Turn Off "Adaptive" on Cruise Control??

Chris Ratay

Chris Ratay

Overlanding South America w T6.1 Ocean 204, 4M+
VIP Member
Messages
179
Location
Budapest
Vehicle
T6.1 Ocean 204 4 motion
Just picked up my 2023 T6.1 Ocean.in Hamburg and drove 2,100km home to Budapest, and the modern features are great.

However, when driving across Germany at highway speeds, there are times I'd rather have traditional CC. I kept the ACC in the closest setting - 1 bar (and would have to reset it every time I restarted the car)

The problem is when I'm in the left lane driving at 130 and a car merges in front at similar speed, the system "slams" on the brakes, then hesitates to resume speed. In fast moving traffic, the ACC was a bit too conservative and interrupted the flow of traffic behind me. Is there a way to turn off the "smart" feature?

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You learn to love it.

You can adjust the distance in the menu to always be on at the shortest distance so no need to adjust every time.

I find that I anticipate where the system will kick in and a foot gently on the throttle overrides the occasional hesitations of the overly sensitive ACC, particularly it’s aversion to undertaking.

Having just spent a month with a car with standard CC, I missed the ACC and didn’t use the CC as I found it plain dangerous. What you get used to I guess.
 
You can also adjust how quickly/aggressively it accelerates after slowing down. (Eco, normal and sport, in settings in a T6, not related to the main driving modes), So maybe try putting it on sport. (I enjoy re-engaging it in sport mode after a motorway toll stop in France and letting the van go from 0-130 itself. It's feels pretty damn fast.)
 
Just picked up my 2023 T6.1 Ocean.in Hamburg and drove 2,100km home to Budapest, and the modern features are great.

However, when driving across Germany at highway speeds, there are times I'd rather have traditional CC. I kept the ACC in the closest setting - 1 bar (and would have to reset it every time I restarted the car)

The problem is when I'm in the left lane driving at 130 and a car merges in front at similar speed, the system "slams" on the brakes, then hesitates to resume speed. In fast moving traffic, the ACC was a bit too conservative and interrupted the flow of traffic behind me. Is there a way to turn off the "smart" feature?

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You won’t be able to disable the Automatic feature from ACC. VW likely will class this a safety feature, and even with an ODB2 dongle safety features are not configurable.

I also drive another VW car with ACC, and a Volvo with straight CC. Over time I‘ve got to appreciate what ACC does, and how to live nicely with it. I now don’t like using the CC so much and have to keep reminding myself that the car won’t slow when I hit traffic. The ‘undertaking’ limit function as @Tarquers mentions is one where you can override what the system wants to do. The one feature of the Transporters ACC that I don’t like is the cadence braking when going down a hill, with the van struggling to keep to the set speed, which makes passengers feel a bit of motion sickness! So I tend to disable when it comes to long downhill sections of road.

It has taken me a little while to get fully comfortable with ACC, so my advice would be to use it and live with it.
 
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You learn to love it.

You can adjust the distance in the menu to always be on at the shortest distance so no need to adjust every time.

I find that I anticipate where the system will kick in and a foot gently on the throttle overrides the occasional hesitations of the overly sensitive ACC, particularly it’s aversion to undertaking.

Having just spent a month with a car with standard CC, I missed the ACC and didn’t use the CC as I found it plain dangerous. What you get used to I guess.
I think that you being used to not having to concentrate on the Traffic ahead when using ACC and then failing to do so when using CC is the dangerous factor not the CC.

Bit like me saying that a manual gearbox car is dangerous when, after being accustomed to automatics, I forget to change gear at roundabouts.
 
Happy new Van!
Get what you’re saying, I find that turning off cruise just before it hits the brakes and coasting for a few seconds works better.
It’s ok for circumstances with lots of traffic or hardly any traffic, but can’t anticipate traffic flow as a good driver can. As others say, you (might) learn to love it, work out its limitations and ‘drive’ round it. I gave up on it for a good while in heavier traffic, then gradually learned to use it, sometimes. It’s also a lot heavier on fuel consumption.
 
Happy new Van!
Get what you’re saying, I find that turning off cruise just before it hits the brakes and coasting for a few seconds works better.
It’s ok for circumstances with lots of traffic or hardly any traffic, but can’t anticipate traffic flow as a good driver can. As others say, you (might) learn to love it, work out its limitations and ‘drive’ round it. I gave up on it for a good while in heavier traffic, then gradually learned to use it, sometimes. It’s also a lot heavier on fuel consumption.
Cruise has no anticipation of hill crests and unlike a driver who backs off the power before that point.
Equally it doesn't take a run at a steep hill to take advantage of any momentum generated.

Recall Volvo Trucks were talking about combining it with Satav info to assist with this aspect. No idea if it ever happened. An intelligent (sort of) system that would combine speed control with road gradient and bends. What autonomous driving would be all about.
 
I love ACC. I have it set at maximum distance and ECO mode.

At hill crests I turn it off and coast down the hill.
 
You can also adjust how quickly/aggressively it accelerates after slowing down. (Eco, normal and sport, in settings in a T6, not related to the main driving modes), So maybe try putting it on sport. (I enjoy re-engaging it in sport mode after a motorway toll stop in France and letting the van go from 0-130 itself. It's feels pretty damn fast.)
Where do I find this sport mode?
 
If it's on the t6.1 it will be under driver assist settings / ACC
 
You won’t be able to disable the Automatic feature from ACC. VW likely will class this a safety feature, and even with an ODB2 dongle safety features are not configurable.

I also drive another VW car with ACC, and a Volvo with straight CC. Over time I‘ve got to appreciate what ACC does, and how to live nicely with it. I now don’t like using the CC so much and have to keep reminding myself that the car won’t slow when I hit traffic. The ‘undertaking’ limit function as @Tarquers mentions is one where you can override what the system wants to do. The one feature of the Transporters ACC that I don’t like is the cadence braking when going down a hill, with the van struggling to keep to the set speed, which makes passengers feel a bit of motion sickness! So I tend to disable when it comes to long downhill sections of road.

It has taken me a little while to get fully comfortable with ACC, so my advice would be to use it and live with it.
I love the acc going downhill, never experienced what you describe, keeps the set speed smootly on T6 in past an now on 204hp T6.1.
 
If you use the Carista dongle sure I saw a setting where you can change the distance for each of the bars.
 
I think that you being used to not having to concentrate on the Traffic ahead when using ACC and then failing to do so when using CC is the dangerous factor not the CC.

Bit like me saying that a manual gearbox car is dangerous when, after being accustomed to automatics, I forget to change gear at roundabouts.
Never said anything about not concentrating. The comment was clearly about how much safer ACC is over CC and less faff as you don’t have to either slow it down or cancel as you do with traditional CC. But thanks for your faith in my driving.
 
If it's on the t6.1 it will be under driver assist settings / ACC
Thanks - great info.
 
I quite like ACC on a longer journey, but as others have mentioned, it is more thirsty that my right foot. On motorways I keep the 'distance' at minimum to avoid ACC prematurely slowing down behind a slower vehicle in my lane which I intend to overtake when I get nearer anyway. On country roads (at lower speed) I set 'distance' to 2 or even 3 bars to encourage a 'more relaxed' driving style.

I find ACC especially helpful when inching forward in start-stop traffic, but BEWARE if the queue is one coming up to a roundabout or junction. When the vehicle in front enters the roundabout, ACC will follow - even if there isn't a gap!
 
I don’t know that acc can be switched off.
I always have it set at around half way and it works just great. When a car pulls in between me and the car in front it does slows me down by about 5kph for a short while.

Here’s the difference though, I did the sums and it makes absolutely no difference to my journey time at all, not even an iota, or a jot.

With that in mind I just let it happen, safe in the knowledge that I don’t have to worry about how close the car in front is.

Saying all that, rush hour can be a pain.
 
I love ACC. I have it set at maximum distance and ECO mode.

At hill crests I turn it off and coast down the hill.
me too, eco mode is good for steady hill.
 
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