Can you disable ACC?

[Ceej]

Hi. We have a March 2021 Crosstar. Have read the manual, tried all different combinations off long pressing various buttons and the brake pedal (when stationary :-)) and have searched on here, but cannot seem to find a bog standard cruise control set up.

Does it exist on this car? Not a big fan of cruise control anyway as it can't see past the car in front of you, but just occasionally would like to use it. As it stands, the system is redundant to me!

Great car otherwise, apart from a month of having no DAB for some reason.....

[Kremmen]

There is no plain CC, only ACC, which, like you, some of us find a pain.

I use the LIM function to stop me drifting over the Specs controlled motorway roadworks sections and LIM works well for me.

[Neil Ives]

After an early scare while using ACC, I'm starting to use it again; so far, no problems. Yesterday, there was a single car parked well out into the road. I was half expecting ACC to see the parked car as a problem and force my car to brake but no, the parked car was ignored.

[Hugh R]

Is there any consensus on best distance setting for ACC ?

[Neil Ives]

Is there any consensus on best distance setting for ACC ?

I've been setting mine to a middle distance lately. If you have long distance set, cars behind you will keep seeing your brake lights going on for no apparent reason as the ACC reacts to the vehicle that may be well ahead of you. This is likely to encourage the following car to overtake you.

[Steve_M]

M25 = 1 bar setting, unless you want the space to be filled in front of you.

[Lord Voltermore]

I can understand preferring not to use ACC and controlling speed yourself with a  limiter

But not the objection to ACC  vs CC.    Both systems should be used with discretion and both  require constant driver attention and periodic intervention .
Some may fear that ACC is a bit too ' self driving 'and may lead to attention complacency.  It may for some , but its up to the driver not to let it happen. 

Some may dislike how the car sometimes brakes slightly when following the vehicle in front . This may be a tactile
 reminder its working, and can help keep you alert.

If you fail to react and intervene when required with CC the car WILL continue at the same speed regardless of the hazard.  With ACC it usually will not. A useful safety backup.

Why not set ACC but drive the car as if its only CC, using the same level of driver attention required for CC?  As you reach slower traffic  YOU  take control of speed by cancelling the ACC with a  dab on the brakes just before the point when ACC would  otherwise intervene.  Then either reset speed or resume ACC when circumstances allow.   This may seem extra work, but its what you would have to do anyway with basic  CC.    With the added advantage that if ACC beats you to it  you know your attention may have lapsed. 
Set the following distance bars for a distance that is still safe as a back up  but allows you to intervene first more often than not.

[Lord Voltermore]

M25 = 1 bar setting, unless you want the space to be filled in front of you.

with traffic this heavy its better not to use ACC at all.  The driver attention needed to ensure ACC is  always doing the right thing exceeds that required for doing it yourself. 

[Kremmen]

M25 = 1 bar setting, unless you want the space to be filled in front of you.

That's interesting because I always had mine on one bar and there was certainly a larger gap than you intimate.

[Ceej]

The automatic brake when using ACC a
seems far too quick to action. It's not a feathering at all. A simple CC system allows you to take a few mph off when seeing what the car 2 or 3 places in front of you is up to.

There is far too much brake light action on the motorway these days. It causes tailbacks and ultimately can cause accidents.

Things feel safer, more planned and smoother away from the Jazz's ACC. Just my view.

[peteo48]

I think Lord Voltermore sums up things very well. I still get the sense that people are using CC and, of course, ACC in situations where it is inappropriate. I'd go as far as to say that, in the UK, the situations where you can safely use CC are very limited - not bad weather, not heavily congested motorways etc etc. It's all in the manual.

I use it very very sparingly. Long journey, right leg a bit stressed, motorway with light traffic, otherwise I genuinely don't see the point. I have driven in the USA and that is natural CC territory where traffic is often very light (apart from urban areas).

Never used the speed limiter - I might give it a go.

[Lord Voltermore]

The automatic brake when using ACC a
seems far too quick to action. It's not a feathering at all. A simple CC system allows you to take a few mph off when seeing what the car 2 or 3 places in front of you is up to.

There is far too much brake light action on the motorway these days. It causes tailbacks and ultimately can cause accidents.

Things feel safer, more planned and smoother away from the Jazz's ACC. Just my view.

Fair points.   Its 20 years since I last had a car with basic  CC  so maybe they have evolved since then and I am missing something about the comparative ease of changing speeds.   

Of course a driver should pay attention to what vehicles are doing 2 -3 cars ahead which gives more reaction time to modulate speed more gradually with better spacing. Drivers  or their driving aids only reacting to the vehicle immediately in front does  lead to an accumulated chain reaction of late panic braking.

In light  traffic you may have time to modulate your speed by a few mph  by changing the set speed. Even with ACC.  Not sure how CC would be any easier here ..  A driver would still need to look and plan ahead. If traffic levels make this too much faffing around its time to switch ACC off.  .

I was wrong to say cancel ACC by dabbing the brakes.  unnecessary brake lights is not a  good idea, although IMO less of a problem in conditions suitable for using ACC - ie light well spaced traffic.   Better to hit the cancel button.

I think I read somewhere that   although heavy braking by the collision avoidance systems does activate brake lights  braking for ACC speed moderation  only applies them if retardation is  severe enough to need them.Which is not normally the case.  I might be wrong.  If necessary try to  pre-empt the systems likelihood of braking.

[Neil Ives]

If you bring up 'Simple View' you can see when the brake lights are coming on.

[Kremmen]

That was another issue I had with ACC. I like to know when my brake lights come on. It must be really infuriating to a following driver if you're constantly displaying brake lights.

I've used it enough times to know it's not for me.

[Jayt43]

That was another issue I had with ACC. I like to know when my brake lights come on. It must be really infuriating to a following driver if you're constantly displaying brake lights.

I've used it enough times to know it's not for me.

I've often wondered about that too. I actually like ACC and LKAS together (found it good so far) but thought the same.