Active Cruise Control with Stop/Go question

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SameGuy

SameGuy

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I haven’t found this in the manual anywhere (starting on page 173), but is it possible somewhere in settings to adjust the “resume rate” on ACC? In our Subaru, we can set the resume rate — whether using the resume button/rocker like traditional cruise control, or when a slower vehicle pulls out of the lane using ACC — from a selection of five settings. I have it set to a mildly aggressive acceleration rate. Does this exist on the MINI SE?
 
There is no option for that on the SE. And the resume rate is too conservative for me. I'm always pressing the accelerator to move out faster on the stop/go situations.
 
No, Subarus (and other brands, I’m sure) offer the follow-distance controls on the steering wheel just like the ACC on the MINI; you can delve into the Subaru’s settings (using the silly paddles beneath the left spoke on the wheel) to adjust the rate of acceleration upon resumption of cruise.
 
Question on the ACC, I think Insightman might be the one to answer this one but if anyone else knows, I am curious.... When driving on the freeway with ACC on, as the car adjusts the speed to maintain the set follow distance, do the brake lights continue to flash on and off when in the lightest part of the first regen bar? I know it will when heavier deceleration is involved but when it is hovering at close to neutral and barely in the regen bar, do the brake lights come on?
 
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MarkSasaki said:
Question on the ACC, I think Insightman might be the one to answer this one but if anyone else knows, I am curious.... When driving on the freeway with ACC on, as the car adjusts the speed to maintain the set follow distance, do the brake lights continue to flash on and off when in the lightest part of the first regen bar? I know it will when heavier deceleration is involved but when it is hovering at close to neutral and barely in the regen bar, do the brake lights come on?
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I don't have ACC on my 2021 SE, so I can't make an absolute pronouncement. My brake lights go on when the power/charge needle touches the edge of the first regen block--I'd be surprised if the behavior is any different when the ACC is controlling the SE's speed.

You could make an extremely temporary brake light reflector out of aluminum foil taped over the high-mounted brake-light and part of the hatch window so that it reflects a bit of light into the hatch window.
 
Once again using the Subaru adaptive cruise for reference, while using it, an avatar of my car appears in the main gauge cluster display, along with converging lines representing the lane ahead, and a car ahead if it senses one. When decelerating, I often feel braking engaged, but the avatar displays that the brake lights are on only when they are necessary to alert drivers behind that I'm slowing quicker than normal.
 
I will try that, a coworker actually asked me if my Mini continually flashes the brake lights like an i3 he saw on his morning commute. Constant brake light flashing always reminded of the 2-footed driver that had their left foot touching the brake pedal. I really hope it does not, hopefully it is like Sameguy's Subaru.
 
I can’t imagine it’d be dumb enough to fire up the brake lights every time it dips into regen while activated. Even here where it’s relatively flat, regular cruise modulates the brakes to maintain speed on downward slopes. That’d be… well, dumb. In the Scoob, the lights rarely come on while going down hills. Imagine driving through the Adirondacks (or on any other of the thousands of wonderful B roads in North America) and your brake lights are just a line of coke away from Studio 54…
 
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MarkSasaki said:
Constant brake light flashing always reminded of the 2-footed driver that had their left foot touching the brake pedal.
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That was my reaction too, but now that we live in the EV future when I see flashing brakes I immediately think, "is that an EV?"
 
I verified this on my 2022 - yes - as soon as the needle touches the first regen zone, your brake lights are on. Doesn't matter if it's cruise or not. @insightman was the inspiration for me attaching a camera to my car to verify the brake light behavior.

EDIT: I don't think I included it in this video segment specifically with cruise activated - but I remember using cruise and seeing it happen on my raw footage. I'll verify this and get back to you. It's easy enough to do.

 
No camera needed - this morning I was out before sunrise to drive to a bike ride. The portion of interstate I drove on has reflectors embedded every few feet. I set the cruise, then clicked it down 5 mph and saw the reflectors light up behind me as soon as the needle hit the regen zone. So cruise control also activates the brake lights, as suspected, when the needle touches the first regen zone.
 
GvilleGuy said:
No camera needed - this morning I was out before sunrise to drive to a bike ride. The portion of interstate I drove on has reflectors embedded every few feet. I set the cruise, then clicked it down 5 mph and saw the reflectors light up behind me as soon as the needle hit the regen zone. So cruise control also activates the brake lights, as suspected, when the needle touches the first regen zone.
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Damn, so it looks like we are all 2-footed drivers with our left foot touching the brakes when using ACC...
 
MarkSasaki said:
Damn, so it looks like we are all 2-footed drivers with our left foot touching the brakes when using ACC...
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Correct. But I feel like the ACC does a decent job keeping the needle in the neutral zone and not hitting the brake light more than necessary.
 
I’m not disputing or doubting your reports, but “clicking it down 5 mph” isn’t the same as the cruise (adaptive or regular) using brakes to maintain a set speed on slight downhills, as I reported with the Subaru. In the smart I feel the ESP braking while going down hills and using the CC, but I know it doesn’t activate the brake lights, because… why would it if I’m not slowing?
 
SameGuy said:
I’m not disputing or doubting your reports, but “clicking it down 5 mph” isn’t the same as the cruise (adaptive or regular) using brakes to maintain a set speed on slight downhills, as I reported with the Subaru. In the smart I feel the ESP braking while going down hills and using the CC, but I know it doesn’t activate the brake lights, because… why would it if I’m not slowing?
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If the needle strays into the regen zone, the SE is generating electricity and the brake lights come on even if you're not actually slowing down. This could happen when you're going down a steep hill.
 
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