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"Creep" Mishap

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I did something pretty dumb yesterday. Left home yesterday and left my cell phone on the roof of the car when exiting the garage. Drove slowly and when accelerating from a stop sign heard a bump along the side of the car and then remembered what caused noise as it fell. I made a u-turn and hurriedly parked at the side of the intersection. I pushed the park button on the drive selector stalk, opened the driver door and jumped out of the car to fetch the remnants of my phone before it was run over by another car. Much to my surprise, the Model S continued to drive forward at about 4 mph as I stood along side. Fortunately I was able to hang on to the door and swing back into the drivers seat. I pushed the park button again, got out and the same thing happened and this time I jumped back in and hit the brake pedal and then pushed the park button which stopped the car. Fortunately this happened on a quiet neighborhood intersection and there were no causalities. I discovered that the brake pedal needs to be applied before the park button engages. On level ground the "creep" setting generates about 3-4 mph which is helpful on hills in San Francisco but something to be aware of if the car is still in drive mode. BTW, I found phone case, back plate, battery and phone in pieces. Put it back together and it still works!
 
Weird. The car is supposed to go in to Park (i.e. set the electric brake) as soon as your butt leave the seat. There have even been stories of the car jerking to a stop when someone shifts in their seat.

IIRC, I often press Park without my foot on the brake. I would have Service check this out.
 
Do you have creep turned on mknox? If the car is moving you have to hold down the park button, to enable the brake. The reason is that if you are driving 60mph and bump the park button it could cause a serious accident, it must be held down to engage the brake. I believe if the car is not moving (creep disabled, or brake depressed) then it will engage the park brake.

I need to test and verify if park will engage if in neutral and not moving.
 
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Do you have creep turned on mknox? If the car is moving you have to hold down the park button, to enable the brake. If you are driving 60mph and bump the park button it could cause a serious accident. I believe if the car is not moving (creep disabled, or brake depressed) then it will engage the park brake.

I do not, but I did for a time shortly after delivery of the car. The Park button is also your "Emergency Brake". You can press and hold the button to engage the brake at any speed (although I won't be testing it out at 60 MPH!)

It's important to note that the Model S does not have "Park" in the traditional sense. There is no parking pawl in the transfer case and really all that happens is that the car goes into Neutral and the electric parking brake is applied.

I suggested contacting Service because perhaps the electric brakes aren't working or, as you say, the weight sensor is malfunctioning.
 
I do not, but I did for a time shortly after delivery of the car. The Park button is also your "Emergency Brake". You can press and hold the button to engage the brake at any speed (although I won't be testing it out at 60 MPH!)

It's important to note that the Model S does not have "Park" in the traditional sense. There is no parking pawl in the transfer case and really all that happens is that the car goes into Neutral and the electric parking brake is applied.

I suggested contacting Service because perhaps the electric brakes aren't working or, as you say, the weight sensor is malfunctioning.

Just edited my post to make sure I was clear. I agree completely with you. I think that since his car was still moving and creep is turned on he would have had to hold down the park button for the brake to engage.

- - - Updated - - -

And yes, he should contact service either way and have everything checked out.
 
Same thing happened to me once. I had to pull over quickly and hop out because of bad wreck in front of me. Was shocked to turn around and see my car drifting away even though I had pushed the park button and I was out of my seat. I know I read somewhere that even if you don't hit the park button the car will go into park automatically when your butt leaves the seat. Fortunately I too was able to catch up with the car, hop in and apply the brake to stop it, then put it I to park again. Very unnerving.
 
Same thing happened to me once. I had to pull over quickly and hop out because of bad wreck in front of me. Was shocked to turn around and see my car drifting away even though I had pushed the park button and I was out of my seat. I know I read somewhere that even if you don't hit the park button the car will go into park automatically when your butt leaves the seat. Fortunately I too was able to catch up with the car, hop in and apply the brake to stop it, then put it I to park again. Very unnerving.

Is it possible you thought you put it in park but didn't? Either way, it is supposed to go in park when you get out of the seat. Let Tesla know about it, I agree. Maybe something wrong with the sensor.
 
The Park button is also your "Emergency Brake". You can press and hold the button to engage the brake at any speed (although I won't be testing it out at 60 MPH!)

You can test it at 60 mph just fine.
Seriously, you may as well do it some day just so you know what your car will do in case you ever want to use it.
It's a pretty weak brake, really. I'm not even sure if it's stronger than regen at 60 mph.

I've had the problem once or twice where I meant to put the car into "park", but the car was still moving, so the car thought my pushing the button was requesting the emergency brake. which immediately released when I released the button.
I suspect this is the same general idea about what the OP was talking about.

I've had a similar problem with changing from R to D when rolling backward. If you're going more than a few mph backward, when you try to switch to D, it will give you the do-do-do chime and refuse. This has been a bit scary for me, as I then step on the go pedal expecting that to stop my backward movement before I run into the whatever behind me. It doesn't.

I don't really understand the butt-in-seat logic, and I wish Tesla would somehow clarify what it's trying to do. I know that in an automatic carwash, putting the car in neutral and then trying to change from work clothes to workout clothes does NOT work. :-(
I think I also tried doing a car wash in D and had similar problems where moving my butt = Park.
although lifting your butt when doing 70 on the freeway is totally kosher for the car.
I wish there were a way to tell the car, "yes, I really really do want neutral right now, pretty please".
 
You should call Tesla ownership.. Friend of mine had similar but different complaint while driving.. Called ownership, they reviewed the logs (yes. they have them), and found out that he turned turned on the wipers instead of going into park.. He did acknowledge that he used to mix up the levers / stalks. Anyways, call ownership, and they will definitely help.
 
I thought Tesla removed the "park when butt lifts from seat" in a software update because there were several cases of the driver shifting and inadvertently putting the car into park...at least when creep is on.

Honestly, I would much rather the car NOT shift into park this way. Unintended shifting into park when weight comes off the seat would be annoying.
 
I thought Tesla removed the "park when butt lifts from seat" in a software update because there were several cases of the driver shifting and inadvertently putting the car into park...at least when creep is on.

Honestly, I would much rather the car NOT shift into park this way. Unintended shifting into park when weight comes off the seat would be annoying.
Put on your seatbelt and it's an non-issue....
 
I would like the car to shift into park if it detects no weight after a certain time period (maybe 3 seconds). Simply shifting in your seat shouldn't cause this and yes, with your seatbelt on it won't happen.
 
I thought Tesla removed the "park when butt lifts from seat" in a software update because there were several cases of the driver shifting and inadvertently putting the car into park...at least when creep is on.

Honestly, I would much rather the car NOT shift into park this way. Unintended shifting into park when weight comes off the seat would be annoying.

This sounds like a very dangerous "feature" that has no purpose. Imagine reaching across the front of your dash to grab a piece of paper, lifting your butt slightly off the seat as your car automagically goes into park while you are driving on the freeway? I don't see this as a useful feature at all. I can understand the car turning on when you sit down, but after that everything should be driver initiated. Anything else is dangerous and making software assumptions which may or may not be correct. I'd prefer my car not think for me.
 
This sounds like a very dangerous "feature" that has no purpose. Imagine reaching across the front of your dash to grab a piece of paper, lifting your butt slightly off the seat as your car automagically goes into park while you are driving on the freeway? I don't see this as a useful feature at all. I can understand the car turning on when you sit down, but after that everything should be driver initiated. Anything else is dangerous and making software assumptions which may or may not be correct. I'd prefer my car not think for me.

The car won't go into park if you are traveling 5-10mph. Even in reverse it won't shift at highway speed.

It does have legit purpose. The first post in this thread is exactly WHY you want it going to park automagically, even though the car failed to do so for some reason. Buckle up and you wont have any problems.