I just downloaded and installed the latest software update and noticed that I had “Climate” active.
Apparently I was maintaining a 70 degree temperature inside the vehicle while it was sitting in the garage for the past 2 weeks. I’m sure the temperature in the garage was as low as 50 degrees on the cool, dry nights when the overnight low temperature reaches 40.
I tried using Summon to back the car out of the garage this afternoon, but it would back up about 6" and stop, and I’d have to Summon it again to move another 6". After 5 or 6 of these 6" moves, the car slowly backed out of the garage and stopped with the front of the vehicle just past the garage door threshold. I understand that the latest update to Autopilot and FSD includes improved Summon performance. I’ll try it again tomorrow.
Just used “Summon” to back my Tesla out of the garage. No 6", start/stop hesitation. Looks like the latest software update has actually improved performance as I’ve seen on youtube. (But it does take the vehicle about 15-20 seconds to “think” before it starts moving. I could back out of the garage quicker myself.)
The car is always “on” to some extent. That’s because it is doing things such as scanning for nearby bluetooth all the time, and periodically waking up to see if it is being called over-the-air. In general, it is advisable to keep the car plugged in when it is parked to keep it topped up to 80% (or whatever is recommended for that particular model). It also results in less use of battery cycles because it’ll power the stuff that remains on while parked from the wire instead of from the battery.
There are also all sorts of optional things that keep the car running, and uses more power, while off. For example sentry mode, cabin overheat protection (App: Climate → scroll down to bottom), etc.
Be VERY careful when using summon. Also I think you have to hold the button constantly to make the car continue moving for summon. There is a new feature called “Actual Smart Summon” that may not require holding the button down. I used the latter once a few months ago to my mom’s amazement. We were visiting a relative at a nearby condo, and when we exited the building, I used smart summon to have the car come from somewhere in the parking lot (not visible from where we were standing) all the way right to us at the door under the entrance canopy. It was great, but kind of nerve wracking to me.
Yep. I’m not going to be using summon to entertain the children by having my vehicle roam around my condo complex uninhabited. But it is useful to have it back the vehicle out of the garage since I can’t open the doors all the way while inside the garage.
Here’s the video I saw touting the latest Summon functionality.
Yep. It would be useful, but not $100/month useful.
Like I’ve said, FSD isn’t “full self driving” to me until I can recline the driver’s seat and sleep for a couple of hours while cruising down the Interstate.
The most useful way to use summons for me was to summon the car during my MIL doctor visit. She has handicap sign so we parked in front of the main entrance but that is in open air. When her visit was done, it was rainy in seattle so i took her to the lower level parking with covered loading area. Then i summoned the car from there. Dont like to use this without being able to see but it was useful. Normally, i would run and hurry into the car and pick her up downstairs. I also back the car out of garage as the garage is full of junk and hard to open doors. This would be handy in crowded tight parking spaces but i would rather avoid those as the cars next to me could leave me door dings.
When i first used it, i said to myself, i always wanted a remote controlled car since i was young, and now i have one. Lol my trial ended so no more. Also fsd doesnt pick up school zone sped limits when flashing. 25 but mine went 35. I am on hw3
It does sometimes. The more recent software versions are a lot better. But it still has issues sometimes. I suspect it’s because there is no standard regarding school zone signage.
Here’s a school zone that I frequently pass that FSD doesn’t always recognize. This one has no flashing lights at all, just this sign that needs to actually be read and understood to know if the speed limit is in effect or not.
That’s probably true. But there are cops parked on each end of the school zone on EVERY school day. And they very frequently give tickets to people going too fast. The interesting thing is that about half a mile up the road, there is another school, but that school zone has blinking yellow lights on a speed limit sign hanging over the center of the road. And the two schools have completely different times in the afternoon at least (and maybe also in the morning, but I never drive there in the mornings).
I’ve seen a more complex sign for school zone around here. If I remember, next time I pass it, I’ll try to take a photo.
I found a photo of the sign online instead. Here it is -
There was a Los Angeles man who modified on overhead Freeway sign to make it less confusing to motorists. Highway authorities regarded it as an act of vandalism, but it took them 8 years to remove it, and replace it with a slightly different sign with the same information.
Left hand freeway exits tend to be dangerous since they are relatively rare, and people expect to see the freeway exit on the right.
One of my sons lives in Burbank, so I drive around the LA area when we visit. I find it extremely stressful. We use Google maps and there is virtually no warning that you have to change lanes. The most frequent thing I hear from Google maps is “recalculating.”
LA highways have 2 speeds; 80MPH or 8MPH. Believe it or not, I prefer 8MPH.
I lived in Southern California for 3 years in the mid-1980’s and spent a lot of time on I-10 and I-5. What was really impressive was that a light sprinkle of rain was as disruptive as a New England winter ice storm.
Since it rarely rains most of the year, there’s a light film of oil on the freeway. Mix that with a sprinkle of rain and it was like an ice skating rink with the de rigueur 40-car, chain reaction collision.
Have I got the place for you. In Houston if you want to get anywhere you need to drive in the outside slow lane. Typically, there is someone in the inside fast lane going 8 MPH.
