Model S Software/Firmware wishlist

[MartinAustin]

I would like for the dome lights to NOT automatically come on when you put the car into Park.

I like to put the car in Park when I'm at lights, versus sitting with my foot on the brake for a few minutes. At night, all the people around you can see in.

Please make it an option, over there in CONTROLS > SETTINGS > VEHICLE, where you can choose whether the car does what it does right now, or make the dome lights come on when you press Park twice. Or if you can think up a better solution, I'm all ears

 

[trils0n]

I would like for the dome lights to NOT automatically come on when you put the car into Park.

Click the Dome Button and turn it off. Sounds like you have it set to auto which turns on dome lights when car is put into park, or when a door opens.

 

[BertL]

...I like to put the car in Park when I'm at lights, versus sitting with my foot on the brake for a few minutes. At night, all the people around you can see in.... Or if you can think up a better solution, I'm all ears

Instead of Park, have you tried the HOLD function? When you get to the light, press the brake down further. You'll see a (H) symbol at the very top and towards the right of the IC. Your MS will stay exactly where it is and foot can come off the brake until you press the accelerator again when your MS will move again. Some other mfgrs call this function "hill hold" but it works just fine for the situation you describe -- at least for me.

 

[GoTslaGo]

Instead of Park, have you tried the HOLD function? When you get to the light, press the brake down further. You'll see a (H) symbol at the very top and towards the right of the IC. Your MS will stay exactly where it is and foot can come off the brake until you press the accelerator again when your MS will move again. Some other mfgrs call this function "hill hold" but it works just fine for the situation you describe -- at least for me.

Does the 2013 model have this function? This is exactly what I do, but ours is 2015 like yours.

 

[BertL]

Does the 2013 model have this function? This is exactly what I do, but ours is 2015 like yours.

I have no idea about a 2013, since I own a 2015. If you own the same relative build-time as I do, are you just being inquisitive about the first ones off the line?

 

[GoTslaGo]

I have no idea about a 2013, since I own a 2015. If you own the same relative build-time as I do, are you just being inquisitive about the first ones off the line?

Yes, just curious, but also pointing out that @MartinAustin has an older Model S (2013) based on his signature. So while you and I both use the (H) function (and love it by the way), he may not have it. Sorry if I didn't make that more explicit.

 

[BertL]

Yes, just curious, but also pointing out that @MartinAustin has an older Model S (2013) based on his signature. So while you and I both use the (H) function (and love it by the way), he may not have it. Sorry if I didn't make that more explicit.

OK.
For @MartinAustin I just checked the latest 8.0 US Manual, and it has no wording about Vehicle Hold having some sort of prereq or being available on only certain vehicles like some other thing do. P59.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Only cars with AP have full vehicle hold.

Earlier cars have "hill hold" which holds the brakes for a few seconds and then automatically releases.

 

[BertL]

Only cars with AP have full vehicle hold.

Earlier cars have "hill hold" which holds the brakes for a few seconds and then automatically releases.

Appreciate the clarification.

Wouldn't it be nice if our official Tesla Model S Owner's Manual were so specific. Frankly, a couple of enthusiastic summer Interns could inexpensively catch a bunch of the documentation up, and likely include a lot of useful information by scanning internal documentation and forums like this, let their final draft be reviewed by appropriate full-time employees, then hopefully be better maintained than what we have today. Alas, I must already be in bed, dreaming again.

 

[MartinAustin]

Only cars with AP have full vehicle hold.

Earlier cars have "hill hold" which holds the brakes for a few seconds and then automatically releases.

Hank is wright. I only have hill hold, no vehicle hold.

I keep it in Auto mode for all those times when it ought to work automatically. But compare it with other cars. The dome lights don't come on all across the interior of the car simply because you put it into Park. They come on when you open a door.

The Model S even has a "pull door handle twice to unlock and open" feature - it could turn on the dome light any time someone pulls the door handle the first time.

 

[bxr140]

The dome lights don't come on all across the interior of the car simply because you put it into Park. They come on when you open a door.

I haven't been in a ton of cars, but it seems like newer cars do turn on the lights with park.

It actually makes a lot of sense. When you park at night it's more natural to gather your things before opening the door. I agree there's an annoyance factor with teslas where you tend to spend a lot of time in the car with it on, but that should be a supplementary function, not the default.

 

[MartinAustin]

It is proper driving style to apply the handbrake in cars when at a stop. That's how I was taught to drive anyway - and it meant failure during the driving test if you didn't do it. Turning on the dome lights every time I put the handbrake on would be annoying and ruins your privacy. The "Park" gear on the Model S and the handbrake are merged into one control... there is no manual handbrake. Therefore you have to use "Park" to be able to apply the handbrake for periods where you don't want to be depressing the brake pedal for long periods of time. It doesn't make sense to take away one's privacy by activating dome lights when they are not wanted.

 

[dgpcolorado]

It is proper driving style to apply the handbrake in cars when at a stop. That's how I was taught to drive anyway - and it meant failure during the driving test if you didn't do it. Turning on the dome lights every time I put the handbrake on would be annoying and ruins your privacy. The "Park" gear on the Model S and the handbrake are merged into one control... there is no manual handbrake. Therefore you have to use "Park" to be able to apply the handbrake for periods where you don't want to be depressing the brake pedal for long periods of time. It doesn't make sense to take away one's privacy by activating dome lights when they are not wanted.

You don't have to have the dome lights set this way. My car came with them off and I eventually got annoyed with no lights when I was getting in and out of the car in the dark (and it is very dark here, with no moon I can even see the Milky Way from inside the house). So I used the lights menu to turn the dome lights to auto. If you set it to off you can just turn on a light manually, by pushing on it, when you need it. I rather like the lights coming on in Park. But if I had privacy concerns I'd just set it to off.

I must say I've never used a parking brake when stopped briefly, such as at a light (save for hill-hold in a manual transmission car when shifting from neutral into first gear). And it certainly wasn't taught that way eons ago when I had driver training and driver education. That's a new one for me. I keep my foot on the brake pedal, in part to make sure drivers approaching me from behind see that I am stopped.

 

[msnow]

You don't have to have the dome lights set this way. My car came with them off and I eventually got annoyed with no lights when I was getting in and out of the car in the dark (and it is very dark here, with no moon I can even see the Milky Way from inside the house). So I used the lights menu to turn the dome lights to auto. If you set it to off you can just turn on a light manually, by pushing on it, when you need it. I rather like the lights coming on in Park. But if I had privacy concerns I'd just set it to off.

I must say I've never used a parking brake when stopped briefly, such as at a light (save for hill-hold in a manual transmission car). And it certainly wasn't taught that way eons ago when I had driver training and driver education. That's a new one for me. I keep my foot on the brake pedal, in part to make sure drivers approaching me from behind see that I am stopped.

Ditto on using the parking brake when at a stop. Wasn't taught to me either unless I was stopped on a very steep hill in a manual transmission to keep me from rolling back into a car.

 

[Gig103]

I've been an owner for about 4 hours (car has 8.0). What I want so far is the ability to sort favorites, or at least have new ones added to the end of the list, not the front.

 

[beeeerock]

Ditto on using the parking brake when at a stop. Wasn't taught to me either unless I was stopped on a very steep hill in a manual transmission to keep me from rolling back into a car.

My 15 year old asked me if she would learn to drive in my car... made me ponder how exciting that might be... I've always had access to an E-brake handle between the seats...!

I'm thinking.... 'noooooooo'....

 

[dgpcolorado]

My 15 year old asked me if she would learn to drive in my car... made me ponder how exciting that might be... I've always had access to an E-brake handle between the seats...!

I'm thinking.... 'noooooooo'....

Buy her a used LEAF? They are quite inexpensive used and with the limited range she wouldn't be able to get too far from home! No brake between the seats unless you get the 2011 or 2012 model...

 

[Gig103]

I found another idea. I think that the Dome light button shouldn't be a pop-out multi-state, but instead should be a toggle. I say that because it would reduce how long you're watching the screen instead of the road (Autopilot is no excuse).

 

[wmeeusse]

Remotely turn on the seat heater

 

[beeeerock]

Buy her a used LEAF? They are quite inexpensive used and with the limited range she wouldn't be able to get too far from home! No brake between the seats unless you get the 2011 or 2012 model...

There is that option... but I'm mostly worried about those early days, before the brain has been trained to hit the left pedal in an emergency and I'm coaching from the passenger seat!

My pie in the sky idea was a user profile similar to 'valet', that notches all the collision avoidance and warning functions to the max. And perhaps leaves a panic brake button on the touch screen for me to use! Or better yet, also a slide bar on the screen to modulate brake application from the passenger seat. Given that a mouse evidently functions in the USB port, the scroll wheel could be the brakes...

However, at this point, I'm leaning towards 'driving school'... they supply the beater cars! ;-)