Travel assistance is unavailable whenever there is a problem with the Adaptive cruise control system or the Lane assist system in your Volkswagen. These two systems rely on different components to function. These components include the Front camera, steering wheel sensors, etc. If any of these components becomes faulty, the travel assist systems cannot work.
The “Travel assists not available” message does not cause much concern. All this means is that your Volkswagen would no longer provide additional support while driving. So, you retain full control on the road.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the causes of unavailable travel assistance, as well as some steps you can take to fix it.
What is VW Travel assist?
The Volkswagen travel assist is a support feature that helps with driving assistance on the road. While in use, the travel assist partially controls the car’s steering, braking, and accelerating system. The travel assist technology provides drivers with adaptive cruise control and lane assist.
Adaptive cruise control helps drivers ensure their vehicles stay within specific driving speeds. You can set the minimum and maximum acceleration to be between 20mph and 95mph. The travel will adjust your speed levels accordingly. The Adaptive cruise control system regulates driving speed to maintain a safe distance between vehicles.
The Lane Assist system adjusts your steering wheel to keep your car centered on the road. A system message will raise an alarm if your vehicle begins to move off lane or track.
In a nutshell, Travel Assist combines both adaptive cruise control and lane assist to give drivers a safer driving experience. This feature makes drivers feel less tired while driving and ensures longer trips stay as safe as possible.
When travel assistance is unavailable, the system stays off, and its support feature is disconnected. Your car would continue to run but without any additional assistance.
Causes of travel assist not available in volkswagen
The travel assist in VW would generally go offline or stay disconnected whenever there is an issue with the adaptive cruise control system or the lane assist system. Several components in your vehicle enable these two systems to operate normally. If none fails to work, the entire travel assist feature becomes unavailable.
Here are some causes of travel assist not available:
1. Issue with the Front Camera
The front camera is an important component of VW travel assistance. It provides the system with a Vision of the road and surrounding environment. It makes it easy for the lane assist system to read visual indicators on the road. The travel assist would go offline whenever the front camera malfunctions. This malfunction can be caused by excessive overheating of the camera. Dirt buildup in the camera can also cause the travel assist system to malfunction.
2. Faulty Sensors
The travel assist system relies totally on sensors to function. Sensors are so important to this technology that the adaptive cruise control system and the lane assist system need them to operate. Your sensors act like the eyes and ears of this technology. It detects events or changes in the environment and relays this signal (information) to the other parts of your car.
One major downside to sensors is dirt. Dirt has a way of interfering with signals from your sensors. They can easily block vision and cause sensors to give improper readings or fail. The latter will cause your travel assist system to go offline.
Sensors can also develop faults from other issues, such as; damage from excessive heat, vibrations, and exposure to extreme cold. In general, sensors on your vehicle’s external part are more likely to suffer damage. In all scenarios, your VW travel assist system would stop working.
3. Faulty steering wheel sensors
Both the adaptive cruise control system and Lane assists system take partial control of your steering wheel. It does this with the help of different sensors located throughout your Volkswagen. Whenever the travel assist system detects your vehicle is veering off lane, an appropriate signal is sent to your steering wheel sensors. The steering wheel sensor receives this signal and applies it to the steering wheel to make the right adjustments.
It goes without saying that if the steering wheel sensors are faulty, travel assist fails.
What are some fixes travel assist not available in Volkswagen
Depending on the cause of the fault, the travel assist not available warning can be fixed in several ways.
1. Removing dirt from sensors
When travel assistance not available is caused by a dirty sensor, cleaning the sensor can solve this problem. You will need a microfibre material and soap to clean. It would be best to take gentle swipes while cleaning to avoid sensor damage.
2. Change sensors
If parts of your sensors are broken or faulty, you may need to replace the entire sensor. You can always consult the owner’s manual for help replacing sensors.
Replace steering wheels
The sensors in your steering wheels are well integrated into the steering wheel column. When the sensor becomes faulty, changing it can be very tricky. It is best to get the help of qualified technicians or drive into a dealership for assistance.
3. Software Update
A simple software update can sometimes resolve the “travel assist not available.” An update will also provide drivers with the latest driver assistance options.
Is travel assist fully autonomous?
The travel assist feature in Volkswagen is not fully autonomous. One would need to have control of the vehicle at all times.
If the assist feature detects driver inactivity, it automatically displays a message informing the driver to resume operation. If the driver is still inactive, an audible warning to sound and the emergency assist comes into play safely, bringing the vehicle to a stop.
Final thought
Travel Assist is a helpful feature for any driver that wants additional assistance in their everyday driving. There is no major cause for concern when it fails. You can always resume full control of the vehicle anytime that happens.
As a tip, avoid driving in extreme temperatures to reduce the risk of your VW Travel Assist failing.
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