Front radar cover should be heated

[Husky]

About two weeks ago I had to do some highway driving in some of our yucky, slushy new England winter weather. After only about twenty minutes I got a warning message on the dash saying something to the effect that the sensor was blocked and the front collision avoidance feature was disabled (and I would assume active cruise as well).
It stayed that way all the way home. When I got home there was about an eighth of an inch thick layer of frozen slush covering the plastic plate insert in the grill which protects the sensor.
It seems odd to me that, at least for AWD vehicles likely to be sold in snowy parts of the country, that this thing isn't heated. It only took a short time of driving in fairly typical winter weather for it to be rendered useless, defeating a safety feature of the car.

 

[PMCErnie]

The other viewpoint is that you shouldn’t use such features when bad weather requires full attention to the road conditions.

 

[EdP]

About two weeks ago I had to do some highway driving in some of our yucky, slushy new England winter weather. After only about twenty minutes I got a warning message on the dash saying something to the effect that the sensor was blocked and the front collision avoidance feature was disabled (and I would assume active cruise as well).
It stayed that way all the way home. When I got home there was about an eighth of an inch thick layer of frozen slush covering the plastic plate insert in the grill which protects the sensor.
It seems odd to me that, at least for AWD vehicles likely to be sold in snowy parts of the country, that this thing isn't heated. It only took a short time of driving in fairly typical winter weather for it to be rendered useless, defeating a safety feature of the car.

I've had that happen in slushy New England but it never bothered me. Under those conditions you should not be using cruise control. It is not going to be reliable for stopping either as it is a computer sensing speed and distance, not slippery conditions so it is not going to reliable keep you safe. You, OTOH, know to slow down and keep a greater distance. You are also paying attention to keep control and safe. So, that safety feature is actually keeping you safe by making you pay attention in poor driving conditions.

 

[Husky]

I've had that happen in slushy New England but it never bothered me. Under those conditions you should not be using cruise control. It is not going to be reliable for stopping either as it is a computer sensing speed and distance, not slippery conditions so it is not going to reliable keep you safe. You, OTOH, know to slow down and keep a greater distance. You are also paying attention to keep control and safe. So, that safety feature is actually keeping you safe by making you pay attention in poor driving conditions.

Sure, that all sounds good. I wasn't trying to use the cruise, and never would in those conditions. However it's a shame to lose the frontal collision braking feature, since the sensor remains blocked until you can clear it off, even though you may not be in local, stop and go traffic. Obviously the driver should always be paying attention, but there's a reason why features like this are added - because we don't live in an ideal world and people can make mistakes. Preventing ice buildup on the sensor would allow it to continue functioning in real-world inclement weather. It's ironic that it's mounted right in front of the radiator! It would have been a clever design to take advantage of that fact.

 

[Absintheuphoria]

I would say 'just drive in reverse' but even the rear sensors went bonkers this Winter for me.

 

[Toddasaurus]

Sure, that all sounds good. I wasn't trying to use the cruise, and never would in those conditions. However it's a shame to lose the frontal collision braking feature, since the sensor remains blocked until you can clear it off, even though you may not be in local, stop and go traffic. Obviously the driver should always be paying attention, but there's a reason why features like this are added - because we don't live in an ideal world and people can make mistakes. Preventing ice buildup on the sensor would allow it to continue functioning in real-world inclement weather. It's ironic that it's mounted right in front of the radiator! It would have been a clever design to take advantage of that fact.

I wonder if you apply some ceramic coating on the radar cover, if it might prevent some of the ice/slush buildup. It has made water bead off my paint very effectively.

 

[Husky]

I wonder if you apply some ceramic coating on the radar cover, if it might prevent some of the ice/slush buildup. It has made water bead off my paint very effectively.

Good idea, worth a try.

 

[EdP]

Sure, that all sounds good. I wasn't trying to use the cruise, and never would in those conditions. However it's a shame to lose the frontal collision braking feature, since the sensor remains blocked until you can clear it off, even though you may not be in local, stop and go traffic. Obviously the driver should always be paying attention, but there's a reason why features like this are added - because we don't live in an ideal world and people can make mistakes. Preventing ice buildup on the sensor would allow it to continue functioning in real-world inclement weather. It's ironic that it's mounted right in front of the radiator! It would have been a clever design to take advantage of that fact.

How many times has it happened? How much are you willing to pay for a heating system to prevent it?
There is a cost/benefit to be considered. I can recall twice it went out in bad weather and in those cases it would not be needed anyway due to road conditions. To outfit every car with a benefit that would be practical for 5% of the cars once a winter is probably not a good idea.

When I lived in CT I twice paid extra for AWD and it has a heated steering wheel. It was really nice to have but here in FL it is of no benefit to me. My next car won't have it. I probably won't get much, if any, payback on trade here. You can write to Genesis HQ and tell them you want it. Generate enough interest and they may do it.

 

[Mcc]

Good idea, worth a try.

Sure, then you can report back how much radar absorption there is in ceramic coatings.

 

[gregcols]

Sure, that all sounds good. I wasn't trying to use the cruise, and never would in those conditions. However it's a shame to lose the frontal collision braking feature, since the sensor remains blocked until you can clear it off, even though you may not be in local, stop and go traffic. Obviously the driver should always be paying attention, but there's a reason why features like this are added - because we don't live in an ideal world and people can make mistakes. Preventing ice buildup on the sensor would allow it to continue functioning in real-world inclement weather. It's ironic that it's mounted right in front of the radiator! It would have been a clever design to take advantage of that fact.

Sure, that all sounds good. I wasn't trying to use the cruise, and never would in those conditions. However it's a shame to lose the frontal collision braking feature, since the sensor remains blocked until you can clear it off, even though you may not be in local, stop and go traffic. Obviously the driver should always be paying attention, but there's a reason why features like this are added - because we don't live in an ideal world and people can make mistakes. Preventing ice buildup on the sensor would allow it to continue functioning in real-world inclement weather. It's ironic that it's mounted right in front of the radiator! It would have been a clever design to take advantage of that fact.

I agree. I would never use cruise control in bad weather, but disabling the front collision breaking is an issue for me. My Cadillac I had from 2014 never had this issue.

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[EdP]

I agree. I would never use cruise control in bad weather, but disabling the front collision breaking is an issue for me. My Cadillac I had from 2014 never had this issue.

In icy slushy conditions that freeze the plate it should not be needed. If so, you are driving too fast and/or following too close.

If you look at the conditions that sets off the AEB in normal condition, it is too late to help you in slippery conditions. It is a computer that senses speed and closing rate but does not know weather and road conditions.

I found this:
For a great deal of the country, winter means having to deal with ice, snow, and sleet. It is probably not a surprise to learn that 24 percent of all crashes are weather-related. Weather-related means that the crashed occurred in one or more of the following conditions– rain, sleet, snow, fog, wet pavements, and ice.

While most people may suspect that ice and snow are the most dangerous winter driving hazards, the vast majority of weather-related accidents occur on wet pavement or during rainfall, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). In fact, rain is by far the most common adverse weather event and accounts for 46 percent of the nearly 1,259,000 weather-related crashes each year in the United States.