Active Driving Assistant - Does it intervene often and can I disable it?

[boss2k]

Can you disable the "Active Driving Assistant" feature? Even if you cannot, how much does it interfere with normal driving with respect to automatic braking and lane departure? I dont want this feature if it interferes with normal driving.

[hinckley]

Per BMW:

Active Driving Assistant is comprised of Important safety features. Frontal Collision and Pedestrian Warning with City Collision Mitigation provides limited-force automated braking within low speed situations. Lane Departure Warning employs a camera system which monitors road lane markings. Anytime the vehicle begins to move across a lane marking without the turn signals activated, this system vibrates the steering wheel. Correct operation is predicated on clear lane markings that are not obscured by rain, snow or other masking factors.

The first item can be controlled in iDrive to activate Early, Normal or Late. In any case, it's not intrusive and is generally limited to a flashing light in your IP and/or HUD. I've never experienced it actually brake automatically, so I'm assuming that if that does happen, I'll be happy about it. The second item can be disabled completely via a switch (and I have).

[SD ///M4]

On my 2016 M4 I have the Driver Assistance Plus Package (now called the Driving Assistance Package) which included Active Blind Spot Detection, Intelligent Safety (Frontal Collision Warning/Pedestrian Warning), and Lane Departure Warning. All three features can be completely disabled with buttons located on the left side of the dash under the headlight switch.

Other than vibrating the steering wheel, flashing warning lights on the dash, and warning beeps (depending on the feature), these features do not interfere with normal driving, i.e., they're not going to brake or steer the car for you, except for the possibility of Collision Mitigation which may automatically brake your car if the speed is under 30 MPH. I've never tested this! I do know that when I'm pulling into the garage, the car has never automatically braked as I approach the garage cabinets directly in front of where I park the car, about 2-3 feet away. At least at speeds under 30 MPH.

I turn these features off when I'm on the track as they can be distracting if you're in close proximity to other cars. On the street they're all helpful, but should only be considered as aids to assist you in your own common sense driving decisions.

[boss2k]

Originally Posted by hinckley

Per BMW:

Active Driving Assistant is comprised of Important safety features. Frontal Collision and Pedestrian Warning with City Collision Mitigation provides limited-force automated braking within low speed situations. Lane Departure Warning employs a camera system which monitors road lane markings. Anytime the vehicle begins to move across a lane marking without the turn signals activated, this system vibrates the steering wheel. Correct operation is predicated on clear lane markings that are not obscured by rain, snow or other masking factors.

The first item can be controlled in iDrive to activate Early, Normal or Late. In any case, it's not intrusive and is generally limited to a flashing light in your IP and/or HUD. I've never experienced it actually brake automatically, so I'm assuming that if that does happen, I'll be happy about it. The second item can be disabled completely via a switch (and I have).

Are you referring the 1st item as Frontal Collision and Pedestrian Warning with City Collision Mitigation and can it be turned off?

The 2nd item, Lane Departure Warning can be disabled u confirmed right

[boss2k]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

On my 2016 M4 I have the Driver Assistance Plus Package (now called the Driving Assistance Package) which included Active Blind Spot Detection, Intelligent Safety (Frontal Collision Warning/Pedestrian Warning), and Lane Departure Warning. All three features can be completely disabled with buttons located on the left side of the dash under the headlight switch.

Other than vibrating the steering wheel, flashing warning lights on the dash, and warning beeps (depending on the feature), these features do not interfere with normal driving, i.e., they're not going to brake or steer the car for you, except for the possibility of Collision Mitigation which may automatically brake your car if the speed is under 30 MPH. I've never tested this! I do know that when I'm pulling into the garage, the car has never automatically braked as I approach the garage cabinets directly in front of where I park the car, about 2-3 feet away. At least at speeds under 30 MPH.

I turn these features off when I'm on the track as they can be distracting if you're in close proximity to other cars. On the street they're all helpful, but should only be considered as aids to assist you in your own common sense driving decisions.

thanks for the explanation and i hope they can be turned off for 18's too, maybe they are helpful but i cant stand the car automatically braking for me, it happened with an acura loaner and it was very very annoying. I am also good with vibrating the steering wheel, flashing warning lights on the dash, and warning beeps (depending on the feature)

[hinckley]

Originally Posted by boss2k

Are you referring the 1st item as Frontal Collision and Pedestrian Warning with City Collision Mitigation and can it be turned off?

The 2nd item, Lane Departure Warning can be disabled u confirmed right

No, the first item cannot be turned off, but it can be set to Early, Normal or Late. I've had this system on at least my last two BMWs and have never had the auto brake intervene.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by hinckley

No, the first item cannot be turned off, but it can be set to Early, Normal or Late. I've had this system on at least my last two BMWs and have never had the auto brake intervene.

They must have changed it then because I have a button to turn it off in my 2015. I leave it on and leave blind spot monitor on but turn off lane warning. I also have never had brake intervention and I don’t think the brakes will intervene above something like 35 mph. This is not like active cruise control for highway use, other than notifications (no auto braking at highway speeds).

[DrunkTyrion]

I have it on the 15. So far I have never experience a automatic braking. And I've set it to medium. Tbh if you set it "late" and it brakes for you, you really are too close to the car in front of you lol

[hinckley]

Originally Posted by hinckley

No, the first item cannot be turned off, but it can be set to Early, Normal or Late. I've had this system on at least my last two BMWs and have never had the auto brake intervene.

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

They must have changed it then because I have a button to turn it off in my 2015. I leave it on and leave blind spot monitor on but turn off lane warning. I also have never had brake intervention and I don’t think the brakes will intervene above something like 35 mph. This is not like active cruise control for highway use, other than notifications (no auto braking at highway speeds).

Well now you've made me go and do it - I just read the manual!

You are right. There are buttons for both of the Active Driving Assistant functions (as well as the Blind Spot Monitor function if so equipped). Like you, I have the first function (Frontal Collision ++) turned on, and the second function (Lane Departure Warning) turned off. However, the manual says that even if you turn off the Frontal Collision ++ function, it will automatically turn back on when you re-start the car.

Now see what happens when I actually read something!!

[geroz1]

I'm not really fond of any of the driving nannies. On the highway the lane assist is vibrating the steering wheel often which bugs me as I tend to switch lanes often lol. I kept most of them off all the time on my prior m3 and happy I don't have this feature on my '18 m3.

[SMGCFP]

I had the thing automatically brake. I was driving home from a late night poker game and dropped my phone on the passenger floor. I bent to pick it up and the car in front of me abruptly stopped in the middle of a straight road with no turns. The car took over and stopped me short of rear ending that person. Scared the crap out of me but glad I had it.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by SMGCFP

I had the thing automatically brake. I was driving home from a late night poker game and dropped my phone on the passenger floor. I bent to pick it up and the car in front of me abruptly stopped in the middle of a straight road with no turns. The car took over and stopped me short of rear ending that person. Scared the crap out of me but glad I had it.

I think anybody would by lying if they said they haven't had these close calls, either their own fault or not (but usually our own fault ), so bravo for posting this .

That said, I'll say that 4 years ago I decided I'm a 10-2 driver and eyes on the road always unless I pull over (if I drop shit, I pull over, even on the freeway). Honestly that's a massive PIA, but only very occasionally and since I decided that I've never even come near an issue (not like before ) and the number people I avoid is shocking.

Anyway, I recommend it as I enjoy driving the car more too.

[ImGoingPlaces]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

On my 2016 M4 I have the Driver Assistance Plus Package (now called the Driving Assistance Package) which included Active Blind Spot Detection, Intelligent Safety (Frontal Collision Warning/Pedestrian Warning), and Lane Departure Warning. All three features can be completely disabled with buttons located on the left side of the dash under the headlight switch.

Other than vibrating the steering wheel, flashing warning lights on the dash, and warning beeps (depending on the feature), these features do not interfere with normal driving, i.e., they're not going to brake or steer the car for you, except for the possibility of Collision Mitigation which may automatically brake your car if the speed is under 30 MPH. I've never tested this! I do know that when I'm pulling into the garage, the car has never automatically braked as I approach the garage cabinets directly in front of where I park the car, about 2-3 feet away. At least at speeds under 30 MPH.

I turn these features off when I'm on the track as they can be distracting if you're in close proximity to other cars. On the street they're all helpful, but should only be considered as aids to assist you in your own common sense driving decisions.

it braked for me at a very low speed a couple weeks ago and i was like okkk....i like it lol. Didn't even know it was possible

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

I think anybody would by lying if they said they haven't had these close calls, either their own fault or not (but usually our own fault ), so bravo for posting this .

That said, I'll say that 4 years ago I decided I'm a 10-2 driver and eyes on the road always unless I pull over (if I drop shit, I pull over, even on the freeway).

If by "10-2 driver" you mean that you keep both hands on the wheel at the 10:00 o'clock and 2:00 o'clock positions, that hasn't been taught for at least 20 years. The correct hand positions are at the 9:00 o'clock and 3:00 o'clock positions . This is taught to new teen drivers and at any decent HPDE session and at the BMW Performance Schools. BMW even mentions the "thumb notches" on the steering wheel to indicate where your hands should be placed while driving.

[MyNameIsNotSure]

How do you turn this feature off and keep it turned off? I have an '18 M3 and I have the buttons on the left for Frontal Collision and Lane Departure but weirdly even if I press the button and turn the Frontal Collision one off, it always turns back on when I restart my car. The other one stays turned off even upon restart. Is there something I'm missing or is my car glitching?

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by MyNameIsNotSure

How do you turn this feature off and keep it turned off? I have an '18 M3 and I have the buttons on the left for Frontal Collision and Lane Departure but weirdly even if I press the button and turn the Frontal Collision one off, it always turns back on when I restart my car. The other one stays turned off even upon restart. Is there something I'm missing or is my car glitching?

Yes, as you have experienced, some of the features will turn on automatically when you start the car, even if you turned them off previously.

Every time I track the car I have to remember to turn off the Lane Departure Warning and Frontal Collision Warning at the beginning of each session, otherwise they can be annoyingly distracting on the track.

On the street, I don't know why anyone would want to turn them off, they're there to keep you from doing something stupid because everyone occasionally makes mistakes. Someone posted above that they find the Lane Departure Warning annoying because they "switch lanes often". This means that they're not using their turn indicators because if they were, the LDW would not vibrate the steering wheel.

[Poochie]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

On the street, I don't know why anyone would want to turn them off, they're there to keep you from doing something stupid because everyone occasionally makes mistakes.

I agree, if you use your car properly, it's barely noticeable. The Frontal Collision only alerts when you're coasting and it never activates when you're on the gas, I guess the system assumes that if you're on the pedal, you're then paying attention to the road ahead.

And the Lane Departure never activates if you use the turn signal, prior to drifting into another lane. Which is subtle steering wheel vibration, unlike some other vehicle's, such as GM, where the entire seat jarringly quivers; now that's annoying! BMW implementation is way more elegant and is barely intrusive, IMHO.

However, I'm sure the entire system can be coded out, if need be.

[SoundQ2]

I have a 2018 M4 and the only time it actually "BRAKED" for me was as I was coming up to a stop sign and the car in front was pulling away, I was approaching at about 10mph and when about 15' from the car, it hit the brakes hard but didn't totally stop me as he pulled away. It "BEEPED" or chirped really fast and hit the brakes.
It's "chirped" before and flashed a red car rear end as I was driving on the freeway and passing cars, I guess I got too close to the car in front before I switched lanes. But it's NEVER braked at that speed, also I was never closer than 5-10' when I actually changed lanes. But I have been coming up on those cars at maybe 15-20 mph faster than they were going.
It's a decent system and YES it can and SHOULD be deactivated on the track. Porsche Track days require you to do that. And yes it has to be deactivated EVERY time you restart you car. Hold the "Intelligent Safety Button"