Auto Pilot questions

[Arizona Willie]

Yesterday I noticed the steering wheel icon went on and off and was gray. I wasn't using AP.

Should it do that?

Also when I was using Auto Pilot I was in the slow lane on the 202 and when I went past a right hand exit Auto Pilot would drop out.

Also if I passed a concrete barrier on my right side the Auto Pilot would drop out.

I suspect it isn't working right.

 

[DirtyT3sla]

Yesterday I noticed the steering wheel icon went on and off and was gray. I wasn't using AP.

Should it do that?

Yes that means autopilot was available when the grey wheel was there, but wasn't available while the grey wheel disappeared.

Also when I was using Auto Pilot I was in the slow lane on the 202 and when I went past a right hand exit Auto Pilot would drop out.

Also if I passed a concrete barrier on my right side the Auto Pilot would drop out.

I suspect it isn't working right.

I'm not sure I have enough info for this part. Drop out means it turned off? Like the red wheel and alarm? Sometimes it can get confused and that can happen. Same for the concrete barrier.

 

[Arizona Willie]

Yes that means autopilot was available when the grey wheel was there, but wasn't available while the grey wheel disappeared.
===========\
Why does it flicker on and off?



I'm not sure I have enough info for this part. Drop out means it turned off? Like the red wheel and alarm? Sometimes it can get confused and that can happen. Same for the concrete barrier.

==========
The blue icon for AP goes away and I feel steering come back under my hands on the wheel. I feel control come back to me. AP is gone / off.

On the way back I didn't use AP at all because I don't trust it. Seems very erratic.

 

[JulienW]

==========
The blue icon for AP goes away and I feel steering come back under my hands on the wheel. I feel control come back to me. AP is gone / off.

On the way back I didn't use AP at all because I don't trust it. Seems very erratic.

Sounds like you may be torquing a little too hard and disengaging AP.

 

[Arizona Willie]

Sounds like you may be torquing a little too hard and disengaging AP.

==========
On cruise control at 65. Not accelerating at all.

 

[TIppy]

==========
On cruise control at 65. Not accelerating at all.

JulienW means you are applying a turning force to the steering wheel. It doesn't take too much to cause autopilot to disengage. When you go by a right hand exit often there are no lane markings, and the car tries to center itself in the wider lane and moves the right. If you try to prevent that by putting a little left turning force on the wheel, it will disengage autopilot. Similarly, if you feel the car is too close to a concrete barrier and, maybe unconsciously, turn away from it, that will also disengage autopilot.

 

[JulienW]

...Just to add when you are a newbie learning the right amount of force to apply is actually a skill. A way to avoid disengagement while learning is VERY lightly hold/touch the wheel and when the nag warnings comes on use one of the steering wheel buttons like Volume up/down or Following Distance to confirm and DON'T apply ANY force to the wheel. When you are on easy straight aways then you can practice to learn just the right amount of torque to do the job. I a month or so it will become 2ed nature.

 

[Arizona Willie]

...Just to add when you are a newbie learning the right amount of force to apply is actually a skill. A way to avoid disengagement while learning is VERY lightly hold/touch the wheel and when the nag warnings comes on use one of the steering wheel buttons like Volume up/down or Following Distance to confirm and DON'T apply ANY force to the wheel. When you are on easy straight aways then you can practice to learn just the right amount of torque to do the job. I a month or so it will become 2ed nature.

==========
Thanks for the response. I will try to apply these tips.

 

[Arizona Willie]

==========
Thanks for the response. I will try to apply these tips.

====================
I got my Learners Permit in 1955 when cars didn't have power steering and I was taught to hold the steering wheel firmly.

But I have discovered that Autopilot does NOT like that. I find it scary as hell to flip down to autopilot and let it take the wheel away from my hands. It seems to have a tendency to go to the right and I'm afraid it will go clear into the next lane but it doesn't.

I have to just gently rest my finger tips on the wheel or it will cut autopilot right back off again.

I think I'm getting the hang of it now. Still hard to trust it though.

 

[jjrandorin]

====================
I got my Learners Permit in 1955 when cars didn't have power steering and I was taught to hold the steering wheel firmly.

But I have discovered that Autopilot does NOT like that. I find it scary as hell to flip down to autopilot and let it take the wheel away from my hands. It seems to have a tendency to go to the right and I'm afraid it will go clear into the next lane but it doesn't.

I have to just gently rest my finger tips on the wheel or it will cut autopilot right back off again.

I think I'm getting the hang of it now. Still hard to trust it though.

Autopilot drives in the center of the lane.. if you had someone following you when you turned it on, and called them and asked "where is my car in the lane" they would tell you "right in the center".

Thing is, YOU likely dont drive in the center of the lane. Most people dont. They move from one side to the other as traffic dictates, and most people favor one side of the lane or the other. If you watch closely when you drive, you will notice that some people favor being close to the line on the drivers side, and some favor being close to the line on the passenger side.

If your car pulls to the right when you activate autopilot, its because you are driving on the left side of the lane close to the line, and its centering the car in the lane. This is likely something you have been doing for years (decades), so wont be easy for you to correct, and will feel "wrong" to you.

 

[Arizona Willie]

Autopilot drives in the center of the lane.. if you had someone following you when you turned it on, and called them and asked "where is my car in the lane" they would tell you "right in the center".

Thing is, YOU likely dont drive in the center of the lane. Most people dont. They move from one side to the other as traffic dictates, and most people favor one side of the lane or the other. If you watch closely when you drive, you will notice that some people favor being close to the line on the drivers side, and some favor being close to the line on the passenger side.

If your car pulls to the right when you activate autopilot, its because you are driving on the left side of the lane close to the line, and its centering the car in the lane. This is likely something you have been doing for years (decades), so wont be easy for you to correct, and will feel "wrong" to you.

=====
Very true. But I have also discovered my car may need an alignment. Without Autopilot on it pulls to the right. But I do indeed have a tendency to drive close to the left side of the lane.

 

[JCtx]

Hey gang, what do you have to do to keep AP from not cancelling without hands on the wheel? Can you just tap it every 'x' seconds? Or touch a button or something? It makes no sense to me to have AP on if you still have to keep hands on the wheel. I'd obviously be paying attention, but just not with the hands on the wheel. Otherwise, it'd just be like cruise control. Thx.

 

[JulienW]

Hey gang, what do you have to do to keep AP from not cancelling without hands on the wheel? Can you just tap it every 'x' seconds? Or touch a button or something? It makes no sense to me to have AP on if you still have to keep hands on the wheel. I'd obviously be paying attention, but just not with the hands on the wheel. Otherwise, it'd just be like cruise control. Thx.

Newbie. Sorry couldn't resist.

Start by using any button on the wheel to confirm like changing the follow distance or up/down volume.
Practice torquing the wheel on easy straight aways.
At first it is hard to find just the right amount to not disengage.
In a couple of months you will just reach and torque without any thought.