Have you got ACC Adaptive Cruise Control on your 8V A3 S3 ?

[veeeight]

If you have, have you tested out the Pre Sense Front feature?

Under 18mph, it should brake autonomously (full braking) for you, if it detects a stationary or slow moving object in front of you = collision avoidance.

Over 18mph, it should apply partial braking for you, then when you apply the brake pedal, it will calculate the additional brake pressure required to avoid collision and apply that for you.


Have you tested yours?

Would love to see a YouTube video of you driving up to some tall cardboard boxes wrapped in tin foil at 15mph !


Audi Pre Sense Front | Euro NCAP - For safer cars crash test safety rating



There is a demo of this on an A6: cartechnical | Audi safety track test - YouTube

 

[cemerson]

Tested in that it's gone off twice on me now... not actually tried to test it on purpose! Both times it was when a car was turning off the road in front of me, and would have been out the way before I got there so I carried on, but the car didn't think so! Probably a bit close, that's all

 

[cemerson]

Although you feel the brake assist part of it reasonably often. At least I do. It adds extra braking force if there is something in front of you that you need to stop behind, does that quite a bit. It's good, I like it. Some might not though.

 

[veeeight]

This is crying out for a DIY test on some tin foil wrapped cardboard boxes! Be sure to post the video on YouTube!

 

[andywil13]

ive had the pre-sense triggered quite a few times. a few false alarms, but the times it has reacted correctly, its been almost the same time that I started to take action myself.

The most times I've had it trigger is if a car drastically changes speed in front of me, such as making a late left turn without indicating. The car seems to calculate a rapid deceleration of the car in front i guess. If the car in front slows down at normal speed then no alarm, but im scared to get close enough for it to brake for me!

False alarm seem to be triggered when overtaking large lorrys carrying lots of metal! such as a fuel tanker

 

[BGS]

Not tested mine as such but have experienced it once with a car in front not pulling fully in to a filter lane to turn right. My car picked it up as an obstacle and applied the brakes on the way past.

 

[cemerson]

This is crying out for a DIY test on some tin foil wrapped cardboard boxes! Be sure to post the video on YouTube!

I've seen someone try a similar test with an A5 or something on youtube - it didn't work! Maybe it needs a bit more mass or more metal for it to detect it.

 

[andywil13]

Not tested mine as such but have experienced it once with a car in front not pulling fully in to a filter lane to turn right. My car picked it up as an obstacle and applied the brakes on the way past.

Ive also noticed the ACC wont let you undertake cars!

 

[cemerson]

It will if it sees a car in front of you undertake as well, it's smart! I think it's because it isn't sure about whether the car may be partly in your lane or not, rather than it taking some kind of stand against undertaking!

 

[constvoid]

It will if it sees a car in front of you undertake as well, it's smart! I think it's because it isn't sure about whether the car may be partly in your lane or not, rather than it taking some kind of stand against undertaking!

Definitely a case of deja-vu here, but I'm absolutely convinced it is being smart about overtaking on the wrong side - if only because there's no hesitation when overtaking on the correct side even if the car you're overtaking is very close to the line.

Regarding pre-sense: I've never had it go off when I'm not using ACC, so it's difficult for me to tell if it's normal ACC slowing the car to a halt, or whether pre-sense would have done the same if ACC were not in use.

 

[cemerson]

Yes, I agree - I think it is more lenient on one side than the other because of overtaking.

 

[andywil13]

Definitely a case of deja-vu here, but I'm absolutely convinced it is being smart about overtaking on the wrong side - if only because there's no hesitation when overtaking on the correct side even if the car you're overtaking is very close to the line.

Regarding pre-sense: I've never had it go off when I'm not using ACC, so it's difficult for me to tell if it's normal ACC slowing the car to a halt, or whether pre-sense would have done the same if ACC were not in use.

I think its unlikely to get pre-sense alarms when using ACC.

Depending how you drive/where you drive you might never get pre-sense alarms

When not using ACC if i get too close to the car in front for too long, i get a red flashing warning. If i car slows down drastically then I get a warning. Ive only experienced a brake jolt in false alerts so far

 

[cemerson]

When not using ACC if i get too close to the car in front for too long, i get a red flashing warning. If i car slows down drastically then I get a warning. Ive only experienced a brake jolt in false alerts so far

Pretty much the same, though I have had it intervene and help with the braking when the car in front of me pretty much emergency stopped before. The red warning is telling you that pre-sense may not be able to prevent a collision in time if something happens given the distance you are from the car in front.

 

[veeeight]

I thought the red warning was the first initial warning, along with the "Bong" ?
Then comes the haptic braking "jolt" to wake you up
Then 30% partial braking?

 

[cemerson]

Depends what you mean by the red warning. There is one that comes up on the DIS with the 'bong', but I was talking about the ACC light on the instrument cluster that flashes red, which happens before any action is taken by pre-sense, and before the warning mentioned above.

 

[veeeight]

Oh, I didn't realise you got a red warning light, before the red DIS warning light !!

 

[cemerson]

Yes - that's the bit that is warning of you being too close to the car in front for pre-sense to be able to stop you in time. It's there even if the car in front isn't slowing down / braking relative to you, whereas the rest of it kicks in when the closing speed between your car and the one in front starts increasing.

 

[snowfree52]

Definitely a case of deja-vu here, but I'm absolutely convinced it is being smart about overtaking on the wrong side - if only because there's no hesitation when overtaking on the correct side even if the car you're overtaking is very close to the line.

Regarding pre-sense: I've never had it go off when I'm not using ACC, so it's difficult for me to tell if it's normal ACC slowing the car to a halt, or whether pre-sense would have done the same if ACC were not in use.

In the VCDS when you go to the ACC module, there is a code that says something like : forbid illegal overtaking : activated

 

[veeeight]

Ive also noticed the ACC wont let you undertake cars!

Can you not just pull the cruise stalk towards you to "confirm" the undertake, where by it eventually learns its OK?

Or is that just an urban myth?

 

[cemerson]

No, you can do that. It doesn't 'learn' anything though. If it sees cars in front of you undertaking the car it'll just undertake without a problem. If not, it'll pause there (or go proceed very slowly), unless you just give a quick pull back on the CC stalk, when it'll accelerate again.

 

[the_lecht_rocks]

What sensor do we all gave at the front ? Blank plate or round lens ?

 

[moffe]

I got the round lens...

 

[cemerson]

Round lens for me, got mine before the flat one was introduced. I understand I would have got the flat one if I had ordered now though.

 

[Itguy]

My new s3 has the round one and it was build week 1. I haven't ordered the assistance pack but did order lane assist.

 

[cemerson]

I can't remember what the rules are now... perhaps I would have got the round one then as I was the same as Itguy!

 

[Brett Butler]

hmm wonder what it is like if you went abroad?

 

[constvoid]

hmm wonder what it is like if you went abroad?

In a previous discussion on this, we concluded that if you have satnav fitted ACC will use the appropriate country rules for overtaking on the left/right. As I don't have satnav (I prefer my TOMTOM with live updates) my ACC 'learns' which side is correct based on prevailing traffic patterns. This means that it can be confused in traffic queues if the nearside lane is moving fater than the offside one, but once out of the queue it eventually resets itself. In this situation I sometimes have to encourage it to overtake with the accelerator or by pulling the CC lever, until it has re-learned what is correct.

 

[veeeight]

VW Up! in City Emergency Braking Test:




VW Golf Advert:

 

[mls]

I'm excited about the traffic stop/go feature of ACC ! That will be SOOOOOO useful

 

[veeeight]

In the news today - Autonomous Emergency Braking

BBC News - Insurers call for automated braking

 

[drummerdimitri]

I have a question. Does the car stop completely by itself when ACC is activated in case the car in front stops and then resumes automatically?

I understand how the system works when ACC is of and pre sense front is activated but wanted to know more about ACC.

 

[veeeight]

Yes to your first question, if you have S-tronic.

(But only if the complete stop is 3 seconds or under. After that, you have to "give permission" for the car to resume, by touching the accelerator, or pulling on the cruise stalk.)

 

[drummerdimitri]

Yes to your first question, if you have S-tronic.

(But only if the complete stop is 3 seconds or under. After that, you have to "give permission" for the car to resume, by touching the accelerator, or pulling on the cruise stalk.)

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Martha]

So will insurance be cheaper with pre-sense? How will they know that the car is fitted with pre-sense?

 

[veeeight]

It is on a (insert name of car here), because ACC and therefore pre-sense front is standard on a (insert name of car here), not an option as it is on Audi.

You'd have to query your insurance underwriter if they have discounted it, if you have pre-sense front as an option.

 

[glospete]

My insurer (LV) gives no insurance discount on the A3 even if you have emergency city braking. They say because it is not a standard feature on A3/S3 models they cannot know if a particular car has it. Their logic is slightly off as I can PROVE that mine has it but they are adamant that the A3/S3 will not receive a discount for the reason stated.

 

[lee_fr200]

Will acc bring a car to a full stop then set off again,

I've heard if approaching stationary traffic it won't and it would be an accident but also heard of following a car and traffic builds up the acc will slow you to a stop, is this true?

 

[JordanQuattro]

Will acc bring a car to a full stop then set off again,

I've heard if approaching stationary traffic it won't and it would be an accident but also heard of following a car and traffic builds up the acc will slow you to a stop, is this true?

If you have S-Tronic with the ACC on the car infront and it comes to a halt, your car will also autonomously stop, it will also set off without any driver intervention if you were stationary for less than 3 seconds. If youre stationary for longer, pull the cruise stslk towards you and it wil restart the timer and allow it to be stationary for 15 seconds without deactivating the ACC.

 

[Martinbanshee]

Will acc bring a car to a full stop then set off again,

I've heard if approaching stationary traffic it won't and it would be an accident but also heard of following a car and traffic builds up the acc will slow you to a stop, is this true?

If you're following traffic and it stops your car will also stop.
If you approach stationary traffic your car won't stop entirely.
It will detect the cars at the last minute via Pre-sense but probably won't stop in time to avoid contact unless you're doing under 19mph in which case you would most likely be ok.

 

[lee_fr200]

Cheers guys so will stop if following won't stop if traffic is already stationary unless under 19mph