Front Assist Advice

[RB79]

The items need to be large and metallic

People are not large and metallic but its supposedly designed to detect them... Unless you're talking about detecting walking robots [emoji12] .

FYI, I'm finding front assist is a bit hit and miss. It's alerted me when there was no obvious danger and not alerted me when there was [emoji53]. ACC works a dream so I don't think the radar unit is faulty. Hence I put it down to dodgy software which isn't really immediately fixable by the service garage.

I too would like to test it with some soft objects that the car can hit if it fails. A stack of large cardboard boxes perhaps?

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[sworrall]

......... and not alerted me when there was [emoji53].....

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so you had a crash then or you applied the brakes and the system didn't need to intervene?

[RB79]

Applied the brakes quite late and avoided the crash, but felt that the system should have alerted me to avoid me being so late in braking.

Some interesting reading (I assume the Octy has the same system as the Passat)...

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.activetest.eu/pdf/adac_aebs_report_en.pdf&ved=0CCkQFjAEahUKEwjC7OGUn-zGAhVEFj4KHeLnBjM&usg=AFQjCNGnWu9_lGjPDCq2j4_Kcj2todhfkQ&sig2=dGwU-epzDKx3efQUmjwCfA

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[tocilarie]

If the speed at which you approach an obstacle is not significant (higher than 10-15mph), FA doesn't intervene. Otherwise you won't be able to manoeuvre your car in tight spaces or park it (imagine not letting you go all the way in your garage because there is a wall 2 meters in front of it). So the system works as it's supposed to, it triggers allerts and brakes in case of real danger.

[GTR27]

Def works at high speed or low speed, and I can now confirm that an appropriately positioned chip packet will trigger a brake event.

 

The wife was on the highway, doing 100kph, without ACC on and a chip packet blew up and directly in front of the car, and the car did an emergency brake (as in absolutely mashed the brakes to slow the car) without intervention, but released once the chip packet blew away. Wife said it was a really hard stab, and brought the car to about 40kph in the time it took the chip packet to cross the cars path. The thing that shocked her the most was her foot was on the accelerator when the car braked (lucky for us, no one behind!)

 

I've had it signal red and beep when people are turning and i'm approaching them (and could safely pass without touching anything as long as they continue turning) but havent had brake activation yet.

 

I'd still have it, its a good additional safety net.

[baxlobs]

It sounds as if it could trigger a M-way pile up if a car travelling with others behind just did an emergency braking for no apparent reason?

 

It is not that uncommon for loose debris to blow across in front of a car as described by GTR27.

[RobbySpurs]

If someone had been behind you would you still say it is a safety net? That sounds terrifying.

[Gabbo]

I have had things blow onto the front of the car several times during the autum/winter (both times organic matter - leaves or mud type stuff).

When it happened there was no emergency braking, just a loud beep & the orange warning message to say "ACC Unavailable".

[Gabbo]

It sounds as if it could trigger a M-way pile up if a car travelling with others behind just did an emergency braking for no apparent reason?

 

It is not that uncommon for loose debris to blow across in front of a car as described by GTR27.

 

 

If someone had been behind you would you still say it is a safety net? That sounds terrifying.

 

Whilst it wouldn't be pleasant, I would imagine that something blowing into the front radar of the car is much less likely to happen than someone in a Audi or WhiteVan not paying attension & causing an accident in front of you anyway.

 

Either way, emergency braking systems will soon become law in Europe so all cars will have to be fitted with them.

[GTR27]

We've had the car 8 months or so now, and driven with lots of debris going across the road. I think it just happened to be a very unlucky combination of the right trash, at the right spot at the right time.

 

Although it could cause an issue, theoretically if everyone drove a safe braking distance, it shouldnt. (or if everyone had AEB....)

[Martynr]

It would be good if there was a test procdure for checking front assist. To late to find out it did not react after the car has collided with another object/car! Anyone tried setting up cardboard boxes to test the system. Skoda UK and my local dealer both say that basically you have to trust the system.

[999pooch]

Just remember, pressing the loud pedal always overides the front assist / ACC braking.

I've had both on my last 2 cars over 30k / 3 years mainly urban driving, and have really adapted my driving & got use to when these situations tend to happen.

If I know the assist is going to brake due to close proximity of cars turning left, or obstacles that appear but I know I'll pass safely, I pre-empt and just press the accelerator through the hazard.

If the red warning beeps, but all is well, again I'll just press the accelerator until you clear the problem.

The positive pressing down of the accelerator always overides the assist function. At first it's counter intuitive, but taking your foot off the accelerator when the red warning light comes on will cause the car to hard brake.

Edited 26 September, 2016 by 999pooch

[kimljac]

On 29/7/2015 at 11:33, GTR27 said:

Def works at high speed or low speed, and I can now confirm that an appropriately positioned chip packet will trigger a brake event.

 

The wife was on the highway, doing 100kph, without ACC on and a chip packet blew up and directly in front of the car, and the car did an emergency brake (as in absolutely mashed the brakes to slow the car) without intervention, but released once the chip packet blew away. Wife said it was a really hard stab, and brought the car to about 40kph in the time it took the chip packet to cross the cars path. The thing that shocked her the most was her foot was on the accelerator when the car braked (lucky for us, no one behind!)

 

I've had it signal red and beep when people are turning and i'm approaching them (and could safely pass without touching anything as long as they continue turning) but havent had brake activation yet.

 

I'd still have it, its a good additional safety net.

 

Just wanted to add, that I had the exact same experience yesterday - also with a chip packet. One of those with a shiny interior. If someone had been driving immediately behind me, there would have been an accident.

 

[skodally]

Last night was the third time I have had the red car picture illuminate the central display on my Octy. The three occasions so far are

i) Driving past an escort van protecting two cyclists in front of it, going up a hill on the A303. It was one of those two lanes up - one lane down hills so I was well clear of the van. Weather overcast but dull. Could the escort vehicle be carrying a transponder to set off my alert?

ii) Going through town at about 25mph and a delivery van shoots out from the left over the give way line in front of the SUV in front of me, but stops. Vehicle in front of me steers round the van. There was no emergency for either me or the SUV in front.

iii) At the front of the queue at traffic lights in Yeovil. Lights turn green, I move off and before I have covered 5 yards the whole works kicks in - warning light and full braking with ABS. It was dark and weather was damp and windy. Culprit in this case was most likely one or more sycamore leaves briefly sucked on to the front sensor. System was as confused as I was but the car did move forward again once I had dabbed the brakes myself. Fortunately I was not rear-ended as the driver immediately behind me was turning left but he waved at me in a strange manner.

 

So there have been no front end situations where I have been helped by Front Assist but the commensurate risk of being rear ended is seemingly high. Admittedly I do find the car-!-car symbol helpful on motorways where one's speed has increased but the gap between you and the vehicle in front has not changed accordingly. However, if you see this symbol or indeed the red car picture it means that you are focused on the instruments when you most need to be looking at the road.

 

Strange how well-meaning technology introduces other risks. At least we are in our Skodas on terra firma and not in a B737MAX

 

 

[ChoonDoode]

1 hour ago, skodally said:

Strange how well-meaning technology introduces other risks.

 

It's there as a fail safe system, but it's a nice thing to have there in case (as all humans do) have a momentary lapse in concentration.

 

If I'm right, it flashes the brake lights as if you're doing emergency braking yourself. Then if it brings you to a stop, the hazards come on.

 

It's only activated on me once and that was when I was following a car, who then decides he wants to take a left turn; brakes sharply and doesn't indicate. Now I had enough of a stopping distance to react, but the car and it's brain with the information given deemed the closing speed between me and said car warranted throwing the anchors on. It was a bit of a shock as I felt I had the situation in hand, but I was happy to know the system acted in a sensible manner.