Is there a way to test/practice BlueCruise?

[minjaep]

The bars in Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) systems are not indicative of an exact distance maintained between the lead vehicle and the following vehicle. This is because there are too many variables that cannot be predicted. The biggest one being the speed of the vehicle in front of yours. If you're moving at 60 mph, the 4-bar setting will keep you at a predetermined distance, but it will increase that distance at higher speeds and may decrease that distance at lower speeds. It will not, however, maintain a perfect distance. As the lead vehicle increases or decreases speeds, the following vehicle with ACC will get closer or fall farther behind depending on the new relative speed.

It's slightly better to think of those bars in the ACC settings as time rather than distance. The range is several seconds for most ACC systems in the US. But it's still variable because it's a reactive system, not a predictive system.

Most ACC systems have trouble detecting stopped vehicles (or non-moving anything) when you are traveling at high speeds (highway). In most cases where the ACC has low speed and stopping capabilities, a different algorithm takes over at lower speeds.

You should never expect a vehicle to stop for you in the situation when there's a stationary object ahead of you and you are moving at high speed. In a situation where you have any kind of cruise control on and you see a stationary object or much slower vehicle ahead of you, you should take control of the vehicle as you normally would, using your judgement to slow the vehicle safely. Do not rely on the assisting technology.

How best to take full control will depend on your particular situation. When I have plenty of time, I simply turn off CC using the steering wheel controls. If I don't have time, I simply step on the brake. Both are valid ways of turning off the assistive technologies. The key is to maintain control so you don't end up in a panic situation.

That makes sense. Is there another situation that I need to pay attention, while I can still trust it is working most of the time? Another thing I watched a lot from Tesla cams is when a huge truck in the next lane nudges a little to my lane. To me autopilot sometimes avoids it too seriously which caused some unnecessary accidents. I wonder Ford's ACC has similar flaw (?) or algorithm I need to be aware of.

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[SpaceEVDriver]

That makes sense. Is there another situation that I need to pay attention, while I can still trust it is working most of the time? Another thing I watched a lot from Tesla cams is when a huge truck in the next lane nudges a little to my lane. To me autopilot sometimes avoids it too seriously which caused some unnecessary accidents. I wonder Ford's ACC has similar flaw (?) or algorithm I need to be aware of.

I don't think you should consider any of these technologies as "self-" anything. They're there to assist you but you are responsible for maintaining control over your vehicle at all times. I use BlueCruise and ACC for long drives on the highway to relieve the stress of those long drives. I turn them off whenever there's any kind of possible issue, be it congestion, weather, bad roads, or whatever.

The Ford ACC/BlueCruise can be disabled and reenabled (with the previous settings) with a quick push of the button on the steering wheel. Whenever I'm concerned about whether the system will behave itself, I just temporarily disable it and then reenable it when I'm sure it's not going to cause trouble.

I don't use one pedal while I'm on the freeway. This allows me to turn off the assistive technologies without a sudden braking.

 

[AzYooper]

Call me dumb, or one who didn't read the manual cover to cover, but where do you set the number of bars? I didn't realize that was adjustable.

 

[Sikkun]

Call me dumb, or one who didn't read the manual cover to cover, but where do you set the number of bars? I didn't realize that was adjustable.

It’s in the manual.

 

[RickMachE]

Call me dumb, or one who didn't read the manual cover to cover, but where do you set the number of bars? I didn't realize that was adjustable.

 

[AzYooper]

So many settings, so little time. I plead being 86.9 years old as my defense. Glad that I chose the Mach-E to be my "possibly " last car. Thanks RickMachE from this former Yooper.

 

[AzYooper]

It’s in the manual.

I knew that. Thanks for confirming. I was wondering how long it would take for that reply.

 

[phil]

I plead being 86.9 years old as my defense.

Not guilty!

 

[Sikkun]

I knew that. Thanks for confirming. I was wondering how long it would take for that reply.

Would have taken you less time to look. But yes, luckily someone will always do it for you.

 

[AzYooper]

Would have taken you less time to look. But yes, luckily someone will always do it for you.

It's pretty obvious that you have never tried to find something in the manual. I thought this forum was to help your fellow Mach-E owners with their problems. I guess you would rather not be helpful just say "figure it out for yourself. Why are you here?

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