Lane Assist - remembering the previous setting!

[s3akr]

This is unlikely to be new news to many, but for those that don't know, it is possible to disable Lane Assist and for it to no longer switch on every time the car is started........

Lane assist has been driving me to distraction. I turn it off every time. The car turns it back on every time we start the car. It drives me absolutely nuts that it comes back on each time, and has to be disabled every time. The Macan we have remembers the previous setting for lane assist and if it were off, it stays off until you enable it again, even on a restart of the car etc.

Our Born now does the same #smugface

I bought an OBDEleven device and paid the small amount requested to buy the credits to enable the memory setting on this irritating and nannying function so that it no longer automatically turns itself back on. Game changer.

I can still enable it via the entertainment system if you really want it on. It still works, it still does what it does, but no longer does it come back on without being specifically switched on.

If anyone local to Colchester area wants the same change made, then let me know and I'd be happy to do it for cost of the required credits - it'll save you £52 on buying a device.

Just thought I'd mention it as it drove me crazy!

[Roborn]

We live in an area with lots of country lanes so lane assist is pretty useless tbh, however I’ve noticed it just indicates with a yellow stripe in the head up display and there’s no real pull on the steering (I have noticed the vibration of the wheel setting is turned off on mine). I must admit I don’t find it distracting on the Born - on previous cars it really tugs at the steering so I’ve switched it off but in the Born I just ignore it tbh

[monkeyhanger]

It's a poorly executed solution to a problem no one paying attention at the wheel should have.

It's only purpose seems to be mitigating those that lane wander because they're on their mobile phone or applying make-up while driving.

It takes no account of obstacles in your lane and blindly tries to keep you centred in the lane regardless of cars parked on the edge of the road, lane narrowing cones, cyclists etc. Turned mine off as soon as I got the car (same on the S3). I don't know where my OBD11 device is right now.

[Pugboy]

Good to know it is possible to DIY this, thanks.

[mluisbrown]

I really don't get all the hate for lane assist. I leave it on all the time and only very rarely do I have to override it. It's an extra safety backup, especially on motorways. It also forces me to use my indicators when switching lanes which I like. I had grown used to not indicating for lane switches after many years driving in Portugal where almost no one does it, but it's nice to have something reminding you to do it, and now I do it all the time even when I'm driving my old Audi.

It's also handy when I have to switch between my normal glasses and sunglasses and I'm alone in the car. For the short time it takes I can take my hands off the wheel.

[monkeyhanger]

I really don't get all the hate for lane assist. I leave it on all the time and only very rarely do I have to override it. It's an extra safety backup, especially on motorways. It also forces me to use my indicators when switching lanes which I like. I had grown used to not indicating for lane switches after many years driving in Portugal where almost no one does it, but it's nice to have something reminding you to do it, and now I do it all the time even when I'm driving my old Audi.

It's also handy when I have to switch between my normal glasses and sunglasses and I'm alone in the car. For the short time it takes I can take my hands off the wheel.

So the crux of it is, LA makes you do something you should anyway (indicate on a lane change) and allows you to do something you shouldn't (take both hands off the steering wheel).

Doesn't that just demonstrate how useless the system is and that it's only there to mitigate poor driving habits?

When LA tries to tug you towards lane narrowing cones that it seemingly doesn't see, I'm better off without it.

[monkeyhanger]

I found my OBD11, so if anyone is in the North Tyneside area who wants theirs set to remember last setting (off means off) then let me know.

[Roborn]

A month in I still don’t find the lane assist annoying. Like most modern safety features you can either allow it to irritate you, or accept it’s there in the background to assist if you ever need it. Oddly my 2023 fiesta ST defaults to lane assist off with a 1 button press to switch it on after start up. A late 2023 Puma I drove for a short time defaulted to on after every start up! Law must have changed in the interim.

[monkeyhanger]

A month in I still don’t find the lane assist annoying. Like most modern safety features you can either allow it to irritate you, or accept it’s there in the background to assist if you ever need it. Oddly my 2023 fiesta ST defaults to lane assist off with a 1 button press to switch it on after start up. A late 2023 Puma I drove for a short time defaulted to on after every start up! Law must have changed in the interim.

You don't have to accept it if you have OBD11.

It has never intervened to save me, but it has intervened to pull me towards an obstacle in the road that I'm actively looking to avoid e.g. a long run of lane narrowing cones- are you supposed to leave your indicators on for a 1 mile stretch of cones to avoid intervention? If it actually helped keep you between 2 points of unobstructed road, and not blindly ignore everything but the lane markings, I could see the genuine benefit.

I don't believe that it needs to be on by default on every ignition cycle to obtain the NCAP rating for its fitment, it just needs to be fitted, with the choice to have it on or off. Different marques have different approaches to whether it has to be switched off at every ignition cycle.

[mluisbrown]

Doesn't that just demonstrate how useless the system is and that it's only there to mitigate poor driving habits?

Not at all. It's a safety feature that could literally save your life if for whatever reason you lost consciousness whilst driving. If you drive well it doesn't interfere.
Like seatbelts, airbags and ABS brakes before it, it will reduce road accidents and fatalities, and I'm pretty sure it will become a mandatory feature on new cars in the future. I'm pretty sure that the reason you can't have it disabled by default is existing regulation.

When LA tries to tug you towards lane narrowing cones that it seemingly doesn't see, I'm better off without it.

You're exaggerating. It's very easy to resist and/or override the very occasional misplaced "tug" of the wheel.

One more thing worth bearing in mind: if you were to have an accident that lane assist could have helped you avoid, and the insurance company discovers that you've changed OBD11 settings to disable it by default, they could potentially void your insurance.