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Adaptive cruise control

Posted: Wed May 17, 2017 2:54 pm
by AlanW55
Does anyone know if the brake lights come on when the adaptive cruise control causes the car to significantly slow down? A car pulled in front of me today, and braked, and then​ the cruise control kicked in and my car slowed down quite noticeably. I didn't touch the brake pedal so the brake light switch wouldn't have been activated.

Re: Adaptive cruise control

Posted: Wed May 17, 2017 6:00 pm
by djbobbins
I certainly hope the brake lights do come on, otherwise I won't be using my adaptive cruise control. I've got no desire to get crushed by something barreling into my car at 70mph!

Re: Adaptive cruise control

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 10:01 pm
by djpfaff
I have been using adaptive cruise control for some 80k miles in my previous car and never had an issue, so based on that I am pretty sure the brake light does come on, but never actually seen it for myself either. Done about 1200 miles in my new First Edition and most of it on 'smart' cruise control, and again never had any issues.

Re: Adaptive cruise control

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 3:33 pm
by Steve
When your in standard cruse , and say you set it at 30mph and you start to go down a hill , it will put the breaks on for you , but no break lights comes on .... The best way to test auto breaking , is find a plot of land , and put a cardboard box down , and drive towards it , and have a friend watching to see if the lights do come on . It could be interesting if someone does drive in the back of you if auto breaking kicks in and not showing any break lights , and the other driver has a dash cam . Who's to blame ?

Re: Adaptive cruise control

Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 3:52 pm
by gimball
There are regulations... If there were no brake lights in this case the car couldn't be sold in most of the civilised world.

Re: Adaptive cruise control

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 2:36 pm
by Fred_Bristol
Is the brake light circuit activated by a microswitch under the brake pedal (common method on old cars) or by a brake fluid pressure switch?
In the later case I would expect the brake lights to function whatever actuates the brakes, but regenerative braking alone wouldn't do.
(Of course I'm not taking the inevitable computer into account.)
Fred

Re: Adaptive cruise control

Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:05 pm
by AlanW55
Now that I'm driving in the dark more often as winter approaches, I can answer my own question regarding brake lights operating when the adaptive cruise control slows the car down without me pressing the brake pedal. The brake lights definitely do come on, I can see the red glow from the high level light reflecting on the rear wiper.

Re: Adaptive cruise control

Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:07 pm
by tonybkent
So it sounds like they do come on under regen braking - something I was wondering about too. If that's the case then that explains why, as a previous driver of a smelly diesel manual car, that I couldn't understand why some drivers kept putting their brake lights on when I was just lifting off. I guess they could have been using Adaptive Cruise Control - I'd just never know!

Re: Adaptive cruise control

Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 2:59 pm
by AlanW55
Just to be clear, I'm talking about braking by the adaptive cruise system, not regen(erative) braking. The latter occurs when you lift off the accelerator, when the brake lights don't come on as you would expect. The latter also occurs when you press the brake pedal, when, obviously, the brake lights do come on.

Re: Adaptive cruise control

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:08 am
by Stepshort
Only had our Niro 4 for 13 days, but had a couple of long trips and impressed by the adaptive cruise control. Only one niggle, if car being tracked brakes and turns off, to the right seems worse, the Niro slows right up and even stops even though the car turning may be in a slip lane. Agreed it is a safe thing to do, but a bit annoying. Otherwise very impressed.