• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Explorer ST Forum and Explorer ST community dedicated to Explorer ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Explorer ST Forum today!


Ford Co-pilot 360 thread

Messages
79
Reactions
34
Points
17
Location
Wylie, TX
#1
So I finally used this feature on a trip down to Austin and back, and I've been toying with it from time to time on the highways since then as well and have to same I'm quite impressed by it. So far I've only ventured to use it on highways. Ford should have made the damn steering wheel sensors much better because squeezing the steering wheel IN JUST THE RIGHT SPOT every few minutes is almost more annoying than driving the damn car.

Anyway, so I have a few questions. What are the most rididculous roads that your Explorer has successfully navigated with Co-pilot 360?

What are some roads that it didn't?

Any horror Co-pilot 360 stories?
 

hbalek

Active Member
Messages
859
Reactions
475
Points
182
Location
Kensington, MD, USA
#2
So I finally used this feature on a trip down to Austin and back, and I've been toying with it from time to time on the highways since then as well and have to same I'm quite impressed by it. So far I've only ventured to use it on highways. Ford should have made the damn steering wheel sensors much better because squeezing the steering wheel IN JUST THE RIGHT SPOT every few minutes is almost more annoying than driving the damn car.

Anyway, so I have a few questions. What are the most rididculous roads that your Explorer has successfully navigated with Co-pilot 360?

What are some roads that it didn't?

Any horror Co-pilot 360 stories?
There is a Route 185 sign near me and it thinks the speed limit is 85 and starts accelerating until it realizes it's really 35! LOL Luckily it didn't accelerate too far! Most of the time I love using 360 especially intelligent cruise control and lane centering.
 

rshambo

New Member
Messages
6
Reactions
14
Points
2
Location
Falls Church, VA, USA
#3
Ford should have made the damn steering wheel sensors much better because squeezing the steering wheel IN JUST THE RIGHT SPOT every few minutes is almost more annoying than driving the damn car.
So its actually nothing to do with pressure on the wheel. All you have to do is jiggle it slightly and the warning should go away. I usually keep one hand on the bottom to add a little force every once and a while.
 

OP
Zermus
Messages
79
Reactions
34
Points
17
Location
Wylie, TX
Thread Starter #4
So its actually nothing to do with pressure on the wheel. All you have to do is jiggle it slightly and the warning should go away. I usually keep one hand on the bottom to add a little force every once and a while.
Cool yeah, appreciate any strategy to deal with that lol.
 

Messages
2
Reactions
0
Points
1
Location
MD
#5
There is a Route 185 sign near me and it thinks the speed limit is 85 and starts accelerating until it realizes it's really 35! LOL Luckily it didn't accelerate too far! Most of the time I love using 360 especially intelligent cruise control and lane centering.
I frequently drive up and down Route 5. There are two route signs that frequently cause the cruise to ding and turn off.
 

mallthus

New Member
Messages
3
Reactions
1
Points
2
Location
Boulder, CO, USA
#6
I use mine regularly on the fairly twisty mountain roads leading to (and from) Estes Park, CO. Truth is, most of the people visiting Rocky Mountain National Park are visiting from flat states and they have ZERO idea how to drive in the mountains. I have a client up there I service a couple or three times a month and I used to get aggravated being stuck behind people riding their brakes (DOWNSHIFT!!!) or some motorhome going 20 mph below the speed limit (45 on most of the route).

Now I just set Co-Pilot and don’t get worked up about it. It’s still frustrating and time wasting, but at least I’m not also mentally computing how much their needless braking and ridiculously low speeds through turns is disrupting my driving.

Functionally, the system works great. Spacing is never a problem and even lane holding works in all but the tightest of turns. Occasionally it’ll lose the plot when the inside painted line is faint or missing, but I’d never take my hands off the wheel on this road anyway, so it’s a non-issue.
 

Messages
313
Reactions
147
Points
37
Location
Socal
#7
So its actually nothing to do with pressure on the wheel. All you have to do is jiggle it slightly and the warning should go away. I usually keep one hand on the bottom to add a little force every once and a while.
Exactly what I do. Literally can jiggle the steering wheel with one finger and the chime/alert goes away
 

Messages
4
Reactions
0
Points
1
Location
Loveland, CO, USA
#8
Ok, but you have to constantly monitor the chime/alert. Mine will alarm every 13 to 20sec. I have better things to do like look at the scenery that I'm driving to see...instead of having to worry about that dang alarm going off...especially when my hands -ARE- on the wheel. Ford went -WAY- overboard on this supposed Co-Pilot mess. They're simply using us to get the safety numbers they want...doesn't matter how ridiculous the tech is they jam down our throats that we then have to deal with. There is a LOT more I dislike about this car than what I do like, and the dislike revolves completely around the unnecessary tech like this speed control madness and the start/stop nonsense that has the default backwards . Call me crazy, but when do I get to the part where this $60k automobile does what -I- want it to do?
 

Last edited:
Messages
86
Reactions
28
Points
17
Location
Des Moines, IA, USA
#9
So I finally used this feature on a trip down to Austin and back, and I've been toying with it from time to time on the highways since then as well and have to same I'm quite impressed by it. So far I've only ventured to use it on highways. Ford should have made the damn steering wheel sensors much better because squeezing the steering wheel IN JUST THE RIGHT SPOT every few minutes is almost more annoying than driving the damn car.

Anyway, so I have a few questions. What are the most rididculous roads that your Explorer has successfully navigated with Co-pilot 360?

What are some roads that it didn't?

Any horror Co-pilot 360 stories?
I just put constant small pressure on the steering wheel either to the left or right and do not get the chime. Works great!
 

Messages
4
Reactions
0
Points
1
Location
Loveland, CO, USA
#10
I want to simply drive...drive like I have been for 52 years, 40 of those with speed control of some sort without running off the road. And if I want to go off the side of the road, that's --MY-- right...right? I don't want to squeeze a wheel. I don't want to move a wheel every 30 seconds. I want to drive unencumbered down the highway. Common now to whine about some perceived loss of 'freedom'. Well, this isn't freedom to have to do the car's bidding or it stops you on the highway. Some tech engineer and their management think THAT's safe. They're smoking better stuff than I've got. My, my.

This overstepping by Ford is a role reversal. For all these decades you told the car what to do. Now the car tells the driver what it can or cannot do, and Ford doesn't see what a whacked-out concept that is while they chase some imaginary 'safety' number at our mental expense. Ford is basically saying they don't trust us to drive, and wants to babysit us with this nonsense tech...after we just spent $60k for the pleasure. That's nuts.
 

TMac

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,695
Reactions
1,454
Points
262
Location
Knoxville, TN
#11
You know you can turn off the intervention, right? Unless your car is different, I have disabled all the nanny features on my 2020.
 

Messages
4
Reactions
0
Points
1
Location
Loveland, CO, USA
#12
I frequently drive up and down Route 5. There are two route signs that frequently cause the cruise to ding and turn off.
Last night I'm traveling down a two lane road, with a gentle sweeping curve to the left. In the middle of this curve is a place to exit the road on the right. The white right-hand stripe widens as it follows the de-acceleration area just before the exit, and this stupid tech told the car to follow THAT instead of the curving road. And this is 'safety'?
 

Messages
237
Reactions
94
Points
27
Location
Dallas, TX, USA
#13
TURN OFF THE LANE CENTERING... problem solved.

Instead of just bitching about something that can be turned off... turn it the hell off... The damn button is on the steering wheel.. use your left thumb to turn it off.

And there are 3 modes to cruise control: normal, intelligent, and adaptive. If you dont want it to slow down when approaching another car then put it in normal. If you dont want it to run along at the speed the sign reader captures, change the mode.
 

Messages
313
Reactions
147
Points
37
Location
Socal
#14
The steering wheel doesn't lock you from steering the car nor is it hard to steer.... You can literally move the car to any lane with no issue with the pilot on....

Umm enjoying the scenery?? You're driving, you're supposed to keep your eyes on the road in front of you.... The "self driving" makes it easier for you to put lil to no effort to steer the car, its not meant to remove your hands so you can enjoy the scenery......
 

Messages
4
Reactions
0
Points
1
Location
Loveland, CO, USA
#15
You know you can turn off the intervention, right? Unless your car is different, I have disabled all the nanny features on my 2020.
I do not know that, and your post is the first time that I've heard of it. Please tell us how to accomplish this before I take this mess to the crusher, lol.
TURN OFF THE LANE CENTERING... problem solved.

Instead of just bitching about something that can be turned off... turn it the hell off... The damn button is on the steering wheel.. use your left thumb to turn it off.

And there are 3 modes to cruise control: normal, intelligent, and adaptive. If you dont want it to slow down when approaching another car then put it in normal. If you dont want it to run along at the speed the sign reader captures, change the mode.
You know you can turn off the intervention, right? Unless your car is different, I have disabled all the nanny features on my 2020.
I did not, but thanks. During the 1.5hr 'orientation' I received from the salesman, he advised me we were stuck with this. Hey rjacobs...thanks for the info, but I don't need your snark. Last I heard I can vent here if I want to.
 

TMac

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,695
Reactions
1,454
Points
262
Location
Knoxville, TN
#16
Take some time to familiarize yourself with the Setting/Driver Assist on the touchscreen. There are a ton of things you have complete control over and can turn on and off to your satisfaction. Obviously, your salesman didn't know anything about your vehicle and didn't educate you. Also, look online- there are videos on YouTube etc that covers all of the safety features. Like you, I didn't have a knowledgeable salesperson, so I had to seach through the various menus to get everything to my liking. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the features. When you come to a community car site like this, it's best to ask for help rather than just bitch about problems- that's why you're getting some attitude. Chill out!
 

Messages
237
Reactions
94
Points
27
Location
Dallas, TX, USA
#17
Hey rjacobs...thanks for the info, but I don't need your snark. Last I heard I can vent here if I want to.
Sorry but its ridiculous to come on here and rant multiple posts about a function that can be turned off with a button that is 3" from your thumb while you are driving the vehicle. The green lines and steering wheel disappear from the screen. The other button on it sets the follow distance, I GENERALLY have it set to the shortest except when I use the "stop and go" functionality in bumper to bumper traffic.

I will admit the change to the cruise control functionality is buried in the menu's and you have to read the manual to figure out the difference between intelligent and adaptive.
 

Jshaffer3819

Member
U.S. Army Veteran
Messages
471
Reactions
260
Points
37
Location
Kaiserslautern, Germany
#18
I had no idea this feature even existed. I had mine delivered to Germany and the salesman didn’t know anything about it. Is this on the 2020s as well? YouTubing now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Stephen

New Member
Messages
10
Reactions
2
Points
2
Location
Calgary, AB, Canada
#19
the cruise control functionality is buried in the menu's and you have to read the manual to figure out the difference between intelligent and adaptive.
When I get mine I'll read the manual but got a summary difference between intelligent and adaptive?
 

TMac

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,695
Reactions
1,454
Points
262
Location
Knoxville, TN
#20

Explorer ST Posts



Top