What functions go away without paying for BlueCruise?

[K6CCC]

I have had my Lightning for a little under two months and have tried out BlueCruise a few times. It works OK, but I don't entirely trust it. At the insane price Ford charges for it, I do not expect to pay for a subscription once the trial ends. So what I'm wondering is what functions will I lose?

BlueCruise has several basic functions - Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Centering, and Lane changing (basic list). Do all of those go away without the subscription? I completely assume Lane centering and changing would go away. Does the Adaptive Cruise Control revert to dumb cruise control?

Here's my primary issue with BlueCruise. If I'm in traffic that is moving 65 for example and I see a few hundred yards ahead (or farther) that traffic is radically slowing, I will let off the go pedal. BlueCruse can't see that far ahead and keeps barreling along at 65 until fairly close before having to radically slow down. Will it be able to do so - most likely yes, I generally find that my foot hits the brake before it does. And yes, I have the following distance set to the maximum.

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[Heliian]

Hands free bluecruise. That's what you lose.

 

[RickLightning]

Your reaction to brake sooner is simply a gutteral reaction The truck will slow soon enough. Simply hit the disable butting with your foot on the accelerator, then re enable when back to speed.

 

[Heliian]

, I will let off the go pedal. BlueCruse can't see that far

If you are using bluecruise or the acc, don't touch the pedal. Using the pedal overrides it.

 

[Jseis]

The forward sensors (in adaptive cruise) are quite sensitive to vehicles entering the travel lane say 75-100 yards ahead on two lane at 30 mph. I’ve had situations where the truck braked for a parked vehicle on the outside of the right lane when approaching a turn to the left. The sensors calculated the vehicle as “blocking”/“entering” the travel lane as it was nearly dead ahead. Startled me the 1st time.

 

[K6CCC]

Hands free bluecruise. That's what you lose.

That was kinda a non-answer. That answer would imply that not having a BlueCruise subscription means that everything still functions (including hands on self driving) except hands free self driving. I find that one a bit hard to believe. Is that really the case?

 

[K6CCC]

Your reaction to brake sooner is simply a gutteral reaction The truck will slow soon enough. Simply hit the disable butting with your foot on the accelerator, then re enable when back to speed.

As I said, I suspect it would, but it has several times approached either very slow or stopped traffic at full speed almost to the point of needing a semi-panic stop. The truck simply can't see far enough ahead to be comfortable about it.

 

[HOTAS]

You lose hand free cruise (no continuous nanny prompts) and lane change.
Adaptive cruise and lane centering remain (with lots of hand-on-the-wheel annoying AF nanny prompts)

 

[ColonelPanicked]

That was kinda a non-answer. That answer would imply that not having a BlueCruise subscription means that everything still functions (including hands on self driving) except hands free self driving. I find that one a bit hard to believe. Is that really the case?

AFAIK nothing else is bundled with that subscription. ACC and LKA still work without BC.

The price is wild for what you get. Infrequent updates, inferior automation. I know it's hard to believe what they charge just for that one feature.

 

[Heliian]

including hands on self driving)

It's called lane keeping assist and it remains.

your connected built-in navigation pay service is a seperate line item that might expire at the same time.

It's only the hands-free bluecruise that you would lose when your bluecruise subscription expires.

 

[mdflyer]

You lose hand free cruise (no continuous nanny prompts) and lane change.
Adaptive cruise and lane centering remain (with lots of hand-on-the-wheel annoying AF nanny prompts)

Not directly related to the main post, but does anyone have any tips and tricks on hand placement so I stop getting yelled at…. Seems wildly inconsistent and requires me to death grip the steering wheel to register. I’ve had the assisted cruise control on several previous vehicles (jeep & a few BMWs), they didn’t require more than a few fingers at two points on the steering wheel to function.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Not directly related to the main post, but does anyone have any tips and tricks on hand placement so I stop getting yelled at…. Seems wildly inconsistent and requires me to death grip the steering wheel to register. I’ve had the assisted cruise control on several previous vehicles (jeep & a few BMWs), they didn’t require more than a few fingers at two points on the steering wheel to function.

10 & 2 o'clock or lower works for me.

You should only need to hold the wheel on "unmapped" "non hands free" roads,

Interstate & major state divided highways are mapped for "Hands Free" operation, no input is needed, all other roads with well defined lane markings require you provide random torsional input to the wheel (turning w/o actually steering off course).

 

[husky10101]

You don't have to grip the wheel, just a little tension down on the right or left of the wheel is all it takes. Just like my old Tesla Model X

 

[CdnCGM23]

Not directly related to the main post, but does anyone have any tips and tricks on hand placement so I stop getting yelled at…. Seems wildly inconsistent and requires me to death grip the steering wheel to register. I’ve had the assisted cruise control on several previous vehicles (jeep & a few BMWs), they didn’t require more than a few fingers at two points on the steering wheel to function.

It's not about hand placement. It steering wheel resistance. Just need to give it a shake every once in a while.

 

[Ricks Lightning]

Bluecruise is not worth it until you get the BC 1.4 update. At least that's what I feel based on the few that have 1.4

I have a Flash and its supposivly BC 1.2.
When I had the 3 months of free BC. It wasn't much different than what I have now 5 months of non BC. Sure I can let go of the Wheel long enough to open a soda, and get a few sips until the dash warns me to hold onto the wheel.

I'm not paying full price for stale milk when fresh milk cost the same and is on the shelf just behind the stale milk.
Now most places discount day old bread or you can buy hot bread out of the oven for full price.

Ford definitely Is not selling milk or bread, but they are charging full price for Blusecruise that's not 1.4

Rick

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