Disable FCM?

Ausome · May 7, 2018

I'm a new owner for 2 weeks now, and love the car. However, I am getting lots of "Brake" messages and beeps from the FCM feature. They seem to be from parked cars while I'm making a turn. It gets annoying. I've tried turning it of manually and that works, but only last for that driving session. The next day when I start up the car, it happens again, and I don't want to turn it off each time I start the car.

Is there a way to permanently turn off the FCM feature. I understand the benefits and risks, but it just isn't working for me.

Thanks for any help.

ThudnBlundr · May 8, 2018

On my MY14 4hs, I can change the distance on the FCM from near to far (I think those were the words used), and that is remembered after a shutdown. That might be what you need

StevieB · May 8, 2018

Ausome said:
I'm a new owner for 2 weeks now, and love the car. However, I am getting lots of "Brake" messages and beeps from the FCM feature. They seem to be from parked cars while I'm making a turn. It gets annoying. I've tried turning it of manually and that works, but only last for that driving session. The next day when I start up the car, it happens again, and I don't want to turn it off each time I start the car.

Is there a way to permanently turn off the FCM feature. I understand the benefits and risks, but it just isn't working for me.

Thanks for any help.

Don't think you can turn it off permantely - your Insurance Group is lower based on this system.

You can change from 'near' to 'far' on settings - 'far' may help you.

Change your driving style a little too - if you brake, it knows you have seen the obstacle. Sometimes it just takes time to get used to it.

Having had a vehicle with this system since 2011, I can say it's annoying at times, but it has probably saved me from 2 shunts, so based on that, try and see how you go with it.

SolarBoy · May 8, 2018

FCM rarely gives me a false positive, it has saved me from two potential shunts when I was wrestling with MMCS at slow speed.

I do tend to drive like Miss Daisy and use the adaptive cruise control if the road and conditions are suitable.

I just wish that the adaptive cruise control had more finesses as often it's like being on a fairground ride ...

jaapv · May 8, 2018

StevieB said:
Ausome said:

I'm a new owner for 2 weeks now, and love the car. However, I am getting lots of "Brake" messages and beeps from the FCM feature. They seem to be from parked cars while I'm making a turn. It gets annoying. I've tried turning it of manually and that works, but only last for that driving session. The next day when I start up the car, it happens again, and I don't want to turn it off each time I start the car.

Is there a way to permanently turn off the FCM feature. I understand the benefits and risks, but it just isn't working for me.

Thanks for any help.

Click to expand...

Don't think you can turn it off permantely - your Insurance Group is lower based on this system.

You can change from 'near' to 'far' on settings - 'far' may help you.

Change your driving style a little too - if you brake, it knows you have seen the obstacle. Sometimes it just takes time to get used to it.

Having had a vehicle with this system since 2011, I can say it's annoying at times, but it has probably saved me from 2 shunts, so based on that, try and see how you go with it.

It sometimes gives a false positive, not often, and I use it on "far". It has saved my front bumper a few times. I echo the "have a look at your driving style". This is not an Audi.

ThudnBlundr · May 8, 2018

I've had mine set to "near", and it's only produced a false positive when manoeuvring in a car park, or when using B5 to come to a near standstill with my foot covering the brake. I would suggest "near" is better than "far" if it goes off all the time as it won't be triggered by things in the distance. The NCAP videos on YouTube show it working, but I'd scared if I ever got that close to a car at that speed!

But then again I've never had a near miss in almost 40 years of driving. For several years my daily driver was an MG Midget, which had seatbelts as an optional extra and whose dash only had 3 switches (and one of those was to turn off the lights on the dash for night-time fun). I think you seriously need to look at your driving style if you've had more than one near miss in your PHEV! They're not infallible, as is proved by that fatality with an autonomous car in the US...