Front Assist - is it working?

[Roberta Robot]

I have a used Leon ST FR Tech 1.4 150 DSR. I bought it a week ago to replace my rogue engined Leon 1.5tsi Kangaroo model.
I have now discovered the front bumper has some impact damage under the headlamp - presumably suffered at the dealers. I need to know if the Front Assist is also damaged as I have not been able to cause it to alert (whereas as the other Leon would alert early and often). Is this the correct display? When the settings display has an option for "Display distance warning" does that change the display with a measurement? I don't see anything on the driver's display other than this, and I can be right up the backside of a vehicle in front and still not see an alert nor brakes applied.

 

[adam davies]

I have a used Leon ST FR Tech 1.4 150 DSR. I bought it a week ago to replace my rogue engined Leon 1.5tsi Kangaroo model.
I have now discovered the front bumper has some impact damage under the headlamp - presumably suffered at the dealers. I need to know if the Front Assist is also damaged as I have not been able to cause it to alert (whereas as the other Leon would alert early and often). Is this the correct display? When the settings display has an option for "Display distance warning" does that change the display with a measurement? I don't see anything on the driver's display other than this, and I can be right up the backside of a vehicle in front and still not see an alert nor brakes applied.

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Take it back to the dealer if its not activating. You have consumer rights 3 month warranty on used vehicles unless you were told it doesnt have warranty

 

[adam davies]

I have a used Leon ST FR Tech 1.4 150 DSR. I bought it a week ago to replace my rogue engined Leon 1.5tsi Kangaroo model.
I have now discovered the front bumper has some impact damage under the headlamp - presumably suffered at the dealers. I need to know if the Front Assist is also damaged as I have not been able to cause it to alert (whereas as the other Leon would alert early and often). Is this the correct display? When the settings display has an option for "Display distance warning" does that change the display with a measurement? I don't see anything on the driver's display other than this, and I can be right up the backside of a vehicle in front and still not see an alert nor brakes applied.

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Its all activated so should work. Best not mess with it as the dealer will accuse you of tampering. Hope that helps.

 

[Roberta Robot]

Take it back to the dealer if its not activating. You have consumer rights 3 month warranty on used vehicles unless you were told it doesnt have warranty

Yes I am negotiating with them now. I just want to be doubly sure it is a failed Front Assist. I have never seen it alert (in the week I have owned it) and so I want to establish what is normal.

I am assuming the distance warning is the tiny 2 cars separated by an exclamation mark icon in the bottom left display.

 

[Roberta Robot]

I am assuming the distance warning is the tiny 2 cars separated by an exclamation mark icon in the bottom left display.

Just checked again, the distance warning does not show up, in any scenario. I was driving close behind a car at 40mph and this little logo, bottom left of the display does not show. So that, plus the lack of any alerts, suggests to me Front Assist is not working.

My own mechanic says OBD has no faults logged with FA. SEAT dealer techie says that there is no easy way to determine if it has been knocked out of alignment without seeing it in the workshop. I am surprised as I would expect it to fail safe and show warning triangles as soon as it was obscured, out of calibration limits, disengaged etc.

 

[dronners]

i think you’d definitely know about it. mine screams at me at least once a week telling me to brake when i know better

 

[adam davies]

Just checked again, the distance warning does not show up, in any scenario. I was driving close behind a car at 40mph and this little logo, bottom left of the display does not show. So that, plus the lack of any alerts, suggests to me Front Assist is not working.
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My own mechanic says OBD has no faults logged with FA. SEAT dealer techie says that there is no easy way to determine if it has been knocked out of alignment without seeing it in the workshop. I am surprised as I would expect it to fail safe and show warning triangles as soon as it was obscured, out of calibration limits, disengaged etc.

Make sure you ask them to provide a courtesy car for the inconvience. If they say no keep pushing they will fold eventually, have done this on many occasions. They will want to keep you happy to keep you coming back for service etc

 

[matthab]

I thought it only comes up to warn you of a pending crash. I think the warning your seeing is only with ACC.

One way to test would be to block the sensor with something and see if it alerts. Mine alerted when I caught a bin bag on the motorway, removed it restarted the car and it was happy.

 

[Slickric21]

No the distance warning also comes up with front assist if it thinks you are too close to the car in front.
That warning is easily triggered and comes up all the time, so if your not seeing it then you probably have a problem.

The collision alert very rarely comes up (for obvious reasons, unless you drive like a t**t) so it’s absence is not really proof the system isn’t working.

 

[Mr Pig]

The collision alert very rarely comes up (for obvious reasons, unless you drive like a t**t) so it’s absence is not really proof the system isn’t working.

That can ping up false alarms too. It can pick up roadside objects when you're going round corners for instance.

 

[Slickric21]

Never seen that tbh, only ever seen it when I following a car that is turning left and I don’t want to brake to slow down !!!

 

[TripleBob]

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Definitely something up - I haven't got active cruise (just the poverty spec version) or front parking sensors - just basic radar - and I get the above symbol on the dash if it decides I'm too close to something.

Also get emergency braking/collision alerts... I get one every morning as I make my way through our local road works, as for some reason it absolutely hates the wall of cones ahead of you as you swap back on to the correct side of the road

 

[Mr Pig]

Never seen that tbh, only ever seen it when I following a car that is turning left and I don’t want to brake to slow down !!!

It doesn't do it very often, I can't remember the last time, but one example was driving along a twisty country road with trees and fences. My guess is that it picked up a tree or fence post and, because of the bend, thought it was on the road instead of at the side of the road?

 

[dronners]

mine seems particularily keen on cyclists

 

[Roberta Robot]

No the distance warning also comes up with front assist if it thinks you are too close to the car in front.
That warning is easily triggered and comes up all the time, so if your not seeing it then you probably have a problem.

The collision alert very rarely comes up (for obvious reasons, unless you drive like a t**t) so it’s absence is not really proof the system isn’t working.

Hi. Thanks, Yes that is my conclusion. I checked again and I can't get the distance alert icon in the bottom left display. In fact I have never seen it on this car (but all the time on my previous Leon). Just today the Front Assist big red alert did sound as someone broke sharply close in front... but that is the only time I have seen it on this car, and there are many similar close calls that haven't triggered it which would have done in my previous Leon.

 

[Mr Pig]

mine seems particularly keen on cyclists

Many humans struggle to understand the dynamics of a bicycle so what chance does a car have?