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(Probably stupid) cruise control question

4K views 26 replies 10 participants last post by  tjv82c 
#1 ·
Asking here, in case there is some difference between P* and regular car.

Infiniti and Volvo share the technology for our adaptive cruise control system, so I have been using it since my S80 through two Infiniti's and now on the P*. I know how it works--and hate it. If I wanted to drive at the same idiotic pace as all the other people cluttering up the road, I'd drive a Corolla. So the first thing I have always done (for the last decade) when using cruise is to hold the button down for a few seconds to switch it into traditional, or non-adaptive, mode.

This doesn't seem to work on the P*. I can't get it out of adaptive mode. The manual says to do as I described above, but the image of the car where you can adjust the distance and the adaptive function remains on.

I hope I am just missing something obvious! Otherwise, I just got a car with no functioning cruise control (for my purposes, on crowded roads, which I am stuck in 90% of the time).
 
#2 ·
I feel your pain on one of the shortcomings. This is my first car with adaptive cruise, and it does a good job of dialing back the pace somewhat seamlessly. I purchased my car in Chicago, and on my drive back, I added about 30 min to my normal travel time between the cities because slow pokes would alter my pace and time would erode during the instances I didn't notice right away. Maybe it just takes some experience to manage it more effectively...but having to manage it sort of defeats the purpose.

Don't know how to kill that functionality, just giving you an amen.
 
#5 ·
Then why are there instructions in the manual...



I really like ACC. It's great for rush hour traffic when you have no choice but to drive the same pace as everyone else. Beyond rush hour, I have no desire to use cruise control ever.
 
#4 ·
I'm confused, if you switch lanes so the slower cars are no longer in the way the cruise control speeds back up to your original speed selection correct? If so how does it slow down your travel times?

It is an honest question, I just purchased a S60 (not delivered yet) that has adaptive cruise and I am trying to understand exactly how it works...
 
#7 · (Edited)
#9 ·
I haven't been able to get the lower status. But it may be because I was trying to use the same method as on the prior three cars, which is to hold the button down for 3 seconds at the beginning when you are first turning on CC. If you have to hold the button after you already have the adaptive CC on, that is a stupid annoyance, but better than the function not being able to be disabled. I'll try it next time I am in the car (which is not this eve since a thunderstorm just cancelled my tennis match!!).
 
#15 ·
It works. The catch is you have to set the cruise first. Then hold the button. I think that is smart to make it very deliberate.
 
#16 ·
Holding the button down for 3 seconds whether CC or ACC is already on or off is more than deliberate enough...and worked fine for a decade on all Volvo's and Infiniti's.

That mentality is what led to the ridiculous process to turn ESC OFF on the P*'s. Even many economy cars have a simple dedicated button that you just hold down for 3 seconds if you want the serious ESC off position.
 
#19 ·
Hence my desire to know how to turn it off! I agree with both of your assessments of the uselessness of it.

If the road was populated by expert drivers, it would probably work well. With real world traffic mostly not paying attention to what they are doing, it just makes things worse.
 
#21 ·
I think the ACC would be nice on a two line highway (one lane each direction) with traffic where there is ZERO opportunity to pass and ZERO risk of getting "cut off". Otherwise, it's kinda pointless.
 
#24 ·
Living in southern New England, Interstate 95 is very often very congested. I drive from the NYC metropolitan area up the coast every weekend, and the only option I have is I-95. Unfortunately, that is the only option for another 2 million people. The ACC has changed my life. Last year, with my Audi Avant, I could not use CC, as it had no automatic feature. Now with ACC turned on, I can relax, and just steer. As stated above, changing lanes does not help in getting me to my destination any quicker, so I let the car to the stop-and-go for me. I now arrive refreshed and much more relaxed as compared to last year. I honestly think that not having to continually use my right leg to go from gas to brake has decreased my stress level, and made trips much more pleasant! I LOVE it!!!
 
#26 ·
(This is not aimed at you personally, but a general comment.)

It's true, but everyone driving with that (exhausted and resigned) mentality is what causes 90% of the congestion in the first place. Drive somewhere where lane discipline is still part of road manners and you'd be amazed how efficiently large volumes of traffic can move. But it's OK, in North America we'd rather have autonomous vehicles to save the day than: i) stop exacerbating the congestion with endless suburban sprawl, or ii) pay attention to actual driving while driving.

Distracted driving and lack of lane discipline is not only a major cause of collisions (and commensurate health risks), it's the cause of the congestion, accordion effect, etc., in the first place that then spawns even more collisions.
 
#27 ·
ACC was an absolute requirement for me... I even went without a sunroof to keep it on my XC60! I actually enjoy long drives instead of being frustrated by other drivers sitting at different speeds!

I don't get why you would want to disable it? When there is a car in front of you with just normal CC on, what do you do? Tailgate them until they move? Or are people polite enough to move over if they see a car coming from behind?

Either way, you would need to touch a peddle? With normal CC, you would have to touch the brake if the person in front didn't change lanes, with ACC you can just keep your foot on the accelerator if you wanted to tailgate? ACC is the much safer option! No input from the driver results in a car that slows down automatically, no input from the driver in CC mode results in a crash!

I just can't see a point to traditional CC over ACC? Can anyone enlighten me?

*EDIT* but I didn't know it could be disabled, so good to know!
 
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