[AiredaleDad]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

I believe you must have a destination set in the nav system in order for it to work. I found it on page 238 of the owners manual. Here are the relevant paragraphs describing it. I highlighted the parts I could find that seem to indicate you must have a destination set. I think the part about not working when using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is no longer valid, since the last update, but I have not tested that.

When I drive now, I'm in the habit of almost always setting my destination in the nav system, even if I know the route well. I figure, it turns on some of these additional features and it will suggest alternate routes if there is traffic issues or accidents. It's easy to do by using your voice to say things like, "Hey BMW, take me to work," or "Hey BMW, take me home," or "Hey BMW, take me to the Chipotle Mexican Grill on Bouquet Canyon Road." I also have my more common destinations saved as favorites so I can just tap them in the nav system when in the car in order to set them as my destination.

Thanks for that info. I wasn't sure if you had to have a destination or not. So basically you can't use DAPP and ALA in self driving mode unless you have a destination input set in the GPS (or possibly now Android Auto). You could only use Adaptive Cruise Control.

[Blue Sky]

So I’m curious, will this system recommend lane changes on the highway to position for the upcoming exit as planned in the nav? If so, can they be executed by eye tracking looking into the side mirrors?

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by TLK

So I’m curious, will this system recommend lane changes on the highway to position for the upcoming exit as planned in the nav? If so, can they be executed by eye tracking looking into the side mirrors?

Yes, but it works differently based on whether you are driving in Assist mode or Assist Plus (assist plus is when you don't have to keep your hands on the wheel).

If you're just driving using Assist mode, then the car will display the lanes on the screen in front of you and use animations to show you when and what lane to change to. However, if you're driving in Assist Plus, then the car will initiate the lane changes for you and make them once you look in the mirror.

The car will not take the exits, and it will not make 90 degree turns for you on non-highway streets, but it will get you ready to do them yourself. For example, moving you to the right lane for an exit, or when driving down the street, it will slow down for you before the turn so you can make the turn at the right speed.

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by AiredaleDad

Thanks for that info. I wasn't sure if you had to have a destination or not. So basically you can't use DAPP and ALA in self driving mode unless you have a destination input set in the GPS (or possibly now Android Auto). You could only use Adaptive Cruise Control.

I took a 20 mile drive on non-freeway roads tonight and tested the system using Waze and Android Auto and the BMW Nav. In each case, I had a destination set in the navigation system of choice.

This is what I observed

• The car never initiated a lane change on it's own. I believe this is because I was not driving in Assist Plus mode (where your hands are not on the wheel).
• In any of the nav systems, and even when there was no destination set, I could always have the car make a lane change when I touched the turn signal stalk. I just have to gently touch it and let go and car will keep the turn signal on until the lane change is complete, then it will turn it off. It works the same way as when the car initiates it on the freeway in the sense that you have to also look in the mirror before the car will actually change lanes, it's just that you have to manually initiate it by using the turn signal.
• Only in the BMW Nav system (not when in Waze or Google Maps) did the car show me the available lanes and animate when I needed to change lanes for making turns ahead, etc. This was shown in the instrument cluster. It will basically show a little picture of the available lanes on the road, and which one you are in, and which one you should be in. This only pops up when you get close to a turn (I think it's within a mile or so).

Next time I'm in the car driving, I'll try to take some photos of the screens as they come up. It's tough to do when driving, but I'll try it in a non-busy area.

[SkykingUSA]

Here is a good video discussing it and showing much of the stuff in the instrument cluster I was referring to above. One main difference for me compared to the video, is that I rarely use that view in my instrument cluster. If you don't have that view opened, you will still get indications and animations, but they will look different and be more like graphic options instead of the huge lanes and cars, etc.

Here is the video.

[MiGs550e]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

Next time I'm in the car driving, I'll try to take some photos of the screens as they come up. It's tough to do when driving, but I'll try it in a non-busy area.

Can someone please donate a go-pro and the Travel & Comfort camera mount to SkykingUSA, so he can do this right with a video for us?

[SkykingUSA]

Ok, I had a chance to take some pictures today and a short video while I was driving which shows what I was talking about.

One thing I realized - I was wrong about the stuff appearing in the instruments cluster - it appears in the HUD instead. Maybe it would also appear in the instrument cluster if I had the navigation view set there, but as you can see below in the pictures, I normally drive with my "media" in the instrument cluster (either a podcast or music). I like to have all the info I need in the HUD. I've gotten so used to it now that I don't even look down to the instrument cluster much anymore.

The pictures were taken:

1) All on non-freeway streets,
2) I had a destination set in the BMW nav system, and
3) Most of the time I had the driving assist turned on so the car was maintaining my speed and keeping me in the lane.

You'll see pictures below of the icons representing the lanes I'm driving in, and also that an intersection is coming up (I think the checkmark means I have to do something at that intersection). I also have a short video showing how the car is animating for me to change to the left lane because I will need to make a left turn up ahead. The car would not initiate the turn on its own because I was not in Assist Plus mode, so I had to tell the car to change lanes by tapping the turn signal stalk - then the car changed lanes. Unfortunately, it also lost it's steering ability once it made the lane change, probably because of the weird lines on the left for that short U-turn lane. However, it did regain full driver assist capability again shortly after that.

Apologies for any blurriness in the photos, it was tough to take them while driving (even though the car was doing most of the driving). You may have to zoom in on them a little to see the stuff the clearest.

Regarding the video:

• At first, focus on the icon of the lanes and you can see the animation telling me to change lanes to the left.
• I just tapped the turn signal and the car made the lane change.
• The lanes icon updated to show me in the far left lane as well.

If anyone has questions, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them. Maybe next time I'm on the freeway, I'll try to get some video of the Assist PLUS when it's working and initiating the lane changes on its own... one step at a time. :-)

[ToddRGuy]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

Ok, I had a chance to take some pictures today and a short video while I was driving which shows what I was talking about.

One thing I realized - I was wrong about the stuff appearing in the instruments cluster - it appears in the HUD instead. Maybe it would also appear in the instrument cluster if I had the navigation view set there, but as you can see below in the pictures, I normally drive with my "media" in the instrument cluster (either a podcast or music). I like to have all the info I need in the HUD. I've gotten so used to it now that I don't even look down to the instrument cluster much anymore.

The pictures were taken:

1) All on non-freeway streets,
2) I had a destination set in the BMW nav system, and
3) Most of the time I had the driving assist turned on so the car was maintaining my speed and keeping me in the lane.

You'll see pictures below of the icons representing the lanes I'm driving in, and also that an intersection is coming up (I think the checkmark means I have to do something at that intersection). I also have a short video showing how the car is animating for me to change to the left lane because I will need to make a left turn up ahead. The car would not initiate the turn on its own because I was not in Assist Plus mode, so I had to tell the car to change lanes by tapping the turn signal stalk - then the car changed lanes. Unfortunately, it also lost it's steering ability once it made the lane change, probably because of the weird lines on the left for that short U-turn lane. However, it did regain full driver assist capability again shortly after that.

Apologies for any blurriness in the photos, it was tough to take them while driving (even though the car was doing most of the driving). You may have to zoom in on them a little to see the stuff the clearest.

Regarding the video:

• At first, focus on the icon of the lanes and you can see the animation telling me to change lanes to the left.
• I just tapped the turn signal and the car made the lane change.
• The lanes icon updated to show me in the far left lane as well.

If anyone has questions, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them. Maybe next time I'm on the freeway, I'll try to get some video of the Assist PLUS when it's working and initiating the lane changes on its own... one step at a time. :-)

Thank you for this! The HUD has quite a bit of information. In the second to the last photo, there's a picture (that you circled) of an intersection with a little checkmark in it. What does that symbol mean?

[aaexpert]

I drive daily for work up to 80 miles each way on the hiways but they are mostly 2 lanes, not 3, and almost always hands-off assist plus. Nothing here is 2 lane non-hiway to test on. I always use Android google map for navigating. Before the update the 1 time i tried it, I used bmw nav and was on a small stretch of 3 lane to go from middle to left lane hands free. Hope to be able to use it more often once I figure it out.

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by ToddRGuy

Thank you for this! The HUD has quite a bit of information. In the second to the last photo, there's a picture (that you circled) of an intersection with a little checkmark in it. What does that symbol mean?

I'm pretty sure that means that the upcoming intersection requires action from me. Typically I need to turn there. I pass many intersections during my trip, and that symbol only shows up at the intersections where I need to turn left or right.