[Orrin]

On the highway when I engage the active lane control feature (pressing button on steering wheel) my Hybrid Q50 Premium tends to track ever so slightly sideways in a back and forth motion across the lane and somewhat "fights" my normal steering corrections. Its as if the car wants to take over driving as opposed to assisting the driver. The effect results in a left/right rocking motion down the highway which is not comfortable for the driver or occupants. ( I guess I could just give up and let the darn thing drive itself but that doesn't seem the correct attitude!)

Today I was driving in a fairly stiff crosswind with the active lane control engaged and the effect was much more pronounced as I believe the Q50 was trying its best to compensate for the crosswind but in reality it just made the car's left and right sideways motion worse. I went into setup and disabled the active lane control feature but kept the others (lane departure warning and prevention systems, blind side monitoring and prevention, etc.). The ride immediately settled down. The car just "cruised" down the road crosswinds and all.

Has anyone else noticed this ride/handling issue using the active lane control feature?

Thanks
Orrin

Q50 Hybrid Premium
Nav and Tech
17" Run Flats

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

Yep. I disabled it, also. It tend to make the car goes on a rocking motion when it is enabled. I'll enable it when I am traveling over 45mph, on a straight highway with good marker on the road. That's the only time it really work well.

 

[Sinecure]

Have you tried experimenting between the two settings for ALC? I've only had a chance to drive the car on relatively short stretches, so I haven't been able to experiment much. I'm curious what you feel as a user between heavy and light alc.

 

[maddsiick]

The active lane control is only active when you use the button on the steering wheel? I thought it was always on unless turned off in the inTouch system.

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

Heavy is good when you going fast (45mph+). Light is good for moving slow. It doesn't matter if set to heavy or light, the car still goes in a rocking motion when you enable the Active Lane Control. I turn it off and like it much better when I enable the safety features(1 push button).
Active Lane Control work great if you going over 45mph in a straight line with good marker on the road. For everything else, it's better just to turn it off.

Have you tried experimenting between the two settings for ALC? I've only had a chance to drive the car on relatively short stretches, so I haven't been able to experiment much. I'm curious what you feel as a user between heavy and light alc.

 

[Sinecure]

The button on the wheel turns on/off the "active" controls.

e.g. Active Lane Control, Lane Departure Prevention, Blind Spot Intervention, Distance Control Assist.

Things that are more passive are on all the time. e.g Forward Collision Warning, Back Up Collision Intervention (a little confusing there since "intervention" is an "active" type word), Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

Yes, it's only on when you use the 1 button safey feature on the steering wheel AND you enable it from the "Driver Assistance" Active lane Control tab. You can pretty much tell if it is on or not. Your car seem to have a mind of it own when it is enabled.

The active lane control is only active when you use the button on the steering wheel? I thought it was always on unless turned off in the inTouch system.

 

[maddsiick]

That's where I get confused then. Thanks for clarifying. I thought ALC was part of the passive features like the Forward Collision and Backup Collision.

 

[Orrin]

Sinecure
I have briefly played with the two settings. Doesn't seem to make any difference regarding the rocking motion. Really not sure what the difference between low and high does.

Orrin

 

[Randy]

I was originally confused about when the ALC was active and when it wasn't. There is actually a way to tell, but it is not very intuitive.

Go to settings. Then go to meter. Then scroll all the way down to the last item called "chassis control". Turn this on.

Now, on the right side of the steering wheel, scroll through the dashboard items until you see "chassis control" on the dashboard.

When the ALC is ACTIVE (not just engaged), blue lines will appear on the right and left of the display. When the car isn't actively steering you (over 45mph or so), the blue lines will disappear.

The instruction manual and other materials were very vague about this feature. I used to have a Prius with ALC and it was much more obvious when the lane control was active vs just engaged. In any case, I hope a future update will show the ALC status as Off, Engaged, or Active in the upper part of the dash so that I don't have to waste the center dashboard space with the "chassis control" screen. I also hope they rename "Chassis Control" to "Active Lane Control" or something more obvious!

 

[Randy]

Oops. After clicking "meter", click on "Main Menu Selection", THEN scroll all the way down.

 

[admdavid]

That motion is precisely why I decided to not get the tech package. It was so disconcerting to have that back and forth motion for me.

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

There is a lots more on the tech package than just the Active Lane Control. Beside, you can always turn it off. Is the tech package worth the $5k on the hybrid build option? Probably not.

That motion is precisely why I decided to not get the tech package. It was so disconcerting to have that back and forth motion for me.

 

[admdavid]

There is a lots more on the tech package than just the Active Lane Control. Beside, you can always turn it off. Is the tech package worth the $5k on the hybrid build option? Probably not.

I realize there are a lot of other things. I guess I should've added that due to my driving style, most of that tech will just get in my way. When I'm navigating the freeways of LA, I don't want things beeping at me or applying the brakes in an inopportune moment. I'm a very aggressive driver.

 

[chicagokevo]

Wait, so by default my ALC is not active? I sought this thread out because it seems like I can never get my ALC to perform as it's intended to. I've driven on well-painted & new roads and the car still drifts across lanes. I've noticed minor steering corrections but definitely hasn't been right. In fact, I always see the green marks on the side of the digital car (when I press my steering wheel tech button); however, can't recall ever seeing blue lines. Maybe I should read my manual before addressing it to the dealer.

I was originally confused about when the ALC was active and when it wasn't. There is actually a way to tell, but it is not very intuitive.

Go to settings. Then go to meter. Then scroll all the way down to the last item called "chassis control". Turn this on.

Now, on the right side of the steering wheel, scroll through the dashboard items until you see "chassis control" on the dashboard.

When the ALC is ACTIVE (not just engaged), blue lines will appear on the right and left of the display. When the car isn't actively steering you (over 45mph or so), the blue lines will disappear.

The instruction manual and other materials were very vague about this feature. I used to have a Prius with ALC and it was much more obvious when the lane control was active vs just engaged. In any case, I hope a future update will show the ALC status as Off, Engaged, or Active in the upper part of the dash so that I don't have to waste the center dashboard space with the "chassis control" screen. I also hope they rename "Chassis Control" to "Active Lane Control" or something more obvious!

 

[selzini]

Yes, it's only on when you use the 1 button safey feature on the steering wheel AND you enable it from the "Driver Assistance" Active lane Control tab. You can pretty much tell if it is on or not. Your car seem to have a mind of it own when it is enabled.

I used the system on my road trip to Biloxi, and it seemed to work fine, even around slight curves. I had no feeling of rocking back and forth. Yes, there were minor movements of the steering wheel to keep the car in the lane, but that's the idea. Besides getting used to that, I also had to start using the turn signal every time I wanted to change lanes, even if no one was behind me. I enabled the system only with the button on the steering wheel. I have no idea where the "Driver Assistance" Active lane control tab is. Maybe it's on by default?

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

There should be a icon called "Driver Assistance". Within it, you can control the Active Lane control such as "High" or "Low".
If you missing this icon, you need to bring it back to your dealer and have them reprogram the software update. Mine was missing the icon when I got the my Q50. I had to bring it to my dealer and have them reprogram the software update.
Now, if your Active Lane control is really working, you should felt like the car got this rocking motion when driving below 45mph. The reason is because the car is constantly adjusting itself on the lane marker. When going above 45mph, you wouldn't felt it. Active Lane control only work well if going above 45mph as stated in the manual.

I used the system on my road trip to Biloxi, and it seemed to work fine, even around slight curves. I had no feeling of rocking back and forth. Yes, there were minor movements of the steering wheel to keep the car in the lane, but that's the idea. Besides getting used to that, I also had to start using the turn signal every time I wanted to change lanes, even if no one was behind me. I enabled the system only with the button on the steering wheel. I have no idea where the "Driver Assistance" Active lane control tab is. Maybe it's on by default?

 

[Bigbot45]

I've watched the car hold itself perfectly straight on the highway in heavy winds, and it held the lane perfectly. The thing is though I can feel it making corrections, and sometimes I mis-interperet the corrections as deviations caused by the road, and I counter steer into it. The system seems to then counter-steer my counter-steer.

Doing those actions definitly start the oscillations you describe. It's actually very similar to a problem fighter jets would have in the earlier days of fly-by-wire. Known as Pilot-Induced-Oscillation. The pilot would order a move, and the FBW would wait longer than the pilot expected to make the move. This delay would cause the pilot to than order a more severe command, which the system would then take on top of the regular command.
If you're going to use the function though, you really need to have the "Chassis Control" screen up to see if the system is truly active, or you'll really never know if it's helping or not.
Just my 2c but I think that is what is happening.

 

[chicagokevo]

Hmm I definitely thought I had the settings all "on", and after checking last night, they were; I even changed my tolerance to "High" from "Low" (which was there by default). Anyway, with this in mind, I expected my ALC would be working just fine once I see the chassis control screen on my dash displays the green marks around the virtual car image. Yet, I still can't seem to get the car to keep from drifting across lanes. I'll check out another Q50 w/ tech when I pick up my car from the dealer later today. It could possibly be that my car is defective (?!) Say it ain't so...

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

How fast are you traveling? Is the lane have both marker on the left and right side? Is the lane straight or somewhat straight?

Hmm I definitely thought I had the settings all "on", and after checking last night, they were; I even changed my tolerance to "High" from "Low" (which was there by default). Anyway, with this in mind, I expected my ALC would be working just fine once I see the chassis control screen on my dash displays the green marks around the virtual car image. Yet, I still can't seem to get the car to keep from drifting across lanes. I'll check out another Q50 w/ tech when I pick up my car from the dealer later today. It could possibly be that my car is defective (?!) Say it ain't so...