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BlueCruise 1.4 - What do you think?

BarryGoyette

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A few weeks ago, I headed to Vegas on a quick work trip. I noticed the BCruise was acting funny pretty early on the drive, but it wasn't until Barstow that I noticed that I'd been updated to BC 1.4 over night, and so for the last stretch of that trip, the return, and around my home county here on the coast, I've been logging what I've experienced while BlueCruising.

So far, I see that it's staying "on" in more parts of the highway. During several sections of the LV trip, it seemed to go forever without asking me to grab the steering wheel. In general, I like the auto lane switching feature, although, in traffic, when you're most likely to switch lanes to get around a slower vehicle, it's not really reading the road (say you're behind a car going 50, and you want to move into the fast lane, it moves into that lane at 50, and stays that way for just long enough to piss off any drivers coming from behind). Add to that, if you try to manually change lanes after signaling, it often fights you a bit, and can give a cancel warning mid switch. This Feature feels like it could use some finessing.

One of the things I noticed before I realized there had been an update, were some "in lane" mini-swerves that were new to me. One of those was the new "maneuver when passing large vehicles, which now that I know about, is a nice trick. The other is a bug I think. It happens when as you near where an on ramp meets the freeway, and the solid line to the right splits to allow for the onramp to merge into traffic. Bluecruise very definitely swerves to "split the difference" before correcting and recentering in the lane. Now that I know what it's doing I'm ok with it, but at first I thought it was heading into the on-ramp lane. It's a pretty abrupt swerve. This is new behavior for me, and it really should befitted.

Additionally, our coastal freeways are pretty curvy for a freeway, and I find the new steering through those curves to be aggressive and less smooth than before.

Finally, one of the features I was most looking forward to, the ability of the BC to assess and adjust appropriate speed when going into a tight turn, documented in the software, seems to be no better than before. It self cancels just as much, and will still head into most curves at the "set" speed rather than slowing down.

Overall, I feel like the functionality has increased, while the execution has taken a few steps back. Hopefully they can tune this update to make for a better, safer experience for all of us.

Do you have BC 1.4? What's your experience?
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jefrank

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A few weeks ago, I headed to Vegas on a quick work trip. I noticed the BCruise was acting funny pretty early on the drive, but it wasn't until Barstow that I noticed that I'd been updated to BC 1.4 over night, and so for the last stretch of that trip, the return, and around my home county here on the coast, I've been logging what I've experienced while BlueCruising.

So far, I see that it's staying "on" in more parts of the highway. During several sections of the LV trip, it seemed to go forever without asking me to grab the steering wheel. In general, I like the auto lane switching feature, although, in traffic, when you're most likely to switch lanes to get around a slower vehicle, it's not really reading the road (say you're behind a car going 50, and you want to move into the fast lane, it moves into that lane at 50, and stays that way for just long enough to piss off any drivers coming from behind). Add to that, if you try to manually change lanes after signaling, it often fights you a bit, and can give a cancel warning mid switch. This Feature feels like it could use some finessing.

One of the things I noticed before I realized there had been an update, were some "in lane" mini-swerves that were new to me. One of those was the new "maneuver when passing large vehicles, which now that I know about, is a nice trick. The other is a bug I think. It happens when as you near where an on ramp meets the freeway, and the solid line to the right splits to allow for the onramp to merge into traffic. Bluecruise very definitely swerves to "split the difference" before correcting and recentering in the lane. Now that I know what it's doing I'm ok with it, but at first I thought it was heading into the on-ramp lane. It's a pretty abrupt swerve. This is new behavior for me, and it really should befitted.

Additionally, our coastal freeways are pretty curvy for a freeway, and I find the new steering through those curves to be aggressive and less smooth than before.

Finally, one of the features I was most looking forward to, the ability of the BC to assess and adjust appropriate speed when going into a tight turn, documented in the software, seems to be no better than before. It self cancels just as much, and will still head into most curves at the "set" speed rather than slowing down.

Overall, I feel like the functionality has increased, while the execution has taken a few steps back. Hopefully they can tune this update to make for a better, safer experience for all of us.

Do you have BC 1.4? What's your experience?
Pretty much the same as your experience so far.

I have seen the truck slow down on curves while using BC1.4, but I can't say that it's consistent in doing so.

I get "yelled at" (watch the road!) quite often since I'm still watching the rear view mirror before hitting the turn signal to merge back into the slow lane. Still want to know I have enough clearance before I signal my intent so no one freaks out. I've also experienced the pushback and cancel from attempting to lane change on my own. Sometimes you just have to make a move more quickly than the system is going to allow automatically in tight traffic.
 

daveross1212

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So far so good. I definitely do not like the auto-slowdown around curves. This is both annoying to me and the people behind me. I also mentioned this one in the other thread:

Played around with the lane change feature a bunch this weekend. I found it funny that the feature is still active even when hands-free is not - e.g. if you are traveling above 80mph, it will still try to do a lane change even though your hands are on the wheel. I wonder if that is by design or an oversight?
 

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jefrank

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So far so good. I definitely do not like the auto-slowdown around curves. This is both annoying to me and the people behind me. I also mentioned this one in the other thread:

Played around with the lane change feature a bunch this weekend. I found it funny that the feature is still active even when hands-free is not - e.g. if you are traveling above 80mph, it will still try to do a lane change even though your hands are on the wheel. I wonder if that is by design or an oversight?
That definitely sounds like an oversight... but it's a feature now.
 

Mmiketa

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That definitely sounds like an oversight... but it's a feature now.
Mine does not do that. If I turn on my blinker while it isn't in Hands-Free it uses the old functionality where it disables the lane keeping so I can change lanes.
 

The Weatherman

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I have been one of most vocal critics of Ford for promising this functionality and then taking two years to deliver. Now that I finally received the OTA (couple of weeks ago), I will admit it’s not all that.

I guess it proves the axiom that anticipation is always greater than the actual event.
 

Citizen0

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I've been exceedingly pleased with the 1.4 update. I've completed multiple 100 mile trips on Interstate 75 (exit to exit) without ever touching the wheel. I use the automated lane-change (gently pressing the stalk) to pass cars and it's been rock solid. This has been from exit 41 up to Macon.

Disengagement has also improved dramatically. My county road is badly faded and previous to 1.4 the truck would never remain engaged on it. Now it stays engaged 90% of the time. I do not TRUST it on this road, but it does work. Similarly there was a curve on I-75 in Tifton that would previously disengage every time. That is no longer the case.

I don't care for the way slowing into a curve is implemented. There are sections on my road that have no curves, yet it will slow down for some reason. The opposite holds true as well. It will not slow down for some upcoming curves. Odd behavior for sure.

I've also noticed that it is more aware of upcoming speed limit changes and slows down to match the speed limit where the actual sign is.
 

Rtashiro

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Can I ask. What year/ trim you have? When did you get the update? And did it notify you that you got an update or just started working? How can I tell what version I have? I have a 2023 lariate
 

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The Weatherman

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Can I ask. What year/ trim you have? When did you get the update? And did it notify you that you got an update or just started working? How can I tell what version I have? I have a 2023 lariate
Ford F-150 Lightning BlueCruise 1.4 - What do you think? 1750206279747-7a
 

Rtashiro

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Sorry I should be more clear. Would I get a notice in ford pass if I got the update?
 
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BarryGoyette

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Can I ask. What year/ trim you have? When did you get the update? And did it notify you that you got an update or just started working? How can I tell what version I have? I have a 2023 lariate
I have a 23 lariat as well. There was nothing on the screen, I didn't get a notice that it would update, or that it had. It was later in the day when I noticed it in FordPass. But yeah...it just started working.
 

Altivec

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Up here in Canada bluecruise is essentially useless. Other than a few freeways in SOME major cities, the mapped locations are non existent. (look at the blue cruise map if you don't believe me). Not even the Trans-Canada is mapped (major highway going across Canada). I happen to have one of the few mapped areas on a ring road in my city but even that is unusable. It constanly reads the off ramp speed signs and slams on the brakes. I don't understand the point of requiring "pre mapped" highways if this is how it behaves anyways. You would think "pre mapping" means someone at Ford actually drives the road and verifies/alters parameters to ensure the system operates well (ie. remove off ramp speed signs). Does anyone know what "pre-map" actually does?

I am not even complaining. It is what it is and for the sake of progress, these are the growing pains that I willing to go through. But it's quite laughable the amount of money Ford is asking for a subscription here in Canada where the bluecruise map is non existent. Does anyone in Canada actually pay for the subscription? If so, I would love to hear why?
 

Timeless Epoch

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Does anyone know what "pre-map" actually does?
Allows car manufactures to create a pay wall for features. 🫩

I mean adaptive cruise control with lane centering works most anywhere and what major difference is there other than hand detection?

If Ford used it for timely updates and improvements, it might be worth the pay to play.
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