keep driving and when to call recovery. - Tell me to stay pulled over safely while I check. - Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify. - If the simple fix doesn't work within a couple of minutes, tell me to stop and call roadside assistance. Output: What it means, the most likely fix, and a clear 'safe to drive / call for help' verdict. You'll know it worked when: the warning is gone or I know for sure I need recovery. Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.
Source
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