Car moving forward when in reverse

[NotForResale]

I thought this was a fluke and was just going to ignore it, but it happened a second day in a row so I would like to understand what is happening.

Summary:
Yesterday I was pulling out of a tight spot and wanted to reverse. After switching into reverse (R) and slowly pressing on the accelerator, I started inching forwards instead of backwards. I repeated this a few times and this kept happening even after a software reboot and getting into and out of the car after switching to park (P). I verified with my passenger that I was in the correct gear and that the car was indeed moving forwards when in R. I've pulled out of this same spot 10+ times in the past without ever encountering this issue until yesterday and again today.

Details:

1. I switched from D to R, then slowly pressed down on the accelerator. To my surprise, the car started moving forwards instead of reversing.
2. I looked back at the gear selection and confirmed it was in R. I slowly pressed down on the accelerator and once again the car started inching forwards.
3. I then switched to P and reset the car by holding down the two buttons on the steering wheel.
4. After waiting for the car to reboot, I switched into R and pressed down on the accelerator for a third time. The car started moving forwards again...
5. Now I was about 2 feet from the car in front of me and didn't want to risk it any further. I got out of the car to check the space and it looked like I had barely enough room to get around the car in front of me without reversing. So I switched into D, turned my wheel all the way to the side and pressed the accelerator. The car started moving forwards and I was barely able to get around.

Relevant info:

• Occurrence 1 (Apr 28)
  • Surface: Flat
  • Stopping Mode: Hold
  • SoC: 84%
  • Exterior temperature: 51F (10.6C)
• Occurrence 2 (Apr 29)
  • Surface: Flat
  • Stopping Mode: Hold
  • SoC: 75%
  • Exterior temperature: 56F (13.3C)
• Occurrence 1 and 2 happened at the same location.

I tried looking this up and could mostly just find people with this issue from a software bug way back in 2019. Surely that does not apply now, so I have no idea what could be causing this. Any help understanding what causes this and especially what to do in this situation would be greatly appreciated.

 

[oreobbq]

Proof is in the pudding. Specifically, a video of what you're describing. How far forward is it moving? If it's not the brakes disengaging and the car shifting a little.

 

[NotForResale]

Not far. A few inches each time I pressed the accelerator.

 

[NotForResale]

Why do people react with disagree? I'm just trying to understand the issue and it's quite frustrating to get people reacting with 'laugh' and 'disagree'. I love this car and recommend it to everyone but my biggest concern was the fanboyism I have heard about. Just because someone has an issue doesn't mean they are hating on the brand or something. Seriously... this is just the first time I've had an issue with a car I otherwise love and just wanted to know if anyone could shed some insight.

 

[NotForResale]

Sorry for the previous response. It's just frustrating encountering an issue, seeking help, and then feeling like the responses/reactions are just doubting me. As I said before, I love this car and feel it is the best value on offer today... but 'proof is in the pudding' makes it seem like I'm trying to prove something which I am not. I just want to understand the car better and whether I'm overlooking something. That's all...

For instance, is it normal that it might move forwards a few inches while in reverse before it begins moving backwards and I therefore shouldn't be concerned? That's the kind of thing I want to know. I just didn't want to continue holding down on the pedal to see if it would start reversing since the spot was tight and I didn't have much extra room.

 

[Beasts]

I would suggest you start by contacting your SC to see what they have to say. Maybe they've seen something similar. Be careful where you park in the mean time. I find it at the very least interesting that this is the only place it is occurring. Have you tried doing precisely the same procedure in another location? After shifting to reverse but before touching the accelerator does your dash display shift to the Hold position? I have never checked this before myself so I am just guessing that it should, just as it does when you stop and leave your foot off the pedals while in drive. I notice that you are stopped in the Hold position but does that change after you shift? You haven't said what method you are using to shift or what model or year your car is. If it is an S, like ours, one could be using the "slider" on the center screen or the "tabs" on the console between the seats. Might make a difference when you speak to your SC.
Yes, yes I know my vocabulary is quite deficient (slider, tabs) but I'm guessing you will figure out what I mean. Just trying to think of as many possibilities as I can. Wouldn't be surprised if this was another computer glitch. Please let us know.

 

[Beasts]

You might check out "Reverse made my car go forward." OP is chicagodriver.

 

[NotForResale]

I would suggest you start by contacting your SC to see what they have to say. Maybe they've seen something similar. Be careful where you park in the mean time. I find it at the very least interesting that this is the only place it is occurring. Have you tried doing precisely the same procedure in another location? After shifting to reverse but before touching the accelerator does your dash display shift to the Hold position? I have never checked this before myself so I am just guessing that it should, just as it does when you stop and leave your foot off the pedals while in drive. I notice that you are stopped in the Hold position but does that change after you shift? You haven't said what method you are using to shift or what model or year your car is. If it is an S, like ours, one could be using the "slider" on the center screen or the "tabs" on the console between the seats. Might make a difference when you speak to your SC.
Yes, yes I know my vocabulary is quite deficient (slider, tabs) but I'm guessing you will figure out what I mean. Just trying to think of as many possibilities as I can. Wouldn't be surprised if this was another computer glitch. Please let us know.

Thank you for trying to help. Appreciate it!

It is a 2022 Model 3 Performance. I received it on February 4th and haven't had this issue in 2000 miles of owning the vehicle (until it happened 2 days ago). I shift using the right stalk which I think this is the only way on the Model 3 since it doesn't have the touch slider or buttons like the S.

I'll check what happens when I'm in this spot again tomorrow and whether the Hold symbol displays.

I also read the thread you recommended and found this comment:

I know what OP is talking about. I usually have roll mode on, where it’s expected that the car will roll downhill - whichever direction that happens to be - when the brakes are released.

OP is using hold mode, which I’ve found will exhibit the same behavior if very light accelerator is applied (just enough to lift the brake hold but not enough to overcome gravity) - more like the roll behavior when a person might be expecting creep behavior.

The solution is to select a different stopping mode, apply more accelerator or anticipate this behavior in certain edge conditions. It’s probably curable with a software tweak but I wouldn’t characterize it as a major safety issue.

It makes me think that it might be the fact that I was applying very little force to the accelerator since the spot was so tight. Usually I am not maneuvering in such a restrictive space and likely apply more force. Could explain why this is the first time this has happened. Going to try applying a very slight force to the pedal while in Reverse in a different location to see if I can replicate the behavior.

Thank you again for the help!

 

[Lindenwood]

OP, sorry for the frustration (with both the vehicular quirk, and the responses).

If it feels better, I have sometimes mistakenly used the Thumbs Down as an empathetic acknowledgement of an undesirable circumstance (“that sucks!”) until I realized it meant “disagree.” Maybe that individual was doing the same . And, perhaps being slightly more optimistic, I could definitely see myself laughing hearing this story with a genuine “let’s laugh at this together, because it is kind of a silly thing to be happening” sort of tone . Or…maybe they were really just being assholes, though it is the internet so what can you do.

In any case, hopefully the above experiments pan out! My M3P is supposed to arrive in a week, and given how sensitive some say the throttle is (as in the recent “Chill mode vs Sport Mode” thread), I could also see myself doing something like this!

 

[hgmichna]

It would be easy to take a video clip of this behavior. Take a video such that one can see the D top left on screen and the car beginning to move.

 

[Mr.Slow]

I can confirm that this is a legitimate issue that I've experienced sporadically a few months ago in my 2018 model 3 in my driveway with similar parameters as OP. Pressing the brakes is enough to stop the forward creeping and get the car back to reversing without having to charge gears for me. Tesla SC dismissed this problem as a fluke or user error because I couldn't replicate the problem and I didn't have video showing the pedal and gear position.

Since this happens at super low speeds (<0.5 mph) after changing from P to R , I'm guessing this may be related to the electromagnetic breaking force induced with hold mode to counter the direction of travel, and the hall effect and current sensing momentarily losing position.

 

[jjrandorin]

Why do people react with disagree?

This is not moderation content at all, and I am making NO JUDGEMENT AT ALL on your post. I am just going to attempt to answer your question posed here that I quoted.

People here will react with skepticism on a topic like this, especially when it comes from someone who is basically making it one of their first posts here at the site. It appears that you joined TMC in July of 2021, but this is the first post you are making here, and its on the topic of "the accelerator pedal is not doing what I say".

Since there are no longer official tesla forums, and tesla did not really monitor those anyway, people come here to TMC (currently I believe one of the largest tesla fan sites) for many reasons, and for some, one of those reasons is to sow discontent with the company products for various reasons.

Note that I said I AM NOT MAKING ANY JUDGEMENT AT ALL on the topic of your post, just attempting to answer the question asked.

The TL ; DR version is, many people have a lot of disbelief on a controversial topic, posted by what is basically a new account.

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

The car automatically uses the brakes at low/zero speeds by literally moving the brake pedal with a motor (you can even see/feel/hear the brake pedal move). Then when you press the gauss pedal it quickly/seamlessly/perfectly releases the brakes just as it begins applying torque to the motor like the world's most skilled stickshift driver. This takes some pretty impressive tuning to get right, especially with the variability of wearing brake pads and it sounds to me like your car is just slightly off tune, maybe your brake pads aren't quite settled in just yet? Or perhaps your timid pedal technique is aggravating it?

Either way if you can reproduce it reliably you should have service take a look.

 

[NotForResale]

This is not moderation content at all, and I am making NO JUDGEMENT AT ALL on your post. I am just going to attempt to answer your question posed here that I quoted.

People here will react with skepticism on a topic like this, especially when it comes from someone who is basically making it one of their first posts here at the site. It appears that you joined TMC in July of 2021, but this is the first post you are making here, and its on the topic of "the accelerator pedal is not doing what I say".

Since there are no longer official tesla forums, and tesla did not really monitor those anyway, people come here to TMC (currently I believe one of the largest tesla fan sites) for many reasons, and for some, one of those reasons is to sow discontent with the company products for various reasons.

Note that I said I AM NOT MAKING ANY JUDGEMENT AT ALL on the topic of your post, just attempting to answer the question asked.

The TL ; DR version is, many people have a lot of disbelief on a controversial topic, posted by what is basically a new account.

I understand that. However, I have already had to deal with friends and family who are Tesla haters and was hoping that I would have a warmer welcome among fellow Tesla owners.

Needless to say, I was discouraged by the initial reactions to my post. I felt like there was no one I could talk with regarding any issues with my car. Certainly not the haters, but not even fellow owners?

I hope that going forwards the people here who are quick to dismiss the concerns of a new poster may reconsider. It creates a negative feeling for new owners who have likely already had to deal with Tesla hate... and then have their first experience with fellow Tesla owners be likewise negative. In my original post I made a point not to sensationalize anything about the brand or vehicle. I just stated the objective facts of what I had encountered.

That said, I'm glad that after the initial reactions I did find people who were willing to take me seriously and try to help. I really appreciate it!

 

[NotForResale]

Update from testing (May 1).

I tried slowly depressing the accelerator while in R in a few different locations yesterday. Happy to say that the vehicle immediately reversed in all of these locations.

When I returned to the same spot where I encountered the issue on Apr 28/29, it repeated itself (moved forward while in R). However, this time there wasn't a car in front so I continued to hold down the pedal. After moving forward a couple inches, the car began to reverse as intended.

Clearly this wasn't a comprehensive test, but my tentative conclusions are:

• This issue is not common and is location dependent (I have only encountered it three times and all were in the exact same location after 2,250 miles of ownership)
• This issue is not a major concern as, in the uncommon situation where the vehicle will move forwards before reversing, it is only a couple inches

 

[jjrandorin]

Update from testing (May 1).

I tried slowly depressing the accelerator while in R in a few different locations yesterday. Happy to say that the vehicle immediately reversed in all of these locations.

When I returned to the same spot where I encountered the issue on Apr 28/29, it repeated itself (moved forward while in R). However, this time there wasn't a car in front so I continued to hold down the pedal. After moving forward a couple inches, the car began to reverse!

Clearly this wasn't a comprehensive test, but my tentative conclusions are:

• This issue is not common and is location dependent (I have only encountering it three times and all were in the exact same location after 2,250 miles of ownership)
• This issue is not a major concern as, in the uncommon situation where the vehicle will move forwards before reversing, it is only a couple inches

Are you sure that the location that you are testing in is actually "flat" as you say? It may look flat, but is it actually?

 

[North75]

Are you sure that the location that you are testing in is actually "flat" as you say? It may look flat, but is it actually?

I was thinking the same thing. Can't you disengage hold by pressing harder on the brake?
I would try that without touching the gas at all and see if it rolls or not.

 

[jjrandorin]

I was thinking the same thing. Can't you disengage hold by pressing harder on the brake?
I would try that without touching the gas at all and see if it rolls or not.

I use Roll mode, which means I have to "press harder" on the brake to engage hold. If I press on the brake again at that point (while in hold) it will disengage hold. that might be something OP can check.

 

[NotForResale]

Are you sure that the location that you are testing in is actually "flat" as you say? It may look flat, but is it actually?

It looks flat, but I can try to bring a leveler at some point to confirm. That said, at the moment I'm satisfied that this is a non-issue given that the car did start reversing after the first couple inches of forward motion.

I was thinking the same thing. Can't you disengage hold by pressing harder on the brake?
I would try that without touching the gas at all and see if it rolls or not.

Will give that a try.

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

My car doesn't roll like that no matter how steep or flat the terrain is. But if I'm driving along in D and just slap it into reverse without slowing or even taking my foot off the gauss pedal it will keep rolling forward for a very long time, many many feet. Could that be what's going on with you in this particular location? Shifting while it's still in motion?

Also note that you can "2-pedal" a Tesla just like any other car, using the motor to overpower the brakes for much more definitive motion if that helps in tricky spots like this.