Driver initiated lane change during NoA

[DaveG_NJ]

Still getting my feet wet with NoA and getting my head around how best to use it. Some of the terminology around "automated lane changes" is confusing as I read the manual.

I see three distinct methods of changing lanes on the highway:

1. Driver-initiated manual lane changes - this is like driving an ICE car or a Tesla with no AP enabled. Driver puts on blinker, checks adjacent lane, turns wheel, car changes lane.
2. Computer-initiated automatic lane changes - this would be Navigate on Autopilot (NoA) changing lanes to go faster and moving back when pass is complete or getting into position as you approach an exit. Only available with NoA.
3. Driver-initiated automated lane changes - Autosteer is on. Driver puts on blinker and car automatically moves into indicated lane if clear.

So my question is this - if I'm driving with NoA on, interstate route and I want to change lanes (because I see a caravan of cars about to merge from the right and I'm in the right lane), can't I just hit the blinker to make the car move over? It seems like I can't under NoA. Personally, I think the car should move to the center lane when approaching an exit that you are going to pass by to allow for traffic to merge. Is the correct move to disengage NoA, indicate a lane change, have the car execute it, then re-engage it?

It seems I lose approach #3 above (driver-initiated automated lane changes) if I am using NoA. I tried this today and the car ignored my blinker. I had to break NoA with a yank (not a smooth move) to get it to change lanes.

 

[diplomat33]

Still getting my feet wet with NoA and getting my head around how best to use it. Some of the terminology around "automated lane changes" is confusing as I read the manual.

I see three distinct methods of changing lanes on the highway:

1. Driver-initiated manual lane changes - this is like driving an ICE car or a Tesla with no AP enabled. Driver puts on blinker, checks adjacent lane, turns wheel, car changes lane.
2. Computer-initiated automatic lane changes - this would be Navigate on Autopilot (NoA) changing lanes to go faster and moving back when pass is complete or getting into position as you approach an exit. Only available with NoA.
3. Driver-initiated automated lane changes - Autosteer is on. Driver puts on blinker and car automatically moves into indicated lane if clear.

So my question is this - if I'm driving with NoA on, interstate route and I want to change lanes (because I see a caravan of cars about to merge from the right and I'm in the right lane), can't I just hit the blinker to make the car move over? It seems like I can't under NoA. Personally, I think the car should move to the center lane when approaching an exit that you are going to pass by to allow for traffic to merge. Is the correct move to disengage NoA, indicate a lane change, have the car execute it, then re-engage it?

It seems I lose approach #3 above (driver-initiated automated lane changes) if I am using NoA. I tried this today and the car ignored my blinker. I had to break NoA with a yank (not a smooth move) to get it to change lanes.

No, you should be able to do #3 with NOA. Under NOA, if you hit the turn signal, the car will initiate an auto lane change.

Perhaps there was something that prevented the car from doing an auto lane change in that specific instance. But normally, it should work.

 

[DaveG_NJ]

No, you should be able to do #3 with NOA. Under NOA, if you hit the turn signal, the car will initiate an auto lane change.

Perhaps there was something that prevented the car from doing an auto lane change in that specific instance. But normally, it should work.

Oh, great, thank you! I wonder if it's expecting a full push, like you wanted the blinker to stay on vs. a half push (only on while holding it). I honestly can't recall which I tried. Glad to hear it's user-error, though!

 

[FloridaJohn]

Oh, great, thank you! I wonder if it's expecting a full push, like you wanted the blinker to stay on vs. a half push (only on while holding it). I honestly can't recall which I tried. Glad to hear it's user-error, though!

It needs to be a full push. The car will turn the blinker off after the lane change is completed.

Also, even though you are manually initiating a lane change, it is still "automatic". The car will not change lanes until it feels it is safe to do so. If you have a car speeding up to you in the new lane, the car will wait until it passes to make the change. Initiating the lane change does not make the car change lanes "right now".

 

[MrBadger]

It seems I lose approach #3 above (driver-initiated automated lane changes) if I am using NoA. I tried this today and the car ignored my blinker. I had to break NoA with a yank (not a smooth move) to get it to change lanes.

In the UK, auto lane changes only work in certain scenarios. Nothing obvious other than non divided highway is definitely a no no and divided highways, it seems to change from release to release as to whether a auto lane change can be initiated on that section of road.

The other thing to cause a lane change to be ignored is if the car doesn't think you have hands on wheel. Due to UN ECE r79, the car will often timeout before you realise that the car is waiting for you to have hands on steering - the nag, if it does appear in time, often comes far too late.

 

[animorph]

It needs to be a full push. The car will turn the blinker off after the lane change is completed.

Also, even though you are manually initiating a lane change, it is still "automatic". The car will not change lanes until it feels it is safe to do so. If you have a car speeding up to you in the new lane, the car will wait until it passes to make the change. Initiating the lane change does not make the car change lanes "right now".

That's true only for a 3 or Y. S and X have latching turn signal stalks that can't be automatically canceled. For them a partial push of the stalk without latching is enough to initiate and complete an auto lane change. If you end up latching it you'll have to unlatch it manually when the lane change is complete. No end of fun when switching between a 3 and an X!

With NoA I prefer manually confirming lane changes (I'm crappy at smoothly canceling them). I'll manually initiate a lane change whenever NoA is not doing what I want. No problems with doing that.

 

[KArnold]

I had a new freeay NOA experience. There are 4 lanes going my direction. Lanes #3 and #4 are an exit only about a mile down the road to a different freeway. These lanes will go different directions post exit so it's important to be in the right lane. My intent is to take the exit in lane #3.

I'm in lane #2, nobody is in lane #3 but there is someone in lane #4 at my rear quarter panel, which I saw. NoA initiated a lane change from #2 to #3. About that same time, the car in #4 started to change to #3 as well - that part I did not see.

About maybe 1' into lane #3, NoA abruptly moved back to #2. Turn signal remained on, the car that moved into #3 slowed a bit and NoA then re-tried the lane change successfully.

May have saved my bacon. Nice move! Maybe it's always done this but it's the first time I've seen a legit lane change abort.

 

[yourhero]

It needs to be a full push.

This is incorrect in my experience with my Y. So long as you keep holding the stalk in the half-pushed position it will execute the driver-initiated auto lane change (when safe to do so). I do this frequently while on NoA. If you hold the stalk for only a few moments it may start the lane change then abort it when you release the stalk.

 

[Microterf]

This is incorrect in my experience with my Y. So long as you keep holding the stalk in the half-pushed position it will execute the driver-initiated auto lane change (when safe to do so). I do this frequently while on NoA. If you hold the stalk for only a few moments it may start the lane change then abort it when you release the stalk.

Yes. This. When I first started using it, I would do the half push and it would then throw me back in my lane. I always use a full push now, but it you do half push and hold it through the change, it works.

 

[Fernand]

I had one of those layered smart aborts today. Wow. And a couple of muscle-in smooth lane changes, the way humans do it when they need want to. The whole NOA driving skill set has again gained more fluidity and skill of late. There's absolutely no question that my Nicki drives better than me at this point, ask my wife.

It's so sad reading "testimonials" from people who try any type of autopilot for a couple of hours/days and then swear and witness that it's useless, a tool of the devil, and not worth spending any money on.

I can understand how new NOA users focus on any anomalies and bite their nails. There are always cases where you go "I wouldn't do it that way". But those are easy to deal with if you simply accept that they can happen. It's a lot like sitting in the passenger seat when an acquaintance that you don't know is driving.

And it takes a while, like using it for several weeks, to really get comfortable and efficient with NOA. Then it's something you realize you really needed, and will never give up. You'll see.

Oh, and remember that each user's profile is distinct. My wife never could get lane changes by the car or from the blinker stalk. Her profile still had some default settings