Does anyone know how I could add adaptive cruise control to my new 2021 F150 XLT?

Thanks

 

I have a new car with adaptive cruise control, and my 2020 F150 doesn't.

The old style is good enough for me--and gives me more control. I find my self with adaptive cruise to be often running 5-10 mph or more slower than it's set for with vehicles in my lane when the other lane is clear for the faster speeds.

 

Probably not going to be possible for a while, and expect a pretty large expense to add it. It requires sensors to be installed your truck currently does not have, will require it to be enabled (which may be possible in FORSCAN), but then it needs to be calibrated which AFAIK only a dealer can do since it requires extra equipment. In all, if you were truly missing adaptive cruise, you may do better to talk to your dealer about trading it in and getting another XLT with Co-Pilot so you have adaptive cruise. While you will have some loss on your current truck to the new one, it may be about the same as buying the parts to modify your current, then labor costs with the dealer, and time.

 

You can set the allowance on the set up screen like +5 I find it fairly accurate. The best part of it is going through small towns if you happen to miss the speed limit sign it will automatically slow you down to the speed limit, again not necessary for a competent driver.. ..but a nice feature

 

Yeah, Adaptive isn't necessary and I don't really understand their complaint since it doesn't make vehicles in front of you disappear. I find it to be very helpful in longer drives or on two lane roads where there isn't another lane to just get into. Unless you can pass, you are stuck behind them anyway and a lot of drivers seem incapable of holding a steady speed, so it's nice to have a system that just handles their inconsistency for you. Like any feature on the truck, just because it exists doesn't mean you need it to be useful 24/7. I don't say 4 wheel drive is useless just because only 5-10% of my annual driving is helped by it.

 

I really enjoy the adaptive options.
However, it is not always my preference.
I can't use it in the mountains. Cruising up the steep grades at 70 while the heavy truck traffic is stuck doing 25 confuses the system, at the curves the truck think I'm going to t-bone the slowly moving trucks and it slams on the brakes. It is marginally scary cruising 70 going into a curve (capably of 70 without issue) then having the brakes mashed. I've learned when to drive and when to allow the system to drive.

A recent 2.5ish hour road trip went well but there were several periods of bunched up traffic. I had cruse at 71 all day, speed limit is 70. I'd constantly speed up to pass the 60ish mph string, or adaptive would perfectly control my speed if I wanted to stay in the slower lane of traffic. It functions perfect, but the left hand mirror would suggest now is the time to speed up to 75 instead of slow to 60.
Speeding up is fine. It will resume itself once back to the set speed of course but to flow with traffic I had to keep kicking it off (brake tap) until I could find the gap to fit in to. This was typical in both directions. And on a weekday no less.
Generally speaking I prefer adaptive over regular cruise. Depending in the expense and effort required, it may be worth it (to me) to make an upgrade but I'm pretty confident in saying if I purchased a vehicle without it on purpose that I would not be installed the other system.

I can link you to past threads of how to install it if you care to read up on that. May give you an idea of what you'd have to do. Given you are a newer member asking the way you are -I don't know that you know what is involved.

 

Interesting about the braking issue when going around curves, I haven't encountered that with the 2019 and I use adaptive a lot. I am actually surprised at how well it handles curves and following vehicles. The only time I have it be too enthusiastic is if I am coming up on someone that is turning into a business or something, they could be clear of the road entirely and it will still brake like they were still there for a couple seconds. It seems to have a half second or so of seeing something of a shadow of the vehicle before it realizes it's actually clear. This isn't me trying to ride right up on someone that hasn't turned in yet, usually it's situations where I am about 1/8th mile from them when they start their turn, and then it sees them at the furthest distance it can see them, then they are turned into the driveway, and it still starts slowing me down. Anyway, that's rare and I know it's coming so I usually just keep pressure on the gas pedal to temporarily override it then let off. That is about the only issue I have had. We had it in our 2014 Flex, and it was MUCH more inconsistent and I was less willing to use it except on longer highway trips.

 

I haven't heard for sure if Forscan works on '21s, but if it does you should be able to add the parts (cost was ~$700 in previous MYs), and enable and calibrate in Forscan.

Edit: looks like Forscan does work on the '21s (although I don't know if the calibration does yet), so if you can track down all the part numbers I can't see why this wouldn't be possible (aside from lack of parts this year along with everything else).

 

I have the situation where a vehicle in front will make a turn -and I can repeat it each time at one place. A right hand curve. It's perfect that if you drive straight you end up in the left turn lane perfectly aligned for the turn into the parking area. I'll trip the red flashing lights all the time around that curve. Vehicle is clear of the lane as I continue through but the truck doesn't care.
The highway situation must meet some criteria. Maybe I am at just the correct angle that the approach rate relative to the angle of approach makes the truck think I'm going to run into a wall, stationary object or something. It should not have anything to do with brake lights unless it is reading lights and it catches the hazards from the trucks in the slow lane.
It's fairly repeatable on one particular road.
I had an oddity last week while on the road trip down a flat and straight road. My speed was slightly faster than left lane traffic. Only that vehicle and I and suddenly truck caught a glimpse of something and it was the hardest brake application I'd ever felt from it. It was enough that it's best there were no kids in the vehicle or I'd be adding a quarter to the coffee can.
No idea what happened. But that was a one and only time. I do not use cruise often as I'm mostly cruising around town, but I use it every time I have reason to. Maybe a sensor caught a glimpse of itself in the mirror of the vehicle I was passing.

Anyway, yes I still like it a lot but not enough to spend money and time adding it myself.

 

Not to be rude, but I really don’t care about your opinions on ACC. If you like it or not is totally up to you and I’m good with it.

Hoping to find somebody on here (perhaps the ones that helped figure out how to do it on the previous generation trucks) that can help me find the right parts and information. I know Forscan testing is still in early phases for 14thgen and as of right my my 8” IPC can’t even be written in Forscan yet.

But I’d like to get started on this mod with the parts at least.

I can confirm a couple things.
My truck does have:
- IPMA camera in rear view mirror (listed in Forscan and I also have auto high beam)
- Precollision assist with emergency braking, pedestrian detection, forward collision warning
- BLIS
- Lane Keeping Assist
- Rear View camera
- Reverse sensing system
- Reverse Brake assist

My truck does not have:
- 360 camera package (there is no camera in the Ford logo on my front grille or side mirrors; Ford Co-Pilot Assist 2.0 package that includes ACC per Ford build website states that to add this package I must either have the 360 camera package OR Tow Technology Package. I am pretty sure I have Tow Tech Package but if 360 cameras are required for me to add ACC functionality then I’ll do whatever is necessary)
- Any round front sensors in the bumper that are detectable but maybe they are hidden?

Additional note: This is a 2021 F150 SCREW with 302A High package.

Thoughts? Help?
@Livnitup @Airborne_Ape @Ecoboost_Morgan @Great white