Anyone who does this, be sure to pay attention when doing this. If there are any breaks in the lines when it's in a slight turn, it will drive through the break, and then when it senses the lines again, it over-corrects and throws you through the lines on the other side. That's what happened to me today, and if I wasn't paying attention and corrected it myself, I would have been in an accident.
To be clear - you ABSOLUTELY have to pay attention - most especially on new roads that you don't have experience driving. When I go to the gym in the morning it is a ten minute drive. Eight of those minutes are on a country road. There are two spots in that road that I know my car can lose the lane, so I am there ready to grab the wheel. The rest of the time I am drinking my coffee and enjoying the morning drive. ANY road you are not familiar with you have to pay attention to see how the road is handled by the system., On my morning route I know the two places. Freeways have nice lane designations so those I trust more, but you still have to pay attention in case a lane breaks, OR a car has stopped in front of you to turn. This is an aid, a great aid as it makes driving more comfortable for me with my hands on my lap versus on the wheel. It is not full self driving. Finally - ANY time there is a pedestrian, runner, cyclist or any other situation in which you need to pay closer attention, your hands should be on the wheel.
@@BobEveleth while I don't mind my hand on the wheel it's not just a matter of you placing a hand there. You have to keep giving resistance every 15 seconds. If it could just heat sense or pressure sense that my hand is there but it's just resting I wouldn't be here considering this hack.
@@DadeMurphie correct - it is looking for resistance every 12-15 seconds - which is why I put the 1.5 pound weight on the side of the wheel. This tricks the system into thinking my hand is on the wheel. I have 30k+ miles on my truck, with probably over 80% hands free. I drive the same roads often, so know when I need to take control (which is not often). You absolutely still have to pay attention, but until BlueCruise comes out this is a simple hack.
Love the lane centering on my 2023 ford escape - will def be trying this! I pay attention as if I’m driving it manually but it would be nice to take my hands off for more than 14 seconds without the message popping up lol
There's a huge liability involved in bypassing safety features. What is the sense it having a self-driving car if your eyes out to be forward in your hands have to be on the wheel anyway? It's nonsense
@@ubeuonly that's a good question. I drive to the gym in the morning on a well marked road. It is several miles long, and relatively straight. I drink my coffee on the way to the gym, using both hands. I am ready to grab the wheel at any time, but it is more relaxing for me, and an argument can be made in that situation that it could be safer in some situations. You AWLAYS have to pay attention, just like with cruise control. That said, I have a 65 Mustang convertible - and actually DRIVING that car is the fun part.
The point is cars are not fully self-driving or reliable or safe yet. And a 65 Mustang hype is equivalent to same Bruce Springsteen was a great artist because he sold a lot. That car was horrific then and it's been a very lackluster quality automobile by every measure since the time he started making them. But then again McDonald's sells a lot of hamburgers that suck as well
@@ubeuonly I never stated this is "FULLY self driving" as it is not. You have to pay attention just as you do with cruise control. As for the Mustang - I have had a lot of cool cars over the years - but the '65 has been, by far, my favorite. It's not your thing - that's cool.
@@BobEveleth that's right, everyone has their thing but I was always into cars that weren't everyone else's thing, just as I made the music reference, and although we're old and we love our internal combustion engines unfortunately self-driving electric is the future
Thank you so much for this hack. Will keep my eyes on the road but this could free up my hands to eat a burger while driving. I bought my f150 after watching your video. Ford should pay you a commission.
Thank-you @wang1224. Update: About a month ago my truck finally upgraded to BlueCruise. It is great when it works, but unfortunately it does not work/kick in on most of my drives, so I continue to use the hack. And yes, the inside cameras now kick in with the BlueCruise update. VERY annoying as I have one pair of sunglasses I cannot where as the cameras don't sense my eyes, and if I have readers on (to see something on the dash) then move them down my nose to see, they block the camera view of my pupils and the alarm goes off. In short, I wish I had the option to remove that feature.
I've watched a lot of videos on this truck and this video is head and shoulders above any other video showing this ability. You didn't even seem to be trying. I kept my eye on the left lane marking. It was hitting the dash at a consistent spot, meaning the truck was not ping ponging. I'm waiting on my truck with bated breath. I want to try this. EDIT: Still haven't received my F150 yet, but I tried this on my Maverick. IT WORKS! I used this driving up and down I-95 on vacation. Wonderful.
Thank you for the comment and glad it worked! I have 30k+ miles on my truck - probably 85% hands free. You still have to pay attention, like you do with BlueCruise, but since I travel the same roads frequently I know how the system reacts. It is like cruise control on steroids - you still have to pay attention, but it is relaxing. I got a notice that my truck will soon upgrade to BlueCruise - which my understanding will do what the hack does, except also watch your eyes to make sure you are paying attention.
@@BobEveleth 🤞🤞🤞 I get my F150 in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to trying Blue Cruise. Your hack flat out works though. I'll keep my steering weight in the truck just in case Blue Cruise doesn't like my road. Who knows, maybe I'll find Blue Cruise too much of a busy body. I'm glad I've got to experience the hack in my Maverick.
Update: About a month ago my truck finally upgraded to BlueCruise. It is great when it works, but unfortunately it does not work/kick in on most of my drives, so I continue to use the hack. And yes, the inside cameras now kick in with the BlueCruise update. VERY annoying as I have one pair of sunglasses I cannot where as the cameras don't sense my eyes, and if I have readers on (to see something on the dash) then move them down my nose to see, they block the camera view of my pupils and the alarm goes off. In short, I wish I had the option to remove that feature.
@@BobEveleth, I use the hack all the time. I have a stretch of road between two points. It's BlueCruise only half the way and in this half there are spots where BlueCruise switches to hands on. With the hack I go hands-free the whole way. Knowing what I know now, I would order a truck without BlueCruise, but definitely get lane centering. Heck, if that is even possible nowadays. The nanny cam is super annoying.
I have a 2016 Tesla Model X with AP1 (auto pilot 1) and have used this trick for a few years. I just tried it on my ‘21 Raptor 2 days ago to see if it would work and like you said it does. I just drove it across the country after buying last weekend and wish I had seen this and known to pack my second 2lb wrist weigh, but it’s in the truck now.
I like them. I did not think they would get much use, but on a long trip my friend used them, and I have pulled into a rest stop because I was tired and used them - much more comfortable for sleeping then the partial recline. Feet still hang over, but if I was using it a lot I would probably make some sort of baggage foot rest.
Just let your knee slightly touch side of steering wheel and you will be able to keep it in self drive mode.You may have to adjust seat to get your knee close to steering wheel……
I actually have both a 2019 Fusion Titanium with lane centering and a 2022 F-150. My Fusion couldn't do this. The F-150's lane centering capability is night and day better (2021 and newer).
Def. be careful with this in rain or snow. They can prevent the front cameras from sensing vehicles in front of you, and you don't always get a warning that it isn't working. I don't use adaptive cruise control anymore in weather. It's just too finicky.
For this to work, you need about 1.5 lbs if you put the weight where Bob has his (slightly above the 3:00 position). You need about 2 lbs if you put the weight down lower (at around the 4:00 position).
A different truck, but I have 1 lb. in this same 2:30-ish position in my Maverick and the hack works fine. Yes, I may need more in the F150 (that I haven't received yet).
@@DadeMurphie , I can't say it wouldn't work, but it is illogical. The truck doesn't know if you're holding the wheel. It senses radial torque being applied to the steering wheel. A weight at 6:00 adds no radial torque. Weight at 3:00 adds radial torque by trying to turn the wheel to the right ever so slightly. Enough to make the truck think you're holding the wheel, but not enough that lane centering can't compensate.
@@OldAndGettingOlder hmm you're right I don't think it would work unless there were alot of turns. There wouldn't be much to resist at that position on straight aways. I was just trying to think of the least annoying spot to hang it from for when I do grab the wheel.
So besides the interior sensors that come with blue cruise that monitor the driver to make sure they're paying attention, what else is different? Does it have more advanced radar/vision technology to make the actual self driving perform better? Such as traffic light recognition, stop signs, etc.. Seems like this IS Blue Cruise as long you remind the truck that your hand is still on the wheel
That's a good question. About a month ago my truck finally upgraded to BlueCruise. It is great when it works, but unfortunately it does not work/kick in on most of my drives, so I continue to use the hack. And yes, the inside cameras now kick in with the BlueCruise update. VERY annoying as I have one pair of sunglasses I cannot where as the cameras don't sense my eyes, and if I have readers on (to see something on the dash) then move them down my nose to see, they block the camera view of my pupils and the alarm goes off. In short, I wish I had the option to remove that feature.
It does not account for vehicles on your side. It will not change lanes, you have to do that. This is strictly for staying in your lane, and keeping a distance from the car in front of you. You ABSOLUTELY have to pay attention at all times, just like you do with Cruise Control. Good luck!
Interesting idea... I'd say maybe for long distance drives... not sure I'd want an arm band / weight hooked to my steering wheel all of the time for day to day stuff though.
Thank-you. I quickly realized that the system was just looking for a little pressure on the side of the wheel. I had an old iPhone arm strap that I put sockets in until just enough to trick the system. The key is to create something that you can twist to the inside of the wheel when not using it (although I almost always use mine). You still have to pay attention (like with cruise control), but it makes for a relaxing drive for routine long trips.
This is my first time researching this, and my first thought was to use hot hands as I figured it would be heat sensitive and not weighted resistance. Thanks for the clever hack. Excited to try this once my vehicle arrives. Stay safe out there.
Update: About a month ago my truck finally upgraded to BlueCruise. It is great when it works, but unfortunately it does not work/kick in on most of my drives, so I continue to use the hack. And yes, the inside cameras now kick in with the BlueCruise update. VERY annoying as I have one pair of sunglasses I cannot where as the cameras don't sense my eyes, and if I have readers on (to see something on the dash) then move them down my nose to see, they block the camera view of my pupils and the alarm goes off. In short, I wish I had the option to remove that feature.
I probably missed it, but what version do you have? I have the Lariat, with the center front seat. I do have the stay in lane, but not the active distance, so I don’t know if I can do this like you did. Thanks!
He has a Platinum. This hack should work on any vehicle that has adaptive cruise control and lane centering. These may be called something different with different manufacturers. The two systems work hands in hand for the self driving experience. BTW, lane keeping is not lane centering.
The gentleman below is correct. If you have lane centering but not adaptive cruise control you may still be able to use the hack to stay in line, but of course you need to be vigilant on distance. Good luck!
Tried this driving down a river in my 99 Chevy S10, had to use a really big wheel weight and it ended up just doing mud donuts instead. Very disappointed this didn't work.
It sounds like you do not have "lane assist" turned on. With that turned on, the wheel will want to hold still (sometimes annoyingly so). Without lane assist it should pull in the direction of the weight. Hope that helps.
Right now there are 2 technologies emerging : Self driving cars & humanoid robots. It seems one solution would be for Ford to sell vehicles without all this tech BUT accompany each sale with a humanoid robot to do the driving. The robot would keep the car centered in the lane. The robot would drive while you slept. Of course the robot would have built in GPS. It could lift the corner of the car with 1 hand and change a flat with the other., The possibilities are endless. !
Doesn't the most recent F150's include some little camera thingy that watches you so you don't have to touch the wheel as long as you're watching the road?
It does - it is going to be used with Ford's subscription "BlueCruise" service which I just received an email from Ford that it is ready to launch. If you are using BlueCruise the camera in the car will watch to see that you are watching the road. When you use the weight on the steering wheel only the system does not use the camera. I am looking forward to testing BlueCruise when it hits my truck, but my understanding is it is only on major roads. I like that I can use the weight on well marked, lesser known roads. YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION - but after awhile you get a feel for how the truck behaves - and if the same route daily, you know when you need to pay closer attention. I have 25k miles on my truck - I would guesstimate that 20k plus of it is hands free.
Update: About a month ago my truck finally upgraded to BlueCruise. It is great when it works, but unfortunately it does not work/kick in on most of my drives, so I continue to use the hack. And yes, the inside cameras now kick in with the BlueCruise update. VERY annoying as I have one pair of sunglasses I cannot where as the cameras don't sense my eyes, and if I have readers on (to see something on the dash) then move them down my nose to see, they block the camera view of my pupils and the alarm goes off. In short, I wish I had the option to remove that feature.
I just got notice my truck will soon upgrade. I imagine that lane centering becomes linked to eye watching at that point if you subscribe to BlueCruise - which would make the hack obsolete, but hopefully make the truck more autonomous.
I have bluecruise as an option (not yet activated) and am wondering if it is worth the extra annual spend?? Anyone have some ideas? Mine is a 21 PB Lariet w/ 40,000 miles. Troublefree except for something changed in the radio for wireless carplay. Otherwise this is wonderful truck, super great mileage and ALL of the tech WORKS!!
I have looked into what Bluecruise does - my understanding it is basically lane centering and adaptive cruise control on 120k miles of designated roads. That was one of the reasons I bought my truck - for that feature (that was supposed to be out last fall). I just finished a long road trip to Colorado - I used "hands free" with the counterbalance for probably 95% of that trip. I don't see what the difference is between what I was doing and Bluecruise as it is my understanding that Bluecruise won't change lanes, exit, do turns, etc. I am sure Bluecruise has more safety features built in (it watches your eyes to make sure you are paying attention for example) - but from what I have seen, the hack works on more roads, and is free. (but you still have to pay attention - it is an aid, not a robot). As for carplay - I just found an adapter that plugs into my USB and overrides the current Airplay to give you a new Airplay that lets you watch Netflix/RU-vid/etc on the screen - a cool $200 hack.
Update: About a month ago my truck finally upgraded to BlueCruise. It is great when it works, but unfortunately it does not work/kick in on most of my drives, so I continue to use the hack. And yes, the inside cameras now kick in with the BlueCruise update. VERY annoying as I have one pair of sunglasses I cannot where as the cameras don't sense my eyes, and if I have readers on (to see something on the dash) then move them down my nose to see, they block the camera view of my pupils and the alarm goes off. In short, I wish I had the option to remove that feature.
ok. This is genius! Sad news is the auto drive on my Ff150 2021 Powerstation doesn't recognize a stopped car until the last moment and then slams on the brakes. Truly frightening. I only use on the open highway and still with my hands and feet ready to go. ps - It does a crazy swerve for every crosswalk as well!
Yes - mine will slam on the brakes too - what I do when I see cars stopped at a light - I will slow myself down in the truck by hitting the brakes, then hit "resume" - and the truck will pull up to the car in front. If the car continues to move, so does the truck - if it stops, I can just hit the gas, or "resume" again and it takes over. And yes - it can do crazy swerves - with that said, it is important how you use it. I go to the gym in the morning - same 12 minute ride every day. I drink my coffee and self drive in - knowing where the two spots are on the road where my truck can lose the lane. Similar with my way to work - about a 45 minute drive on a well marked road - except for one little patch where the road was repaired, and the lane has not been repainted. It does appear too that the truck wants to hug the right line, not the left - so if that line veers to the right, the truck wants to follow.
@@BobEveleth not sure if this works on your truck but on my mach-e you can set the distance to the car in front. i set mine as about 3-4 bars and it notices the vehicle further away and then it slows down sooner. the downside is you have a gap that anyone can merge in front and slow you down.
@@jkirk99 it's got that. It can be really annoying you have to really think about how many times you will need to press it to get your desired result. Hit it the wrong number of times going from a 1 car gap to a 3 can be very unexpected for the people behind you.
So you rolled through a blinking red because the car in front of you moved through the intersection? Where I live that usually means the perpendicular street has a blinking yellow. Even if they have a blinking red they have the right of way. That will get you shot in Florida.
When I was making the video I realized I was doing a rolling stop through the light - I should have come to a complete stop, but was showing what the truck does with a vehicle in front of it - and thought "surely nobody will be paying enough attention...". Thanks for watching and paying attention!
This video seems to imply that there really is no difference between Blue Cruise and Pilot 360. I am curious if that is true. Does getting Blue Cruise add anything? I know they supposedly have a network of roads included.
Although Blue Cruise is available, I have yet to see it come up on my truck (and it says I have the latest software). I am anxious to try that. My understanding is that it is supposed to work on 200k miles or so of highway - I would like to see if it works on well marked back roads. This hack works on just about all roads that have good lane markings - but you always have to pay attention. I would guesstimate 90% of my driving is hands free (I do a lot of long stretches).
It will use adaptive cruise control to slow down and stop if there is a car in front of you, but it can be a very hard and scary stop. Best to put your foot on the break - then as you slow down you can reactivate and it will stop before the car in front of you. It will not stop at stop signs or lights unless there is a car in front of you. It will not make turns for you, or change lanes for you.
It will use adaptive cruise control to slow down and stop if there is a car in front of you, but it can be a very hard and scary stop. Best to put your foot on the break - then as you slow down you can reactivate and it will stop before the car in front of you. It will not stop at stop signs or lights unless there is a car in front of you.
I turned off the vibrating steering wheel - but it does want to pull you back in. Mine very occasionally wants to follow a turn lane, but most of the time it does a great job of holding the lane - especially on the highway.
Occasionally, when there's an exit or turn off to the right, my '22 wants to correct and pull to the left (yes, the left...the opposite direction of the exit ramp or turn lane). It seems to do fine if I am in the center lane where there are constant lines on both sides.
@BobEveleth , I believe you've previously said you were waiting for your Blue Cruise update. I'd like to know (assuming you now have BC) if you can turn BC off and still use this hack? Having used this hack in my Maverick, I like that the little truck doesn't nag me about watching the road. It's my job to do so. I don't need the truck to tell me to do my job. I can envision there will be times in the F150 I want self driving, but not the truck's nagging. I haven't received my F150 to test for myself. I suspect - or should I say fear - that BC and LC are married together. On a mapped highway BC takes over. On an unmapped highway you only have LC. I think sometimes I will want to turn BC off and instead use this hack.
@@BobEveleth I'm still waiting for my MY22, but your hack works wonderfully in my Maverick. I've since had the opportunity to drive with Blue Cruise in a MY21 F150. I only drove for a couple of hours on an interstate. It worked, but I felt it was a nag. I'm wondering how well I'll actually like it vs using your hack. I don't need the truck judging me. Hopefully I find out soon. Delivery is supposed to be early December.
@@BobEveleth , I finally received my truck. Picked it up late Monday. Drive it home, packed it up, and headed out on family vacation. ☹️ No blue cruise. Got to my destination. Over night I got an OTA update and blue cruise was activated. Now I get to test first hand. I've been told you can turn blue cruise off. If you truly can AND lane centering still works, I fear the pesky nanny infrared camera will still insist you keep your eyes on the road. I'll find out for sure in the coming days.
So my 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee has lane keep assist but it is HORRIBLE. I test drove the 2021 Raptor and that lane keep assist is way better. For some reason Jeeps lane keep is absolutely horrible. Even when I’m perfectly center in the road it jerks the wheel. I have almost gotten into multiple accidents because I forgot to turn it off and it randomly jerks the wheel. It scares my wife, hence why we are trading our Jeep for a Raptor. Not the only reason but it is a part of it.
Best hope the jurisdictions you travel on doesn't have hidden breaks in the travel lanes! or you will be in a side swipping road adventure LOL! That aluminum body won't handle it very well.
To be clear - you ABSOLUTELY have to pay attention - most especially on new roads that you don't have experience driving. When I go to the gym in the morning it is a ten minute drive. Eight of those minutes are on a country road. There are two spots in that road that I know my car can lose the lane, so I am there ready to grab the wheel. The rest of the time I am drinking my coffee and enjoying the morning drive. ANY road you are not familiar with you have to pay attention to see how the road is handled by the system., On my morning route I know the two places. Freeways have nice lane designations so those I trust more, but you still have to pay attention in case a lane breaks, OR a car has stopped in front of you to turn. This is an aid, a great aid as it makes driving more comfortable for me with my hands on my lap versus on the wheel. It is not full self driving. Finally - ANY time there is a pedestrian, runner, cyclist or any other situation in which you need to pay closer attention, your hands should be on the wheel.
As you pull up to a stop light, or stop sign, if there is a car in front of you that is stopping, the truck will stop. After about two to three seconds the cruise control will turn off - when the light turns green you have to either hit the gas, or hit the resume button on the wheel and the car will take off again, keeping the distance behind the car in front.
Try driving to places where they deal with animal crossing such as deer, elks, Moses and other wild animals I wonder if this auto pilot driving would work. Just scary with kids behind. Idk how would that work.
I drive in Texas - deer on the roads often. IMPORTANT: I use this like I use cruise control - it makes driving just a little more relaxing. I still pay attention, and can grab the wheel at a moment's notice. As you drive more on open roads you get a feel for how the vehicle responds, and can be more comfortable, but you still have to pay attention - always. Good luck!
You should let your passenger know that bag of metal sockets will be headed their way at up to 200 mph when the airbag goes off. Horrible, horrible idea.
your better off to lay that weight over the Right bar of the steering wheel, so it will just fall in your lap or floor if you need to make any emergency steering. We just use a 2lb ankle weight and it lays over the right steering bar. The F150 Steers much better than F250 with this system. Different steering components. As for driving off the road, it absolutely will in certain circumstances and so will actual BLuecruise, which is now stupid expensive. Fords trying to pay for their eV bullsh**t. It's around 800 per year now for Bluecruise, absolutely ridiculous in my opinion.
I tried an ankle weight and it was too heavy and bulky. This is an old armband that olds an ipod - I put in 1.5 pounds of old sockets instead of the phone. That seams to be the right amount of weight. I have since covered it with a headband so it does not stick out visually so much.
I have 60k miles on my track - I would guesstimate 50k of those are hands free. No crashes - buy you have to pay attention. If you drive the same roads often, you can see how the truck performs, and schedule your attentiveness accordingly. I use it like I used cruise control - a tool that makes it more comfortable, but does not mean you don't have to pay attention. Good luck!
if you get into an accident, I doubt you will be covered due to tampering with the vehicle... I like the concept but I think ford needs to up their game instead
It’s not illegal. And ford won’t do anything about this because it’s not their problem. If the consumer chooses to do something outside of the mfg intentions that’s on the consumer.
@@blakedudley4692 Tesla had full self driving before some bum bass decided to take a nap behind the wheel. Now you have to keep your hands on the wheel.
To be clear - you ABSOLUTELY have to pay attention - most especially on new roads that you don't have experience driving. When I go to the gym in the morning it is a ten minute drive. Eight of those minutes are on a country road. There are two spots in that road that I know my car can lose the lane, so I am there ready to grab the wheel. The rest of the time I am drinking my coffee and enjoying the morning drive. ANY road you are not familiar with you have to pay attention to see how the road is handled by the system., On my morning route I know the two places. Freeways have nice lane designations so those I trust more, but you still have to pay attention in case a lane breaks, OR a car has stopped in front of you to turn. This is an aid, a great aid as it makes driving more comfortable for me with my hands on my lap versus on the wheel. It is not full self driving. Finally - ANY time there is a pedestrian, runner, cyclist or any other situation in which you need to pay closer attention, your hands should be on the wheel.
The hack is perfectly safe. Any danger is the person behind the wheel. You still have to drive the vehicle. Driving doesn't mean your hands need to be on the wheel 100% of the time, nor your feet on the pedals 100% of the time. Once you try it you'll be enlightened.
@@OldAndGettingOlder sitting on a freeway in stop and go traffic without constantly moving your pedal foot back and forth is a game changer. The perfect management of the hybrid system to optimize for EV use is also great for the wallet.
I am using Lake Keeping/Centering plus Adaptive Cruise Control. If Blue Cruise is available on the road I am on it kicks in automatically, but I don't notice a difference in performance between the hack and Blue Cruise (except the hack works on more roads). Keep in mind that the roads have to be well marked to use the hack, and you still have to pay attention. If you travel the same road frequently you will get a feel for how the vehicle behaves. Good luck!
