[AMMZING]

Hey guys. My dad is potentially thinking about the new 3er to replace his C250 (sadly it was trashed in a side impact collision a few weeks back). I am wondering if the collision warning system also has automatic braking in emergency situations, or does the car need to be equipped with Active Cruise Control as well? I searched here and couldnt find a definitive answer; the BMW website wasnt helpful at all either.

[JoinTheRace]

Originally Posted by AMMZING

Hey guys. My dad is potentially thinking about the new 3er to replace his C250 (sadly it was trashed in a side impact collision a few weeks back). I am wondering if the collision warning system also has automatic braking in emergency situations, or does the car need to be equipped with Active Cruise Control as well? I searched here and couldnt find a definitive answer; the BMW website wasnt helpful at all either.

You need to get active cruise in order for the car to brake itself.

[CanadianDriver]

AFAIK, the auto brake feature you're looking for is only available on Volvos at the moment.

The ACC feature can perform the same function but it has to be activated every start up.

[AMMZING]

Originally Posted by CanadianDriver

AFAIK, the auto brake feature you're looking for is only available on Volvos at the moment.

The ACC feature can perform the same function but it has to be activated every start up.

Does need to also be set, or just activated?

[metrickid]

Originally Posted by AMMZING

Does need to also be set, or just activated?

You select in the iDrive menus if you want it active or not and can chose between two distances. No need to do anything on each startup. It will be on by default if you want it too. There is a button to the left of the steering wheel too where you can switch it on/off.

It works great, the other day it braked before I could react when a cyclist cut in front of me. In traffic I mostly see the red warning light approaching traffic that is slowing down.

I have the active cruise with stop&go, so mine brakes. Otherwise you just get the warnings. So to answer your question - you don't have to do anything to activate collision warnings once you set it up the first time, but cruise control needs to be activated and set each time (obviously).

[AMMZING]

Originally Posted by Rossifumi

You select in the iDrive menus if you want it active or not and can chose between two distances. No need to do anything on each startup. It will be on by default if you want it too. There is a button to the left of the steering wheel too where you can switch it on/off.

It works great, the other day it braked before I could react when a cyclist cut in front of me. In traffic I mostly see the red warning light approaching traffic that is slowing down.

I have the active cruise with stop&go, so mine brakes. Otherwise you just get the warnings. So to answer your question - you don't have to do anything to activate collision warnings once you set it up the first time, but cruise control needs to be activated and set each time (obviously).

What if you dont want to actually set the cruise control (distances and all that), will the collision warning and emergency braking system still be active? Or do you actually need to setup a distance?

[metrickid]

Originally Posted by AMMZING

What if you dont want to actually set the cruise control (distances and all that), will the collision warning and emergency braking system still be active? Or do you actually need to setup a distance?

No, as I said above the collision warning works automatically as long as the option is set active and the last setting is remembered on each startup. So you don't have to do anything on each startup to have it active once you activated it the first time. Mine was off by default.

[AMMZING]

Originally Posted by Rossifumi

No, as I said above the collision warning works automatically as long as the option is set active and the last setting is remembered on each startup. So you don't have to do anything on each startup to have it active once you activated it the first time. Mine was off by default.

Oh okay. What about the braking though? That will also work as well?, or does the active cruise need to be on for that?

[metrickid]

Originally Posted by AMMZING

Oh okay. What about the braking though? That will also work as well?, or does the active cruise need to be on for that?

You never have to activate cruise control if you don't want to.
You can use the collision warning system (incl emergency braking) 100% independent from the cruise.

[AMMZING]

Originally Posted by Rossifumi

You never have to activate cruise control if you don't want to.
You can use the collision warning system (incl emergency braking) 100% independent from the cruise.

oh ok, thanks Rossifumi . Thats exactly what i wanted to know. So now to find a car here with active cruise and the driver assistance stuff.

[brandon @ eas]

Collision warning will pre-load the brakes but will not engage them for you. That being said, if the vehicle detects a inevitable crash, it will slightly apply brakes to ease impact

[metrickid]

Originally Posted by brandon @ eas

Collision warning will pre-load the brakes but will not engage them for you. That being said, if the vehicle detects a inevitable crash, it will slightly apply brakes to ease impact

Yes it will!

If you have active cruise control with stop&go it will brake. There are two different versions for the F30, and we are talking about the one that uses the active cruise control sensor and not the camera. It will not brake to a standstill, but it will begin to brake for you so that you can take over.

[CanadianDriver]

@rossifumi thanks for clearing that up =)

[runofkings]

Originally Posted by Rossifumi

Yes it will!

If you have active cruise control with stop&go it will brake. There are two different versions for the F30, and we are talking about the one that uses the active cruise control sensor and not the camera. It will not brake to a standstill, but it will begin to brake for you so that you can take over.

Actually, Active Cruise Control will bring the car to a full stop if activated. "If the vehicle ahead stops, ACC with Stop & Go will bring your BMW to a complete standstill too." BMW USA website.

[metrickid]

Originally Posted by runofkings

Actually, Active Cruise Control will bring the car to a full stop if activated. "If the vehicle ahead stops, ACC with Stop & Go will bring your BMW to a complete standstill too." BMW USA website.

I know, since I have it. But I wasn't talking about the active cruise control...

[runofkings]

Originally Posted by Rossifumi

I know, since I have it. But I wasn't talking about the active cruise control...

OK, that wasn't clear from your original message. If you don't have ACC, the car will not "begin to brake for you." If you do have it, the car will brake for you (and stop the car). So I'm not sure what you were referring to when you say the car will "begin to brake for you."

[metrickid]

Originally Posted by runofkings

OK, that wasn't clear from your original message. If you don't have ACC, the car will not "begin to brake for you." If you do have it, the car will brake for you (and stop the car). So I'm not sure what you were referring to when you say the car will "begin to brake for you."

Well, it is quite clear since it is a thread about the collision warning and not the active cruise control. My reply is about that, if you read the thread and what I quoted in my reply that you replied to it should be quite clear.

[runofkings]

"If you have active cruise control with stop&go it will brake. There are two different versions for the F30, and we are talking about the one that uses the active cruise control sensor and not the camera. It will not brake to a standstill, but it will begin to brake for you so that you can take over."

I'm sorry, but I still find this unclear. Did you mean that there is an anti-collision feature that applies the brake? Because as far as I know, this option doesn't exist in the U.S. -- which is where the original poster is from. In the US you only get the audible warning and the brakes are prepared to stop but do not actually engage (as someone else pointed out).

Therefore, can you please explain which feature will "begin to brake"? This is still unclear to me. Sorry if this is crystal clear to everyone else.

[metrickid]

Yes, as I say in the quote. If you have ACC it will come with a collision warning that also brakes. If you just have the collision warning as a stand alone option that uses the camera it won't.

[runofkings]

Originally Posted by Rossifumi

Yes, as I say in the quote. If you have ACC it will come with a collision warning that also brakes. If you just have the collision warning as a stand alone option that uses the camera it won't.

I agree with that completely. What I don't understand is this sentence: "It will not brake to a standstill, but it will begin to brake for you so that you can take over."

Did you make a mistake? If not, what were you referring to?

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Rossifumi

Yes, as I say in the quote. If you have ACC it will come with a collision warning that also brakes. If you just have the collision warning as a stand alone option that uses the camera it won't.

If you have ACC activated (as in cruise control set), it will brake at times quite hard to avoid a collision/ maintain the gap.

If ACC is not activated, but collision warning is, it warns of a hazardous situation, and pre loads the brakes, but doesn't activate them until it thinks a collision is unavoidable, then it deploys the brakes to 'take the edge off' a collision. It won't stop the car though.

[runofkings]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

If you have ACC activated (as in cruise control set), it will brake at times quite hard to avoid a collision/ maintain the gap.

If ACC is not activated, but collision warning is, it warns of a hazardous situation, and pre loads the brakes, but doesn't activate them until it thinks a collision is unavoidable, then it deploys the brakes to 'take the edge off' a collision. It won't stop the car though.

I don't believe that an F30 with the forward collision warning feature and no ACC will brake in the U.S. (even if a crash is unavoidable). Please let me know if you have any sources for U.S. spec cars which prove otherwise. Thanks!