Few things get your attention like the abrupt flash of a warning light on your dashboard. There’s the check engine light, oil light, and brake light, to name a few. The adaptive cruise control (ACC) also uses lights to help you stay on top of sudden developments while on the road. The cues provided by these lights are important to your safety on the highway because ACC isn’t a true self-driving system that can operate your vehicle on its own.
When the adaptive cruise control light turns on, it usually indicates an issue with the ACC. Here are the most common adaptive cruise control problems:
Following distance is the space between your vehicle and the one in front of you. There should be enough room for your vehicle to stop after you hit the brakes during an emergency.
When you engage adaptive cruise control, the electronic control module (ECM) scans the space in front of your vehicle through the electronic eyes of its sensors. It measures the following distance and compares this with what’s been programmed into its memory.
Armed with this information, the ECM will adjust the speed of your vehicle to ensure a safe distance between it and the vehicle ahead of you. Furthermore, if you manually set a speed limit for the ACC, the computer will make sure to stay within that range.
However, the driver ahead of you might have other ideas, such as slowing down to avoid hitting something that crossed the road without warning. If the ACC sensors detect an unsafe following distance between your vehicle and the one in front of yours, it will activate the ACC warning light.
The ACC relies on its sensors to determine the distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you. If the sensor provides erroneous data, the computer might think that the other vehicle is closer than it actually is.
Dirt can also affect a sensor’s performance without necessarily damaging or disabling it. It can block the business end of an optical or laser sensor, preventing the device from doing its job. Of course, if the contaminant enters the sensor, it can cause serious problems.
Driving during unfavorable weather conditions like fog, rain, and snow isn’t only difficult on your eyes. They can also mess with the sensors that the ACC uses to measure following distance. Lasers and optical cameras are particularly vulnerable to this particular adaptive cruise control problem because bad weather reduces light-based visibility.
The color of the ACC light can vary depending on the manufacturer. For example, Volkswagen uses a yellow warning light to inform you about a problem that has disabled your vehicle’s adaptive cruise control. Other manufacturers use red-colored lights as their visual warning cue. The dashboard or head-up display might also show a helpful warning phrase like “Brake now”.
In addition to illuminating the ACC light, your vehicle might also make distinct noises. Working in tandem, a warning light and audible alarm stand a better chance of warning you about the malfunctioning ACC. Note that just about any malfunction on the car can turn off the system and not allow it to work, even as small as a faulty brake light switch.
Note that just about any malfunction on the car can turn off the system and not allow it to work, even as small as a faulty brake light switch.
– Anthony Harlin, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician
So what is adaptive cruise control? It’s a system that helps keep your vehicle at a certain speed to maintain a safe following distance. It will automatically adjust how fast you’re going.
This system might go by different names according to the manufacturer’s preference. Some of the alternative terms are active, automatic, dynamic, intelligent, and radar cruise control.
Radar-based adaptive cruise control lets you live out your fighter jet pilot fantasies. It uses several radar sensors to look around your vehicle.
A laser sensor-based ACC projects a light beam ahead of your vehicle. When the beam hits something, it bounces back to the sensor. The computer looks at the reading and interprets it to determine the distance.
An optical-based system views the world through the lens of a video camera. It sends a video feed to the computer, which will gauge the distance to the other vehicle and set a safe following distance.
There are also ACCs that use more than one type of sensor. It can compare readings from different sensors for greater accuracy. If one sensor fails, the other can take over the job until you fix the problematic part.
Adaptive cruise control is a refinement of the older cruise control. This was first introduced as a luxury feature of the 1958 Chrysler Imperial. Since its debut onboard Chrysler’s old flagship vehicle, it has become a common sight and even required feature in modern vehicles.
No matter the year in which its vehicle came out, the cruise control does the same job. It keeps your vehicle moving within the speed you set for it. You don’t have to constantly press your foot on the throttle pedal to adjust the throttle with every rise and fall of the road gradient.
ACC does all of that with greater precision and faster response time. By operating with higher efficiency, it improves your vehicle’s road safety.
No, although there are some similarities between them. Since ACC has more automation than older cruise control, it can seem almost intelligent.
There’s even semi-autonomous cruise control. Featuring both adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, this system serves as a semi-automatic driving assistant. It can perform minor steering changes to keep your vehicle in the lane if you ever let go of the steering wheel. If you keep your hands off the wheel for more than a few nervous seconds, the semi-autonomous CC will trigger alarms to remind you to take hold of the wheel again.
But even semi-autonomous CC doesn’t come close to the capabilities of a true self-driving car. Driverless cars aren’t limited to keeping a safe following distance from other vehicles and sticking to the speed limit set by ACC. They can speed up, slow down, brake, and change direction.
A bad sensor can cause your vehicle’s adaptive cruise control system to malfunction. To restore this system’s functionality, you’ll need to replace the failed part with a new one from CarParts.com.
We carry an extensive selection of adaptive cruise control sensors for your ride. These devices are engineered to OE specifications in world-class facilities, so you’re sure to get one that’s built to last. Take your pick from only the most trusted aftermarket brands today, and enjoy a hassle-free shopping experience with our user-friendly website.
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