Attention '18 Owners: Auto Brake System False Alarms??

Very insightful write up. I too have an 18 MT and was wondering what would happen if this same thing Happened. Quick question, if you stop the car without engaging the clutch it will sputter forward and stall in my previous car. Is this what happens in this case too? Or does it engage the clutch when it auto brakes like that?

 

The truck can not modulate the clutch for you. I read this before I bought the truck, if I can find the link i'll post the info but I believe it comes from the owners manual. If it brakes to the point where your RPM's fall below minimum required to keep engine running, it will stall on you. But your better off stalling the truck then rear ending someone. Now I've never experienced this, but for those of us with MT's, we know basic instinct is hard braking coincides with full clutch depression. And braking isn't something that happens like the flip of the switch, it'll be over well over 100 feet before you come to stop at 60mph, so at the initial "oh shit" moment you realize your truck is braking because you should, you hopefully have enough time to start braking and depressing the clutch as well, which the truck will then give control back to you and stop the automated braking, which happened to me. Hope that explanation makes sense.

 

Nice.

 

Other '18 owner's experiences?

 

I haven't had a chance to experience many of the new safety things on my new Tacoma yet, but my other daily vehicle is a 2015 ML550 which has similar features. Initially, when I was purchasing the ML, I was skeptical about all the active safety doodads and "wanted to be in control". I contemplated about only sticking with the passive features (ie. BSM etc), but in the end decided to get the vehicle fully loaded. Having driven the ML for the last 3 years, I have no regrets....can't imagine going without all the safety things which has saved me a couple of times. But like I said, I haven't had a chance to experience it on the Tacoma yet.....but on the Mercedes, it works well.

 

I had a Mercedes auto-brake alarm save my bacon once too. I'm hoping the TSS is just as good.

 

In my 18 OR, I was on the highway with cruise on and car in front of me slowed down for who knows what reason and the brake light came on but nothing else happened. Changed my distance setting and have never seen that again.

 

I've noticed that the lane departure warning on the Tacoma isn't that noticeable....if u have ur radio on, u can barely hear it sometimes. In the Mercedes, it vibrates the steering wheel, which is much more noticable.

I guess we'd better get used to these features....just like seatbelts, airbags, ABS etc, this is eventually all going to be standardized

 

Yep, I noticed that as well. It's just a tad too low for me. I see the warning, but don't always hear it. I was going to ask them at my next appointment to see if they could increase the volume within TechStream (or whatever it's called). That may not be an option available though.

 

A friend is in a rental Corolla today with a lane departure system. She says that the steering wheel nudges the car to stay in the lane. That there is automatic steering input. Is this the same in the '18 Tacoma with TSS?

 

Nope.... just a nag beeping.... rapid, high pitch warning... but not overly loud. I think it should be louder. Strangely it doesn't integrate in radio, so it's overpowered very easy.

 

That's too bad.

 

Just under 1000 miles and zero issues. I have the sensitivity on low, and have driven side streets and the highway to break in my truck. 30-40 miles round trip a day, depending on the route. Well, zero issues with this, but the freaking sun visor popped out in traffic when i was moving it over to the right, lol.

 

I have an 18 trd off road with manual trans just over 2000 miles and I do not turn on the lane departure or auto braking stuff, but twice it has beeped and came up on the dash saying brake and there was nothing in front of me but it did not hit the brakes or anything. it was in pretty much the same spot both times (beside a hospital) and I’ve drove there since and nothing has happened so I just never thought much more about it

 

2018 OR owner here with ~1200 miles on it so far. No issues with the TSS Auto Brake having a false alarm. It has gone off a couple of times when I came up fast behind a slowing or stopped car at a traffic light. I have the Premium and Tech packages on my OR. Not sure which one adds this but I can turn Auto Brake/Front Collision Avoidance on or off from a button on the steering wheel. Very convienent.

 

I turned LD off because it annoyed me more than anything. If there is nobody around you and one doesn't use a signal to change lanes it goes off.

 

Yeah, those false alarms can be tough. But one should adapt to those false situations and I for one am glad I have TSS. I don’t mind the warnings. It makes me become more aware of my surroundings. However, I have not had a total false alert where nothing was there. So I’d imagine that would get old real fast.

It goes off on my way in/out of the canyons on the 27 (for those that have taken it) because cars are parked close to the white lines. It only happens at the curves. This morning there was a car parked right at the curve near the white line, and the warning went off about 100-125’ out. But the one that made me pucker was the time when there was a car that pulled out in front of us making a turn and the car behind it almost went for it too, but suddenly stopped with its front wheels turned in our direction and already creeping into the lane. The warning came on at that moment and that’s when I thought it was going to trigger. I got prepared for it, but thankfully it was only a warning. What a fucking relief passing that car because I was up front with tight traffic flowing at 45.

BTW, if you have TSS and you have to use your brake and gas pedal at the same time for whatever reason, I’d suggest using ALSD to cancel TSS and the drive start control.

 

Bump on this one and those concerned about TSS taking over. I was heading out of the canyons this morning and at one point came to a blind curve, and while I was driving into it, someone on the other side was making a left turn to cross the lane I was in. Seems like I saw the bright blinker first, and I was quick on the brake, but was closing fast enough I wasn’t comfortable trusting the ABS. Noticing there was no one in the other lane, I played Dukes, resleased the brakes, and simultaneously swerved into the other lane and swerved back in as I was approaching another blind curve.

I remember reading the manual and the manual stating that if the brakes are applied, or the steering sensor(?) senses a quick turn as one is approaching a TSS situation, the system is assuming you are in control and does not intervene. Good to know it does do it. Hopefully TOYOTA keeps that feature.

 

My brake warning went off once so far when nothing was in front of me. I thought it was dangerous as I had no idea what the alarm was for so I took my eyes off the road to read the warning. That said, I still feel better knowing it's there if it's really needed. I did turn the lane departure warning off though because I tend to straighten out corners.. This thread got me thinking though. 150 years ago all the 'vehicles' had lane departure assist, dynamic cruise control and brake assist which never had false alarms. There's something to be said about traveling by horse

 

But you only had ‘one’ horsepower and crawl control sucked.