[bacampbe]

We took delivery of our new 328i this morning. We're getting a continuous K-band false signal from behind on our V1. It's not a strong signal, but enough to be annoying. Does that happen to others? What could be causing it?

It's clearly something on the car. If I turn off the ignition, the signal stops. We don't have the adaptive cruise control feature. Does anything else on the car radiate in that band? Maybe it's the foot-opening trunk feature? (Surely that's not active when the car is in motion?)

I'm going to try moving the detector around to other spots to see if that helps.

[Peef]

Do you have Park Distance Control? I suspect that might cause a problem.

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by Peef

Do you have Park Distance Control? I suspect that might cause a problem.

Yes. Is that active at road speed? It's interesting we don't get it from the front.

[ibimmer346]

No, PDC is typically not on al the time. Do you have active blind spot monitoring? I understand that will set off radar detectors.

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by ibimmer346

No, PDC is typically not on al the time. Do you have active blind spot monitoring? I understand that will set off radar detectors.

I do, but the false persists if we turn it off. At least, I think I'm turning it off. I thought that was done with cameras, though, isn't it?

I just noticed that the owner's manual claims that the PDC uses ultrasound rather than radar.

[rbe]

Active Blind spot Detection? Try turning it off.

Two radar sensors below the rear bumper monitor the area behind and next to the vehicle at speeds above approx. 30 mph/50 km/h. The transmitter and receiver units comply with part 15 of the FCC/Federal Communication Commission regulations.

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by rbe

Active Blind spot Detection? Try turning it off.

Two radar sensors below the rear bumper monitor the area behind and next to the vehicle at speeds above approx. 30 mph/50 km/h. The transmitter and receiver units comply with part 15 of the FCC/Federal Communication Commission regulations.

The false persists when standing still, and when ABD is turned off. The only thing I've found that makes it go away is turning the car off.

[ProbyOne]

Originally Posted by bacampbe

We took delivery of our new 328i this morning. We're getting a continuous K-band false signal from behind on our V1. It's not a strong signal, but enough to be annoying. Does that happen to others? What could be causing it?

It's clearly something on the car. If I turn off the ignition, the signal stops. We don't have the adaptive cruise control feature. Does anything else on the car radiate in that band? Maybe it's the foot-opening trunk feature? (Surely that's not active when the car is in motion?)

I'm going to try moving the detector around to other spots to see if that helps.

I would take the V1 out if the mount and see if you can figure out where the signal is coming from. Point the main antenna at different parts of the car until the signal is strongest. This has helped me in the past.

[BMWDude49120]

It's the Active Blind Spot Detection feature that causes this. You must not be shutting it off (maybe you can't turn it all the way off?).

Anyway, from the BMW website:

"At the rear of the vehicle the Active Blind Spot Detection uses radar sensors to inform the driver via a symbol on the wing mirror if there is a vehicle currently in their blind spot or if a vehicle is approaching quickly from the rear. As soon as the driver uses the indicator to change lanes, they are warned in potentially dangerous situations by a flashing LED signal and vibrations."

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by ProbyOne

I would take the V1 out if the mount and see if you can figure out where the signal is coming from. Point the main antenna at different parts of the car until the signal is strongest. This has helped me in the past.

Thanks!

By "helped", do you mean helped to isolate the source, or helped to solve the problem so that you could use the V1 in the car? If the second, what did you do about it?

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by BMWDude49120

It's the Active Blind Spot Detection feature that causes this. You must not be shutting it off (maybe you can't turn it all the way off?).

[...]

Yeah, I'm starting to wonder if turning it off just turns off the indicators, not the radar itself. I've heard that's an issue with some other vehicles collision detection or adaptive cruise control systems.

The irony is we were on the fence for adaptive cruise control, and didn't get it because of the potential for this very problem :-)

[BMWDude49120]

This is a common issue with these systems. Audi's are also notorious for it. My Passport 9500ix often goes crazy when I approach a newer model Audi on the road. It sure would be nice if car manufacturers would use a different radar band than that used by police (police use both K and KA bands, depending on the radar gun manufacturer), for this very reason. They could use X band, since no law enforcement agencies use that band anymore - at least not in the US.

[dd1981]

Originally Posted by BMWDude49120

This is a common issue with these systems. Audi's are also notorious for it. My Passport 9500ix often goes crazy when I approach a newer model Audi on the road. It sure would be nice if car manufacturers would use a different radar band than that used by police (police use both K and KA bands, depending on the radar gun manufacturer), for this very reason. They could use X band, since no law enforcement agencies use that band anymore - at least not in the US.

Yes agreed. I always wonder what the hell makes my passport 8500 ix go nuts on the highway for no reason. Now it makes sense. I also get K band signal go crazy when there is a IDOT vehicle on the road. I wonder what they use that makes radar detectors go nuts. I always use to think it was cops but then I see these trucks on the side of the raod.

[bacampbe]

Heh. My wife and I tend to refer to the laser detector on the V1 as the "Infiniti Detector", since they use lidar for their adaptive cruise control. We see well more of those than we do actual police lidar. (But there's still too much police lidar to turn the laser detector off).

Along those lines, I see that I can program the V1 to mute K-band signals from the rear. I may give that a try.

I wonder if all this on-board radar effects police radar?

[bacampbe]

Turning POP detection off on the V1 makes the false stop. Now I just need to figure out how important POP detection is in the area.

[wmo168]

Set the V1 to "L" mode

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by wmo168

Set the V1 to "L" mode

I failed to mention, it was in L mode when I had the false signals, so that didn't help. Turning off POP detection made it stop.

[m630]

Originally Posted by bacampbe

I failed to mention, it was in L mode when I had the false signals, so that didn't help. Turning off POP detection made it stop.

How did you turn POP off??

[EnerJi]

Originally Posted by bacampbe

I failed to mention, it was in L mode when I had the false signals, so that didn't help. Turning off POP detection made it stop.

What does POP detection do?

On a separate note, this thread has me wondering if a radar detector is even worth it anymore with all these car-based false-positives? More and more police / highway patrols are switching to LIDAR, and if your detector goes off with a LIDAR hit it's probably too late anyway as the cop already has you.

Not sure if the false-positives are worth dealing with for the few remaining situations / locations that use K or Ka band.

Has anyone tried installed a LIDAR shifter into their F30? That to me seems like it would be worthwhile. Of course, it's difficult to tell if the darn system is actually installed properly and working, so that's a concern too...

[m630]

Originally Posted by EnerJi

What does POP detection do?

On a separate note, this thread has me wondering if a radar detector is even worth it anymore with all these car-based false-positives? More and more police / highway patrols are switching to LIDAR, and if your detector goes off with a LIDAR hit it's probably too late anyway as the cop already has you.

Not sure if the false-positives are worth dealing with for the few remaining situations / locations that use K or Ka band.

Has anyone tried installed a LIDAR shifter into their F30? That to me seems like it would be worthwhile. Of course, it's difficult to tell if the darn system is actually installed properly and working, so that's a concern too...

According to V1 site, its for the specific type of radar that is fast on short bursts, sort of stealthy radar pulses rather than just a continuous beam.

The V1 is a saver and very necessary, even if you have to live with the false positives, its worth it from my point of view.

Laser is very different and has pros and cons from a LEO point of view, its not as widely used in my locale and has some issues with usage.

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by m630

How did you turn POP off??

http://www.valentine1.com/Lab/TechReport3.asp

See item "J".

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by EnerJi

On a separate note, this thread has me wondering if a radar detector is even worth it anymore with all these car-based false-positives? More and more police / highway patrols are switching to LIDAR, and if your detector goes off with a LIDAR hit it's probably too late anyway as the cop already has you.

Not sure if the false-positives are worth dealing with for the few remaining situations / locations that use K or Ka band.

The V1 laser detection has saved me from a ticket more than once in my Miata. I think it's effectiveness varies based on your car. People often describe laser detection as a "ticket detector", but I apparently got enough scatter from the cars ahead to alert well before I was targeted (i.e. approaching over a hill).

OTOH, lidar is not used that heavily around here--I guess it's usually too hot for them to roll down a window much of the time :-) When you do see it, it's often from a motorcycle.

It makes for a really good Infiniti detector, though.