Slowing down on approach to roundabouts - what’s happening?

[Mayberley]

I’ve had a 1.5 eTsi DSG first edition MK 4 Leon for a couple of weeks now - love the car, but still getting used to all the settings and drive assist options that are available.

One aspect that I’m still unsure about - despite reading the manual - is the suggestion the cockpit gives to take my foot off the pedal on an approach to a roundabout. What technology is at play here and what exactly is the car doing to make that suggestion?

Is this part of the eco tips drive assist option? If not, what does that do other than annoyingly tell me to consider driving in D when I’ve specifically chosen sport? ?

Cheers in advance

 

[Syphon]

I think @Jimbobcook came across this in his reviews? Might be able to help.

 

[dan555]

The message is the eco-tips working, it tells you to take your foot of the accelerator so it can use regenerative braking to charge the 48v mild hybrid battery up, it should also do it on the approach to a speed limit change.

If you take your foot of accelerator (as instructed) you might feel the car starting to slow, feels a bit like gentle braking, this is regenerative braking, the brake lights do also come on.

The eco-tips also tell you to roll the windows up when driving above a certain speed

 

[Philk]

We also have this on our non hybrid FR model. I think the car is reading ahead on the Sat Nav so it knows when junctions etc are coming up. It's been some time since I last drove the car o/a lockdown so I can't remember if the car does this all the time or only when we have a route configured.

 

[Tell]

Mind you it's always a good idea to use engine braking where possible, with a DSG changes down automatically.... clever thou if using the energy to charge the battery up based on knowing you are going to stop or slow down based on the sat nav. I'm sure you can turn eco tips off as you can in mib2 if / when you get tired of it.

 

[Philk]

Whilst new to the Leon, this is not a new initiative..... my 2014 BMW 5 Series also provides such tips on the approach to roundabouts and junctions. The car always knows where it is from its GPS and simply monitors this to road junctions etc on its sat nav maps. In a way, it is disappointing it has taken SEAT this long to catch up.

 

[Educated Scruff]

It is on the eco system, it slows you down without stopping and allows you to safely enter a roundabout and it slows you down automatically if you get behind a slower vehicle in front and you take your foot off the accelerator.

 

[Mayberley]

Great, thanks for the info all. I was curious to know if it was part of the “eco tips” offering as it felt like engine braking I thought it might be more of a feature than a tip. Basically, I’d like to turn the tips off from the dash but keep this feature but if they need to go hand in hand then will just leave it all on.

 

[dan555]

You can turn them off, in the infotainment go to car, driver assist, and turn eco tips off.

I have noticed you can also go to interior settings, infotainment, and there's an option to turn of eco-tips not sure what the difference is.

I don't think there's an option to turn off the actual regenerative braking, that's part of the mild hybrid system, which as far as I'm aware has no settings

 

[Mayberley]

Yeah I can spot where to turn the eco tips off, I was just hoping that wouldn’t stop the alerts to take my foot off the pedal when approaching a roundabout as I find that a really nice feature.

The tips suggesting I drop back to ‘D’ when I’ve literally just moved to ‘S’, less helpful...

 

[dan555]

I don't think you can turn off individual tips, it's all or nothing.

The car actually slowing down when approaching roundabouts, can't be turned off

 

[Mayberley]

Right, so the “take your foot off the pedal” and the helpful slow down up to roundabouts would still be there with eco tips off? - I’ll test that next time I’m out - don’t really have a need to drive much at the moment of course.

Cheers

 

[dan555]

No, if eco tips are turned off the "take your foot of accelerator" message will not appear, but the car will still do the slowing down if you did take your foot of the accelerator.

I'm happy to be proving wrong

 

[Deleted member 123864]

No, if eco tips are turned off the "take your foot of accelerator" message will not appear, but the car will still do the slowing down if you did take your foot of the accelerator.

I'm happy to be proving wrong

The car actually speeds up if you take your foot off the accelerator with eco tips turned off. ?

 

[dan555]

The car actually speeds up if you take your foot off the accelerator with eco tips turned off. ?

Wouldn't surprise me with some of the software in the car?

 

[Seriously?]

it slows you down without stopping and allows you to safely enter a roundabout and it slows you down automatically if you get behind a slower vehicle in front and you take your foot off the accelerator.

Seriously? I freely admit I'm an old fart, but I've held a driving licence for over 30 years and have always more or less successfully managed to carry out all the above by using the brake, throttle and gearbox without the need for a computer.
sent from my BBC Micro using MSDOS....?

 

[Bedlam]

Seriously? I freely admit I'm an old fart, but I've held a driving licence for over 30 years and have always more or less successfully managed to carry out all the above by using the brake, throttle and gearbox without the need for a computer.
sent from my BBC Micro using MSDOS....?

Agreed.......just learn & retain how to drive

 

[Mayberley]

Agreed.......just learn & retain how to drive

Meh, I dunno.

For me, it’s nice to have these things for convenience and sometimes extra safety. Still plenty of “driving” needed, these things just make it more comfortable.

They can easily be switched off too if you like.

I’ve been driving 20 years and much prefer how cars are now compared to when I started that’s for damn sure!

 

[Tell]

Seriously? I freely admit I'm an old fart, but I've held a driving licence for over 30 years and have always more or less successfully managed to carry out all the above by using the brake, throttle and gearbox without the need for a computer.
sent from my BBC Micro using MSDOS....?

Not CP/M ?.

 

[Educated Scruff]

It is on the eco system, it slows you down without stopping and allows you to safely enter a roundabout and it slows you down automatically if you get behind a slower vehicle in front and you take your foot off the accelerator.

Just need to say, when it slows you down behind a slower vehicle it’s does it without adaptive cruise being switched on.