i have this CMBS system on my RL in simple terms what is it suppose to do? am i suppose to feel anything or notice anything?

 

The CMBS monitors distance between you and whatever is in front of you. If it detects that the object in front of you closes the distance at a significant rate, it will start three levels of warning to alert you to an imminent collision if you don't react. 1) The CMBS light will flash on your dash. 2) The seat belt will tighten. 3) The car will apply the brakes.

The system will turn off in rain, dense fog, snow, or other such weather without warning you.

 

It is worth noting that CMBS stands for Collision Mitigation Braking System. By "mitigating," Acura means "damage control." The system will not keep the car from getting into an accident. The braking only starts once the system believes that an accident is unavoidable and basically tries to get the speed down as much as possible and preps the vehicle for a collision.

Supposedly, the system does not track stationary object. This means it will not slow the car down if you're about to t-bone somebody or run into a wall. I have had it bark at me if I'm stopped at a light and start going before the car in front of me is moving though.

I've never needed the system to "save" me. I actually have a tendency to turn it off on the highway because it can be a nuisance. It doesn't approve of my aggressive overtaking maneuvers.

The other thing you get with CMBS, if you haven't noticed yet, is the Adaptive Cruise Control. This is actually a lot cooler and more useful than the CMBS if you ask me. Using the same radar system, the car will keep pace with the car in front of you. It only engages over 20mph-ish and will not bring the car to a complete stop so it is designed for highway cruising, not city driving. The system is surprisingly smooth considering, when it came out, radar guided cruise control was a relatively new idea.

 

My car has never beeped or made noise when I got to close to something and didn't know you could turn it off. Also didn't know bout that cruise control either. Kinda scared to try it what if it doesn't slow down? Lol

 

Although I have seen test video evidence of a very drastic speed reduction (almost complete stop):

 

Yea I think I gotta go to Honda or Acura to see if these features are working. I dunno even know how or where the button is to turn it on or off

 

Are you 100% sure you even have the CMBS/ACC package...

Never mind. I searched through some of your posts and found this:


If it was working, it's probably not now since you painted over the radar thing on the front. Considering ice build up will shut the system down, I would imagine painting over it completely will do the same. Even still, it should give you a CMBS/ACC error message if it is not working.

 

It's all good. That emblem you painted over only costs $341.70+shipping from wholesale vendors.

http://www.acuraoemparts.com/delray/...All&vinsrch=no

 

Nope no error message and even on the just the plastic? I watch them take it off and didn't see any wiring or anything there really? I'm confused lol. Maybe someone just fronted and put that grill on there I dunno lol

 

There's no wiring in the radar shield. The actual radar unit itself sits further back but I'm pretty sure the plastic shield around the emblem collects/focuses the radar signals. I might be totally wrong as to what exactly it does, (some of the techy engineer guys on here can probably explain that better), but I know it is necessary for the radar system. Every single vehicle on the market with radar like this has a dark clear plastic shield on the front.

If it has the CMBS/ACC package you will have an extra button on the lower right spoke on the steering wheel. You will also have a third button to the left of the gauge cluster that says "CMBS."

 

The shield has no electrical function in the system. My best guess is that it gives a fixed reflection point for the radar to use as a reference to other signals.

I doubt his paint is causing an issue. An easy enough test is to turn on the ACC when you are behind someone. When they slow down, your car should too.

 

if you hit them, test failed.

 

The shield does nothing except protects the CMBS system. I have pics of it off in a post where I did the JDM grill conversion. The CMBS is pretty cool actually. I used it when cruising to Kentucky for IA. The cruise control is top notch. The first time the CMBS kicked it it scared the shit outta me. The car breaks and the seat belts pull back to secure you.

 

I had a CMBS/ACC/PAX 06 RL for 6 years and the CMBS system saved me on a few occasions when cars stopped quickly in front of me. As was said in a previous post, the system has multiple stages: (1) The flashing BRAKE warning in the MID; (2) The seat belt tugging - this will scare the crap out of you if you are not expecting it; (3) If the system senses a crash is imminent, it will apply the brakes to slow the car down.

The system works very well in concert with the Adaptive Cruise Control, though I found the ACC a little jerky in practice. The CMBS system is susceptible to false positive warnings in certain situations - especially when there are metal plates in the road. I traded the RL in for an Audi A6 last May, and the A6 has the Audi versions of CMBS and ACC, and they work really well (so far). No false positives and the ACC works much more smoothly than did the system in the RL. I chalk it up to 7 years of technology advancement rather than any Audi superiority over Acura. The Audi system is also camera-based vs. the millimeter-wave radar system in the RL. Not sure if either technology is superior, they both worked well for me.

 

Ok we'll fellas we can put this thread to bed, I don't have that button on my steering wheel and looked at original receipt when car was originally bought back in 06 and says nothin bout those features so I dunno how that grill got on there.

 

Wow. You have an '06? Do you have navigation or just a compass?

 

While I agree that your findings were news to me, I am having a hard time believing that it only serves as a protective barrier. It just doesn't make sense that other systems would have it too and that it would cost so much. There has to be some sort of material in the shield that helps the system signals.

 

Yes an 06 fully equipped wit compass. Aftermarket a-trak player and sun dial

 

LoL at a-trak.... you mean this guy is in your car? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-Trak

 

I am going to take your sarcasm as a "no" and possibly shock you by saying that base RLs only come with a compass where the Nav should be.


Edit: I just read that this didn't start until 2007. It was for cars in HI or AK where the satellite for GPS couldn't reach.

The last sure fire way to tell if you have CMBS, is to look just in front of the radiator. This is where the radar unit is located. It should be an approx 5"x5" box.

 

well i dont have that button so either someone put a different grill or different steering wheel. but im getting my lights cleared next weekend so i'll have a look then

 

This makes me wonder, can you add CMBS to a base model RL? has anyone attempted adding this feature. I'm oddly interested in adding it to my base RL since it now has everything the Tech version has with the exception of CMBS.

 

I'm sure you can but I'm also pretty sure that in order to add it you'd have to get a new wire harness as you'd have to add the unit as well as the buttons. It would be a good project but probably cheaper to buy a same year RL that has it.

Which other systems use it? I can take my grill off and drive around and see if it has any effect. I have my OEM grill I can take a look at it and double check. It makes sense that it does something else other than protect the unit but I dont think it does. All it is is an empblem molded in what seems to be clear Poly U or plastic.

 

The CMBS and ACC is directly tied into the VSA system. I wouldn't touch those for anything.


Choc, I have two reasons to believe that the shield is part of the system. 1) The price. (I know; it's Acura. However, $300 for plastic shield is a bit unecessary.) 2) Acura loves to over engineer shit. The shield is not necessarily an aesthetic enhancement on the Acura. (It's not so bad on the Honda.) I would not be surprised if it had a special mixture or coating that reflected some of the radar signal for reference.

This is all a complete guess, but I can't come to accept it without proof for those reasons.

 

I'm still working on getting hard evidence or proof, however I just got back from Acura service this morning and they confirmed laughing that its just a $300 piece of plastic.

 

If a dealer tells me something, I am prone to believing the opposite.

 

[QUOTE=oo7spy;14892587]If a dealer tells me something, I am prone to believing the opposite.

I hear you but its my good friends brother who works in service.