2013 Honda Accord Sedan - FCW

[II Kings 9:20]

Originally Posted by Shockwave

Alright cut the #%%@. Lets get to the "route" of the problem , you're a female driver..... Yeah =( =P

My sister's name is Deborah, She works for Toyota, The one problem with Toyota's is they're not Honda's. She gives me the eye every time i bash Toyota

Tell her to read the latest Motor Trend. What they had to say about the beloved Camry ain't pretty. It finished 5/6 just ahead of the Malibu

[MikeySoft]

Getting back to the topic, I read some place that the FCW only works above a certain speed.

I think different people get different results with the FCW because of different driving environment as style. For example, when I first move to the Boston area, I felt many of the drivers here were too aggressive and almost reckless. I now drive like that after living here for a while. Thus, my FCW goes off often in my city driving. It has yet to go off during highway driving and I never intentionally tried to make it go off an any type of driving.

[Cart1]

I have my FCW set to long. I tried a couple of times to set it off on purpose and no luck. Like earlier posters mentioned, it probably gets triggered when you are driving over a certain speed.

[silentknight]

Mine lit up with "FCW failed" driving off the dealer lot. No rain, nothing, just detailed. Brought it back to the dealership the next day. Awaiting word on what is wrong with it.

[dingo1]

The book says you have to be going 10MPH+ for it to work, but it is dependent on speed, weather factors ETC... Funny it says you can disable it by a button on the dash. I think they mean if you turn off LDW it turns off FCW also? I find lane watch and the BU camera much more effective in the real world than LDW/FCW Suburas Eyesight brakes the car in a possible collision vs beeps. I suspect Acura will get the more advanced system

[glen e]

Originally Posted by dingo1

The book says you have to be going 10MPH+ for it to work, but it is dependent on speed, weather factors ETC... Funny it says you can disable it by a button on the dash. I think they mean if you turn off LDW it turns off FCW also? I find lane watch and the BU camera much more effective in the real world than LDW/FCW Suburas Eyesight brakes the car in a possible collision vs beeps. I suspect Acura will get the more advanced system

diff car companies have diff feelings on this...BMW does not want any of these type systems applying brakes in any situation - they think it's their job to alert you, but not brake for you..I tend to agree...

[II Kings 9:20]

Originally Posted by glen e

diff car companies have diff feelings on this...BMW does not want any of these type systems applying brakes in any situation - they think it's their job to alert you, but not brake for you..I tend to agree...

I tend to agree too. MB has a safety truck 18 wheeler that brakes and it might be good there to prevent an inattentive truck driver from crushing a family in a minivan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-x72GNNodg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-x72GNNodg

Honda's FCW is fairly useless. Rather than using radar, it uses a camera on the back of the rear view mirror. Even on the long setting, it is way too short for any meaningful warning. Moreover, the alarm is so weak (same as the LDW) that you can barely hear it. It is batter than nothing and makes an impressive safety list but as I told Honda Corporate, it does not serve the intended purpose unless that purpose is to have the feature for marketing. I suggested to Honda a software upgrade to make it louder and perhaps to mute the radio (driver selectable would be ideal).

[glen e]

Originally Posted by II Kings 9:20

I tend to agree too. MB has a safety truck 18 wheeler that brakes and it might be good there to prevent an inattentive truck driver from crushing a family in a minivan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-x72GNNodg



Honda's FCW is fairly useless. Rather than using radar, it uses a camera on the back of the rear view mirror. Even on the long setting, it is way too short for any meaningful warning. Moreover, the alarm is so weak (same as the LDW) that you can barely hear it. It is batter than nothing and makes an impressive safety list but as I told Honda Corporate, it does not serve the intended purpose unless that purpose is to have the feature for marketing. I suggested to Honda a software upgrade to make it louder and perhaps to mute the radio (driver selectable would be ideal).

again I agree - auto engineers are finding for no money they can have some sensors and other things do double duty (like abs and TMPS) and add a new feature for the marketing guys...FCW is worthless in my opin. When things are going wrong in front of me, I don't need a flasher to tell me that....I'd give up a bunch of stuff like this for another cam on the drive mirror so I could get a real top down look....

[dingo1]

Valid points, but whats the use if 1- You can not hear the alert and 2- By time you focus and hit the brakes your already in someones trunk. Perhaps a tug on the seatbelt along with a alert would be better. I think Acura's radar based FCW and option on the RL.

[II Kings 9:20]

^^^Agree. If you are going to claim to warn me, then do it with a loud alarm. As I understand, glen, Volvo shoots a red LED across the entire dash from to give you a warning when you might be glancing off away from the windshield (unlike Hondas FCW which puts 3 cute little LEDs in my line of sight above the cluster-agree 100%: If I can see that, I can see the truck. I need a warning when I don't see something and an alarm to ALARM. Who here hasn't glanced out the side window to see some beautiful scenery? Any of us could slam into something and technology can help prevent that.

Now that I have experienced the worthless FCW (sounds good on paper), I would give it up for a driver's cam too. Before experiencing it, it was very high on my list. This may just be poorly executed on Honda so I won't indict all systems especially MBs on that safety truck-that is an '07 video.

[glen e]

Originally Posted by II Kings 9:20

Who here hasn't glanced out the side window to see some beautiful scenery? Any of us could slam into something and technology can help prevent that.

long term when all the cars have Heads up display ( absolutely coming for sure) it's blast it in front of your face - (or you select not)

[vh2k]

I have FCW set to long, and I find both FCW and LDW to work perfectly. And I find them helpful - especially LDW when I drift close to the centerline on a two-way road.

[II Kings 9:20]

Originally Posted by glen e

long term when all the cars have Heads up display ( absolutely coming for sure) it's blast it in front of your face - (or you select not)

Even though Hondas FCW is way too short, it would be at least somewhat useable if I could select the volume of the alarm and select radio mute. This is simple software that is not expensive. I doubt it would be a retrofit.

[AccordinSoCal]

I've had a light on top of the gauge cluster flash me(orange) along with the beeping sound from FCW. I've also been in bumper to bumper traffic and there has been no beeping or flashing. I am set to normal.

[II Kings 9:20]

Originally Posted by AccordinSoCal

I've had a light on top of the gauge cluster flash me(orange) along with the beeping sound from FCW. I've also been in bumper to bumper traffic and there has been no beeping or flashing. I am set to normal.

It has to sense your closing speed is too fast vis a vis the object you are behind. If you are braking and slowing appropriately in traffic, it should not go off. It ain't perfect.

Mine has gone off maybe 3 times. Once when I was turning left and a car coming from my left was picked up in mid turn and it flashed as it sensed that car was closing in on me during that brief exposure before I straightened out-not a near miss but it was an appropriate alarm.