Adaptive Cruise Control: How Does It Work? Kelley Blue Book

Table Of Content

• City Driving
• Everything you need to know about bike racks for your vehicle
• Active And Passive Safety Features In Cars: What Are The Things That Make A Car Safe?
• Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It?
• How to Use Cruise Control – 6 Step Guide
• A Guide to Wiring 1, 2, 3, 4 Wire Oxygen Sensors. Detailed Diagrams

Newly launched cars are equipped with cruise control except for a few entry-level models. So, instead of investing in retrofitting a system, it's better and safer to spend that money on buying a car with a built-in system. Is anyone surprised that carmakers can’t seem to agree on a single term for adaptive cruise control? ” We can sort of forgive Mercedes for its Distronic cruise control. Some call it adaptive cruise control as the root and then tack something onto it.

City Driving

The 77-GHz Autocruise radar system made by TRW has a forward-looking range of up to 492 feet (150 meters), and operates at vehicle speeds ranging from 18.6 miles per hour (30 kph) to 111 mph (180 kph). Delphi's 76-GHz system can also detect objects as far away as 492 feet, and operates at speeds as low as 20 mph (32 kph). The most important input is the speed signal; the cruise control system does a lot with this signal. First, let's start with one of the most basic control systems you could have -- a proportional control. Step 4 - Keep your eyes on the road as it is very easy to get distracted when the car is accelerating automatically. Another inventor named Harold Exline, working independently of Riley, also invented a type of cruise control that he first installed on his car and friends' cars.

Everything you need to know about bike racks for your vehicle

In essence, not only did the 1999 S-Class introduce the driver-aid technology adaptive cruise control (ACC), but it also set the cornerstone of the foundation for self-driving vehicles. By the early 1990s, Japanese carmakers were adding a form of forward collision warning to their cruise control, but it was still up to the driver to react and apply the brakes. Not until Mercedes-Benz developed its Distronic cruise control did cruise control with self-braking make its first public appearance. Not all cars come with cruise control as a standard feature, but many newer cars do have this option available. Additionally, aftermarket cruise control systems can be installed on most cars. However, drivers should remain attentive and ready to take control of the car at any moment.

Active And Passive Safety Features In Cars: What Are The Things That Make A Car Safe?

At its core, cruise control involves a series of sensors that monitor the vehicle's speed and a control unit that regulates the throttle. When the driver sets the cruise control to a specific speed, the system adjusts the throttle to maintain that speed. If the car begins to slow down because of an incline (e.g. going up a hill), the system will open the throttle to accelerate. Conversely, if the car starts to speed up due to a declin (e.g. going downhill), the system will close the throttle to decelerate.

Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It?

All these sensors act perfectly in unison and obtain accurate data of the car’s location, thus providing additional safety. Adaptive cruise control is the next big thing in terms of automated speed management in new cars. It is an intelligent form of cruise control that slows down and speeds up automatically to keep pace with the car in front of you. The purpose of a cruise control system is to accurately maintain a speed set by the driver without any outside intervention by  controlling the throttle-accelerator pedal linkage. If the road surface is snowy, icy, slushy or very wet, you’ll want to think twice about switching your cruise control on. If the cruise control on your car fails to disengage when you want to slow down, slip the vehicle into neutral to disconnect drive power from the wheels, pull over, and address the situation.

Sometimes, cruise control disengages automatically when the vehicle’s automatic wipers detect heavy rainfall, or when a wheel spins or (briefly) leaves the surface of the road after a big bump or dip. In other situations, there may be a problem with one or more sensors or switches, including the brake pedal switch, throttle position sensor, or one or more wheel speed sensors. In older cars, having your cruise control engaged on a wet or icy road could allow the vehicle to accelerate or experience wheelspin when driven wheels encounter a low-traction surface. Here, the cruise control system maintains throttle pressure, even in situations where it should be released instead. For most drivers, using cruise control on the highway at 80 km/h can reduce fuel consumption by about 20 per cent.

Instead of constantly changing speeds, cars know how fast you’re driving and can follow safely behind you or pass. Most systems will prevent the vehicle from increasing engine speed to accelerate beyond the chosen speed. However, they will not apply the brakes in the event of overspeeding downhill, nor stop the car from going faster than the selected speed even with the engine just idling. The cruise control system controls the speed of your car the same way you do – by adjusting the throttle (accelerator) position. However, cruise control  engages the throttle valve by a cable connected to an actuator, rather than by pressing a pedal.

With 4 years as co-chair of the Canadian Car of the Year Awards (CCOTY) program, a passion for vehicle testing shines though in all of his work. Your car’s Antilock Braking System works hand-in-hand with your cruise control system, and any fault with the ABS system will typically take your cruise control offline until it’s fixed. Depending on the year, make and model, cruise control may be available for add-on or retrofit.

The earliest variants of cruise control were actually in use even before the creation of automobiles. The inventor and mechanical engineer James Watt developed a version as early as the 17th century, which allowed steam engines to maintain a constant speed up and down inclines. Cruise control as we know it today was invented in the late 1940s, when the idea of using an electrically-controlled device that could manipulate road speeds and adjust the throttle accordingly was conceived. With adaptive cruise control, the vehicle will also automatically slow down and speed up to maintain a safe position in traffic. A car with ACC will commonly boast small wheel-mounted units that measure its speed, along with a front-mounted one that can determine how far away other vehicles are.

But with the advent of technology in the automotive industry, the cruise control system in modern cars entirely relies on electronics. Instead of a cable, the system now communicates with the throttle via various sensors connected to a computer (ECU - Electronic Control Unit). So, when you set a speed, the ECU calculates the throttle position and engages the throttle wirelessly. Cruise control in a car replicates the inputs of a driver to control the vehicle’s speed. But instead of pressing the accelerator pedal, it uses a different mechanism to maintain a constant cruising speed. On the latest vehicles fitted with electronic throttle control, cruise control can be integrated into the vehicle's engine management system.

The driver takes full manual controlwhen the congestion clears or Traffic Jam Assist otherwise becomes unsuitable for the situation. In a proportional control system, the cruise control adjusts the throttle proportional to the error, the error being the difference between the desired speed and the actual speed. So, if the cruise control is set at 60 mph and the car is going 50 mph, the throttle position will be open quite far.

In autonomous vehicles, cruise control systems work together with other advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to enable the vehicle to operate without direct driver input. These systems include lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, and collision avoidance systems. It allows cars to talk to each other, coordinating their speeds to maintain a safe distance. It's like having a well-coordinated team of cars all working together to make the traffic flow smoother and reduce congestion. Picture it like a synchronized dance on the highway, where every car knows its place and keeps the right distance.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) - Objective Metrics and Performance (Post 2 of 3) - The BRAKE Report

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) - Objective Metrics and Performance (Post 2 of .

Posted: Wed, 25 May 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

It is a complex process to install the system in new cars as you have to fiddle with electronics, and it also requires the fitment of hardware. Moreover, if you try installing an aftermarket kit, you may void the warranty offered by the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). On top of that, it is not recommended to go for an aftermarket cruise control kit as it may compromise safety. You may install an aftermarket kit if it’s an old car that does not rely on electronics to control all the engine-related functions. But installing such a kit becomes almost impossible in modern cars due to the complex electronics. Yes, you will find aftermarket adaptive cruise control kits available.

The bumper-mounted radar, which is already used in autonomous cruise control, looks out for vehicles in front of and behind the car. The driver sets a maximum speed similar to what one would do with normal cruise control. A radar sensor located in the front end of the car locates traffic ahead of it and locks on to the car ahead.

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Once you’ve reached your desired speed, engage the cruise control. This step will vary widely based on your vehicle make and model, however, many cruise control settings are accessible from the steering wheel controls. Moreover, the more sophisticated systems with full stop and start or a low-speed traffic-jam feature work great for city driving. Typically, ACC gets included in a trim level or some sort of optional driver-assistance package on new cars. Level 2 – To qualify as Level 2, a vehicle must have at least two driver-assistance technologies. This typically includes ACC and another technology like lane-centering assist or lane-keeping assist.