Deactivate front assist?

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Andy Beats
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Deactivate front assist?

Post by Andy Beats »

Hi, all
Had my Polo beats for about a week now.
Loving it, apart from the 'front assist' which is scaring the bejesus out of everyone.
It's gone off a few times on country lanes, mostly on sharp corners where it thinks I'm going to drive into a wall and takes over.
I've got it set to 'late', it still does it.
Going into settings for every little journey to switch it off and then suffering the yellow warning light on the dash isn't ideal.
Is there any way of permanently disabling the system and warning light via OBD coding?? (PLEASE let there be someone who does this...)
I've not even made the first payment yet and the front assist is making me dread owning it.... :cry:
johnpolo2
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by johnpolo2 »

I always thought that this system had the ability to be temperamental, unfortunately inducing a state of anxiety in the process.


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silverhairs
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by silverhairs »

On another post, one member has given instructions on how to set this up correctly, you seem to have the settings too high, have you been fiddling with some of the settings. If still not happy with it, TAKE IT BACK. That's what the warranty's for :roll:
Andy Beats
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Drives: Nissan Leaf 40KW (and Polo United)
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by Andy Beats »

Only thing I've done is set the warnings to 'late'
Doesn't get rid of the feature, unfortunately.
I want rid of it permanently, with no corresponding warning light, if at all possible.
As for taking it back to the dealer, I've done a lot of research about it online and, unfortunately, I think it's working exactly as it should - many owners report the same issue.
What I've NOT seen is anyone saying it can be disabled via VAGCOM (or whatever it's called now).
I'd happily pay to have the feature permanently removed.
Andy Beats
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by Andy Beats »

silverhairs wrote: Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:06 pm On another post, one member has given instructions on how to set this up correctly, you seem to have the settings too high, have you been fiddling with some of the settings. If still not happy with it, TAKE IT BACK. That's what the warranty's for :roll:
Can you point me to the post please?
I've tried a search, nothing came up.
SRGTD
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by SRGTD »

Andy, if it is possible to disable front assist permanently (maybe it isn’t, as it’s a safety feature), then doing so is likely to have insurance implications.

Pretty much all insurers will have factored the existence of safety features such as front assist into their premium calculations, and the premium they charge for a car with these features will be lower than it would be if the car didn’t have them. Insurers will no doubt have statistics that show the accident rate of cars with front assist systems is lower than it is for cars without front assist.

So, disabling front assist permanently;
  • this would be considered to be a vehicle modification for insurance purposes, and the small print in your insurance policy will include a requirement to inform your insurer of any such modification.
  • it would mean your premium would very likely increase because you are permanently disabling a feature that is considered to be a safety feature, incorporated into the car to reduce the risk of an accident happening.
  • it could mean that some insurers wouldn’t be prepared to insure you.
If you do permanently disable it and don’t tell your insurer, you could invalidate your insurance too.
silverhairs
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by silverhairs »

Look under "Radar UnLove" It was about two posts away from your post.
monkeyhanger
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by monkeyhanger »

Those warnings when you switch the system off are annoying, but they are there prominently to discourage you from switching off.

I must admit that the system hasn't saved me at all, and I've had it on 3 VWs including the Polo GTI. I don't think I could ever fully rely on it to stop me every time I would want it to - there have been times I have deliberately intervened a little late to test it's effectiveness and had nothing happen. It has seen the 300ps Golf R be as cheap to insure as my Golf GTD (which also has the system) and my preceding Scirocco 170TDI which did not. As far as the insurance companies are concerned, the likelihood of you rear-ending a car is significantly reduced. The Polo's second generation system is a little better than the Golf's - no more false alarms exiting the Tyne Tunnel.

Mine is set to medium and I have 2 or 3 alerts a week, set on early and I was getting about 5 a day. Haven't tried late warning or turned warning off - but warning will be almost none existent before intervening itself with a hard prod on the brakes.
Andy Beats
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by Andy Beats »

Maybe 'late' is the wrong setting then, as the brakes gave a sharp 'tap' the other day with zero warning.
Made me say "WTF" with a car full of kids. :(
I'll try medium and hope it strikes a balance between annoying warnings and unexpected brake application.
I'm not convinced with the insurance argument, I doubt the insurance companies take any notice of this being fitted to the car at all.
kmm249
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by kmm249 »

Good luck with your front assist issue!

VW are less than helpful than the dealers when it comes to this issue mine spent nearly two months in the dealership trying to sort it out. Video evidence of it not working how it should did not help in rejection of vehicle either.

I’ve been left terrified to drive my car and turn the front assist off each time. Trying to find the best way to turn off permanently.....


Good luck!
Andy Beats
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Posts: 2012
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2018 1:12 pm
Drives: Nissan Leaf 40KW (and Polo United)
Location: aberdeen

Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by Andy Beats »

kmm249 wrote: Thu Nov 22, 2018 8:05 pm Good luck with your front assist issue!

VW are less than helpful than the dealers when it comes to this issue mine spent nearly two months in the dealership trying to sort it out. Video evidence of it not working how it should did not help in rejection of vehicle either.

I’ve been left terrified to drive my car and turn the front assist off each time. Trying to find the best way to turn off permanently.....


Good luck!
It'll only be a line of code, anyone with what used to be called VAGCOM will be able to switch it off permanently (and hopefully switch off the warning light too).
It's finding that person that is difficult.
Kittycat
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by Kittycat »

I was trying to turn my driver display for my phone on when I accidentally deactivated front assist and had a little triangle light appear on the dash
If you go into the menu I’m sure it’s under vehicle data
SRGTD
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by SRGTD »

Kittycat wrote: Sat Nov 24, 2018 9:02 am I was trying to turn my driver display for my phone on when I accidentally deactivated front assist and had a little triangle light appear on the dash
If you go into the menu I’m sure it’s under vehicle data
I think those who have posted about false alarms with front assist are looking for a way to switch it off permanently, so not having to go into the vehicle settings menu every time, and also not have the dash warning displayed.

As I posted earlier in this thread (6th post), permanently turning off a safety feature such as front assist would be likely to considered as a modification for insurance purposes which could have premium implications, as insurers will have factored the existence of front assist - and it being used most or all of the time - into their premium rates for the Polo. Some insurers might not be prepared to continue to provide cover if this is switched off permanently; if they would provide cover with front assist switched off, it would likely be at an increased premium. Not informing an insurer if front assist is permanently disabled could also invalidate a person’s insurance and leave them uninsured.

I dare say that if a car with front assist is involved in an accident where it has run into the back of another car, an insurer would investigate why front assist didn’t activate as it should have. If they found it had been turned off permanently and they hadn’t been made aware of this, the insurer would be likely to;
  • either repudiate the claim
or
  • deem the car owner had contributed to the accident and only pay a percentage of the claim, based on their assessment of how much the car owner’s actions had contributed to the accident.
So anyone considering switching this off needs to consider carefully the possible consequences. And before anyone asks, no, I don’t work for an insurance company 🙂.
Kittycat
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by Kittycat »

SRGTD wrote: Sat Nov 24, 2018 9:34 am
Kittycat wrote: Sat Nov 24, 2018 9:02 am I was trying to turn my driver display for my phone on when I accidentally deactivated front assist and had a little triangle light appear on the dash
If you go into the menu I’m sure it’s under vehicle data
I think those who have posted about false alarms with front assist are looking for a way to switch it off permanently, so not having to go into the vehicle settings menu every time, and also not have the dash warning displayed.

As I posted earlier in this thread (6th post), permanently turning off a safety feature such as front assist would be likely to considered as a modification for insurance purposes which could have premium implications, as insurers will have factored the existence of front assist - and it being used most or all of the time - into their premium rates for the Polo. Some insurers might not be prepared to continue to provide cover if this is switched off permanently; if they would provide cover with front assist switched off, it would likely be at an increased premium. Not informing an insurer if front assist is permanently disabled could also invalidate a person’s insurance and leave them uninsured.

I dare say that if a car with front assist is involved in an accident where it has run into the back of another car, an insurer would investigate why front assist didn’t activate as it should have. If they found it had been turned off permanently and they hadn’t been made aware of this, the insurer would be likely to;
  • either repudiate the claim
or
  • deem the car owner had contributed to the accident and only pay a percentage of the claim, based on their assessment of how much the car owner’s actions had contributed to the accident.
So anyone considering switching this off needs to consider carefully the possible consequences. And before anyone asks, no, I don’t work for an insurance company 🙂.
May I add that I switched mine back on as soon as I realised what I had done.
And agree that it is a safety feature and is included for a reason (bit like seat belts I guess 🤔).
Tbh mine doesn’t go off that often only if I am a bit late breaking which is rare so I don’t see the point why anyone would would want to deactivate them unless you are a last minute breaker and it’s constantly going off
monkeyhanger
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Re: Deactivate front assist?

Post by monkeyhanger »

I do think the insurance company would be on shaky ground legally to refuse your claim if you had turned your front assist off, for the journey or permanently, as VW have given the option for you not to use it.
Fast forward 5 years and someone will be running a GTI+ out of warranty, maybe the ACC packs up and due to the hefty cost of repair, the owner decides to live without it - are they effectively driving without insurance?

The insurance companies (not all of them) have factored ACC into their premium calculations for the GTI+ that has ACC as standard, but won't for any other variant of the Polo that you optioned it on (options aren't visible to insurers on an individual car basis) - just do an insurance comparison between a GTI and a GTI+.and you'll see the + modestly lower.

That lower premium will be based on the likelihood of someone having the system not switching it off rather than absolutely obliging you to have it on at all times.

If it's set right (both parameters set to medium) and you don't drive like a nutter, you won't get many interventions or warnings. I leave it on through choice although it's never genuinely intervened quicker than me to save me from a prang in the 5 years I've had the system in 3 VWs.
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