Parking Assist & Driving Assist not happy

[AndyW]

Thought I'd christen this new area of the forum, thanks Tom

So, PA & DA work incredibly well, when they work, but I've had an intermittent problem pretty much from day 1. The active cruise control is the most noticeable as I use it the most often, but maybe one in five times I use it, it'll say it's not able to turn on as it's outside its operating criteria, even though it seems to me to be situation normal. I get this message on the display:

I've also had this message, even when the windscreen is completely clear (the eye is under the sweep of the wiper, so there's nothing in the way):

Once, I got this message saying everything was out of action:

And early on, I had the parking assist throwing a complete wobbly (turning the car off & on again fixed it):

My dealer sent a file off to BMW a couple of weeks back, and they said today they need to "update the software", which will take a couple of days. I couldn't talk for long, so I think I'll take it up again tomorrow.

Any other early owners had similar?

 

[agj]

I've been using the DA 3 or 4 times, so not as often as you.

No problem to report on that front.

When reviewing the electronic user manual, I do remember that their was a pretty precise list of "system limits" (turns, speed, etc...). Did you check on them?

I did not spec the PA.

Hope they fix it soon for you.

Cheers

 

[AndyW]

Quick update: my dealer upgraded the software yesterday, and I haven't had any problems since. They also reckoned there were water spots on the windscreen right by the seeing eye which might've been affecting it, so that's now clean. Still early days, but fingers crossed.

 

[Buskraut]

Actually Andy, I think I figured out the problem based your pictures: you're driving on the wrong side of the road.


:lol:

 

[AndyW]

Maybe, but I'm driving on the right side of the car

So anyway, I thought this had gone away, but I had the same problem again this morning.

As I was running early for once, I thought I'd actually check the windscreen to see if there was something in the way - I haven't bothered up to now as I'm usually running late, and the wipers go right across that area so there couldn't possibly be anything there, I thought. However, I saw this:

It was cold this morning, 0.5c, and condensation had formed on the inside of the windscreen, in front of the seeing eye. Mystery solved, I think.

 

[LMOR]

You should show the picture to BMW service. This must be a fault?

 

[agj]

Mystery solved, I think.

Gosh! That explains all the symptoms as well as the apparent erratic occurrence indeed.
Well done, Andy. Hopefully, the fix should be easy and quick.

 

[AndyW]

Just emailed my service guy

 

[Houdini]

Just emailed my service guy

Any update on this?

 

[Paul1886]

Hi Andy,

I would be very interested to know how you are getting on with this, I picked up my i3 on Saturday and I am having all the same problems that you experienced with active cruise but so far the parking has behaved itself although I don't use it much...... but I don't have a fogged camera so could be a different issue for me.

It is a little annoying as it gives no indication what it thinks is wrong.

I was assured I had all the latest software too.

Paul

 

[AndyW]

My service advisor said today that it was still under investigation by BMW, and they were monitoring it to see if other people had the same problem. So if you're experiencing similar symptoms, please tell your dealer!

 

[Paul1886]

I'm getting this looked at today and also a drivetrain error (glitch?)

After more time with the system I realise the active cruise is pretty much OK on a motorway in perfect weather conditions, it falls over however in early morning sun (low in sky), rain, fog and road spray from car in front.

I drive the same stretch of road at 7.30am and 5.30pm everyday..... it won't activate in the morning but will always seem to do it in the evening.

 

[Gonville]

i wonder if it is just using the camera? The 3 and 5 series use a radar located in the lower grill. This works ok whatever the light conditions and has only been defeated by very heavy rain and on one occasion sleet that built up on the sensor. The error message actually said the sensor is obscured.

 

[Gonville]

Ha. On commute today the ACC disengaged with a warning message. This is on the F10 but may be relevant.

I had just come up behind a refuse lorry at a traffic light. ACC braked to a halt smoothly and engaged auto handbrake. Then went pop error. I think that the camera and the radar were disagreeing about the distance to the lorry. At 50 yards it was ok. When we stopped the radar is positioned centrally low down on the grill and could see straight between the lorry wheels with no radar return? Disagreed with the camera which could still see 2 red lights?

I'd love to know of they have changed the algorithms as I am sure it only used radar before and would disengage at 20mph before the start stop option was available. Interesting. I can't wait to try the i3.

Anyone look at the front to see if there is a flat 2 inch square plate anywhere?

 

[XXL]

i had a demo i3 (bev) for a day and tested DA. On one occasion the car suddenly braked allthough no car was in front but a car was passing in the other direction on the straight road (possible driving more closely to the center of the road)... it was scary and luckely no one was behind me...

Also driving assistance confuses max tons trafiic signs with speed signs, f.e. 10t it interpretes as 10km speed limit...

 

[GMac67]

Does anyone know if there is a solution to this problem.

I was driving home yesterday and got stuck in traffic. The Active Cruise Control disengaged multiple time and also failed to engage multiple times with the warning message or just with the message: "can't engage".

Yes the sun was low, but is typical for a drive home. It can't be that this feature only works in perfect weather conditions, otherwise I should have saved the money and only got the standard cruise control. Which might have been a deal breaker for the car.

 

[Paul1886]

I agree, I should have saved my money.... I just don't use it anymore...... very surprised BMW released such a rubbish system.

When I complained I was told to read the manual that mentions a whole list of restrictions!

The worst thing for me is I have no option to use a standard type of cruise control, it's active or nothing at all and mostly I get nothing at all!

 

[RJSATLBA]

I wonder whether the shortcomings are due to the various assistance systems being solely optical, ie camera based, rather than camera and radar, as the brochure claims? Radar shouldn't be defeated by different lighting conditions and should be less affected by rain.

 

[Plug]

Paul, you shouldn't accept what they are saying. Yours needs fixing because the system isn't as bad as that. I've probably used ACC for about 1500 of my 2000 miles and I've had it drop out 3 times in total (twice when I exited a dark tunnel into bright sunlight). Even at night and in heavy rain it is working well. Yours obviously has something wrong with it so keep at them !

 

[Paul1886]

Thanks for that Plug.... does yours work OK say at 7 am when the sun is out?... until the sun is high in the sky mine just will not engage. Most of the time I need it to work is during my daily commute between 7am and 9am, if it does engage it won't stay on for long.

I have a constant rattle that's developed behind the dash so when I take it in for that I will ask them to revisit the active cruise issue.

Thanks again