-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Launch is Imminent
- Thread starter T3SLAROD
- Start date
So, the rear camera STILL has no cleaning jet/squirter? And this is your rear view mirror? Flabbergasting.
you also have to look down on the screen and take your eyes of the road vs. looking into a traditional rearview mirror.... why they couldn't do a digital rearview mirror properly is beyond me. in an $80k+ truck...
navguy12
Active Member
After 5.5 years (and 120,000 km) of driving with the same “look down on the screen and take your eyes off the road” setup in my TM3, I can say that your observation is overblown.
Everyone in my circle of friends and family were absolutely convinced that the central “user interface“ was going to be an absolute disaster from a “human-tech” point of view.
It hasn’t proven to be so, personally or statistically.
When setting the cruise control in my wife's Kona EV earlier this afternoon, I realized just how clunky it was to stare down into the instrument cluster binnacle behind the steering wheel, searching for the undersized set speed information.
In your example of the central screen versus a rear view mirror, you essentially claim that one doesn’t “take your eyes off the road” with a rear view mirror.
In my limited driving experience, I have always anticipated losing my view of the road for one-half second (or so) when glancing at, and interpreting the results of said glance, my rearview mirror.
I know I represent an archaic point of view, but when I drive I actually look ahead to a point that is about 20 seconds ahead of where I’m currently at.
As always, YMMV.
jebinc
Well-Known Member
I commented about this before. Tesla has never fixed the fog up and covered with water rear camera MS. I’m on my third MS and it’s been the same since day one. When it’s rainy and wet the rear camera quickly becomes unusable. As in you can’t see anything. Sure you can get out and clean it off and it will last about 2 miles before you‘re right back in the same predicament. I guess the side mirrors and camera’s will have to do but this is going to be a problem when folks get a chance to use these day to day.
The rear camera should have a spray nozzle. They’ll be fixing this soon.
The rear camera should have a spray nozzle. They’ll be fixing this soon.
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
The problem originally stated was the tendency for the camera to become unusable. It really is quite useless with even a little bit of water which happens to stick to the lens, and road grime becomes progressively worse over the course of a drive, too - kind of luck of the draw as to how bad it will be. Guessing on muddy dirt roads it may sometimes be quite poor.
Obviously any number of aftermarket products sold intended to help reduce these issues are not sufficient.
What is weird is the front camera has a useful cleaning nozzle but no apparent provision for the back (see image - no control for it).
Last edited:
navguy12
Active Member
Acknowledged.
And agreed ref the rear camera and any sort of precipitation, it is totally useless within minutes of any exposure to any precipitation.
If the rear camera is to be the de facto (interior) rear view mirror, then there must be a technique employed to ensure that any precipitation doesn’t cancel it out...or have some other way to let the driver see what’s happening back there while the tonneau cover is closed.
The issue I have is the general assumption that data viewed on the central screen is somehow more problematic to access and interpret than data viewed on more historically familiar objects and/or locations.
My model 3 experiences similar seasonal fogging of the side (B-pillar) cameras.
These events are way less consequential, but once those cameras get fogged up (multiple times during spring + fall), AP and cruise control stop working.
And yeah, my backup camera gets regularly covered with dirt during the rain, just from regular driving. On all the cars, not just Tesla.
It absolutely is, at least for me.
Which is why I had disabled the highly distracting "side mirror video feed during turn signal" feature on the main screen.
The cool thing about the placement and function of the physical rear and side mirrors, is that they are:
1). Mostly within line of sight when you are driving and looking through the front windshield. This is more true for the rear view mirror (RVM) than the side mirrors (SMs), but you get the point.
2). Can be picked up by your peripheral vision. I don't explicitly stare into either RVM or SMs, yet have full awareness of the space around my car.
The problem with displaying information down below the windshield level, is that you absolutely do take your eyes away from the road. And your eye balls need to re-focus to the short distance focal range to digest the information on the screen.
The more I drive my Model 3, the less often I use the screen. For anything. Including speed readout (I have V1 sitting line-of sight). It's just needlessly distracting.
Not using the RVM and SMs, if either one of those was only available on the main display, would be detrimental to driving safety.
YMMV,
a
FastEddieB
Member
Two personal observations…
1) I don’t see a huge difference between looking maybe 20° to 30° up and to the right to look at a rear view mirror and looking maybe 20° to 30° down and to the right to look at a window toward the top of a display.
2) After over 20,000 miles towing a travel trailer with the rear view mirror completely blocked, I find the side mirrors adequate, if not ideal, most of the time. Same thing recently towing an enclosed trailer to central FL and back.
But stipulated that some reliable way of viewing what’s directly behind the car is a good idea.
1) I don’t see a huge difference between looking maybe 20° to 30° up and to the right to look at a rear view mirror and looking maybe 20° to 30° down and to the right to look at a window toward the top of a display.
2) After over 20,000 miles towing a travel trailer with the rear view mirror completely blocked, I find the side mirrors adequate, if not ideal, most of the time. Same thing recently towing an enclosed trailer to central FL and back.
But stipulated that some reliable way of viewing what’s directly behind the car is a good idea.
Personally, those screen rear view mirrors kinda suck too. The Denali ultimate I drove had one, and the glare on a sunny day combined with the video feed made for a strange image in that thing. Just give me a normal rear view mirror.
jebinc
Well-Known Member
jebinc
Well-Known Member
Guess you will not have a weatherproof bed then, as your only option (using a real rear view mirror) would be to leave the tonneau down or remove it all together.
navguy12
Active Member
Agree with you on not using the screen much.
To the point that when I’m doing a show and tell with a newbie (still a thing out here), I tell them just drive with the flow of traffic and quit looking at that thing.
With that many miles towing I assume you have those huge side mirrors designed for towing to see anything useful. They extend way out to give you a great rear view. Try doing it with normal side mirrors. It doesn’t work. That’s why they include oversized mirrors on big tow packages. It’s a much bigger thing than you think.
Pretty sure this topic will have its own multi page tread later this year after we get more CT’s on the road. The good thing is that it‘s very fixable. Bad thing is that it should have never finished initial design without a rear camera cleaning solution of some type. It’s a common problem that I’m sure Tesla engineers could have easily figured out. Then again I’ve been saying that for years about the poor auto rain system.
FastEddieB
Member
Nope. Just the stock mirrors. Like I said, far from ideal, but borderline adequate.
Borderline adequate is not what I’d expect for the $ their asking. Folks tried to sue Tesla over FSD accidents even though they were completely aware of limitations. Just wait until someone backs into something with the tonneau closed and a rear display covered with water/grime.
God knows there must be a way to make $ off of thIs. Only two I can think of is to short the stock when this heats up or to design something to fix it. Either is too much work for my retired butt. Wonder if amazon has anything.
God knows there must be a way to make $ off of thIs. Only two I can think of is to short the stock when this heats up or to design something to fix it. Either is too much work for my retired butt. Wonder if amazon has anything.
jebinc
Well-Known Member
I suspect Cybertruck fixes/improvements/refreshes/etc. will be magnitudes greater than all of the changes made at the 1 and 2 year mark for refreshed Model S Plaid and LR… And there were many there…. Any prospective Cybertruck early adopters should heed the lessons learned on the refreshed Model S Plaid/LR early adopter experience…
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
Ah but the Tesla Network did not exist then. Always Be Monetizing! And remember, they won’t be selling vehicles for much longer!
jebinc
Well-Known Member
What? The Plaid came out in 2021…. In 2022 and 2023, it was updated and refreshed again and again.
And it’s “ABC,” “Alway Be Closing; ALWAYS BE CLOSING…”.
Similar threads
- Article
