Adaptive cruise control accident

[mfizz]

Hi guys need some quick help here... Someone just reversed into my front, an SUV.. on the surface it doesn't look like much but it's right on the sensor / bonnet. But now the adaptive cruise control is misfiring in detecting the car in front it picks it up and then it disappears and picks it up again in the space of few seconds but mostly, it's not picking it up... Where do I even begin to start diagnosing this??

[Kenny R]

It may not look like much damage but if front assist system etc need recalibrated then it’s an expensive business. Best put a claim in on your insurance and insist repairs are done at somewhere that has the proper equipment to calibrate systems.

[Nick_H]

Go through your insurance if I remember correctly it's costly just to calibrate let alone repair ....

[xman]

There may be hidden damage, considering the high cost of repairing and ADAS calibrating ACC, I would be looking at making an insurance claim against the guy who reversed into you. Two options, go through your insurance company, you will need to pay your excess and rely that the third pary admits liability and so you'll get that back. Or go directly to the SUV drivers insurer and get them to pay for the repair.

 

Because they reversed into you, it could be disputed, so be prepared for a fight, and if you have legal cover in your cover, you may need to use it.

 

It incidents like this where a Dashcam comes in handy.

 

I read that calibration alone costs hundreds of pounds. A new radar is super expensive,can only be fitted by official Skoda dealers due to component protection, possibly unobtainable at the moment then you might need other front end bits, grill, even bumper if mounts are broken and geometry is out.

 

If for some reason you can't or don't want to go through insurance, then after having a good look around checking for loose or damaged bits, you probably first need to remove the sensor cover and checking if the radar unit is not damaged or its mounts damaged, bent or broken, which I think are adjustable.

 

There is a thread in this section with pics of the sensor cover detached which might help you.

 

 

Edited 13 August, 2021 by xman

[mfizz]

I should have recorded a witness statement and the plot thickens... It went to acc unavailable and then eventually radar impaired..

[xman]

 

[ApertureS]

For the millionth time, just cause a bumper rebounds back into its original place doesnt mean damage hasnt been done underneath!!! So many people are getting caught out by this!

 

Your radar bracket will most likely be broken or mis-shapen, it will need replacing and re calibrating at best. But could require a new radar if that is damaged itself.

[mfizz]

Being on the receiving end of frivolous claim in always trying to reassure other drivers at fault that I won't milk them through insurance companies and perhaps to my own detriment I should be looking after my own personal interests ... Gutted that I didn't get witnesses statement .

Edited 13 August, 2021 by mfizz

[xman]

Did you exchange details with the SUV driver? 

 

Did they go away thinking no damage was done?

 

Any CCTV where it happened?

 

Whats the excess on your insurance (voluntary plus compulsory)

 

Is your NCD protected?

 

Is the sensor cover damaged or dirty?

[mfizz]

Yes I did.. got their details phoned right there and checked it was the right number. Only thing is I didn't speak to the driver it was their partner I think and one other person in the car (the driver went off for a cigarette looking distraught). I got the name of the driver, they didn't have details of who they were insured with and said they'd text it through... They haven't yet and haven't responded to my findings that I texted through..

 

They went away thinking minimal damage.. just a scuff that will buff out. I did say it looks cosmetic but I won't know the damage until I start driving again.. having looked at where the contact was, I immediately thought ACC and mentioned it to them.

 

CCTV is limited, nothing pointing at the location directly, but I will be contacting the companies asking if they have any footage of the driver reversing or the drivers' (2 cars she gave way to) registration plates to be used as potential witnesses.

 

I believe the excess is around £2-300

 

No it isn't. Unfortunately

 

The sensor cover does have a scuff along it see image. As well as a scuff on the bonnet. I tried to clean the sensor cover to see if that was the problem, the line you see there has disappeared but it had no effect on its function.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 14 August, 2021 by mfizz

[MarkyG82]

Assuming you got the reg the insurance company should be able to contact their insurance. Write down as much info as you can (date, time, location etc) just in case you forget it down the line. Tell the insurance company that you are informing them at this stage and you can claim formally if contact with the SUV people falls down (sounds like it has already).

[mfizz]

They have got in touch again.. and still want to pay for it ( if it's cheap enough) not sure if it is worth the hassle plus like mentioned here there could be other things wrong. But at the same time I don't want to get their back up to the point where it turns into a he said she said kind of business.

 

My thoughts are to get a quote "minimum" amounts (from Skoda) in the hope that it's far too much to want to fork out using your own money... Considering a new radar + calibration... I'm guessing at least £500

[Nick_H]

3 hours ago, mfizz said:

They have got in touch again.. and still want to pay for it ( if it's cheap enough) not sure if it is worth the hassle plus like mentioned here there could be other things wrong. But at the same time I don't want to get their back up to the point where it turns into a he said she said kind of business.

 

My thoughts are to get a quote "minimum" amounts (from Skoda) in the hope that it's far too much to want to fork out using your own money... Considering a new radar + calibration... I'm guessing at least £500

Have they called or emailed  ? Try to get an admission of guilt in a recording or email ?

[xman]

Is the ACC still not working? Whats the error message? Is the ACC symbol red or orange?

 

Looking at the pics possibly just an alignment issue with something bent, maybe even a cross member so difficult to second guess without it being assessed by someone with knowledge.

 

From other threads I've read, these radar units tend to be mounted on springs on the mounts, sometimes they get knocked a skew and stick rather than spring back, its just a case of pulling them back to the correct position.

 

Maybe remove that cover and inspect?

 

Try and record, at least document any conversations. If they refuse to give insurance details, I'd smell a rat, probably not insured or someone driving not covered. That could cause you further problems if you claim.

 

https://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

 

First step in diagnosis is to plug in an OBD reader and scan for errors. A good one like OBD eleven or VCDS will let you go into the ACC subsystem and you'll be able to glean what the problem is 

Edited 15 August, 2021 by xman

[mfizz]

@xmanthank you for your concern. I took the cover off and can physically see a plastic cap of the radar is broken off, sitting in the well, and the brackets are bent and plastics brackets have snapped off. I don't know what else could be wrong without seeing the extent of how it's damaged underneath but on the surface (covers on) it looks like nothing happened.

 

I am documenting the conversations but I cannot record an admission of guilt without explcitly stating I'm recording (for it to be admissible) especially since he so desperately wants to do it privately I don't think he will until a last resort. The car is insured, that much I know. I am playing it safe, informed my insurers saying I'll let you know what I want doing..here's to people being honest and owning up to it when the time comes.

Edited 16 August, 2021 by mfizz

[xman]

Pics would be nice so others can see what's what. 

From your description it sounds as if both the radar unit and its mounting is damaged. In which case I would be inclined to go through insurance. Tell the other party you are looking at over

1500 pounds worth of damage to the radar, associated hardware, labour and an expensive recalibration.

 

The genuine unit is €875+ or more

 

 

Add to that labour, bear in mind that only Skoda dealers can fit it due to component protection.

 

There may be other damage behind the bumper for instance.

Then ADAS calibration costing up to £700 depending who does it.

Edited 17 August, 2021 by xman

[mfizz]

@xman I'm just a little wary of posting the pics of the actual accident just since it's an ongoing thing. Once the proceedings have started I will post the actual pictures. 

 

Got a couple of quotes assuming the only damage is the radar and they came to over £1k

[Roberto280]

Would you not just take the car to a main dealer and get a full quote?

Include their diagnostics.

 

Hopefully the offending party continues to play nice.

[mfizz]

These are quotes from main dealers, but in order for them to do a full diagnostic of all the damage, they will charge by the hour and taking the bumper off alone is a 3 hour job. So I just asked them for the most basic basic minimum cost which came to about ~£1000 including parts labour and calibration.

Edited 20 August, 2021 by mfizz

[Berisford]

Dealers seem to be milking the ‘calibration’ procedure………..

[AlVal]

Well I upgraded my radar, replacing it with a used 3qf version that supports pacc, did the component protection myself, and calibrated it myself. Total cost less than 100, plus a lot of my own time learning, thousands if I was paying for my own time 😂. So that's.. possible, if you're determined and a massively interested hobbyist. However in your situation, someone overly keen to avoid insurance can be a bit of a red flag. I fear you sound overly keen to help someone who's causing you grief you don't need or deserve, and that you may be leaving yourself open to being taken advantage of in this situation. 

[mfizz]

Good news guys, they admitted liability and now I'm going through insurance. I wasn't trying to help them I just wanted to avoid the hassle of dealing with the legal battle if they turned around and said I went in to the back of them. So I was being nice and playing along as not to get their backs up.

 

@AlVal pacc is something I wanted to do... How did you get past the cp yourself and the FEC/SWAP?

Edited 21 August, 2021 by mfizz

[mfizz]

It's the part their milking really... £720!!

9 hours ago, Berisford said:

Dealers seem to be milking the ‘calibration’ procedure………..

 

Edited 21 August, 2021 by mfizz

[JamesETheFirst]

Surely the offering to pay for the damage is admission of liability.  

[mfizz]

You'd think so... But apparently it counts for nothing and can't be used as evidence unless you have clear cut admission... 

12 minutes ago, JamesETheFirst said:

Surely the offering to pay for the damage is admission of liability.