Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK2)

Jeep WK2 Grand Cherokee Forward Collision Warning Plus

New safety feature for the 2014 model year

Welcome to the JeepSpecs.com In-Depth page on the WK2 Jeep Grand Cherokee forward collision wrning plus system. Did we miss anything? get in touch with us and let us know!

The Forward Collision Warning Plus (FCW+) system with mitigation provides the driver with audible warnings, visual warnings (within the EVIC), and may apply a brake jerk to warn the driver when it detects a potential frontal collision. The warnings and limited braking are intended to provide the driver with enough time to react, avoid or mitigate the potential collision. The minimum speed for FCW activation is 5 mph (10 km/h).

The primary sensors used for FCW include the forward facing radar located in the front of the vehicle in the grill texture and the forward facing camera located inside the vehicle near the rear view mirror. The forward facing radar using input from several other sensor to understand both driver intent and vehicle dynamics. These sensors included steering wheel angle, vehicle yaw rate, brake switch status, and throttle input. If the system determines the driver is actively driving and aware of the environmental conditions, it will suppress the warning assuming the driver is in control. Environmental factors also have impact on the function including snow, rain, fog, road condition and road slope.

NOTE: FCW monitors the information from the forward looking sensors as well as the Electronic Brake Controller (EBC), to calculate the probability of a forward collision. When the system determines that a forward collision is probable, the driver will be provided with audible and visual warnings and may provide a brake jerk warning. If the driver does not take action based upon these progressive warnings, then the system will provide a limited level of active braking to help slow the vehicle and mitigate the potential forward collision. If the driver reacts to the warnings by braking and the system determines that the driver intends to avoid the collision by braking but has not applied sufficient brake force, the system will compensate and provide additional brake force as required.

Availability: Optional on the 2014 Grand Cherokee Limited and Overland models, Standard on the 2014 Grand Cherokee Summit. Not available on Laredo or SRT.

 

The Forward Collision Warning system is intended to perform the following:

– If the system detects the collision is likely it will proceed through the following progressive steps (The system will be suppressed if the driver intervenes.)

 

  • Step 1 Pre-fill the brake system – This brings the brake pads closer to the rotors to allow quicker reaction time for the vehicle to stop.
  • Step 2 – Audible and Visual warning (“!Brake!” message in the Cluster along with chimes from the Radio)
  • Step 3 Brake Jerk – This is a haptic warning to the driver if they have not responded to the audible/visual warning
  • Step 4 Collision Mitigation braking – Apply 1.5 seconds of .3G braking which is approximately 1/3 of the maximum braking capability of the vehicle.

If the driver does not respond to any of these steps the vehicle will continue toward the object and potentially impact the object in front. Advance Brake Assist If the driver does press the brake at any time during these steps and the system determines more brake force is required to avoid or mitigate the impact, the system will supplement additional brake force as required.

The Forward Collision Warning system is not intended to do the following:

 

  • The system will not bring the vehicle to a complete stop!
  • The system cannot account for all driving scenarios!
  • The Active Braking will not react on stationary licensable vehicle unless determined by both the Forward Facing Camera and Radar.
  • The Active braking will not react on Street Signs, Guard Rails, Pedestrians, Animals, or other stationary objects. You will receive an audible and visual alert only for these objects if conditions are met.

NOTE: The FCW alerts may be triggered on objects other than vehicles such as guard rails or sign posts based on the course prediction. This is expected and is a part of normal FCW activation and functionality.

NOTE: It is unsafe to test the FCW system. To prevent such misuse of the system, after 4 Active Braking events within a key cycle, the Active Braking portion of FCW will be deactivated until the next key cycle.

NOTE: The FCW system is intended for on-road use only. If the vehicle is taken off-road, the FCW system should be deactivated to prevent unnecessary warnings to the surroundings. If the vehicle enters 4WD Low Range, the FCW system will be automatically deactivated.

Radar/Camera Fusion

To reduce the number of false positives in previous systems, Chrysler has integrated Forward Facing Camera information with radar information to improve the robustness of the system.

– These improvements include redundant information to confirm automatic braking on stationary licensable vehicles which are classified as Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, and Trailers.
– The forward collision warning system will still provide an audible/visual warning only on stationary objects which are not classified as vehicles if the conditions are met.
– Automatic Braking will be provided on moving objects with Radar only classification. This is the same amount of braking as maximum ACC braking.

NOTE: The system is not designed to replace attentive driving, it is only provided as assistance to the driver. Please see the owner’s manual for more information.

Turning FCW ON or OFF

NOTE: The default status of FCW is “On”, this allows the system to warn you of a possible collision with the vehicle in front of you when you are farther away and it applies limited braking. This gives you the most reaction time to avoid a possible collision.

 

  • The forward collision button is located below the climate controls, on the switch panel.
  • To turn the FCW system OFF, press the forward collision button once to turn the system OFF (led turns on).
  • To turn the FCW system back ON, press the forward collision button again to turn the system ON (led turns off).

Changing FCW Status

The FCW feature has three settings and can be changed within the Uconnect® System Screen:

 

  • Far
  • Near
  • Off

NOTE: The FCW and active braking settings can only be changed when the vehicle is in PARK.

1. Far

 

  • The default status of FCW is the “Far” setting.
  • The far setting provides warnings for potential collisions more distant in front of the vehicle, allowing the driver to have the most reaction time to avoid a collision.
  • This setting is designed to provide early warnings per NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) recommendations.
  • More cautious drivers that do not mind frequent warnings may prefer this setting.

NOTE: This setting gives you the most reaction time.

2. Near

 

  • Changing the FCW status to the “Near” setting, allows the system to warn you of a potential frontal collision when you are much closer.
  • This setting provides less reaction time than the “Far” setting, which allows for a more dynamic driving experience.
  • More dynamic or aggressive drivers that want to avoid frequent warnings may prefer this setting.

3. Off

 

  • Changing the FCW status to “Off” prevents the system from warning you of a possible collision with the vehicle in front of you. The FCW system state is kept in memory from one key cycle to the next. If the system is turned OFF, it will remain off when the vehicle is restarted.

Turning Active Braking ON or OFF

 

  • The Active Braking feature has two settings and can be changed within the Uconnect® System Screen:
  • On
  • Off
  • Changing the Active Braking status to “Off” prevents the system from providing limited autonomous braking, or additional brake support if the driver is not braking adequately in the event of a potential frontal collision.

NOTE: If FCW is set to “Off”, “FCW OFF” will be displayed in the EVIC.

FCW Limited Warning

If the system turns off, and the EVIC displays “ACC/FCW Limited Functionality” or “ACC/FCW Limited Functionality Clean Front Windshield” momentarily, there may be a condition that limits FCW functionality. Although the vehicle is still drivable under normal conditions, the active braking may not be fully available. Once the condition that limited the system performance is no longer present, the system will return to its full performance state. If the problem persists, see your authorized dealer.

Service FCW Warning

If the system turns off, and the EVIC displays:

 

  • ACC/FCW Unavailable Service Required
  • Cruise/FCW Unavailable Service Required

This indicates there is an internal system fault. Although the vehicle is still drivable under normal conditions, have the system checked by an authorized dealer.

 

WARNING! Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is not intended to avoid a collision on its own, nor can FCW detect every type of potential collision. The driver has the responsibility to avoid a collision by controlling the vehicle via braking and steering. Failure to follow this warning could lead to serious injury or death.