Round two: how much control will Tesla have on my manual driving?

[YNaut]

As a potential new Tesla owner I'm disappointed that you deleted my lengthy post... And to accuse me of trolling...? I have legitimate safety concerns before spending fifty thousand dollars on a vehicle that could potentially endanger me or my family with previously unincorporated driving dynamics by driving with a mind of its own. To people like myself that don't fanboy for Tesla, we don't have an overview of how the system works, and to accuse a new member with these questions as trolling is insulting. As a mechanical engineer, I will not blindly trust anything and incorporate it into my life without operational knowledge. Lets keeps this simple:

-When I'm not using autopilot or cruise control does Tesla have the ability to brake or turn my car without my approval?
-If so, can this feature be turned off?
-Will the car ever prevent me from driving it due to any Tesla created reasons? (So called sleepy/drunk driving prevention or whatever else)

I need to know this is a car I can rely on, and every individual post just touches on certain aspects. I need an overview of the hands off control of this car where I know I will be the one in control, unless I choose to let Tesla take the wheel. There is no in-between to me.

Thank you.

 

[jjrandorin]

Your "lengthy post" was shorter than this one. It was also more alarmist than this one. The questions you are asking about whether the car can intervene in braking or turning apply to EVERY car with ANY sort of safety systems. Traction control, Obstacle aware acceleration, Lane keeping assist, all manufacturers call those features something different but they all have them.

Since there is no inbetween for you, neither this car, nor any other modern vehicle at all is the correct one for you. You need to find a used car that includes no automatic safety features whatseover, since this is your requirement.

To specifically answer the question, yes the car can intervene in braking and or turning, those features are called lane keeping assist, and obstacle aware acceleration, automatic emergency braking, in Tesla. They are called something else in other car manufacturers but they all have them.

No, its not going to prevent you from driving if you are drunk or sleep, although it may NOT let you turn on automatic features if you are not paying attention (which is the opposite of what you are asking)

Teslas active safety features are described in the online car manual here, and you can read more about them in detail if you want:

=================================================

Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla

Learn about Autopilot and its specifications.

www.tesla.com

Active Safety Features​

These Active Safety features are designed to increase your safety:

• Lane Assist (see Lane Assist)
• Collision Avoidance Assist (see Collision Avoidance Assist)
• Speed Assist (see Speed Assist)
• Cabin Camera (see Cabin Camera)

You can enable/disable some of these features and in some cases, control how they work. To access settings for these features, touch Controls > Autopilot.

 

[YNaut]

JJ, that was an incredible response and exactly what I was looking for, thank you!

I will do more homework on what can be disabled... But I fear that you are right. We are truly in the day of iRobot.

 

[zoomer0056]

You're asking many very basic questions that can be answered by reading the manual. There's probably other questions you don’t even know to ask that will be answered. You can download a copy. That would be a lot more efficient than getting piece meal answers here one at a time. Once you're studied up, go for a test drive.

 

[YNaut]

You're asking many very basic questions that can be answered by reading the manual. There's probably other questions you don’t even know to ask that will be answered. You can download a copy. That would be a lot more efficient than getting piece meal answers here one at a time. Once you're studied up, go for a test drive.

I'll read the manual.

I went for a test drive last week and I tried AP, three seconds in, it violently swerved across the lane and would have hit an audi if I didn't catch it. It terrified my entire family and that is mostly why I'm here.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

I recommend a bike, the type you pedal. No technology in there to be concerned about. you will thank me, it will be very healthy option.

 

[Bart404]

I'll read the manual.

I went for a test drive last week and I tried AP, three seconds in, it violently swerved across the lane and would have hit an audi if I didn't catch it. It terrified my entire family and that is mostly why I'm here.

Keep AP turned off and you'll be fine. The two times I tried it were somewhat scary.

 

[UncleCreepy]

I have never perceived AP as scary, but I'll admit that you have to learn when it can be relied on and when it's better to drive manually. In short, it works perfect for me whenever lines are visible and there are not a lot of traffic cones around. Rain or darkness are not a factor, at least not with 2022.20.8. Newer software versions may be different.

I do absolutely not appreciate that Tesla overrides or automatically does things such as:
- turning on the AC in manual (and let me repeat that for clarity: "MANUAL") mode just because I set the temperature to min,
- turning on auto high beams when engaging AP (that's one reason why I'm not updating the car software)
- turning on auto wipers when engaging AP (and again, this doesn't happen with my software)
- the steering wheel nag even though I have my hands on the wheel. Sometimes I don't catch that the car wants me to turn the wheel a little bit to make sure I'm there. I mean they want me to pay attention to traffic and the general situation around me, and yet, they expect me to look at the screen almost the entire time to look for steering wheel nags.

And a few other things.

This sounds a lot worse than it really is for me, because the car works just fine the way it is right now and despite other reports, my car has never downloaded an update via LTE, so chances are I'll keep my radar, the "Darvin windows", no nag that the PWS speaker is disconnected etc. I can live with the current situation even though 2022.20.8 wasn't perfect either.

I could see that the car is slowly turning into a "Black Mirror" episode with all the features it has and I absolutely get OP's concern. But as @jjrandorin said, any modern car will do that. The times where you just hop into your car and it'll do whatever you command without anyone knowing where the car is and recording all of its vital signs are over. You'll need a much older car for that.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

Keep AP turned off and you'll be fine. The two times I tried it were somewhat scary.

I don’t have issues with basic autopilot with autosteer. I use it all the time in California for long freeway trips around town and longer trips. I have a recent tesla firmware and the auto high breams work very well, they deactivate when needed. My windshield wipers occasionally activate mistakenly when turning on autopilot perhaps 2 times a month and only lasts about 30 seconds before the car is back to normal.

 

[YNaut]

I have never perceived AP as scary, but I'll admit that you have to learn when it can be relied on and when it's better to drive manually. In short, it works perfect for me whenever lines are visible and there are not a lot of traffic cones around. Rain or darkness are not a factor, at least not with 2022.20.8. Newer software versions may be different.

I do absolutely not appreciate that Tesla overrides or automatically does things such as:
- turning on the AC in manual (and let me repeat that for clarity: "MANUAL") mode just because I set the temperature to min,
- turning on auto high beams when engaging AP (that's one reason why I'm not updating the car software)
- turning on auto wipers when engaging AP (and again, this doesn't happen with my software)
- the steering wheel nag even though I have my hands on the wheel. Sometimes I don't catch that the car wants me to turn the wheel a little bit to make sure I'm there. I mean they want me to pay attention to traffic and the general situation around me, and yet, they expect me to look at the screen almost the entire time to look for steering wheel nags.

And a few other things.

This sounds a lot worse than it really is for me, because the car works just fine the way it is right now and despite other reports, my car has never downloaded an update via LTE, so chances are I'll keep my radar, the "Darvin windows", no nag that the PWS speaker is disconnected etc. I can live with the current situation even though 2022.20.8 wasn't perfect either.

I could see that the car is slowly turning into a "Black Mirror" episode with all the features it has and I absolutely get OP's concern. But as @jjrandorin said, any modern car will do that. The times where you just hop into your car and it'll do whatever you command without anyone knowing where the car is and recording all of its vital signs are over. You'll need a much older car for that.

That was a really well thought out and informative response, thank you. I can read the manual all I want but you guys offer me the insight into ownership that the manual won't talk about, that's the value here. I still think the pros far outweigh the cons for these vehicles... but you are right, privacy is to the wayside for any modern vehicle, not just Tesla's. Among my modern vehicles I have a 2001 monster truck with a gutted dash rebuilt with steel and laminated. It doesn't bother me about seatbelts, airbags, or literally anything... But it pollutes and diesel is expensive. It's a constant battle for me of what direction to take in life for personal transportation. Am I the only one that dreams of an electric "dumb" car?

Also, today was 118deg, I think I'll pass on the bicycle haha.

Anyways, I don't want to stray too far from my original post. I more than likely will end up buying my Y. Thank you to those who understand my concerns and showed me yours.

Ps, speaking of black mirror, I used to always joke in my head that if I bought a Tesla that one day I would come home and it would just be gone... choosing to drive out on the town to meet the others.

 

[YNaut]

I want to say that I finally pulled the trigger. The car is unlike anything I could have dreamed of. It course with all the tech, comes tech privacy worries as to be expected, and posted above.

However, the pros FAR outweigh the cons, and I am very happy.

 

[YNaut]

 

[YNaut]

Wouldn't be fair to not add a picture, so there you go!

 

[Bart404]

Congratts! Surprised you bought an X since you've been posting in the Y section.

 

[YNaut]

Thank you! Yes I was obsessed with the Y, but when I rented and drove it I realized my torso is a bit too big to sit comfortably. Both are great cars but the overhead glass was a clear winner.

 

[OxBrew]

Re: you original questions. You'll learn how well AP works for you. For us, it goes through phases of competence or near uselessness. It's in a downswing right now in our Y, can't stay in the lane sometimes and gets scared and brakes all the time.

I set lane keeping assist to "Warning" and Emergency Lane Keeping to "On". It has a few false positives, but has saved me several times.