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Cruise Control

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sigma | 12:21 Sun 22nd Feb 2015 | Motoring
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Would cruise control set at 30 mph work going down hill
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It depends on which type of cruise control it is. Normal cruise control uses only the accelerator to keep the speed up to the selected speed so, going downhill the chosen speed can be exceeded. Adaptive cruise control uses accelerator and brakes to keep to the chosen speed so, within its limits of accuracy, will maintain the chosen speed up hill and down dale....
12:27 Sun 22nd Feb 2015
I don't think mine will operate as low as 30.
But in theory I don't see why it wouldn't if it could...
It depends on which type of cruise control it is. Normal cruise control uses only the accelerator to keep the speed up to the selected speed so, going downhill the chosen speed can be exceeded. Adaptive cruise control uses accelerator and brakes to keep to the chosen speed so, within its limits of accuracy, will maintain the chosen speed up hill and down dale. It will also slow you down if you begin to get too close to a vehicle in front of you travelling slower than you are.
Depends upon the vehicle, the more upmarket or better systems may well incorporate the braking system for speed control when going down hill, like coaches and trucks.
Mine only starts to operate at 40 mph
Mine (7-year old Volvo) with adaptive cruise control starts at 25mph. I understand that later models go down to virtually zero mph.
Usually on trucks it only uses the engine retarder to stop the speed building too much above the set speed, not the braking system.

Even then if the load is heavy, and the hill quite significant then it doesn't provide enough braking. The driver then has to operate the brakes to stop the speed building.

Mine works at 30, but I think I detect a larger error margin. I'm unsure it can be relied on not to trigger a revenue camera.
It has just occurred to me that I may not have tried it down a long enough slope to know for sure what it's capable of.
You can set the cruise control on my car at speeds above 25 mph.
I've never used CC. Where do you put your right foot when its engaged?

Certainly on our Beemer it does, use it all the time for speed limits.

Melv16, On the floor!
If you have to do an emergency stop I think it takes a split second longer to brake if your foot's on the floor rather than on the accelerator pedal, which is bang next to the brake pedal, of course.
I like your comment Baldric, wouldn't it be nice if we could just press a "xMPH" button on the dashboard.
That's what adaptive cruise control is all about, MantaRay.

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