Collision Warning System

[Bwilbourne]

Has anyone figured out exactly how and when the collision warning system is supposed to work. Mine goes off when clearly is should not and when I think it should when I come up fast on someone stopped in front of me, I think that it should...

 

[jrmexplorer]

You might wanna have it serviced then. In 500 miles, mine has come on twice - both times warranted. Has never come on unwarranted. It should come on when you are travelling at a high rate of speed and a car or other object in front of you stops or slows suddenly.

Also, try cleaning your sensors (the little sunken areas near your front bumper)

 

[Holligl]

Has anyone figured out exactly how and when the collision warning system is supposed to work. Mine goes off when clearly is should not and when I think it should when I come up fast on someone stopped in front of me, I think that it should...

Mine goes off as expected if someone is turning in front of me and I know they will be out of the way and don't touch the brakes. I suspect if you even touch the brakes, it trusts you are aware of the situation and is "Disabled". Mine is very predictable.

 

[BethesdaEC]

I got it to false alarm once so far. Coming out of downtown Columbia there is a three lane road that splits where 2 lanes go straight and one is an entrance ramp to the highway. Most of the traffic from the mall feeds into the two left lanes which will backup a quarter mile but almost nobody is in the right lane. My office feeds me into the right lane and I can zoom down past the bumper to bumper backup at 40 miles an hour. There is a moderate bend to the right and the radar picks up the cars in the traffic jam even though I have a clear path.

 

[sdm9465]

Mine goes off as expected if someone is turning in front of me and I know they will be out of the way and don't touch the brakes. I suspect if you even touch the brakes, it trusts you are aware of the situation and is "Disabled". Mine is very predictable.

That's been my experience too. I've tried to get it to go off when approaching stopped cars at a traffic light but I've never been able to get it to go off in that situation. And this was without my foot on the brake. If it did eventually go off I doubt I would have been able to react and stop in time. Sensitivity was set to normal. I plan to try it on high but haven't done so yet.

 

[peterk9]

Mine goes off as expected if someone is turning in front of me and I know they will be out of the way and don't touch the brakes. I suspect if you even touch the brakes, it trusts you are aware of the situation and is "Disabled". Mine is very predictable.

That has been the only time mine has gone off as well. Also, thanks to sdm9465's post, I am now aware that the sensitivity can be adjusted. Just goes to show that no matter how many times you go through the manual, there are still things to learn!

 

[Vdel]

Just so I'm clear and I want to make sure. Does the collision warning system actually brake for you in a collision scenario? I've used the adaptive cruise control and it works beautifully but does it work while not in adaptive cruise. It doesn't explicitly state that in the manual.

Thanks in advance

 

[Holligl]

Just so I'm clear and I want to make sure. Does the collision warning system actually brake for you in a collision scenario? I've used the adaptive cruise control and it works beautifully but does it work while not in adaptive cruise. It doesn't explicitly state that in the manual.

Thanks in advance

It pre-charges the brakes so they will respond quicker, but it leaves the braking to you.

 

[ah64aviator]

Just so I'm clear and I want to make sure. Does the collision warning system actually brake for you in a collision scenario? I've used the adaptive cruise control and it works beautifully but does it work while not in adaptive cruise. It doesn't explicitly state that in the manual.

Thanks in advance

No, it will not apply the brakes! It only preps them with a pre-charge and even if you apply light pressure it will apply full braking pressure to avoid collision instead of a normal proportionate response to brake pedal input.

 

[jrmexplorer]

No, it will not apply the brakes! It only preps them with a pre-charge and even if you apply light pressure it will apply full braking pressure to avoid collision instead of a normal proportionate response to brake pedal input.

That's what I thought too - but see: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=330808

 

[jrmexplorer]

No, it will not apply the brakes! It only preps them with a pre-charge and even if you apply light pressure it will apply full braking pressure to avoid collision instead of a normal proportionate response to brake pedal input.

That's what I thought too - but see: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=330808

 

[blwnsmoke]

Yes it does apply the brakes in the right scenario. As the link that was posted, my ex slammed on the brakes almost immediately after the collision alert to the point that I felt the abs kick in.

 

[Car 54]

You can adjust the sensitivity of the sensor in the left display window under driver's assist. Low/Normal/High. High got me a few false alarms, Normal has been spot on.

 

[Vdel]

Yes it does apply the brakes in the right scenario. As the link that was posted, my ex slammed on the brakes almost immediately after the collision alert to the point that I felt the abs kick in.

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like there are two trains of thought on the matter and both sound great. One is a real life situation and the other probably from a safety spec or dealer knowledge. Nometheless I'll need to find a definitive answer given the importance of the technology. I'll post here when I find the answer

Thanks again folks

 

[peterk9]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like there are two trains of thought on the matter and both sound great. One is a real life situation and the other probably from a safety spec or dealer knowledge. Nometheless I'll need to find a definitive answer given the importance of the technology. I'll post here when I find the answer

Thanks again folks

I have had the collision warning come a few times when coming up behind a vehicle that is turning but I have never felt the Explorer slow down. I wonder if perhaps blwnsmoke had the adaptive cruise on at the time. That would definitely cause the brakes to come on.

 

[jrmexplorer]

I have had the collision warning come a few times when coming up behind a vehicle that is turning but I have never felt the Explorer slow down. I wonder if perhaps blwnsmoke had the adaptive cruise on at the time. That would definitely cause the brakes to come on.

That was my thought, but apparently he did not (he was getting onto a highway) - see his other thread....

Either the system is WAY smarter than I thought.... (which would be cool )
OR.... blwnsmoke has one heckofa guardian angel.....

 

[ah64aviator]

That's what I thought too - but see: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=330808

Read pg. 296 of the owners manual, the warning under collision warning system. Paraphrasing it says, "this system does not activate the brakes automatically. Failure to press the brake pedal may result in a collision."

PG. 297 says the vehicle will not stop unless the driver presses the brake pedal.

 

[ah64aviator]

I have had the collision warning come a few times when coming up behind a vehicle that is turning but I have never felt the Explorer slow down. I wonder if perhaps blwnsmoke had the adaptive cruise on at the time. That would definitely cause the brakes to come on.

Had to be acc slowing him down and collision warning alerting him simultaneously

 

[calb]

So who is going to volunteer to test this out and see if it brakes before they hit the car in front?

 

[blwnsmoke]

Acc was not on. I was merging onto a highway in commuting traffic and accelerating with my foot on the gas. I think Id know if it was the acc. First, the acc doesnt let you travel 2 car lengths behind someone even on its closest setting. Second, I was getting off one highway onto another which requires the brake. Even if acc was on, it could never remain on when on a clover leaf on/off ramps because the brake would cancel it.

I dont care what the manual says, the Ex slammed on the brakes while my foot was on the gas, abs activated and stopped me a couple feet from rear ending the truck in front of me. This happened within a blink of an eye from the warning going off.

Ive had the warning go off 30 plus times and this is the first time it has done this. The difference this time is that I was trying to accelerate at a fast pace.

I know exactly what happened, Im not confused or unclear. Maybe it is my guardian angel, maybe it is MFT... I have no reason to lie about what occured.