Adaptive Cruise Control Question

[andyasjl]

Well Front assist is much more useful, I’ll be totally honest, it saved me crashing due to a distraction, i was coming off M way going up the slip road, due to a distraction, satnav controls, traffic had stopped halfway up the slip for some reason, hadn’t noticed, bam! Brakes on hard, dashboard lights up like Christmas, audio alarm buzzing, **** myself, buy the time I looked up, I was almost stopped, got my heart going...... thankyou Skoda VAG. 

Edited 13 March, 2018 by andyasjl

[Jaco2k]

39 minutes ago, SashaGrace said:

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...

 

+1 - I went with my colleague when she got her Octavia (to test drive it and bring it back, since she did not want to drive the long road) and her car did not have the ACC. Although I feel it is more logical and with more control to set the ACC, under normal use and when system is engaged, I kinda preferred the simpler/regular system

[logiclee]

2 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

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.

 

Yes, it's very hit and miss throughout the Mk3.

 

Skoda had supply issues on a couple of occasions so it's been part of spec then removed from spec then put back in spec.

So it's always best just to check the front bumper for Front Assist Radar especially if looking around 2014/15.

 

Lee

 

 

[Robbijay]

i made sure it was an option so i could just not have it. Find it the most annoying thing  in a car whether it one I'm in or someone else is driving on th same stretch of road tbh! Once you've experienced it you can easily tell who else on the motorway is using it. If autonomous vehicles ever become a legal requirement, i'm staying home!

Edited 13 March, 2018 by Robbijay

[Gabbo]

3 hours ago, Robbijay said:

i made sure it was an option so i could just not have it. Find it the most annoying thing  in a car whether it one I'm in or someone else is driving on th same stretch of road tbh! Once you've experienced it you can easily tell who else on the motorway is using it. If autonomous vehicles ever become a legal requirement, i'm staying home!

 

hee hee.

The problem is usually the "expert driver" at the front of the chain tail-gating the car in front to make them go faster.

 

In conditions like this I just increase the distance for ACC & your car becomes less reactive to the changing speeds in front.

However, I guess in the UK its probably not possible to drive like this these days as the guy behind you will get annoyed with more than a car length gap & try to undertake.

[SWBoy]

14 minutes ago, Gabbo said:

In conditions like this I just increase the distance for ACC & your car becomes less reactive to the changing speeds in front.

However, I guess in the UK its probably not possible to drive like this these days as the guy behind you will get annoyed with more than a car length gap & try to undertake.

That's what I do - I have the distance set to something I'm comfortable with (taking into account the 2 second rule) and the ACC mode set to Eco so it's not aggressively following the changing speeds the vehicle(s) in front. Only a couple of times has the car behind reacted badly (either aggressively tailgating or undertaking).

[Jaco2k]

TBH, and now analyzing my own driving, when I drive the motorway, if I come across traffic, I disengage the ACC (which defeats the purpose, I know...) and just drive near to the car in front or someone will attempt to squeeze in, which makes it more dangerous.

When the traffic clears, I just engage it again and off I go

 

Also, here in Finland everyone by default drives around the same speed, which is around 10/20 kph over the speed limit, meaning that there is not that much overtaking, except for some stubborn people that always drive 10 kph UNDER the speed limit.

 

Come to think of it, this thread just reignited my hatred towards ACC that I had already come to peace with

[Robbijay]

3 hours ago, Gabbo said:

 

hee hee.

The problem is usually the "expert driver" at the front of the chain tail-gating the car in front to make them go faster.

 

In conditions like this I just increase the distance for ACC & your car becomes less reactive to the changing speeds in front.

However, I guess in the UK its probably not possible to drive like this these days as the guy behind you will get annoyed with more than a car length gap & try to undertake.

 

2 hours ago, SWBoy said:

That's what I do - I have the distance set to something I'm comfortable with (taking into account the 2 second rule) and the ACC mode set to Eco so it's not aggressively following the changing speeds the vehicle(s) in front. Only a couple of times has the car behind reacted badly (either aggressively tailgating or undertaking).

I was thinking more of the type of driver who just sits in "their" lane speeding up...slowing down....speeding up.....slowing down.....speeding up...slowing down......instead of reading the road and using lane discipline and eyes to co-operate with other around them. 90%  of my mileage is motor way and normal CC is essential as far as i'm concerned, because I want to cruise at a set speed. if I need to slow down, I'll do it, because i can see all the lanes and read the road and modify my speed accordingly as oposed to ACC which (like most drivers) only looks in front. The amount of times people sit in exactly the wrong place to allow others to manouver astounds me. ACC is just something else to allow lazy driving (in my opinion - like I said I drove with it on and absolutely hated it).

 

Having said that, I also think the driving test should test actual skill and spatial awareness. Then all the congestion and accidents would just go away!

Edited 13 March, 2018 by Robbijay

[Plantman]

54 minutes ago, Jaco2k said:

TBH, and now analyzing my own driving, when I drive the motorway, if I come across traffic, I disengage the ACC (which defeats the purpose, I know...) and just drive near to the car in front or someone will attempt to squeeze in, which makes it more dangerous.

When the traffic clears, I just engage it again and off I go

 

Also, here in Finland everyone by default drives around the same speed, which is around 10/20 kph over the speed limit, meaning that there is not that much overtaking, except for some stubborn people that always drive 10 kph UNDER the speed limit.

 

Come to think of it, this thread just reignited my hatred towards ACC that I had already come to peace with

Sorry lol!

[ajw1100]

11 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

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...

Me to, then I ticked ACC on my options list and am ever so pleased I did, It is brilliant. So much so my wife got so jealous she decided to P/X her Rapid Spaceback for a Fabia with ACC (and a lot of other options). Once used you'd probably never go back to std CC.

[vade]

I have found that ACC can be adversely affected by a lorry on the inside lane and can slow the car down. Normally if ACC starts to kick in it is time to change lane to avoid losing too much power.

[Gerrycan]

I have only got cruise control (which I optioned) on my Octavia which I find more than adequate for my purposes on Australian roads. ACC is standard on all Australian Octavia now.

How close can ACC be set to run to the vehicle in front? Does the distance automatically change with speed?

I have noticed a few (non VW group) vehicles tailgating  the vehicle in front and when I have been behind the tailgater their brake lights are constantly flickering. I always assumed it was the ACC since the driver would have to be a flamenco performer to achieve the brake flicker rapidity.

I'm talking about just over an apparent car length distance separation at 100kph, so highly dangerous driving. I hate it when they are that close to me and it is obvious my speed is being governed by the vehicle in front with no opportunity to overtake.

 

Edited 14 March, 2018 by Gerrycan

[Gabbo]

10 hours ago, vade said:

I have found that ACC can be adversely affected by a lorry on the inside lane and can slow the car down. Normally if ACC starts to kick in it is time to change lane to avoid losing too much power.

 

ACC looks at the direction the car is driving (based on the steering Wheel angle) so if there is a reasonably curve ahead it will react to something turning into your path before you start to enter the turn yourself.

As with normal cruise control you can cancel it or override it with the Accelerator pedal to prevent it from slowing down.

Our XC90 uses ACC in parallel with the lane-assist camera which seems to cope with these situations better.

 

However, In a straight line, even in narrow lanes through road works I dont recall a time when the Skoda has reacted to someone who wasnt encroaching into my lane.

 

[Gabbo]

5 hours ago, Gerrycan said:

I have only got cruise control (which I optioned) on my Octavia which I find more than adequate for my purposes on Australian roads. ACC is standard on all Australian Octavia now.

How close can ACC be set to run to the vehicle in front? Does the distance automatically change with speed?

I have noticed a few (non VW group) vehicles tailgating  the vehicle in front and when I have been behind the tailgater their brake lights are constantly flickering. I always assumed it was the ACC since the driver would have to be a flamenco performer to achieve the brake flicker rapidity.

I'm talking about just over an apparent car length distance separation at 100kph, so highly dangerous driving. I hate it when they are that close to me and it is obvious my speed is being governed by the vehicle in front with no opportunity to overtake.

 

Yes the gap changes based on your speed & with the VAG system you can set it to follow pretty close to the car infront.

I have mine set on distance 2 or 3 because the closest setting is uncomfortable for me (too close to the car in front) & also makes the system very reactive to changes of speed.

2 or 3 is a safe gap & doesnt brake unnessarily, instead coasting when possible.

 

I find cruise control also improves your overall awareness of traffic in the other lanes & anticipation of when you should pull-out to overtake.

If you dont plan ahead, the ACC will start slowing you down telling you that you should be moving over already.

I see too many people these days performing a Senna-esq overrtake after drafting right up to the bumper of the slower car even though the faster lane is completely clear.

I guess its coming from drivers who've learnt in Germany where you are taught to be afraid of the fast lane because of the Audi doing 300kph

[Robbijay]

Shouldn't be any need to be scared of any lanes, as long as everyone remembers it not 'my' lane, it's everyone's lane and cooperates. There are too many 'slow' people trying to control others and to many 'fast' people (using their Audi) tailgating the 'slow' people!

 

[SWBoy]

13 minutes ago, Gabbo said:

I guess its coming from drivers who've learnt in Germany where you are taught to be afraid of the fast lane because of the Audi doing 300kph

I drove a lot in Germany after reunification which meant you regularly came across a Trabant suddenly pulling out into the "fast lane" going flat out (i.e. doing about 50mph) when you were approaching at more than 100mph - that certainly tested the brakes on the hire car

[andyasjl]

Wish we could have Adaptive cruise missile control as an option, remove those bloody Toyota Prius mini cabs from the middle lane of the M4, going 50, hate them!

[Gerrycan]

3 hours ago, Gabbo said:

 

Yes the gap changes based on your speed & with the VAG system you can set it to follow pretty close to the car infront.

I have mine set on distance 2 or 3 because the closest setting is uncomfortable for me (too close to the car in front) & also makes the system very reactive to changes of speed.

2 or 3 is a safe gap & doesnt brake unnessarily, instead coasting when possible.

 

I find cruise control also improves your overall awareness of traffic in the other lanes & anticipation of when you should pull-out to overtake.

If you dont plan ahead, the ACC will start slowing you down telling you that you should be moving over already.

I see too many people these days performing a Senna-esq overrtake after drafting right up to the bumper of the slower car even though the faster lane is completely clear.

I guess its coming from drivers who've learnt in Germany where you are taught to be afraid of the fast lane because of the Audi doing 300kph

Interesting, seems odd the system can be set to drive uncomfortably close to the vehicle in front but otherwise what you describe is sensible enough for me to contemplate getting one day.

 

I was appalled when I first came to Australia 30 years ago by how bad the drivers were and not much has changed in the meantime.

The drafting overtaking technique you describe is prevalent here and incredibly dangerous with the single lane interstate highways and numerous semi and B-double trucks on them. The funny thing is we are not talking high speeds here, with mainly 110kph speed limits, 100kph limited trucks and heavy policing/revenue raising.

Edited 14 March, 2018 by Gerrycan

[WayTooTall]

I have ACC on mine, more by chance than anything. For average speed camera sections of road I find it really useful. 

 

But there are issues with it (might have improved with later versions than only 2014)

 

1) It doesn't like getting too close to walls. Seems to cause it to turn off. Sometimes the new concrete central reservations can cause it to deactivate. Or sometimes going through the  Blackwall tunnel in London

 

2) If you rear whell tracking is out, you might have a huge bill to face, as the system needs recalibrating if the rear wheels are adjusted. A dealer will charge £450 for the alignment. And if you can find an indy with the equipment maybe £200. The only indy I found with the kit was in Bristol.

 

 

[Gerrycan]

12 hours ago, WayTooTall said:

2) If you rear whell tracking is out, you might have a huge bill to face, as the system needs recalibrating if the rear wheels are adjusted. A dealer will charge £450 for the alignment. And if you can find an indy with the equipment maybe £200. The only indy I found with the kit was in Bristol.

 

 

.....And then I lose all interest in ACC!

I now recall previous posts about issues finding businesses /dealers with the equipment to be able to calibrate ACC and wheel alignment, and high costs.

Wonder what the situation is with rear torsion beam suspension models that are not adjustable?