Pre collision safety system - assistance sought

[xb74 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close xb74]

Hello everyone,
Great to be here and looking forward to mixing it up with you good folk.

I am the proud owner of a 2003 120 series which has been a dependable workhorse for 7 odd years now.

It is however time to switch to the new model and I have 2 kids in tow now as well.

The 2009 Kakadu caught my eye for the suite of safety/driver assist features that are only present on this top of the range spec purely to have the safest Prado I can afford for the kids and Mrs.
Nowhere can I seem to find the max operating speed that the Pre Collision Safety System works at. I know Ford and Volvos version operate at a max of 30 and 40 km/h respectively and that info was not hard to find at all.

I have contacted Toyota Australia twice via email with no reply. The latest brochures dont mention much about this either.

Is anybody able to shed light on this and if possible has anyone experienced this safety feature in action and can offer advice. Personal opinions on the merits of these safety features aside, I am deciding whether the Kakadu is worth the financial stretch or if the Pre Collision Safety System is simply a bell and whistle. Is it the same as is present in the Prius, which has been found not to work and subject to litigation in the US?

Thanks so much,
xb

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

Sorry I can't help you with how well it works but be aware the 2009 Kakadu had the pre-collision system as an option item so not all will have it. Mine didn't as the previous owner opted for the "off-road pack" instead.

[xb74 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close xb74]

Sorry I can't help you with how well it works but be aware the 2009 Kakadu had the pre-collision system as an option item so not all will have it. Mine didn't as the previous owner opted for the "off-road pack" instead.

Thanks mate,
Yep I came across this info as well after some vast bit of research. They are a bit difficult to find with that option, last count on carsales had only 2 with the "cruise pack" I believe it's called?

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

Yes I believe it was called the "cruise pack". I know someone with an 09 Kaka that has it so have asked the questions in your 1st post and will post back when I have some more info.

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

OK, checked with my friend and am told the pre-collision system works on distance rather than speed and it works very well.

It activates when you get too close to the car in front and it slams the brakes on much harder and with a super human response time generally before you see the car in front slamming their brakes on. There are alarms that wake you up and you instinctively hit the brakes. Then when it thinks you have woken up and it can trust you with the car again (i.e. Not too close or going too fast and about to kill yourself) it lets you take over.

[SWR Banned Find all posts View Profile Close SWR]

this vid tells the full story

http://www.toyota.com.au/toyota/prom...-safety-system

Cheers

[xb74 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close xb74]

OK, checked with my friend and am told the pre-collision system works on distance rather than speed and it works very well.

It activates when you get too close to the car in front and it slams the brakes on much harder and with a super human response time generally before you see the car in front slamming their brakes on. There are alarms that wake you up and you instinctively hit the brakes. Then when it thinks you have woken up and it can trust you with the car again (i.e. Not too close or going too fast and about to kill yourself) it lets you take over.

this vid tells the full story

http://www.toyota.com.au/toyota/prom...-safety-system

Cheers

Thanks for the help guys. That info does help quite a bit. I am presuming that the system works at highway speeds as well then since it's distance and speed relative to the other vehicle/s? On a side note, Toyota emailed me back saying to ask my local dealership about the max operating speed of the PCSS and utilise their expertise(?).

[MrX Member Find all posts View Profile Close MrX]

On a side note, Toyota emailed me back saying to ask my local dealership about the max operating speed of the PCSS and utilise their expertise(?).

Yea good luck with that. The dealer I got mine from knew very little about all the Kakadu's gizmos.

In response to your question, I am pretty sure I have seen the system activate at higher speeds. I recall a time when doing about 80, I think, along a dirt road from Lake Mungo down to Mildura the system alarmed when I was approaching a cattle grid. Luckily it only lit up BRAKE and alarmed momentarily but did not actually break cos that could have been a bit bad on gravel. It was a false alarm which was seemingly triggered by with the road leading up to the grid rising suddenly or the fences on the side.

[xb74 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close xb74]

Yea good luck with that. The dealer I got mine from knew very little about all the Kakadu's gizmos.

In response to your question, I am pretty sure I have seen the system activate at higher speeds. I recall a time when doing about 80, I think, along a dirt road from Lake Mungo down to Mildura the system alarmed when I was approaching a cattle grid. Luckily it only lit up BRAKE and alarmed momentarily but did not actually break cos that could have been a bit bad on gravel. It was a false alarm which was seemingly triggered by with the road leading up to the grid rising suddenly or the fences on the side.

Thanks for sharing your firsthand experience regarding the PCSS. It does give me some confidence to perhaps look at stretching for the Kakadu if the price is right.

[MrX Member Find all posts View Profile Close MrX]

No problems... I think overall it is a good system. Not that I think it has actually saved me from a crash yet but the audible alert to a potential rear end crash is a positive. It does make for an interesting reaction from the passenger seat the first time someone experiences the seatbelt retractor when you brake for a car that has cut you off or leave braking a bit late.

[xb74 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close xb74]

One thing I forgot to ask regarding the Kakadu - does servicing the Kakadu incur extra charges due to the extra systems it possesses?

[MrX Member Find all posts View Profile Close MrX]

I wouldn't think so. Most of the funky systems are electronic so only increased costs I can think of are if something goes wrong with them. I have only had mine a little while so only due for second service now, but looking at the list of items from the first service it all seemed pretty standard.

I guess one thing that may add to servicing costs is if the KDSS needed attention. It is hydraulic based so over time that may do things like spring a leak or need the fluid to be changed at some point.

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

One thing I forgot to ask regarding the Kakadu - does servicing the Kakadu incur extra charges due to the extra systems it possesses?

So far it hasn't for me but I'm on capped price servicing still (around $210).

[xb74 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close xb74]

Thanks very much again guys. Still hunting for one

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

I should mention that choosing the Kakadu does limit you somewhat from fitting stuff like a suspension lift and aftermarket side steps as I've found out. With the suspension it's thanks to KDSS and the factory shocks with the electronic adjustment from the cabin. It's still doable just more complicated than with a GX or GXL. With the steps it's more a case of which transmission you have or depending on brand the location of KDSS lines.

None of this is totally insurmountable but worth checking what you want to do against the model you are interested in before parting with your cash. Hindsight is a wonderful thing LOL.