Mick87 Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Hi everyone I recently picked up a brand new Focus st line and love the car so far. But I am just wondering if anybody can tell me if my reg plate fitted by the dealer could be blocking the front mounted radar system as I have yet to receive any pre collision warnings (yes I have tried to test it!). Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comares2001 Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Be careful what you wish for! Had no trouble with mine, sometimes wish it could be turned off completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexp999 Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 It does look a little low, but it seems Ford are using the sensor array above the rear view mirror for the system (albeit over smaller distances) if you don't have the adaptive cruise control fitted. If you have adaptive cruise control, the radar is in the middle of the lower grille, if not, it's using LIDAR in the top of the windscreen. I had to turn my pre-collision assist down to low sensitivty after it kept triggering false positives (I have the adaptive cruise version), I've only had it go off once since it's been set to low and that was correct to do so, although I had seen the sudden braking, but the car can react much faster than us mere mortal humans. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick87 Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 2 hours ago, Comares2001 said: Be careful what you wish for! Had no trouble with mine, sometimes wish it could be turned off completely. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick87 Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 1 hour ago, alexp999 said: It does look a little low, but it seems Ford are using the sensor array above the rear view mirror for the system (albeit over smaller distances) if you don't have the adaptive cruise control fitted. If you have adaptive cruise control, the radar is in the middle of the lower grille, if not, it's using LIDAR in the top of the windscreen. I had to turn my pre-collision assist down to low sensitivty after it kept triggering false positives (I have the adaptive cruise version), I've only had it go off once since it's been set to low and that was correct to do so, although I had seen the sudden breaking, but the car can react much faster than us mere mortal humans. No dont have adaptive cruise control brought it back to the dealer and they said there is no sensor behind the square box behind the licence plate, I assumed there was, but it's only for the adaptive cruise control then that would make sense. I turned my sensitivity up to high to test it out and stillnot getting any warning or active breaking at all when behind cars. Reading other topics about people going off all the time this might not be a bad thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexp999 Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 5 minutes ago, Mick87 said: No dont have adaptive cruise control brought it back to the dealer and they said there is no sensor behind the square box behind the licence plate, I assumed there was, but it's only for the adaptive cruise control then that would make sense. I turned my sensitivity up to high to test it out and stillnot getting any warning or active breaking at all when behind cars. Reading other topics about people going off all the time this might not be a bad thing For some reason Ford have merged two different systems under the same name. Pre-collision assist used to only be radar based, the sensor in the grille, this has quite an accurate long range hence why it's needed for adaptive cruise. The LIDAR system in the windscreen used to be called active city stop, but Ford now clearly brand it under the same Pre-collision assist name. Even going as far as to say the radar may be obscured, when it doesn't have one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Heaton Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 I hate it. Hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexp999 Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Just now, Guy Heaton said: I hate it. Hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate it. Thanks for that useful post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comares2001 Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 43 minutes ago, alexp999 said: For some reason Ford have merged two different systems under the same name. Pre-collision assist used to only be radar based, the sensor in the grille, this has quite an accurate long range hence why it's needed for adaptive cruise. The LIDAR system in the windscreen used to be called active city stop, but Ford now clearly brand it under the same Pre-collision assist name. Even going as far as to say the radar may be obscured, when it doesn't have one. Interestingly though my vehicle was an early MK4 built Nov 2018 and although it doesn't have adaptive cruise it definitely has the radar sensor behind the grill so Ford must have made changes to spec at some point in 2019. I also have turned sensitivity to low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizer Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 39 minutes ago, alexp999 said: Even going as far as to say the radar may be obscured, when it doesn't have one. @Mick87 Even though you don't have the Radar if you have the FordPass App and you don't clear all the frost off your windscreen the App may send you a message to clear the Radar behind the Grill although the message that you get in the car will be correct and tell you to clear your windscreen. This is an App problem, and may have been fixed now. I don't have Adaptive Cruise Control and mine has only gone off 3 times in the last 7 months. Twice when pedestrians ran across the road in front of me in town and once when someone cut me up where two Motorways merged. I have mine on normal sensitivity and have not found it too sensitive, maybe it is if you have the Radar behind the Grill. The times that it has gone off have been for legitimate reasons although I had spotted the danger myself. If I had not been concentrating I shudder to think what the consequences would have been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Heaton Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 55 minutes ago, alexp999 said: Thanks for that useful post. You're welcome. 😀 There might be something up with mine then as even on low it goes off loads. I just wish I had the choice to switch it off completely. I'd go back to Ford but a) it's a complete hassle and b) they'll not find any fault anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick87 Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 55 minutes ago, Comares2001 said: Interestingly though my vehicle was an early MK4 built Nov 2018 and although it doesn't have adaptive cruise it definitely has the radar sensor behind the grill so Ford must have made changes to spec at some point in 2019. I also have turned sensitivity to low. Maybe because so many have complained about the sensitivity they removed the radar behind the grill for non adaptive cruise control models. I checked myself and there is definitely nothing behind that square box under the grill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexp999 Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 It will have been removed for cost savings, just rebrand the active city stop, so it doesn't look like they've removed any features. Every chance the LIDAR has been improved to compensate, but I doubt it has quite the range the RADAR does, hence why it's still fitted with adaptive cruise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick87 Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 Also I noticed some condensation in both headlamps. Its states in the owners handbook that this is normal due to the lights having vents to reduce pressure. It looks bad in a new car has anybody else got this problem? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick87 Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 1 hour ago, Tizer said: @Mick87 Even though you don't have the Radar if you have the FordPass App and you don't clear all the frost off your windscreen the App may send you a message to clear the Radar behind the Grill although the message that you get in the car will be correct and tell you to clear your windscreen. This is an App problem, and may have been fixed now. I don't have Adaptive Cruise Control and mine has only gone off 3 times in the last 7 months. Twice when pedestrians ran across the road in front of me in town and once when someone cut me up where two Motorways merged. I have mine on normal sensitivity and have not found it too sensitive, maybe it is if you have the Radar behind the Grill. The times that it has gone off have been for legitimate reasons although I had spotted the danger myself. If I had not been concentrating I shudder to think what the consequences would have been. Does you're car have the radar sensor on the lower grill or is it just using the windscreen camera? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizer Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 3 minutes ago, Mick87 said: Does you're car have the radar sensor on the lower grill or is it just using the windscreen camera? No my car does not have the Radar Sensor behind the Grill, just the Windscreen one. Mine was a May Build date, just after a lot of other changes were made. I do have Front Parking Sensors, Blind Spot Information System, Cross Traffic Alert etc and I do get warnings from them if I get too near objects such as Street Furniture, Walls etc, but it is a completely different warning and not so frightening when it does go off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizer Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 27 minutes ago, Mick87 said: Also I noticed some condensation in both headlamps. Its states in the owners handbook that this is normal due to the lights having vents to reduce pressure. It looks bad in a new car has anybody else got this problem? I have only noticed this a few times and it was very light and just in a small area near the outside. I have standard Headlights, not LED. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOZ Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Owned my car for just over a year now and love driving it and will quite happily put up with the PCW going off on average once a month if on just one occasion stops me from slamming into the back of another vehicle ! BTW also has the radar gubbins behind the radiator grill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick87 Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 1 hour ago, Tizer said: I have only noticed this a few times and it was very light and just in a small area near the outside. I have standard Headlights, not LED. Yeah mine are the standard lights both have condensation in them in the same place beside the grill. Strange to see in a brand new car especially coming from an 11 year old car that never had any condensation problems in the lights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Heaton Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 I've noticed a small area of mist in mine, down the sides sort of, but it goes away after a short drive with the lights on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizer Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 5 hours ago, Guy Heaton said: I've noticed a small area of mist in mine, down the sides sort of, but it goes away after a short drive with the lights on Same here. If it was only on one Headlight or happened every time it rained then I would be worried, but it is very infrequent and never happened when we had the recent spell of persistent and heavy rain so it seems to be a characteristic that only happens when the environmental conditions are right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex.S Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Just noticed condensation today for first time. Same on both sides. Had the car since October. Don’t have the LED headlights....unfortunately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinson Chera Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Hello guys, I live in Romania and I have a Trend edition(I think in UK it's called Zetec edition). I don't have the cruise control in my car and also I don't have the buttons for it, I only have a lim button on it. It is possible to mount cruise control on my car? If yes, how? From where I can purchase the buttons in order to have cruise control? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedwelljp Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 On 1/16/2020 at 2:14 PM, Mick87 said: No dont have adaptive cruise control brought it back to the dealer and they said there is no sensor behind the square box behind the licence plate, I assumed there was, but it's only for the adaptive cruise control then that would make sense. I turned my sensitivity up to high to test it out and stillnot getting any warning or active breaking at all when behind cars. Reading other topics about people going off all the time this might not be a bad thing I have just picked up my 2021 Focus and the collision assist does not work. I have tested it in many ways where it should have altered me. Took it back to the dealers they said an upgrade in the software was needed. Still does not work. I will be taking it back. Update you when I have a result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midgeman Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 Your number plate has been fitted incorrectly the centre horizontal line of the plate should be mounted by two screws to the two protruding cylinder shapes in the bottom of the Grill (they are clearly visible in the photo) however your plate looks much larger and thicker than those fitted to most I have seen so maybe that's the reason. Mine was fitted to low purely because whoever fitted the plates could not be bothered to remove the double sided tape that had been used to fix the temporary plate that said Vignale to the bumper when it was on display in the Showroom so like many things in life these days I did it myself. With regard to the Pre Collision Warning mine is fine most of the time but I would not rely on it 100% I came to the conclusion a while back now that if you buy a Ford at the moment you may get one that functions as it should or you will get one that does not. You pay your £££££££ and take your chances a bit like buying a Jaguar or Range Rover but in that case you will have spent much more £££££££££ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Ford UK Shop
Sponsored Ad
Name: eBay
Ford Model: FordUK Shop
Ford Year: 2024
Latest Deals
Ford UK Shop for genuine Ford parts & accessoriesDisclaimer: As the club is an eBay Partner, The club may be compensated if you make a purchase via the club
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.