False positives in Blind Spot Detection: Anyone else seen this?

[markb]

I've had my Mach-E for about 6 weeks. While it handles well, is fun to drive, I find some of the software "lacking". I have to wonder if anyone else has seen this issue with blind spot detection. I'm getting false positives...which aren't much of an issue unto themselves because one can ignore the flashing light in the mirror. But at least once with bluecruise running, the car wrenched the steering wheel from my hands and tossed me back in my lane when there was clearly nothing in the blind spot. I got a little unnerved by that incident.

Things worked find until I got a trailer hitch for a bike rack. I never tow with the car, just refuse to put the bike anywhere but on the rack. The conditions for this issue are rather specific. When:
1) I drive with a bike on the rack
2) Drive at night
3) use the brake or direct signal to change lanes
4) change to a left hand lane (drivers side) - I've not noticed any issues with changing to a right ride lane.
5) be running blue cruise (no sure if this matters)

... about 50% of the time the car will give a false positive for something in the blind spot. It would appear the reflection off the bike from the lights confuses the computer. I assume the camera on the driver's side mirror is used to detect something in the blind spot. If the ultrasonic sensors are used, then those can be turned off (parking sensors).

I would think nothing of it, but having the car decide to force me back in my lane was unexpected. I've taken to holding the wheel a bit tighter more recently and I've had to convince the car to change lanes on occasion (after looking a few times).

Anyone else had this or similar issues?

Mark

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[Mach-Lee]

Interesting, this would imply the side cameras are used for blind spot detection. It might see your brake lights or turn signal reflected off your bike or bike rack sticking out to the side of the vehicle.

I guess the solution it to take off your bike rack or make it less reflective.

 

[Blue highway]

From Fords communications site... Fitted to almost every Ford as standard, BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross-Traffic Alert forms part of Ford’s new CoPilot360® suite of driver assist features. It uses radars to monitor your blind spots when driving and also when reversing out of a car park or driveway, and alerts you of any dangers you may have not seen or noticed.

The Radar units are usually located in the mirrors... if a bike wheel is sticking out just far enough to be seen by the radar, I'd expect a "false positive"

 

[Mach-Lee]

From Fords communications site... Fitted to almost every Ford as standard, BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross-Traffic Alert forms part of Ford’s new CoPilot360® suite of driver assist features. It uses radars to monitor your blind spots when driving and also when reversing out of a car park or driveway, and alerts you of any dangers you may have not seen or noticed.

The Radar units are usually located in the mirrors... if a bike wheel is sticking out just far enough to be seen by the radar, I'd expect a "false positive"

The radar units are located in the 4 corners of the vehicle, 1, 2, 5, and 6 in the photo. There is no radar in the side mirrors, just an indicator light.

The radar shouldn't care if it's day or night though, so that's the odd part. I could see the bike rack blocking the rear sensor visibility but this seems to be triggered by light, so a camera?

 

[MellowJohnny]

Manual specifically states (in a few spots) that using bike racks can interfere with the sensors. Only mentioned in the Reverse Braking Assist section, but certainly seems your evidence points to it as contributing.

I’ve had “false” alerts when a car was two lanes over (not in the lane I was merging into) but could have been before I made a visual.

 

[Logal727]

My reverse assist gets spooked by my sprinklers, here’s a video:
Sprinklers are running left side of screen

 

[markb]

Thanks everyone for your responses and @Mach-Lee some some detail on the radar system running the Blind Spot detection.

After driving with the bike on the rack this week during the day, I can say that day/night has no effect. In some way, I wish when the rear parking sensors auto disabled themselves, the rear radar sensor would as well ... or offer some system to detect blockages.

With my 2020 VW Tiguan the bike on the bike rack never bothered the blind spot detection. Although, that vehicle didn't have any change the course of the vehicle, so it wouldn't have matter.

In my case, each time something incorrectly was detected, turned my head all the way around to check the blind spot - nothing there. Works fine when the is no bike or bike rack.

I'm in the process of getting into the Early Access Program...so, hopefully, I'll be able to report his problem as a bug.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Mach-Lee]

I'm in the process of getting into the Early Access Program...so, hopefully, I'll be able to report his problem as a bug.

I don't think they will be interested because it's not a bug. You have an aftermarket accessory interfering with the normal operation of the vehicle. BLIS wasn't designed to work with bike racks. The car has collision avoidance, so it will try to steer you back into the original lane if it thinks you're going to change lanes into somebody. Ford will tell you to remove the bike rack if you have issues.

 

[Jimrpa]

I've had my Mach-E for about 6 weeks. While it handles well, is fun to drive, I find some of the software "lacking". I have to wonder if anyone else has seen this issue with blind spot detection. I'm getting false positives...which aren't much of an issue unto themselves because one can ignore the flashing light in the mirror. But at least once with bluecruise running, the car wrenched the steering wheel from my hands and tossed me back in my lane when there was clearly nothing in the blind spot. I got a little unnerved by that incident.

Things worked find until I got a trailer hitch for a bike rack. I never tow with the car, just refuse to put the bike anywhere but on the rack. The conditions for this issue are rather specific. When:
1) I drive with a bike on the rack
2) Drive at night
3) use the brake or direct signal to change lanes
4) change to a left hand lane (drivers side) - I've not noticed any issues with changing to a right ride lane.
5) be running blue cruise (no sure if this matters)

... about 50% of the time the car will give a false positive for something in the blind spot. It would appear the reflection off the bike from the lights confuses the computer. I assume the camera on the driver's side mirror is used to detect something in the blind spot. If the ultrasonic sensors are used, then those can be turned off (parking sensors).

I would think nothing of it, but having the car decide to force me back in my lane was unexpected. I've taken to holding the wheel a bit tighter more recently and I've had to convince the car to change lanes on occasion (after looking a few times).

Anyone else had this or similar issues?

Mark

Just to be sure I understand: you’re putting unapproved 3rd party metal accessories directly in the general area of the blind spot radar system, and now you’re wondering why it’s behaving erratically?

Im going to go out in a limb here: try removing the unapproved 3rd party metal accessories and see if the performance of your blind spot monitoring systems improve.

By the way, fun fact: those radars are also used by some of the vehicle safety systems ?

 

[Jimrpa]

Thanks everyone for your responses and @Mach-Lee some some detail on the radar system running the Blind Spot detection.

After driving with the bike on the rack this week during the day, I can say that day/night has no effect. In some way, I wish when the rear parking sensors auto disabled themselves, the rear radar sensor would as well ... or offer some system to detect blockages.

With my 2020 VW Tiguan the bike on the bike rack never bothered the blind spot detection. Although, that vehicle didn't have any change the course of the vehicle, so it wouldn't have matter.

In my case, each time something incorrectly was detected, turned my head all the way around to check the blind spot - nothing there. Works fine when the is no bike or bike rack.

I'm in the process of getting into the Early Access Program...so, hopefully, I'll be able to report his problem as a bug.

Thanks,
Mark

This isn’t a problem/bug. You are using an unapproved accessory. Remove it and see if the problem still occurs. If it stops occurring, you’ve fixed the problem. If it continues to occur, head to the dealer for service of a safety-related system.

 

[Jimrpa]

My reverse assist gets spooked by my sprinklers, here’s a video:
Sprinklers are running left side of screen

Lol - if you’re really bored, google “crane rain model”. I’m actually surprised that Ford would use a radar band that is that significantly impacted my moisture in the air. Maybe the software compensates for rain and doesn’t detect sprinklers as “rain”?

 

[Logal727]

Lol - if you’re really bored, google “crane rain model”. I’m actually surprised that Ford would use a radar band that is that significantly impacted my moisture in the air. Maybe the software compensates for rain and doesn’t detect sprinklers as “rain”?

Those sprinklers are the ones that spray a solid wall of water, so I'm guessing maybe it thought it was more solid?

 

[Jimrpa]

Those sprinklers are the ones that spray a solid wall of water, so I'm guessing maybe it thought it was more solid?

Ah, definitely more water = more RF attenuation. I don’t know what band radar Ford uses, or what compensation they do for weather. They must do something.

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