Best I can put the first bit is that it feels more like third person dispassionate lecturer than third person "storyteller". Like I said, a bit too detached.

As for the background stuff, it was just a bit of a feeling that you were explaining with a bit too much detail. "Switched to office mode" would work just as well without saying *how* he switched modes.

Does the reader need to know how he did it? Does the reader need to know what sort of vehicle it is? etc.

On that last, if you've got multiple cars, which are you more apt to say? "Fetch the deisel" or "Fetch the BMW"?