UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Hi everyone,

Do any of you know if its an easy job to upgrade the polo from standard cruise control to ACC?

If you already have standard cruise, will all the hardware already be present for ACC?

It's frustrating- much of the hardware is there, but it's still tricky and expensive to add ACC! For regular cars with Front Assist, there is a 'mid' version of the ABS/ESP module, which can activate the autonomous braking but not much else. A 'low' version would be just regular ABS/ESP, but that's not available in the UK on the current Polo. ACC requires a 'high' version of the ABS module, which can gently brake the car to match the speed of the vehicle in front. I think the DSG cars might have a 'high+' version which can brake to a stop, but I'm not sure if that's just programming or a different module.

So, to change to have ACC, you'd need the upgraded ABS/ESP module, new steering wheel buttons, and if the car only has a speed limiter from the factory, then new indicator stalks to remove those extra switches. The switches etc wouldn't be too much of a job, but the new ABS module is probably quite expensive.

It's ridiculous how expensive ACC is as an option on the Polo in the UK. On a Fabia with Front Assist but no cruise it's £390. For the Polo it's £610!

Ah damn. I haddnt considered there might be a different ABS module.

I have the ACC on my SEL DSG. When following another car (you can set the distance you feel safe at) EG: two chevron distance at 70 MPH on a motorway, but when in slower traffic the distance automatically closes up. If the car in front has to brake hard in an emergency, so does your ACC, even down to a complete stop.
With a manual box, I don't think this would happen, the engine would stall as it will still be in 6th gear if the driver is not quick. Because if with a manual box you put the clutch down to change into a lower gear, I would have thought that as soon as the clutch is touched the ACC would kick it's self out? Is this the case, can other members correct me on this?

silverhairs wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:24 pm I have the ACC on my SEL DSG. When following another car (you can set the distance you feel safe at) EG: two chevron distance at 70 MPH on a motorway, but when in slower traffic the distance automatically closes up. If the car in front has to brake hard in an emergency, so does your ACC, even down to a complete stop.
With a manual box, I don't think this would happen, the engine would stall as it will still be in 6th gear if the driver is not quick. Because if with a manual box you put the clutch down to change into a lower gear, I would have thought that as soon as the clutch is touched the ACC would kick it's self out? Is this the case, can other members correct me on this?

I had a golf loaner with ACC - its doesnt switch off when you put the clutch in to change gear.

moley wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:33 pm

silverhairs wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:24 pm I have the ACC on my SEL DSG. When following another car (you can set the distance you feel safe at) EG: two chevron distance at 70 MPH on a motorway, but when in slower traffic the distance automatically closes up. If the car in front has to brake hard in an emergency, so does your ACC, even down to a complete stop.
With a manual box, I don't think this would happen, the engine would stall as it will still be in 6th gear if the driver is not quick. Because if with a manual box you put the clutch down to change into a lower gear, I would have thought that as soon as the clutch is touched the ACC would kick it's self out? Is this the case, can other members correct me on this?

I had a golf loaner with ACC - its doesnt switch off when you put the clutch in to change gear.

That's my theory up the swany But if the manual still in 6th gear while braking down to a stop, surely the engine will stall?

silverhairs wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:37 pm

moley wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:33 pm

silverhairs wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:24 pm I have the ACC on my SEL DSG. When following another car (you can set the distance you feel safe at) EG: two chevron distance at 70 MPH on a motorway, but when in slower traffic the distance automatically closes up. If the car in front has to brake hard in an emergency, so does your ACC, even down to a complete stop.
With a manual box, I don't think this would happen, the engine would stall as it will still be in 6th gear if the driver is not quick. Because if with a manual box you put the clutch down to change into a lower gear, I would have thought that as soon as the clutch is touched the ACC would kick it's self out? Is this the case, can other members correct me on this?

I had a golf loaner with ACC - its doesnt switch off when you put the clutch in to change gear.

That's my theory up the swany But if the manual still in 6th gear while braking down to a stop, surely the engine will stall?

Probably - but it's like my driving instructor used to say, the main thing is not to hit the car in front/pedestrian. If you stall, just turn the key and restart it.

I've had 2 manual MK7 Golfs with ACC.

If you're using the cruise control aspect of it, it will not pick up and drop off speed based on the car in front beyond the acceptable rev range of the gear you're in.

My old GTD did 2200rpm in 6th at 80, so at about 30mph in 6th it would be at idling speed, any lower than that and it would stall. You would not want to be travelling at 30mph in a stalled car with an inactive brake servo and inactive power steering. The ACC triggering on a manual car bangs on the brakes briefly to prompt you to brake, dip the clutch and possibly change down. It will only brake beyond that point itself to before the point at which the engine would stall in your given gear.

The car would rather risk you crashing into the car in front, with the potential for full control to be taken back, than put you in a situation with the ignition off after stalling, with potential for airbags not to deploy and no assistance on the brakes and steering.

The DSG will drop you through the gears and the car will brake to a stop if required.

Do either of you know whether the DSG has the "high+" ASB module as standard which would make upgrading to ACC easier?

If it means messing with the brakes, I'll stick with standard cruise control. If I can upgrade with a bit of programming/a couple of other parts I'll go for it.

The ACC in my Ibiza will shout at you to change gear if it's approaching a stall, beeping like the Front Assist system does. You can change gear perfectly happily with it while using it too, for example if traffic slows from 50 to 30, keeping the engine at the optimum speed.

Moley have you looked at this....
https://www.kufatec.com/en/volkswagen/v ... -aw1-43625

Expensive but it can be done.

scott

When driving along in ACC and you start coming up to another car, you can hear the brakes coming on (more of a slight hiss as the pads start rubbing, not like first thing in the morning, when the pads clean off the over night corrosion build-up.
Question. when this happens, (the brakes come on) while in ACC, do the brake lights come on?? Also when in ACC and you start going down a slight incline, and the brakes come on to keep you at the correct speed?

Scotty_boy vw wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 11:13 am Moley have you looked at this....
https://www.kufatec.com/en/volkswagen/v ... -aw1-43625

Expensive but it can be done.

scott

Ouch... Maybe not then.

silverhairs wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 11:34 am When driving along in ACC and you start coming up to another car, you can hear the brakes coming on (more of a slight hiss as the pads start rubbing, not like first thing in the morning, when the pads clean off the over night corrosion build-up.
Question. when this happens, (the brakes come on) while in ACC, do the brake lights come on?? Also when in ACC and you start going down a slight incline, and the brakes come on to keep you at the correct speed?

I'm sure they do- I would imagine there are regulations about it!

I have spoken to my mate down the road who has a Polo GTI+ and he's got ACC, he also had thoughts about that, so in the next week or so, we will follow each other down the road with the front car in ACC and when he comes up to a slower car and can feel the brakes come on, to signal to the car behind, the person in the car behind can see if the brake lights come on.