[Paultattoo]

Only had the car 6 days. I have been trying and trying to let the X7 drive itself since day one. I just couldn't get more than a few seconds before the lights flashed and I had to squeeze the wheel.

Well, today it happened. In case you didn't know how, I'll fill ya in!

I know a lot of parameters must be perfect to have it work, but I didn't know just how many. Surface roads? Not going to happen. It was when I was on the expressway and actually stuck in traffic that was going between 25-40 MPH.

Either this was not spelled out to well in the manual, or I missed it.

So I have the cruise control on. When you turn it on, you get two choices. One is DISTANCE CONTROL and one is ASSISTED DRIVING. I always use assisted driving. Well, when I got stuck in traffic on the expressway, all sorts of stuff happened. It all happened so fast it took a while to know what was going on. My speedo screen lit up differently and my dash screen popped up a message. Now, remember, I am driving in traffic so I had to keep watching the road.

I missed it. Let go of the wheel and got the yellow grab the wheel light. But then it happened again. This time I took the careful time to read the dash screen. It was telling me that I could turn on TRAFFIC ASSIST. Taking a guess at what I was suppose to do, I tried to shut off the cruise and turn it back on.

WOZZA! There's a third selection. TRAFFIC ASSIST. You can't find it or turn it on unless you have met all the parameters that will allow you to use it. It is not there UNTIL you can use it. I do wish that was explained a bit better.

So I turn on TRAFFIC ASSIST and OMG. The speedo screen that shows the car in its lane turned the lane green. The yellow lights on the wheel turned green. I did not touch the wheel for about two minutes but then the traffic speeded up to over 40 MPH and the lights went yellow and the lane marker went back to its normal dull color.

I hope I said that right and that you guys already knew all of this.

One more time: When you turn on the cruise the mode button gives you THREE selections. Yes, THREE!. But only when the parameters have been met to use Traffic Assist. Until then, the mode button only gives you two choices: Driving assist and Distanced assist.

[FreddyBMW]

Enjoy the fun! I guess in the forum there is a video about TJA and the buttons usage.

[Paultattoo]

Originally Posted by FreddyBMW

Enjoy the fun! I guess in the forum there is a video about TJA and the buttons usage.

I YouTubed it again to be sure. Never knew any of this until today. First time I ever saw the green steering wheel lights. And I've been reading and YouTubing for three months!

I'll have to do a forum search tomorrow.

[Auricom]

It comes in handy in the DMV region. Use it every morning and evening commuting to and from
work, LOL.

[Paultattoo]

Originally Posted by Auricom

It comes in handy in the DMV region. Use it every morning and evening commuting to and from
work, LOL.

That's it! All my research and video watching and this is the second time I've seen it. Once in my car yesterday and in your photo.

[Paultattoo]

Got it to go on today in traffic on the expressway. It's a pretty boring video, but here it is. In the video the steering wheel lights look kind of yellow, but in real life they are green!

[Art-CK]

Originally Posted by Paultattoo

Got it to go on today in traffic on the expressway. It's a pretty boring video, but here it is. In the video the steering wheel lights look kind of yellow, but in real life they are green!

very cool, thanks for sharing!

[jmciver]

Originally Posted by Auricom

It comes in handy in the DMV region. Use it every morning and evening commuting to and from
work, LOL.

How do you handle the transition between the "slow speed" autonomy (what you have pictured) and the "fast speed" autonomy since IIRC some human intervention is required during the transition. Are the button sequences to shift between the two modes smooth? Or clumsy and cumbersome? Or a little bit of both until you get used to the necessary button sequences to shift between the two modes as traffic goes above and below 40 MPH?

[Paultattoo]

Originally Posted by jmciver

How do you handle the transition between the "slow speed" autonomy (what you have pictured) and the "fast speed" autonomy since IIRC some human intervention is required during the transition. Are the button sequences to shift between the two modes smooth? Or clumsy and cumbersome? Or a little bit of both until you get used to the necessary button sequences to shift between the two modes as traffic goes above and below 40 MPH?

You can always shift between the two modes. Distance and drivers assist. It is ONLY when you meet all the parameters of Traffic Assist when you even get a third choice. My nav screen did pop up with a full screen message telling that I can enable Traffic Assist if I wanted to. Along with all the other warnings you would expect. I could't read it all while driving so I missed it the first time.

I was ready for it the next time I was stuck in traffic, so I was able to access the third choice. Like I said, you can not see or choose the third choice, Traffic Assist, unless you have met the requirements that allow you to use it.

I only have been able to access it twice. The first time, when traffic lightened up, and the car went over 40 mph, I got the wheel flashing yellow and the hands on the wheel symbol. I took over no problem. the second time, I reached my exit. I thought about skipping it because it was such fun to have the car drive itself... but I had to get to work. All I did was take over. I took the wheel and signaled to exit and went on my way like it was never on.

[unfoundnemo]

Originally Posted by jmciver

How do you handle the transition between the "slow speed" autonomy (what you have pictured) and the "fast speed" autonomy since IIRC some human intervention is required during the transition. Are the button sequences to shift between the two modes smooth? Or clumsy and cumbersome? Or a little bit of both until you get used to the necessary button sequences to shift between the two modes as traffic goes above and below 40 MPH?

Once you go over 40, it's pretty natural as long as you're actually paying attention. It goes from the driver assistance plus mode to regular driver assistance mode automatically, so no buttons to press. If your hands weren't on the wheel, it basically acts like you went 30+ seconds with hands off in the normal mode: the wheel immediately turns yellow, audible beep, and the lane keep assist is greyed out until you out your hands on the wheel.

When you go back below 40, it becomes more intuitive. The additional mode appears with notification, and you hit the mode button to get into it, pretty simple, just the addition pop-up on the main iDrive screen with the disclaimer.

[LittleJoe]

Actually, you can have the system drive for you all the time with this simple suggestion I got from my salesman. Place the fingers of one hand lightly to the back of the steering wheel but only with enough pressure that the wheel picks up the heat of your fingers but does not actually steer the car. The X7 will continue to steer indefinitely with no warnings. I was test driving another X7 last week when he shared this tip and it works great. I've used it at least a half dozen times since. While it's not "Traffic Jam Assistant" its a way to suppress the yellow and red warning lights. Of course you must be fully engaged with watching the road as anything could go wrong.

[jmciver]

Good insight. So it sounds like going between slow and fast semi-autonomous modes is initially a bit "clunky". But once you are familiar with the buttonology, when/where to keep your hand on the wheel, and the different notifications from iDrive you need to recognize, everything becomes pretty intuitive and "automatic" for the driver to use these features. I can't wait to play with it.

But then knowing my affinity to tinker with cars and tech, it would not be long before I would dig into the coding to see what I could do to make these systems operate even more hands free with fewer restrictions and limitations. I guess I am bad like that ....

[Paultattoo]

Originally Posted by jmciver

Good insight. So it sounds like going between slow and fast semi-autonomous modes is initially a bit "clunky". But once you are familiar with the buttonology, when/where to keep your hand on the wheel, and the different notifications from iDrive you need to recognize, everything becomes pretty intuitive and "automatic" for the driver to use these features. I can't wait to play with it.

But then knowing my affinity to tinker with cars and tech, it would not be long before I would dig into the coding to see what I could do to make these systems operate even more hands free with fewer restrictions and limitations. I guess I am bad like that ....

Here's the biggy if you find them:

Lane keeping turn on at twenty instead of 50.

Traffic Jam assist work up to 80+

[unfoundnemo]

Originally Posted by Paultattoo

Here's the biggy if you find them:

Lane keeping turn on at twenty instead of 50.

Traffic Jam assist work up to 80+

I've used lane keeping within driver assist well below 50 without coding. I've turned it on in a crowded parking lot going 5 mph leaving a game and it barely made me touch the wheel without being in assist plus/TJA mode (I think it might be more distance based instead of time based). I believe it's just the lane keep/steering intervention that's "always active" that doesn't engage below 50.

[Paultattoo]

Originally Posted by unfoundnemo

I've used lane keeping within driver assist well below 50 without coding. I've turned it on in a crowded parking lot going 5 mph leaving a game and it barely made me touch the wheel without being in assist plus/TJA mode (I think it might be more distance based instead of time based). I believe it's just the lane keep/steering intervention that's "always active" that doesn't engage below 50.

Yes, when you turn it in. My Q7 was always on unless I shut it off.

Maybe I'm missing something. My BMW will lane keeping after I turn it on. Every time I get in the car. If I don't manually turn it on... it's off.

[unfoundnemo]

Originally Posted by Paultattoo

Yes, when you turn it in. My Q7 was always on unless I shut it off.

Maybe I'm missing something. My BMW will lane keeping after I turn it on. Every time I get in the car. If I don't manually turn it on... it's off.

The lane keep outside of driver assistance pro is a little different, it won't keep you in the center of the lane, just intervene if you actually start to cross a line (assuming you have steering intervention turned on).

[mitch57]

Originally Posted by LittleJoe

Actually, you can have the system drive for you all the time with this simple suggestion I got from my salesman. Place the fingers of one hand lightly to the back of the steering wheel but only with enough pressure that the wheel picks up the heat of your fingers but does not actually steer the car. The X7 will continue to steer indefinitely with no warnings. I was test driving another X7 last week when he shared this tip and it works great. I've used it at least a half dozen times since. While it's not "Traffic Jam Assistant" its a way to suppress the yellow and red warning lights. Of course you must be fully engaged with watching the road as anything could go wrong.

Are you saying that all you have to do is tap the back of the steering wheel with your fingers? You don't need to hold them there? If you need to hold them there what's the point?

[Paultattoo]

Originally Posted by mitch57

Are you saying that all you have to do is tap the back of the steering wheel with your fingers? You don't need to hold them there? If you need to hold them there what's the point?

I've seen all the ideas. Put a water bottle on the wheel. Wedge a grapefruit in the wheel. Whatever.

On perfectly flat straight roads I have my hand on the wheel and the yellow warning still flashes until I actually squeeze the wheel. It's fine.

[mitch57]

Originally Posted by Paultattoo

I've seen all the ideas. Put a water bottle on the wheel. Wedge a grapefruit in the wheel. Whatever.

On perfectly flat straight roads I have my hand on the wheel and the yellow warning still flashes until I actually squeeze the wheel. It's fine.

My point exactly. If it's not totally hands free without having to touch anything for the entire time it's turned then it's not hands free.

[akap007]

How are you guys getting the that road view in the traffic assist mode? I thought 11.19 was the latest software but I definitely don't get that view. What software version are you running?

[Paultattoo]

Originally Posted by akap007

How are you guys getting the that road view in the traffic assist mode? I thought 11.19 was the latest software but I definitely don't get that view. What software version are you running?

Mine came this way. How do you find out what version you have?

[Auricom]

Originally Posted by akap007

How are you guys getting the that road view in the traffic assist mode? I thought 11.19 was the latest software but I definitely don't get that view. What software version are you running?

My X5 is on 07/2019.63.

Did you option Driving Assistance Professional Package?

And how to turn on Assisted Drive View in the instrument cluster.