[Mad Max]

Stop and Go Feature

When I recently ordered my FS, the dealer advised that the Stop and Go feature actually shut down the engine when ACC is active and when the car comes to a stop for more than a few seconds. Is that the way it works? It made me wary of adding ACC at the time I placed my order, because I had visions of lots of engine on-off activity during rush hour traffic snakes and jams. I live in NYC and head out on the highway most weekends, experiencing lots of heavy traffic in and around the city before I get to a rural destination that I can really enjoy the car in, so I was not sure if ACC would be a good fit for me, given the circumstances. I still might have time to order the feature, since my build has not been scheduled yet, so I was wondering. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Dconlan4]

Hi Mad Max, your dealer is incorrect, the engine does not shut down but the cruise control does disengage. As long as you are "creeping along" the cruise control stays engaged. If the stop and go comes to a complete stop for 3 seconds or so it disengages the cruise, otherwise the car will follow along while the cruise remains on and set. As the traffic in front of you continues the car will follow along at the pre-set distance until you are back to the previous set point. If the car does stop and cruise disengages all you have to do is either touch the gas petal,or hit resume and you will again return to your pre-set speed. It works very well but is a bit unnerving the first few times you use it, I have become hooked on this feature and love it now. It is kind of expensive but in my opinion worth it especially if you commute in any kind of traffic. Hope this helps you make a decision!
DC

 

[claudeh]

Dconlan4,

are you using it in stop and go, city traffic with ACC working reliably? That would be great, the manual says ACC is not intended for city traffic but I could dismiss it as CYA statement.

What say you if I may ask?

 

[Dconlan4]

Hi Claude, yes kind of, I typically use it when ever I am on a road or highway. The first time I experienced the stop and go I was on a highway that tapered from 2 lanes to one. The traffic in front of me slowed from about 70 to a near stop, I laughed out loud because I was shocked how well it worked. I did keep my foot hovering over the brake petal but it did work as advertised! That time the traffic didn't completely stop but it did roll along around 5 mph, cruise stayed engaged and when we passed the one lane zone the car went right back up to 72 mph. It won't engage below about 30 mph so it may not help a lot in very slow stop and go traffic unless you have it on prior.

 

[Mad Max]

Hi Mad Max, your dealer is incorrect, the engine does not shut down but the cruise control does disengage. As long as you are "creeping along" the cruise control stays engaged. If the stop and go comes to a complete stop for 3 seconds or so it disengages the cruise, otherwise the car will follow along while the cruise remains on and set. As the traffic in front of you continues the car will follow along at the pre-set distance until you are back to the previous set point. If the car does stop and cruise disengages all you have to do is either touch the gas petal,or hit resume and you will again return to your pre-set speed. It works very well but is a bit unnerving the first few times you use it, I have become hooked on this feature and love it now. It is kind of expensive but in my opinion worth it especially if you commute in any kind of traffic. Hope this helps you make a decision!
DC

Good to know, Dconian4, and many thanks for clarifying the Stop and Go operation for me. I rented a Malibu last year -- one that came equipped with the engine-off feature whenever the car came to a stop, and with engine start-up resuming when you hit the gas pedal. Although it worked very well, and it was pretty unobtrusive, it was obviously intended as a gas-saving measure designed for more modest engines, and that's not what I'm looking for in a performance car like the FS, of course. I like to keep the motor running when I'm headin' down the highway. >

So I'm back to serious consideration of ACC if I'm able to modify my order. And thanks for your detailed narrative on how the ACC operates in real-world driving conditions. It definitely helps my decision-making, and I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it!

 

[lskarha]

Engine Auto Start-stop and ACC Auto stop are two different techs.
Engine stop-start is on the 1.5 Fusion. See pg 151 of the manual. This tech is not available on the Sport or 2.0. It will turn off the engine when the car is stopped.
ACC with “stop and go” is new to 2017 ACC systems. It does not disengage in start and stop traffic. See page 197 of the manual.
We have ACC (no stop and go) on our 2015 Edge. I won’t own another car without it. Get it, you won’t’ be sorry.
“Following a Vehicle to a Complete Stop” If your vehicle follows a vehicle to a complete stop and remains stationary for less than three seconds, your vehicle automatically accelerates from a stationary position to follow the vehicle ahead when you release the brake pedal If your vehicle follows a vehicle to a complete stop and remains stationary for more than three seconds, you must press and release the RES+ button or the accelerator pedal to accelerate from a stationary position and follow the vehicle ahead.

 

[BobMcBobville]

Do you guys remember those seatbelts in the 90's where they ran in that track and crossed your shoulder once you closed the door. How ridiculous do those seem today??? For some reason, I equate that Engine Auto-Start-Stop feature to those dumb seatbelts. Seems to me in couple of years we'll look back on the start/stop function the same way. Just a feeling...

 

[kdarbuckle]

It won't engage below about 30 mph so it may not help a lot in very slow stop and go traffic unless you have it on prior.

This isn't true.....it will engage at any speed, as long as a vehicle is in front of you. It basically will turn on and begin to prepare to brake, or start accelerating if the car ahead is moving forward.

I know it works because i sometimes engage it while rolling to a stop when i know i'm not gonna want to sit at the light with my foot on the brake.

 

[elronino]

Per the manual... you can SET the cruise once the speed has reached 20 MPH or greater. If you have the ACC that is stop and go, it will stay ENGAGED all the way to a stop and resume within 3 seconds. If greater than 3 seconds, you must tap the gas pedal or hit resume.

 

[Dconlan4]

kdarbuckle you are absolutely correct! I tried it this a.m. on my way to work. Pressed the set behind a truck at a stop sign the cruise set to 20mph and just like you said when the truck moved the car moved right along with it! Awesome, I like this feature even more!

 

[Franti]

I gotta be honest, I don't trust it. That's one feature I did not want. I would rather be more in control of my car. I trust my driving and awareness over a computer or sensors.

Google Tesla Autopilot Death. The sensor mistook a truck for the sun and the guy lost his life.

Just my 2-cents.

 

[don]

This isn't autopilot. Neither is Tesla's, and I think it was a poor decision to call it that (though it's typical of Musk's arrogant attitude). Ford (and others) call it driver assist, which is more accurate. This is a developing technology, and it will be a while before we can really trust it to take over, even momentarily.

I've driven with ACC for over 1,000 miles on the highway, and a few times around town in traffic. On the highway, it makes cruise control useful again. Increasing traffic over the years has made conventional CC useless in most situations. You can't turn the car over to ACC, but it does a very good job and greatly reduces fatigue. It may also save your backside in one of those distracted moments that we all have. Unlike earlier versions of ACC, it will brake (and brake hard) if you are cut off, all the way to a stop. It does a very good job of distinguishing traffic in your lane from adjacent lanes. But it's not infallible.

I've also found it useful at times in heavy stop-and-go traffic. It mostly takes over the miserable task of accelerating and braking at low speeds. Supposedly the autonomous braking function is very effective as well, though I've never seen it activate (I've seen the HUD warning a couple of times). This technology is coming, and will improve over time. Perfect is the enemy of the good, and this is a good example.

 

[lskarha]

I have used adaptive cruise for several years. Our 2013 Edge had it. We now have a 2015 and am looking to S&G on the 2017 Sport. Ford’s version is by far one of the best. I won’t own another vehicle without it. Period! It relieves fatigue and is great safety feature. Pair it with lane keeping for a great combo. The new version in the 2015 is “smarter” than our 2013 version.

Earlier this summer, going about 70 on the Interstate, we had a car pull quickly in front of us so to not miss their exit. (They did not see us.) The Edge was on the breaks before I was and the warning bar lit up. I’m not saying it prevented an accident but it was good to know the system did its job. It also seems to work well in rain, snow and fog. It has great “visibility”.

You still have to “drive” the car and keep an eye out. Fords with ACC are at Autonomous Level 1 where the human is very much in the loop and is responsible for all actions.

 

[elronino]

I gotta be honest, I don't trust it. That's one feature I did not want. I would rather be more in control of my car. I trust my driving and awareness over a computer or sensors.

Google Tesla Autopilot Death. The sensor mistook a truck for the sun and the guy lost his life.

Just my 2-cents.

I think Tesla's systems is a bit different and uses cameras coupled with other sensors.

Again, the system is not designed to allow a driver to sit in the backseat and relax. I've got 4500 miles on my car, and 4000 of them are highway. I use the ACC system daily without any issues at all. I still hover the brake when I know traffic is stopping from 75 to 0, but the system just plain works. I've gained more and more trust in it. Unfortunately, humans have caused more accidents than driver assisted technologies.

 

[don]

I think Tesla's systems is a bit different and uses cameras coupled with other sensors.

Tesla's system is very different and Mobileye, the Israeli company that developed the "Autopilot" software, has pulled their support from Tesla because of the way Tesla has aggressively promoted the feature.

BTW, Ford's ACC combines inputs from radar sensors in the bumper and a camera at the top of the windshield (I assume it's used to identify radar "targets" in different lanes, which works very well). Parking assist (which I don't have) adds sonar sensors to the mix.

 

[elronino]

BTW, Ford's ACC combines inputs from radar sensors in the bumper and a camera at the top of the windshield (I assume it's used to identify radar "targets" in different lanes, which works very well). Parking assist (which I don't have) adds sonar sensors to the mix.

I figured there was a camera to detect targets in different lanes. I wish I would have invested in the parking assist for the sonar sensors.

 

[Frizz2112]

I was a big skeptic of the ACC system but I love it now. It blows Honda's system out of the water. I've done several long trips in this car now and the drives all seemed magically shorter largely due to to this system. It's just the right amount of intervention; it takes a lot of stress out of the equation but for some reason it doesn't make you lose your focus on driving. Last week I commented to my girlfriend that over the course of a half hour I hadn't touched the brake or gas once, even in moderately heavy traffic. I love how just putting your left blinker on causes the car to start to accelerate. I would recommend setting the sensor distance towards the low end of the scale though. At the higher settings it leaves a pretty obnoxious space between you and the car in front of you. Overall, ACC is one of the many pleasant surprises in this car.

 

[don]

. . . over the course of a half hour I hadn't touched the brake or gas once, even in moderately heavy traffic. I love how just putting your left blinker on causes the car to start to accelerate. . .

I couldn't agree more. ACC was a "must have" for me. It manages the throttle and brake exactly as I would (or should), and as you said, even when passing -- and never gets tired or distracted. It's paying attention when brake lights come on ahead for no apparent reason.

I was a bit stunned when I was following a car at 50 mph (ACC was set to 70) in the middle lane of three lanes with trucks to the right and left. When the car ahead pulled over ahead of one of the trucks, my car almost immediately accelerated to 70 and blew by the them all. Very impressive. Just a taste of what's to come. Likewise, the blind spot detection is very useful without being intrusive. Lane keeping, not so much -- at least as it's implemented today.

Some of the objections remind me of the early days of seat belts. People often objected based on somebody (usually "a friend of some guy I know") being killed because the seat belt held them in and they couldn't duck to get out of the way. Possible, but you were far more likely to be killed by being ejected from the vehicle (which these folks described as being "thrown clear"). If you demand perfection from the get-go, progress will come to a halt.

 

[don]

I figured there was a camera to detect targets in different lanes. I wish I would have invested in the parking assist for the sonar sensors.

The camera and rain sensor (for rain-sensing wipers) are in that pod above the inside rear-view mirror. Make sure you clear that area when you clean the windshield. As far as I know, the sonar sensors are only used for parking assist. I figured that option would be something that I'd try once or twice and never use again (the backup camera and 40+ years of parking experience have it pretty well covered), so I passed on it. I think other driver assist functions (ACC, blind spot detection) rely on radar. Sonar is for very close-in detection.

 

[lskarha]

I couldn't agree more. ACC was a "must have" for me. It manages the throttle and brake exactly as I would (or should), and as you said, even when passing -- and never gets tired or distracted. It's paying attention when brake lights come on ahead for no apparent reason.

Break lights??? Our 2015 Edge ACC can not see break lights. The radar picks up the car slowing down and slows us down. The camera sees the type of target. Not seeing break lights is one of my wife's complaints. I don't have my Sport yet (10/20 date). Can someone please confirm that the car slows down when break lights light up (camera) or is it when the car ahead cars slows down (radar)? I would love to see this in the 2017s.

The best of both worlds would be when the ACC "sees" break lights, come off the gas, when radar "sees" the slowing car ahead apply breaks if needed.

PS Subaru's Eyesight does see break lights but does not have radar. Fords has the best ACC out.