The FCA is for the most part only a warning; it does not apply the brakes or cut engine power. It does however. pre-charge the brake system so that when you do use the brakes there is a faster response.

You can control the distance at which it gives its warning by pressing on the FCA button on the sterring wheel until you get the desired setting.

 

This deal is on my 2012 and it is the first thing my wife asked if I could shut it off.

This is not the same system that is in the Cadillac. It is a optical system or as I call it the poor mans system that does thing optically to set off the alarm. This system has a lot of false alarms and false reading. I have had it go off with a car on a curve at the end of a street as I pass by and it was not even in my lane. Also the line feature is useless on narrow road here as it goes off all the time. Even set to the shortest readings the thing is a pain.

The brake feature I believe activates the anti lock system as GMC claims it ready's the brake system for a stop. I can feel the anti lock system start to activate once the light goes red.

Some of these systems work pretty good but so far this one is not one of the better ones and If it were not on the car I would have skipped it.

As far as I am concerned anymore they are taking the driver out way too much. If you can park or back up or not tail gate you should not be driving. Sorry pet peeve.

 

This deal is on my 2012 and it is the first thing my wife asked if I could shut it off.

This is not the same system that is in the Cadillac. It is a optical system or as I call it the poor mans system that does thing optically to set off the alarm. This system has a lot of false alarms and false reading. I have had it go off with a car on a curve at the end of a street as I pass by and it was not even in my lane. Also the line feature is useless on narrow road here as it goes off all the time. Even set to the shortest readings the thing is a pain.

The brake feature I believe activates the anti lock system as GMC claims it ready's the brake system for a stop. I can feel the anti lock system start to activate once the light goes red.

Some of these systems work pretty good but so far this one is not one of the better ones and If it were not on the car I would have skipped it.

As far as I am concerned anymore they are taking the driver out way too much. If you can park or back up or not tail gate you should not be driving. Sorry pet peeve.

Try driving with both the lane assist, frontal collision avoidance turned on and then throw in the blind spot warning lights flashing at ya,, lol,,

 

Try driving with both the lane assist, frontal collision avoidance turned on and then throw in the blind spot warning lights flashing at ya,, lol,,

Been there done that.

It just scares the crap out of me once in a while because I think I missed something but nothing is there in my path.

 

jimj,
I can also look into this further for you with the last eight of your VIN. Let me know if you would like additional assistance. Thank you.

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

 

Been there done that.

It just scares the crap out of me once in a while because I think I missed something but nothing is there in my path.

Ha, I hear ya!
Especially at night for me ,, as I'm not fond of driving when its dark anyways.

 

I went the route of turning it completely off, same with the lane departure as they both don't work all that well. After the shop foreman told me all the info he did I tested it out. On the way home I happened to be behind a bus so I set my cruise to match it's speed then added 1 MPH. Suffice it to say it did nothing and didn't even turn red when I was within 1/2 a car length of it's rear bumper. That's when it was decided to just shut it off.

 

I went the route of turning it completely off, same with the lane departure as they both don't work all that well. After the shop foreman told me all the info he did I tested it out. On the way home I happened to be behind a bus so I set my cruise to match it's speed then added 1 MPH. Suffice it to say it did nothing and didn't even turn red when I was within 1/2 a car length of it's rear bumper. That's when it was decided to just shut it off.

Now keep in mind some systems are very advanced like in the Cadillac. It adjust with the cruise on and maintains the distance. On the GMC and Chevy it does not do this. At best you will get a light and sound. Once in a while you will get a slight buzz in the brake system where I believe it is initiating the Anti Lock system.

I just wonder how many people who own a Cadillac or Benz with an adaptive system that gets a rental with the basic system only to find out the hard way it does not adjust.

 

I have the FCA/LDW and I think it is well worth the money.I was in a situation
where there was a car approaching very quickly toward my ride side and it
distracted me from a car which made a very hard brake to turn into a parking lot.

The FCA/LDW went off, pressurized the brake and jumped on the brakes. WIthout
it I would have probably rear ended the car.

As far as whether it should hit the brakes for me, you have to remember that this
is a $295 optical system and not a much more expensive radar system used in fully
automatic systems.

 

I have owned my 2013 Terrain for about 5 months now and used the FCA on several road trips. Prior to the trip this past weekend, the FCA performed just as stated in the manual - page 9-37 on the .pdf copy -
"FCA is a warning system and
does not apply the brakes. When
approaching a slower-moving or
stopped vehicle ahead too rapidly,
or when following a vehicle too
closely,..." (underline and bolding by me)
This past weekend I was using the FCA and and entered a small town with some traffic. The road took a sharp right turn and this close traffic set off the FCA and it applied the brakes and beeped at me!
I had the same reaction as hyperv6.....it scared the crap out me...! I thought it worked like the manual said it did...as a "warning system". Until this trip I had never experienced it applying the brakes. I think the system has changed since I have had it. I did take it in for a software update in early January maybe it changed with this update.
Tricia, can you tell us if this system has changed in this specific regard?

 

hot_rod,
I would be happy to look into this for you. In order to do so, I will need the last eight of your VIN. Feel free to contact me privately. Thank you.

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

 

I have owned my 2013 Terrain for about 5 months now and used the FCA on several road trips. Prior to the trip this past weekend, the FCA performed just as stated in the manual - page 9-37 on the .pdf copy -
"FCA is a warning system and
does not apply the brakes. When
approaching a slower-moving or
stopped vehicle ahead too rapidly,
or when following a vehicle too
closely,..." (underline and bolding by me)
This past weekend I was using the FCA and and entered a small town with some traffic. The road took a sharp right turn and this close traffic set off the FCA and it applied the brakes and beeped at me!
I had the same reaction as hyperv6.....it scared the crap out me...! I thought it worked like the manual said it did...as a "warning system". Until this trip I had never experienced it applying the brakes. I think the system has changed since I have had it. I did take it in for a software update in early January maybe it changed with this update.
Tricia, can you tell us if this system has changed in this specific regard?

I do not think you had anything change as the 2012 system works this way. Also note the 2012 manual states the systems sets for the brakes. I really think the ABS engages to work as a interrupt and gives you a fraction of a second faster application when you apply the pedal.

It does not do this often and I suspect the system only engages like this under very extreme conditions prior to an impact. It is just that we only see it under one of the many false reading conditions.

The bottom line this is a cheap basic system that is not very advanced and I feel GM should have sorted out better before offering it. It comes across half baked to me.

Now I drove the new Cadillac system in the ATS with the seat sensors. It works much better but then again it is a much more expensive system. In time this system will get cheaper and replace the optical system. The vibration in the seat takes some getting used to.

If people would just put down the cell phones and pay better attention behind the wheel these systems would not be needed. Having been run off the road by a cell phone texting driver I am very pissed off by these people. I got lucky and only ran through a shallow ditch and up an embankment doing only $7K of damage mostly two bumpers, air bags and seat belts. If I had hit him in the door where he pulled cross my lane and stopped no light or buzz would have made a difference. If I had hit him I am pretty sure I would have killed him and not done much good to myself either.

Sorry for the rant but stupid people make me mad and adding a lot of crap to my car making it cost more because of them makes me even more mad.

 

Apparently, most of these system don't work in the rain and snow. My brother has it on his Infinity, and it's very iffy. Much like the automatic wiper. Every time truck goes by and splashes crap on the windshield, the wipers come on. But not the windshield washer. So all you get now it's smudge :-[ It's more of a hazard then help IMO

 

I agree that as radar systems get cheaper, they will be the defacto FCA systems.
However, radar doesn't work for LDW, so it will stay optical.

 

We went through this auto everything faze in the 50's too and while some of these things have improved with better electronics some are still far from where they are intended to be.

To be honest I think they need to keep the driver more engaged vs. removing the driver more and more. Too often you take the driver out of many things his skill falls and his attention fails even worse.

 

People are becoming too dependent on these technologies and become poorer drivers for it due to the false sense of security that they get.
More and more drivers are not paying attention to driving and or practising defensive driving.

 

People are becoming too dependent on these technologies and become poorer drivers for it due to the false sense of security that they get.
More and more drivers are not paying attention to driving and or practising defensive driving.

I can attest to this...I have the blind spot alert system on the Terrain. Rarely do I actually check my blind spot nowadays while driving on the interstate. I usually just take a look at the side view mirrors, and if the alert isnt lit up I GO. Shame on me!

 

>>stupid people make me mad

hyperv6 - I'm with ya on the distracted driving and stupid people. :thumbdown:

As far as no change to the existing FCA - I don't know, the event I wrote about could have been the first time I really set the system off in "full-alert". :shrug:

I did send my VIN number to Tricia we'll see what she finds out.

 

>>stupid people make me mad

hyperv6 - I'm with ya on the distracted driving and stupid people. :thumbdown:

As far as no change to the existing FCA - I don't know, the event I wrote about could have been the first time I really set the system off in "full-alert". :shrug:

I did send my VIN number to Tricia we'll see what she finds out.

Yes it was dull alert as it is not something that happens every time but it will happened if it is a close call of a really false alarm on a curve or I have had it on a hill with a curve too. After days of red lights and a buzz the full deal scares the crap out of you and even worse when nothing is in your lane as you wonder what the hell did I miss.

The way I see it is do we need cars that park them selves? If you can park then you should not be driving. Same with using mirrors. I may be old school but I seldom use the back up camera. In fact I am looking and using my mirrors so much that I tend to forget about it since I do not daily drive our terrain. I get by just fine in the HHR with out any of these things and it is like driving a bunker with gun ports.

 

hot_rod,

I did receive your message and will be responding shortly. Thank you.

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

 

I've observed this very successful campaign starting with built-in Onstar/XM..AWD..GPS...back up beeps..lane alert...cameras...with more complex gadgets to come. All begging for extended warrenty required or trading upside down for the newest latest greatest. Changing the culture...and very profitable indeed. Amazingly successful selling techniques that have become ingrained that they are not only 'wants'..but more importantly 'needs'. Pretty slick..!
IceMan

 

It is not so much to drive people to trade or extended warranties as it is to head off the government before they make these things a law and add more with the law.

The Alerts and back up cams were a hot button in Washington and they still may pass it as a law.

GPD AWD and OnStar is just for add on profits. The more option the more profit and high buck ones likes these are very profitable.

The next hot button for the government is the autonomous vehicle. This is where the car will take you and drive you on its own. They claim that it would cut down on accidents etc. What they don't tell you is it also could be used to control where you go and when you go some where. You would be at the mercy of the system for better or worse. You may be assigned times when you can travel and where to prevent jambs etc.

Don't think it can happen. California is backing it now with Google. How long ago did we think TV and Radio would always be free?

 

Self-Driving Car Test: Steve Mahan

 

What interests me is nobody (so far) has been able to definitively say what the system does or doesn't do. I see that I'm not alone with the brake/slowdown experience when the system goes into "oh ****" mode. Maybe it's not supposed to do what it's doing but it's a glitch along with the false alert?
Where I'm getting concerned is nobody seems to know for certain, I get one story from the shop and another from sales and neither have said "it shouldn't do that bring it in". I've shut it down for now as I don't need my heart restarted while driving. hno:

 

I think it has been defined as what the FCA does. It does not do any braking
but it will "pre-charge" the brakes (the heavy clunk sound) when the "collision"
symbol flashes; it does not do anything when the symbol is solid.

There are situations in which you will get a false positive as in a turn or a car pulls
in front of you. For the few false positives, the good points outweigh the bad.