What option should I look for to insure that emergency braking is installed?

[Birucaitcha]

I want to purchase a used bmw i3. The most important feature to me is the emergency braking feature where the car detects a collision with some object and auto brakes.

I’ve been looking on cars.com and each car has so many details. What option or package do I need to search for to insure it has the auto braking feature.
Thank you in advance for any info.

 

[alohart]

The Technology + Driving Assistance Package includes emergency braking. An i3 with this package has the wider center screen (i.e., the bezels around the screen are about the same width rather than much wider on the sides of the screen).

Be aware that an i3's emergency braking does not prevent a collision at speeds of 12 mph and 25 mph but merely reduces the impact velocity by 9 mph and 7 mph, respectively, according to IIHS tests. Many other cars prevent accidents at these speeds, so the i3's emergency braking implementation isn't as good as it could be. As with most cars, emergency braking is turned off above ~35 mph to prevent false positives from potentially causing serious accidents.

 

[Birucaitcha]

So I see a brake assist on many of the cars posted. Is this the same thing?

 

[PBNB]

So I see a brake assist on many of the cars posted. Is this the same thing?

There is an illuminated green circle near the centre of the small dash area. It tells you how the emergency park is setup when you push it.

If there is no green circle, that means there is no emergency braking feature installed.

 

[alohart]

So I see a brake assist on many of the cars posted. Is this the same thing?

I wouldn't trust anything in an ad, especially if the ad is placed by a car dealer. Instead, get the VIN of the car you're interested in, enter it on one of the BMW VIN decoder Websites, and look for option 544 Cruise Control with Braking Function.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Over the years, brake assist has had many variations. One that has been around for awhile is to detect when there is a rapid application of the brakes...the computer recognizes that and applies more assist. Don't confuse that with automatic, emergency braking where there are systems to look for problems, and automatically apply the brakes. The i3, when optioned properly, can detect some things and brake on its own, but it does not generally stop in an emergency, but can slow down some to lessen the potential damage (the energy of a crash goes up at the square of the velocity, so say slowing from 20 to 10 mph (20*20=400 versus 10*10=100, one quarter of the energy) means less damage and potential for harm.

Some systems use radar, lidar, ultrasonics, or cameras to detect an obstruction to activate the safety system(s). You need to read the fine print to understand what they can do. The ultimate safety feature in any vehicle, though, is still the driver. That may change eventually, but we are not there yet. Things are getting better, though. What you might find today will look pretty primitive in maybe as little as 3 years.

 

[Birucaitcha]

Thank you.
I don't have one yet, just trying to find out options before I buy a used one.
appreciate your input!

 

[Srivenkat]

The Technology + Driving Assistance Package includes emergency braking. An i3 with this package has the wider center screen (i.e., the bezels around the screen are about the same width rather than much wider on the sides of the screen).

Just FYI, I have seen some i3's that have the wider center screen but without ACC (Tech Package). IOW, these i3's don't have the increase/decrease distance buttons on the left side of the steering wheel controls.

Be aware that an i3's emergency braking does not prevent a collision at speeds of 12 mph and 25 mph but merely reduces the impact velocity by 9 mph and 7 mph, respectively, according to IIHS tests. Many other cars prevent accidents at these speeds, so the i3's emergency braking implementation isn't as good as it could be. As with most cars, emergency braking is turned off above ~35 mph to prevent false positives from potentially causing serious accidents.

Do I understand correctly that Emergency Braking as described above is different from ACC (Active Cruise Control) where the car would slow down and come to a complete stop as necessary if the car is on cruise control and the vehicle ahead slows or stops?

 

[Srivenkat]

So I see a brake assist on many of the cars posted. Is this the same thing?

I wouldn't trust anything in an ad, especially if the ad is placed by a car dealer. Instead, get the VIN of the car you're interested in, enter it on one of the BMW VIN decoder Websites, and look for option 544 Cruise Control with Braking Function.

Per the below, 544 simply means automatic cruise control.
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1328181

which makes me wonder if one should have the ACC option (Tech package) to get emergency braking.

 

[alohart]

Just FYI, I have seen some i3's that have the wider center screen but without ACC (Tech Package). IOW, these i3's don't have the increase/decrease distance buttons on the left side of the steering wheel controls.

Some owners of U.S. i3's that did not have the Tech + Driving Assist Package have updated their nav screens to that of the Professional Navigation System. However, I'm pretty certain that no new North American i3 had the Professional Navigation System without the Tech + Driving Assist Package because, unlike in other markets, the Professional Navigation System wasn't available as a standalone option but only as part of the Tech + Driving Assist Package which also included ACC Stop&Go + Active Drive Assist, BMW Online and BMW Apps, and Advanced Real-time Traffic Information.

Do I understand correctly that Emergency Braking as described above is different from ACC (Active Cruise Control) where the car would slow down and come to a complete stop as necessary if the car is on cruise control and the vehicle ahead slows or stops?

Emergency Braking is different because it is always on below ~35 mph even when ACC is not on. However, it requires the Tech + Driving Assist Package, probably because it needs ACC's camera to determine when a collision with the object ahead is about to occur.

 

[alohart]

Per the below, 544 simply means automatic cruise control.
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1328181

which makes me wonder if one should have the ACC option (Tech package) to get emergency braking.

That's correct. However, there is no option number for the Tech + Driving Assist Package, so identifying North American i3's with option 544 ensures that they have the Tech + Driving Assist Package. Option 544 was not available except as part of the Tech + Driving Assist Package.

Emergency Braking requires option 544, probably because it needs option 544's camera.

 

[Srivenkat]

Emergency Braking is different because it is always on below ~35 mph even when ACC is not on. However, it requires the Tech + Driving Assist Package, probably because it needs ACC's camera to determine when a collision with the object ahead is about to occur.

Thanks for info, Art.

 

[Srivenkat]

Per the below, 544 simply means automatic cruise control.
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1328181

which makes me wonder if one should have the ACC option (Tech package) to get emergency braking.

That's correct. However, there is no option number for the Tech + Driving Assist Package, so identifying North American i3's with option 544 ensures that they have the Tech + Driving Assist Package. Option 544 was not available except as part of the Tech + Driving Assist Package.

Emergency Braking requires option 544, probably because it needs option 544's camera.

Actually, per the below from the BMW guide, 5AT is the code for it:

I01 Driver Assistance Systems
4. Camera-based Collision Warning
The camera-based collision warning is an element of the optional equipment ACC Stop & Go + Active Driving Assistant (SA5AT). The collision warning warns the driver of a possible collision danger and is effected via the KAFAS camera and KAFAS control unit. The camera-based collision warning was extended in the BMW I01 to incorporate the functions collision warning with city braking function and pedestrian warning with city braking function.

Option 544 is the regular cruise control that also brakes, as needed, to maintain set speed, which is how all the standard CCs I have seen work in the last 25 years, that's apparently standard on all i3's.

 

[alohart]

Option 544 is the regular cruise control that also brakes, as needed, to maintain set speed, which is how all the standard CCs I have seen work in the last 25 years, that's apparently standard on all i3's.

The Bimmer Work VIN decoder states that option 544 is standard on a 2014 i3 whereas the M Decoder and BMW VIN sites state that it is optional, not standard. Regular cruise control without automatic braking is standard on an i3, but cruise control with automatic braking is an option included only in the Tech + Driving Assist package. Automatic braking isn't possible without a front-facing camera or radar. The i3 has neither as standard equipment which might be unusual for a BMW (the i3 is my only BMW).

 

[Srivenkat]

Hi Art,

I have been primarily looking at 2017s and 544 seems to show up in many I see . For example, the below listed 2017 doesn't have 5AT (Driving assistant plus) but has 544 on mdecoder.com:

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=484673287

 

[alohart]

I have been primarily looking at 2017s and 544 seems to show up in many I see . For example, the below listed 2017 doesn't have 5AT (Driving assistant plus) but has 544 on mdecoder.com:

I don't know how to explain that. Maybe "Cruise Control with Braking Function" is a standard 544 description that BMW carried over to the i3 even though the i3's standard cruise control doesn't brake for a slower vehicle ahead. It doesn't have the following distance settings in the left cluster of steering wheel buttons, so there's no way to adjust the distance to the vehicle ahead that a braking function would likely need.

I would be very surprised if this car has automatic emergency braking. Too bad no photo shows the rear view mirror mount through the windshield clearly enough to see the front-facing camera that automatic emergency braking requires. Maybe the seller could send you such a photo.

Maybe "Braking Function" means that cruise control turns off when the brakes are applied

 

[Srivenkat]

i3's standard cruise control doesn't brake for a slower vehicle ahead.

I was initially thrown off by the 544 description as well, but it looks like the "braking" referred to is about "keeping the set speed", not braking in response to a vehicle in the front slowing down.

 

[lacidar]

Our 2018 BMW i3s Rex has emergency braking and has pedestrian warning in the menu. I can check the pedestrian warning and as soon as it leaves that screen which it does automatically after a short period the check mark comes out and pedestrian warning does not seem to work.