Adaptive Cruise Control Question

[Plantman]

Hello all, I have a question about the ACC on a car I am thinking of purchasing, second hand.

 

Does this still work in the usual way, so that you set the speed and the car will maintain that speed on cruise mode? - if someone is going slower I normally overtake so wouldn't want the ACC to slow me down in this instance.  Can you disable the adaptive part of the system?

 

I have read a couple of posts stating that the ACC can sometimes get tricked by traffic in other lanes on the motorway and will match the speed to the car there rather than seeing that the lane you are in is in fact empty.

 

Another example is going through some roadworks with variable speed cameras and someone decides to sit at 40...or slow down to 40 in the other lane rather than the 50 mph I've set (assuming the posted speed limit for the roadworks is 50) - would the ACC see this and slow me down?

 

I guess how directional/wide is the radar signal is my question too ? 

 

Many thanks!

 

[Jaco2k]

Unfortunately, the answer is no - it is one of my pet hates with this system - If you puffing along, someone overtakes and cuts you off, car will hit the brakes.

 

It allows you accelerate to overtake, but then returns you to the speed you were doing.

It only monitors the lane in front of you, so no worries about the rest.

 

You might not have this problem, but here in Finland, the snow accumulates in front of the sensor and at some point, it disables it... meaning that you get no cruise control at all - likely the reason why on the FL cars they relocated the sensor to the top grill

[Plantman]

Interesting, thanks!

 

Wondered if there would be some downsides to the system.....

 

[SashaGrace]

The downside is that you can’t use the system for passive cruise control. Some manufacturers let you have both, but VAG is one or the other. When the system is on, it’s adaptive only. I really wanted ACC; one car on my viewing list had it, but it was a manual car (which I didn’t want) and I’m not convinced about the system as a whole thanks to the old fashioned mechanical handbrake. In a Golf, for example with a DSG box, the ACC will work right up to a stop, and use the auto hold function on the EPB, but it won’t on an Octy because of the mechanical handbrake. It’s not as well rounded. As it happens, my car only has the passive CC, but I do see Octy’s with the radar and I wonder, should I have waited to find one?

[andyasjl]

I think as soon as you indicate to change lanes,  it should not slow car down, but you also need to change lane fairly soon as normal.  It’s a bit like the lane departure, if you change lanes without indicating, you get the little steering wheel wobble as you cross the line, if you indicate before, you don’t.

When in 50mph road works, it works fine, set it at the normal 54mph..,,, and let it do its thing, if someone’s going 40 in front of you, then you will too, until you overtake them, then it will go back up to whatever you set it at, if the road ahead is clear within the radar range. Seems to be a narrow beam, so I haven’t had false readings from other vehicles in the narrow  road works lanes. it will slow you down to a stop if need be, but I’m not actually sure if it applies the brake lights, if not then prob best to apply the brake yourself to avoid a crash from behind..

only time it failed me so far was in very heavy rain, overtaking a artic, the spray (I think) set off the collision warning bells and whistles and applied some braking, though think this would happen without ACC switched on

this time of year give the radar a wipe over now and then, mines very low, think new models radar is higher up away from the road grime 

edit, sorry mine is dsg, not sure it would be worth having with a manual, I was just lucky that mine had it.

it stops car for about 3seconds, then you need to put your foot on the brake pedal or it creeps forward.

Edited 12 March, 2018 by andyasjl

[Jaco2k]

36 minutes ago, andyasjl said:

I think if you indicate to change lanes,  it should not slow car down, but you also need to change lane as normal.  bit like the lane departure, if you change lanes without indicating, you get the little steering wheel wobble, if you indicate before, you don’t.

The 50mph road works, it works fine, set it at the normal 54mph..and let it do its thing, if someone’s going 40 then you will too, until you overtake them, then it will go back up to whatever you set it at if the road ahead is clear within reader distance, it will slow you down to a stop if needed, but I’m not actually sure if it applies the brake lights, if not then prob best to apply the brake yourself to avoid a crash..

only time it failed me so far was in very heavy rain, overtaking a artic, the spray set off the collision warning and set off the warning and applied some braking, although think this would happen without ACC switched on

this time of year give the radar a wipe over now and then, mines very low, think new models there higher up away from the road grime 

edit, sorry mine is dsg, not sure it would be worth having with a manual, I was just lucky that mine had it.

it stops car for about 3seconds, then you need to put your foot on the brake pedal

 

Mine is a manual, but my new car (fingers crossed I get it this Wednesday...) will have DSG and also something called "Traffic jam assist", meaning it can come to a complete stop, stay stopped, and then drive away when traffic resumes

 

I have seen a video of a guy "driving" Tesla autopilot style, but I don't think you are really meant to use this system this way

...he was showing off and although it worked for quite a while, at some point someone cuts him off in a dangerous way and he had to quickly reach for the steering wheel...

[andyasjl]

12 minutes ago, Jaco2k said:

 

Mine is a manual, but my new car (fingers crossed I get it this Wednesday...) will have DSG and also something called "Traffic jam assist", meaning it can come to a complete stop, stay stopped, and then drive away when traffic resumes

 

I have seen a video of a guy "driving" Tesla autopilot style, but I don't think you are really meant to use this system this way

...he was showing off and although it worked for quite a while, at some point someone cuts him off in a dangerous way and he had to quickly reach for the steering wheel...

Yes I read the new models can stop ,then move off again without any driver input, lucky you,,    mine will stop, then after a couple of seconds I get a warning to apply the brake, if I don’t, it starts moving forward again, not what you want in stationery  traffic

i find acc fine in normal moving motorway traffic, but in heavy traffic I don’t quite trust it yet to relax, always have a twitchy foot....

Edited 12 March, 2018 by andyasjl

[Jaco2k]

I think that all these systems do the opposite of what they are meant to - they just make the drivers be more distracted and less engaged...

 

[Gabbo]

4 hours ago, Plantman said:

Does this still work in the usual way, so that you set the speed and the car will maintain that speed on cruise mode? - if someone is going slower I normally overtake so wouldn't want the ACC to slow me down in this instance.  Can you disable the adaptive part of the system?

 

ACC will follow the speed of the car infront in your lane.

If you are going faster than them it will slow your car to match their speed once you reach the distance you select from the car infront (there are 5 or 6 distance settings).

You can overtake as normal but you will have to move into the next lane earlier than you perhaps normally would, depending on how close you set the distance otherwise ACC will start slowing down.

 

It is the best option I added to my car, I drive with it every day on highway & city roads & it works really well here in Switzerland.

I have the same on the XC90 (automatic) and its also always active.

 

However, in the UK with the congested traffic & agressive driving style I'm not sure how effective it will be.

The minimum gap is probably too big to prevent someone undertaking & moving into the space which then causes your car to slow down to increase the gap welcoming the next one to pass the same way.

[Plantman]

3 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

The downside is that you can’t use the system for passive cruise control. Some manufacturers let you have both, but VAG is one or the other. When the system is on, it’s adaptive only. I really wanted ACC; one car on my viewing list had it, but it was a manual car (which I didn’t want) and I’m not convinced about the system as a whole thanks to the old fashioned mechanical handbrake. In a Golf, for example with a DSG box, the ACC will work right up to a stop, and use the auto hold function on the EPB, but it won’t on an Octy because of the mechanical handbrake. It’s not as well rounded. As it happens, my car only has the passive CC, but I do see Octy’s with the radar and I wonder, should I have waited to find one?

 

I will let you know if I purchase this one whether it's worth it or more of a hindrance!

 

[SWBoy]

My O3 is the first car I've had with ACC, I've only had CC before.

 

I rarely used CC but I use ACC most of the time on motorways and major roads, except when traffic is really heavy. I find it especially useful on single carriageway A roads where traffic speeds vary between 50 and 60+ mph depending on whether you're in a queue behind a lorry or have clear road in front.

 

Definitely something that's gone onto my "Must Have" list.

[Plantman]

Great responses all, I really appreciate the discussion around ACC!

 

Thank you!

[Madmax889]

8 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

The downside is that you can’t use the system for passive cruise control. Some manufacturers let you have both, but VAG is one or the other. When the system is on, it’s adaptive only. I really wanted ACC; one car on my viewing list had it, but it was a manual car (which I didn’t want) and I’m not convinced about the system as a whole thanks to the old fashioned mechanical handbrake. In a Golf, for example with a DSG box, the ACC will work right up to a stop, and use the auto hold function on the EPB, but it won’t on an Octy because of the mechanical handbrake. It’s not as well rounded. As it happens, my car only has the passive CC, but I do see Octy’s with the radar and I wonder, should I have waited to find one?

I had the adaptive acc on my mk7 golf gtd and didn’t like it as even though you could change the distance to follow the car in front I always found if someone overtook you you would slow down too much then have to use more fuel to speed back up again. I always felt that I was going backwards. Lol 

 

i actually prefer the standard older version of the Octy’s. It does use a lot more fuel though. 

[stu83]

It's absolutely bloody brilliant, especially on congested motorways (M42 from 9-10 during the evening).

 

You can just set a distance, set the max speed, and semi-relax. Takes a while to trust it, but once you do you'll love it.

 

I will really miss it.

[BlueclouduK]

I have a MK3 FL with ACC.  I love it, especially when towing the tin tent.

 

It maintains a decent distance from the vehicle in front and is quick to respond to vehicles in front slowing down.  In contrast, acceleration is a bit slow to respond once the vehicle in front moves off.  Mine definitely responds to a vehicle in the lane to my right when driving at higher speeds (50MPH+).  It can be a PITA on dual carriageways with right turn exits.  I regularly travel up and down the A1 in to Scotland and it often interrupted on the Alnwick bypass.

It definitely lights up the brake lights when the brakes are applied by the ACC.  I have used it on the Manchester circuit through heavy traffic and it will cope really well with fast/slow/fast traffic. It will come to a stop but a beep sounds and a red sign comes on the matrix when the car stops completely.  I'm guessing but that's probably because holding the brakes on with the hill hold system isn't up to the task.  I'm normally covering the brake pedal anyway.

Just one little caveat, I have a DSG 'box so I can't comment how it would work with a manually operated clutch.

[Guest]

ACC was already on my car when I bought it - something else I hardly use. Some people say they love it, others say the don't - I fall in to the latter category - I much prefer normal cruise.

 

My main gripe is the car auto slows when the desired distance is reached from the object in front. If I'm driving and I need to slow I simply think ahead and lift my foot off the accelerator. ACC works differently - it applies the brakes, in other words it slows too fast for my liking. Same speeding up. When I want to pass I'll indicate then gently overtake but with ACC, as soon as it detects a clear road ahead, it accelerates too fast. I personally don't think it makes for relaxed driving - it certainly kills fuel economy.

 

But my biggest gripe of all is cruise doesn't work the same as it used to on my previos VAG cars. (only applies to manual gearbox). With every past VAG car, I'm used to using cruise on long stretches of road at 30mph or 40mph - you know the ones, wide roads in built up areas where its so easy to be caught out speeding. I'll have cruise set at the speed limit, one less thing for me to think about. And when I approach a roundabout, again thinking ahead, I'm used to simply changing down gear and let the gearbox slow the car. Now in the past, touching the clutch would disengage cruise. But not in the Octavia (it's my first Skoda - not sure in new VW/Audi's work the same?). I simply didn't have to think about cancelling cruise in the past, it was all automatic. But now, I have to either cancel manually or touch the brake (which I hate doing).  ACC makes matters even worse. In the SEAT, I can flick a column switch to turn cruise off. Annoying but it works OK.  But with ACC, the column doesn't fall easily to hand because it's positioned lower down. I now have to physically remove my left hand from the 10 to 2 position and flick the stalk to cancel cruise.  It's no big deal, but still really annoying. At least with the VW's, the switches are on the steering wheel so you can turn the cruise on/off, resume etc just using your thumb.

 

In summary, I think ACC on both SEAT and Skoda feels more like an afterthought rather than integrated in to the car. 

Edited 12 March, 2018 by Guest

[logiclee]

2 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

 I’m not convinced about the system as a whole thanks to the old fashioned mechanical handbrake. In a Golf, for example with a DSG box, the ACC will work right up to a stop, and use the auto hold function on the EPB, but it won’t on an Octy because of the mechanical handbrake.

 

I have the system on our Passat.

 

Auto Hold actually locks hydraulic brake pressure to all four brakes and doesn't use the EPB.  But VAG only fit Auto Hold to vehicles with EPB. I believe this is due to safety parameters that VAG put on Auto Hold so if it releases the EPB takes over automatically. Auto Hold will release under certain conditions like unclipping your seatbelt or turning off the ignition. At that point you will hear the handbrake motors operate and the handbrake light comes on.

In theory they could do Auto Hold on mechanical handbrake vehicles but they don't on safety grounds.

 

Lee

[Plantman]

For a car with ACC do you have the two stalks on the steering column for cruise or does it work on just the one?

 

 

[edwards]

2 hours ago, logiclee said:

 

I have the system on our Passat.

 

Auto Hold actually locks hydraulic brake pressure to all four brakes and doesn't use the EPB.  But VAG only fit Auto Hold to vehicles with EPB. I believe this is due to safety parameters that VAG put on Auto Hold so if it releases the EPB takes over automatically. Auto Hold will release under certain conditions like unclipping your seatbelt or turning off the ignition. At that point you will hear the handbrake motors operate and the handbrake light comes on.

In theory they could do Auto Hold on mechanical handbrake vehicles but they don't on safety grounds.

 

Lee

 

The missus has a 66 plate Yeti which is manual and has auto hold combined with a mechanical handbrake. We have a really steep drive and if you dont move away quickly enough the auto hold releases and the car rolls back.

[Gabbo]

30 minutes ago, Plantman said:

For a car with ACC do you have the two stalks on the steering column for cruise or does it work on just the one?

 

There is a separate stalk for all of the ACC cruise control functions (distance +/-, speed up, down, Set, Resume & On/off).

It is underneath the normal indicator stalk.

I found this a much better solution that the standard cruise buttons on the VAG productions, where you have the flip switch on top of the indicator stalk.

[Plantman]

3 minutes ago, Gabbo said:

 

There is a separate stalk for all of the ACC cruise control functions (distance +/-, speed up, down, Set, Resume & On/off).

It is underneath the normal indicator stalk.

I found this a much better solution that the standard cruise buttons on the VAG productions, where you have the flip switch on top of the indicator stalk.

 

Hmmm, interesting. The car I am looking at doesn't have this second stalk, despite the ad saying it has ACC "Adaptive Cruise Control / Front Assistant"

 

 

Perhaps this is just the standard cruise and this is a misprint in the ad?

 

[logiclee]

37 minutes ago, edwards said:

 

The missus has a 66 plate Yeti which is manual and has auto hold combined with a mechanical handbrake. We have a really steep drive and if you dont move away quickly enough the auto hold releases and the car rolls back.

 

The Yeti doesn't have Auto Hold it has Hill Hold.

 

Hill Hold just stops the car rolling back for a couple of seconds, Auto Hold will hold the car stationary for as long as required on any incline and will only release once you attempt to move.

 

Auto hold means you never have to use  the handbrake or take the car out of Drive (DSG) during normal driving. Just stop, take your foot of all the pedals and press the accelerator when you want to continue.

 

Lee

[SashaGrace]

49 minutes ago, Plantman said:

 

Hmmm, interesting. The car I am looking at doesn't have this second stalk, despite the ad saying it has ACC "Adaptive Cruise Control / Front Assistant"

 

 

Perhaps this is just the standard cruise and this is a misprint in the ad?

 

That’s the standard cruise control. Better verify if the car has front assist if that’s something you want. If there’s a radar in the lower bumper it’ll have front assist.

[Plantman]

2 minutes ago, SashaGrace said:

That’s the standard cruise control. Better verify if the car has front assist if that’s something you want. If there’s a radar in the lower bumper it’ll have front assist.

Yup you are right. I think there was an error in the advert listing because it specifically listed ACC.

 

I called Skoda UK with the VIN number and they confirmed it had the Front Assist but not the ACC.

 

So doesn't look like I will be giving you a review of whether it was worth it IF I get this car

 

I am actually not too bothered since I am happy with standard cruise over the possibility of having the ACC try to be too clever.

 

 

[SashaGrace]

I’d be happy with standard cruise really, it’s less complex. Works fine for me even if I do like the idea of ACC...