steve m
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 12:37 PM |
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Does cruise control ever go wrong ?
Does cruise control ever go wrong ?
I have been driving my TDCI mondeo around on cruise control over the last few weeks as an experiment to get better mpg
and assuming the mpg figures are correct on the dashboard , i have increased the average mpg from 36 to 47, this is all on town driving, with no
journey over 5 miles
It was only on the way home did i think "Does cruise control ever go wrong ?"
steve
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loggyboy
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 12:39 PM |
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There has been reports. But cant really see how it can go wrong to the point of being a problem. Ie if it got stuck, you just turn the engine off and
on again!
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jossey
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 12:45 PM |
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A guy in the a1 last year crashed as his BMW cruise control wouldn't turn off. Given the start stop button model of BMW it wouldn't turn
off, he crashed into the barrier to stop the car. I know cos I stopped behind him . He didn't think to trying to change gear on the auto box
just the brake and cruise control button.
Thanks
David Johnson
Building my tiger avon slowly but surely.
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sdh2903
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 12:45 PM |
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Out of interest and a bit off topic but is it a newer mondeo?
I only ask as my last car (st220) I could get 3-4mpg better using my foot than when on cruise for some bizarre reason. It was a bit of a primitive
system however.
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MkIndy7
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 12:53 PM |
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Only the same as the throttle pedal can now most are fly by wire anyway, probably both subject to the same unlikely chance of failure.
Just wondering how you can use it round town, BMW's doesn't work below 40mph I don't think.
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NigeEss
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 12:53 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by sdh2903
I could get 3-4mpg better using my foot than when on cruise for some bizarre reason. It was a bit of a primitive system however.
Cruise generally gives less MPG than your foot. Quite simply due to the human ability to assess the terrain and act accordingly. You will naturally
let the car pick up a bit of speed downhill reducing the need to accelerate up the other
side or letting the speed come down agan on the flat. Likewise you rarely boot it to maintain 70/80 up a hill.
Cruise doesn't know this and will floor the throttle up hill and some modern system even brake on downslopes.
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.................Douglas Adams.
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jamesbond007ltk
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 01:10 PM |
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A guy I work with who drives a 2/3 year old Impreza Sti rear ended a Porsche within a temporary 50 during roadworks on the M4.
Cruise control was set to 50, traffic slowed down but the CC would not disengage regardless of which button/pedal was pressed/stamped on. He actually
managed to shunt the porsche twice before the CC eventually cut out.
Subaru said nothing was wrong and they'd had no other reports. Only thing 'different' on that say was it was exceptionally cold, for
the region, but not really really cold
Rich
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steve m
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 01:29 PM |
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Thanks for the answers, most of my town driving is on a 50mph bypass, and i just select cruise and it cuts in, i would say around the 22mph mark
(ish)
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MkIndy7
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 01:30 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by NigeEss
quote:
Originally posted by sdh2903
I could get 3-4mpg better using my foot than when on cruise for some bizarre reason. It was a bit of a primitive system however.
Cruise generally gives less MPG than your foot. Quite simply due to the human ability to assess the terrain and act accordingly. You will naturally
let the car pick up a bit of speed downhill reducing the need to accelerate up the other
side or letting the speed come down agan on the flat. Likewise you rarely boot it to maintain 70/80 up a hill.
Cruise doesn't know this and will floor the throttle up hill and some modern system even brake on downslopes.
I'd say quite the opposite on a BMW 320d, Cruise control accelerates much smoother and maintains a higher indicated MPG than I ever could..
Without realising it when you pull out from behind a truck or the like you don't realise just how hard you do push the throttle.. Just keep
pressing + one the steering wheel and the MPG barely moves as it increases 0.5mph per press.
When going up hills on the throttle it'll dip 10mpg and on cruise only 5 as it opens exactly how much throttle it needs rather than bring
confused by you pressing the pedal hard and thinking you want to accelerate.
But maybe that's just a more modern system but I'm certainly impressed.
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 01:59 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MkIndy7
I'd say quite the opposite on a BMW 320d, Cruise control accelerates much smoother and maintains a higher indicated MPG than I ever could..
Without realising it when you pull out from behind a truck or the like you don't realise just how hard you do push the throttle.. Just keep
pressing + one the steering wheel and the MPG barely moves as it increases 0.5mph per press.
Suddenly I understand why people creep past other vehicles on DCWs and motorways with a queue of frustrated drivers behind them rather than completing
their overtake quickly and then pulling in...
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ChrisL
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 02:05 PM |
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I've got CC on an old shape Mazda 6. And agree with the boot it up hills brake down hills view. Also it accelerates as fast as possible to reach
a set target speed. I think it saves MPG on flat routes as it won't fluctuate the speed, and it's great for average speed cameras.
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MkIndy7
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 02:17 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by MkIndy7
I'd say quite the opposite on a BMW 320d, Cruise control accelerates much smoother and maintains a higher indicated MPG than I ever could..
Without realising it when you pull out from behind a truck or the like you don't realise just how hard you do push the throttle.. Just keep
pressing + one the steering wheel and the MPG barely moves as it increases 0.5mph per press.
Suddenly I understand why people creep past other vehicles on DCWs and motorways with a queue of frustrated drivers behind them rather than completing
their overtake quickly and then pulling in...
Ahh but while there frustrated I'm enjoying the best part of 70mpg 
Typical BMW drivers attitude eh!
I'm guessing a lot of those getting poorer MPG on cruise it'll be down to how clever the electrickery is and it's it's a full
fly-by wire system or not.
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r1_pete
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 02:42 PM |
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Must admit using cruise control on my motorway and long dual criiageway drives I'm averaging 38 - 40 MPG, in an L200 pickup......
So hope to god it never goes wrong cos I use it all the time when practical now.
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v8james
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 03:22 PM |
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All modern HGV's have cruise control and drivers are told to use it at every available opportunity, as you get much better MPG using it.
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jollygreengiant
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 03:36 PM |
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Just as a wierd foot note to this.
Did you know that............. Apparently its illegal to use Cruise Control in Belgium.  (or at least it was so I presumed that nothing has
changed recently).
Beware of the Goldfish in the tulip mines. The ONLY defence against them is smoking peanut butter sandwiches.
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bi22le
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 05:09 PM |
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I had a new Mondeo as a temp company car a year or two ago. ITs CC was impressive. Far more accurate than my foot was.
Try just increasing and maintaining 1 mph in particular, its very difficult as you look at the road and back down again.
You end up constantly coast and burn. THis method is good at low speeds but for higher speeds an average speed is better. This is due to wind
resistance at higher speeds.
To turn off that particular CC I had to dip the clutch or touch the brake or touch the accelerator or press the button.
Track days ARE the best thing since sliced bread, until I get a supercharger that is!
Please read my ring story:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/13/viewthread.php?tid=139152&page=1
Me doing a sub 56sec lap around Brands Indy. I need a geo set up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHksfvIGB3I
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 30/3/12 at 07:32 PM |
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My one I can accelerate, and then it just falls back to the set speed.
I find it awesome for sitting behind wagons (not too close!) and making nigh on 10mpg difference
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Furyous
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| posted on 31/3/12 at 05:43 AM |
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I think the theory behind the Toyota unintended acceleration (aside from confused drivers hitting the wrong pedal) was because of the brake switch.
Normally when you press the brake the cruise control will disengage. In some cars the brake switch was faulty so the ECU only registered that the car
was slowing down, so it gave some more throttle. Press the brakes harder, it accelerates harder.
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