GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: mullermn on 07 February 2014, 10:49
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Prompted by the front assist and dynaudio discussions, I was wondering if anyone's come across good and bad ways to use ACC?
For example, I've noticed that ACC combined with sport mode is basically 'drive like an ***hole' mode - the car screams up to the car in front, slams on the brakes and waits until they pull over, then tears off after the next one in line to do it again. For the full effect you can reduce the ACC following distance to its lowest setting.
On the other hand I like the way the system responds to overtaking - if you indicate and pull out around a car you get a much more positive acceleration than if you just pull out (when from the system's perspective the car in front just disappears on its own).
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I find a weakness in ACC is accelerating after a car has slowed and pulled off to the left, it seems to wait an age before getting back on it. I always end up giving it some extra throttle and then letting the system take back over.
It's also a bit harsh on the brakes coming to a stop and can sometimes wait until the last minute before braking when approaching a stationary vehicle at speed. If I see the traffic is slowing, I tend to disable ACC and dip the transmission into sport and engine brake.
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For example, I've noticed that ACC combined with sport mode is basically 'drive like an ***hole' mode - the car screams up to the car in front, slams on the brakes and waits until they pull over, then tears off after the next one in line to do it again. For the full effect you can reduce the ACC following distance to its lowest setting.
I love this explanation of the system in action, it made me lol.
"Sorry officer, it wasn't me driving like a ***hole it was the car."
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I find a weakness in ACC is accelerating after a car has slowed and pulled off to the left, it seems to wait an age before getting back on it. I always end up giving it some extra throttle and then letting the system take back over.
It's also a bit harsh on the brakes coming to a stop and can sometimes wait until the last minute before braking when approaching a stationary vehicle at speed. If I see the traffic is slowing, I tend to disable ACC and dip the transmission into sport and engine brake.
Yeah, this is true. It's good that using the throttle doesn't cause the ACC to disengage, so you can add some extra speed and the ACC just takes over again when you come off the pedal.
I also like the way that using the 'RES' and 'SET' buttons lets you alter the set speed by 1mph increments - if you're doing a long journey and you know that your speedo reads a bit low you can knock it up a few to correct it to the speed you actually want to drive.
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I also like the way that using the 'RES' and 'SET' buttons lets you alter the set speed by 1mph increments - if you're doing a long journey and you know that your speedo reads a bit low you can knock it up a few to correct it to the speed you actually want to drive.
Equally true. I also like the addition of the +/- 5mph buttons (double up as ACC distance selection) as when you're coming out of a 30 - 60 within a few clicks the ACC is flying up to the speed you want! I also find this good for the reverse too, coming towards a lower speed limit you can drop the speed quite quickly with these buttons, although it does tend to brake..prefer to engine brake where possible!
I just thought, also, you if you've temporarily deactivated the ACC, you can still use the +/- 5mph button to change the speed setting before you get there, so when you do get to that 60 limit you just press the RES button and away you go!
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I agree with previous comments, once something has moved out of the way the car can be slow to pick up the pace so sometimes I end up putting my foot down. When coming up behind another vehicle the car can sometimes be slow to brake and then brake hard, I tend to counter this be reading ahead and reducing the set speed with the +/- 5mph control. I've pretty much driven about 80 miles solid on the same motorway in traffic just by using my left thumb.
One problem I have found is the car can be slow to pick up another car moving in from the inside lane if they move to overtake, the other car can get more than a wheel's width across to my lane before the ACC cuts in and slams on the anchors. For distance I used to have this as the medium setting but changed to near (you can change the default in the car settings menu) as it left too much gap and I'd have things up my rear thinking I wasn't going to keep up with the vehicle in front, however this is too close in rain. Also people tend to lane hog and if you're a good distance behind (despite adopting the 2 second rule) they can be content just to sit there blocking the lane because they don't think you'll pass them.
Overall I love ACC, it's one of the best developments I've seen in the last 10 years in car technology, despite the odd flaw I continue to marvel at it on every motorway journey.
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For example, I've noticed that ACC combined with sport mode is basically 'drive like an ***hole' mode - the car screams up to the car in front, slams on the brakes and waits until they pull over, then tears off after the next one in line to do it again. For the full effect you can reduce the ACC following distance to its lowest setting.
I love this explanation of the system in action, it made me lol.
"Sorry officer, it wasn't me driving like a ***hole it was the car."
HAHA :grin:, me too, just laughing away to this. I was in my mates GTD with the same situation above and the car just wants to go mad! Made me laugh at the time and you have just said the same happens to you.
I wouldnt know for myself yet as I am still waiting to collect mine...
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Other things I thought of:
The distance markers for setting the following distance seem to be 1 second intervals (as opposed to a fixed distance) as far as I can tell - and this holds true as you speed up and slow down.
Has anyone used the system in thick fog yet? Can the radar see further than you can? It nearly got foggy enough for me to find out a few days ago but not quite - I could still see the lights ahead just before the GTI would do it's 'I've seen a car' thing.
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Other things I thought of:
The distance markers for setting the following distance seem to be 1 second intervals (as opposed to a fixed distance) as far as I can tell - and this holds true as you speed up and slow down.
Has anyone used the system in thick fog yet? Can the radar see further than you can? It nearly got foggy enough for me to find out a few days ago but not quite - I could still see the lights ahead just before the GTI would do it's 'I've seen a car' thing.
I'm fairly sure the long range (200m+?) used for the ACC would not be effected by the fog at all as it operates in the 77GHz range. Would be very hairy if it started braking and you couldn't see anything!
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Excellent idea for a thread, because I have no idea how my ACC works, whether it's on all the time or doesn't even work at all!!!
I don't drive my GTI very often and when I do, because the other cars I use don't have the feature I don't think about using it (another reason I don't have a DSG).
I did a very early morning 40 mile run a couple of weeks ago and set the cruise control for the hell of it but that's it, never used it before or since...
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although it does tend to brake..prefer to engine brake where possible!
Any particular reason?
There is a theory that using brakes is better as brake pads are much easier/cheaper to replace than gearboxes and clutches. There's also a theory that says that engine braking is better for passengers and when the roads are busy gradual changes of speed are better...
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I think that in days gone by there was also the fact that the brakes and brakepads would overheat if they were used too much - so using the engine where possible was a good thing.
These days with modern engineering this isn't a problem anymore, especially with the large brakes on the PP GTI.
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I love the ACC :smiley::
- really sensible on a hilly motorway when all the traffic slows down up the hills and speeds up again going down.
- use it in town a lot as it will even come to halt and restart in a queue (with DSG anyway)
- doesn't always use the brakes to slow down (you can check this in the mirror to see if the 'Car of the Year 2013' sticker goes red on the rear screen). Presume regenerating the battery??
Couple of problems:
- traffic on the off ramp can get mistaken for slowing traffic in my lane and the car slows
- as mentioned above resumption can be slow. Setting ACC to sport in 'Individual? if DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control) is fitted. otherwise use your right foot
- indicators override the braking effect and can surprise one when pulling out and a just-passed car is rapidly caught up
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I just don't like the idea of all the energy in the car being needlessly wasted through heat, just doesn't sit right. I see no reason why releasing the throttle and letting the engine use air compression to take the momentum out is just as good.
As I've DSG, I've no reason to believe it will be of any detrimental effect to either the clutch or transmission as they're all rev matched prior to changing anyway. Could be wrong though.
Also, I find MPG is effected significantly when letting the engine slow you down rather than just braking. As far as I'm aware, the TDI just stops fuel injection in these situations?
I've no evidence or technical reasons behind my thoughts other than my own experiences, but open to being proven wrong! With these engines being so torquey, I've just always used engine braking where possible, and with enough forward thinking can use it to come to an almost stop and only use brakes for coming out of 2nd when approaching a stopping point.
Interesting to know what others do?
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It wasn't a criticism... I was genuinely interested.
For me it depends on the situation. On busy roads, especially motorways I try to use the brakes as little as possible and use engine braking for the reasons state above - I feel that it is smoother and causes much less of a "domino effect". Over the years I've one quite a lot of motorway running (until a few years ago I was driving in excess of 40K miles per year)... for example on my S2000 my brake pads were finally replaced at the 72000 mile service (I owned the car from less than 2K miles)...
If it not too busy (or I am... pressing on) then I will use the brakes...
As stated above though in the past I used to use engine braking far more because, frankly, brakes were rubbish... Before 1985 all non Cooper/GT Minis had drums all-around...
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Surely engine braking is better and the ACC takes a lot of this way? But I reckon In fog it will be awesome.