[amphiprion]

Something definitely sounds off. It shouldn’t be this hard to activate the feature properly. Have you tried this on a freeway or highway?

[maczrool]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

If you are not using it on the Interstate then perhaps the roads you are trying it on are not hitting the specs for some reason. You are trying it on a 4 lane road and not trying to pass on a two lane, right?

This is a 6 lane road I’m trying it on. Also tried on 4 lane.

[maczrool]

Originally Posted by amphiprion

Something definitely sounds off. It shouldn’t be this hard to activate the feature properly. Have you tried this on a freeway or highway?

4 and 6 lane roads, but not freeways/interstates. I will be taking a trip for Independence Day so will see how it does on I-55.

[amphiprion]

Originally Posted by maczrool

4 and 6 lane roads, but not freeways/interstates. I will be taking a trip for Independence Day so will see how it does on I-55.

I don't think I've ever tried it OUTSIDE of the freeway... Something to check out!

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by amphiprion

I don't think I've ever tried it OUTSIDE of the freeway... Something to check out!

I have used it on non-freeways (4 lanes) and it has worked just fine.

[Marty in NY]

Here's an excerpt from the manual

.

[maczrool]

Originally Posted by Marty in Bgm

Here's an excerpt from the manual

.

Yes I saw the left turn graphic the one time it worked.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by maczrool

Yes I saw the left turn graphic the one time it worked.

Ok, then if you saw it start to work once, possibly its just that the required prerequisites are not being met upon subsequent tries. You see where it says that the “Functional requirements of the steering and traffic jam assistant > are fulfilled”? Not sure off hand what those are but it would appear, barring any malfunctions of the system, that the car will do it once those conditions are satisfied. Go through your manual to see what they all are.

[LexxM3]

I have a weird idea, not fully formed. Is there any chance that the steering wheel is positioned relatively low, and thus blocking the driver watch camera?

[maczrool]

That’s a thought! I guess I could fiddle with the angle to see if it has an impact. I’ve got it about in the middle, but maybe it’s having trouble seeing me. I have no idea. I’m fairly tall at 6’ 3” so I don’t know if that’s good or bad for the camera’s view. I took it out early this morning with almost no traffic and it worked once and I accidentally interrupted it a second time. It still failed to do anything 4 more times.

[gpitts]

Originally Posted by maczrool

That’s a thought! I guess I could fiddle with the angle to see if it has an impact. I’ve got it about in the middle, but maybe it’s having trouble seeing me. I have no idea. I’m fairly tall at 6’ 3” so I don’t know if that’s good or bad for the camera’s view. I took it out early this morning with almost no traffic and it worked once and I accidentally interrupted it a second time. It still failed to do anything 4 more times.

If you can see the sensor area (center part of the module), then it can see your eyes.

[LexxM3]

I did an "accidental" test of the requirements for auto lane change today. Driving on country back roads that are normally undivided 2 lanes with distance and steering assist successfully active. In a passing section that opened up to 3 lanes (2 my way, still one the other way), I tried to do an auto lane change and the system refused. Then it occurred to me — ah, divided highways only!

I know it's been asked, but any chance OPs failed lane changes are being attempted on an undivided highway?

Or perhaps the X5 maps of the area are out of date or incorrect (how the heck are we supposed to verify that!?) and don't indicate the specific area as divided?

Or perhaps GPS is broken or degraded and is pointing elsewhere at a undivided highway area?

[maczrool]

Originally Posted by LexxM3

I did an "accidental" test of the requirements for auto lane change today. Driving on country back roads that are normally undivided 2 lanes with distance and steering assist successfully active. In a passing section that opened up to 3 lanes (2 my way, still one the other way), I tried to do an auto lane change and the system refused. Then it occurred to me — ah, divided highways only!

I know it's been asked, but any chance OPs failed lane changes are being attempted on an undivided highway?

Or perhaps the X5 maps of the area are out of date or incorrect (how the heck are we supposed to verify that!?) and don't indicate the specific area as divided?

Or perhaps GPS is broken or degraded and is pointing elsewhere at a undivided highway area?

I’ll just have to get it to fail in front of the genius and see where that takes me. This is right in front of the dealership and it’s only worked once for me.

[amphiprion]

Originally Posted by maczrool

That’s a thought! I guess I could fiddle with the angle to see if it has an impact. I’ve got it about in the middle, but maybe it’s having trouble seeing me. I have no idea. I’m fairly tall at 6’ 3” so I don’t know if that’s good or bad for the camera’s view. I took it out early this morning with almost no traffic and it worked once and I accidentally interrupted it a second time. It still failed to do anything 4 more times.

Your X5 probably has hurt feelings when you interrupted it a second time.

[maczrool]

Originally Posted by LexxM3

I did an "accidental" test of the requirements for auto lane change today. Driving on country back roads that are normally undivided 2 lanes with distance and steering assist successfully active. In a passing section that opened up to 3 lanes (2 my way, still one the other way), I tried to do an auto lane change and the system refused. Then it occurred to me — ah, divided highways only!

I know it's been asked, but any chance OPs failed lane changes are being attempted on an undivided highway?

Or perhaps the X5 maps of the area are out of date or incorrect (how the heck are we supposed to verify that!?) and don't indicate the specific area as divided?

Or perhaps GPS is broken or degraded and is pointing elsewhere at a undivided highway area?

I got this to work pretty consistently on I-55 today. It works best as others have suggested, if you hold the turn signal to the point of resistance until the symbol with the arrow shows up. Then you can let go. It seems way longer than the one second suggested in the manual but it may depend on conditions. My best guess is that there is something about the stretch of road I had been testing it on that it does not like, although it is divided and does work on rare occasions.

Thanks all for your suggestions. Hopefully future updates will allow the feature to work reliably on more roads.

[LexxM3]

Strictly speaking, it is not a particularly valuable feature. It is almost as simple, while in speed and steering ACC, to signal and do the manual change by forcing the steering wheel a little. When you settle into the new lane, the system takes over again pretty seamlessly.

I am suggesting this as an alternative approach because a) the lack of predictability (doesn't always work) and the b) incorrect lane change behaviour (doesn't accelerate at least a little into a lane change as one should) are distracting. Also, it is a bit abrupt — my human lane changes are quite a bit smoother.

[maczrool]

Originally Posted by LexxM3

Also, it is a bit abrupt — my human lane changes are quite a bit smoother.

Yes, I forgot to mention it is quite a bit more jarring than my technique as well. I do it quite a bit more gradually than the vehicle. They could if course fine tune that in software if they wanted.

[LexxM3]

Originally Posted by maczrool

Yes, I forgot to mention it is quite a bit more jarring than my technique as well. I do it quite a bit more gradually than the vehicle. They could if course fine tune that in software if they wanted.

My comments on ALC improvements in software 11/2019.xx here for completeness: https://www.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...php?p=25598726

[keeva381]

Anyone else find that steering wheel assist keeps you bouncing between the lanes when providing MINIMAL pressure? I've been test driving an Audi and G06, and Audi keeps you centered while it seems like BMW slowly hits the lanes and keeps you going back and forth. It's subtle, but you can tell a difference.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by keeva381

Anyone else find that steering wheel assist keeps you bouncing between the lanes when providing MINIMAL pressure? I've been test driving an Audi and G06, and Audi keeps you centered while it seems like BMW slowly hits the lanes and keeps you going back and forth. It's subtle, but you can tell a difference.

No, it is very steady and centered for me. Are you sure you are using cruise with steering control mode and not just the lane keeping assist? Folks have done that in the past.

[LexxM3]

Originally Posted by keeva381

Anyone else find that steering wheel assist keeps you bouncing between the lanes when providing MINIMAL pressure? I've been test driving an Audi and G06, and Audi keeps you centered while it seems like BMW slowly hits the lanes and keeps you going back and forth. It's subtle, but you can tell a difference.

Are you saying you want the car to be unresponsive when YOU ARE APPLYING STEERING PRESSURE while in lane tracking?

Yes, X5 will bias off-centre of a lane without turning off lane assist if you apply *a little* steering pressure. This was an improvement I noticed in 11/2019.xx update. I personally think this is fantastic, allowing you to give semis and wobbly other drivers a little extra side margin when passing. I think BMW got this exactly right.

Is this what you're talking about?

I actually wish that there was also a mode (call it "defensive driving lane tracking mode") that modified lane tracking to follow the following algorithm:

* if solid line on left and broken line on right, bias to left
* if solid line on right and broken line on left, bias to right
* if broken line on left and broken line on right, bias to centre
* if solid line on left and solid line on right, bias to centre

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by LexxM3

I actually wish that there was also a mode (call it "defensive driving lane tracking mode") that modified lane tracking to follow the following algorithm:

* if solid line on left and broken line on right, bias to left
* if solid line on right and broken line on left, bias to right
* if broken line on left and broken line on right, bias to centre
* if solid line on left and solid line on right, bias to centre

That actually would work out very well. Hopefully they continue to improve it as time goes on.

By the way, are you ignoring my PM? LOL