Hi Fellow Canadians,
I wanted to alert you to an issue I have discovered with the way the exterior lighting controls function on the Model S in Canada, especially their handling of the daytime running light (DRL) requirement. I expect this will also affect Model S owners in Atlantic Canada.
Below is the full text of an email I sent today to Tesla Ownership, as well as to the leadership of Tesla Canada:
I wanted to alert you to an issue I have discovered with the way the exterior lighting controls function on the Model S in Canada, especially their handling of the daytime running light (DRL) requirement. I expect this will also affect Model S owners in Atlantic Canada.
Below is the full text of an email I sent today to Tesla Ownership, as well as to the leadership of Tesla Canada:
Dear Tesla Team,
Thanks for delivering to us and many others a superb automobile-- certainly the best all-around product we have owned or tested (and that includes Audi, Ferrari, Maserati, BMW, Lexus, Volvo, Acura and others).
----
Now for our urgent notice of a firmware issue with exterior lighting control in the Canadian specification cars:
We are well aware of the requirement in Canada for daytime running lights to be on at all times while the car is moving. However, there is an important and frequent scenario for those of us on the BC coast (already 40 Model S's with hundreds more to come!), that affects the implementation of this requirement.
While riding open-decked BC Ferries at night, we are strictly prohibited from using any exterior lights on the car, because it can blind the ship's captain and crew to the water surface, and make safe navigation impossible. Owners who leave on or turn on ANY lights are swiftly and publicly chastised by the ferry crew.
How is this a problem with Model S? As far as we can determine, the Model S has the following behaviours:
We would strongly suggest that you revise this scheme as soon as possible with a firmware upgrade. It is acceptable to keep the DRL's off when the exterior lights are set to "Off" AND the car is in park.
- If the headlights are set to "Auto", and it is dark out, the lights will only go out if the car is fully powered down.
- If the headlights are set to "Off", the bright LED DRL's will come on even if the car is in "Park", and will only go out if the car is fully powered down.
- If the car is powered down, just bumping the brake pedal before the car goes completely to sleep will bring the car back on, and the DRL's will suddenly-re-illuminate. This will also happen if one just rises out of the driver's seat and sits back down. Turning the lights off again requires navigating to the correct control panel on the touch screen and powering down the car again. This can take several precious seconds of potentially blinding light in the captain's eyes.
- Even if one manages to keep away from the brake pedal, and stay still in one's seat, until the car goes fully to sleep, one is left with no climate control and a freezing cold car in the winter.
See this section of the regulation (http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/acts-regulations/regulations-crc-c1038-sch-iv-108.htm):
Switching
(55) Daytime running lamps may switch off
- (a) while the automatic transmission control is in the park or neutral position;
- (b) while the parking brake is applied; or
- (c) after the engine is started but before the vehicle is set in motion for the first time.
Transport Canada regulates both automobiles and the ferries in Canada, so I believe they would be very interested in solving this quandary ASAP. I know you are all very busy with other firmware bugs and upgrades, but this seems like an issue that deserves priority attention.
Thanks for all you do!