When did you last touch your brake pedal?

[stopcrazypp]

Only if regen braking is limited and you have the setting turned on to blend mechanical brakes. Otherwise it does not normally activate mechanical brakes in one pedal driving.

This is not quite correct. Hold mode will use mechanical brakes in one pedal driving (when it nears a complete stop). You can verify this by seeing how the brake pedal moves.

The "apply brakes" mode was added later to simulate regen when it is limited, but it has nothing to do with the above.
Tesla updates car software to start applying regular brakes when regenerative is limited

 

[drtimhill]

One-pedal driving uses the exact same mechanical process as putting your foot on the brake pedal. Master cylinder is activated electronically (evidenced by movement of brake pedal), fluid is pushed through the brake lines which activates the caliper pistons for the brake disks to clamp against the rotors.

No, it isnt. Lifting your foot off the accelerator does NOT activate the mechanical brakes at all. What it does (in simple terms) is run the motor/battery system In reverse. Instead of using battery power to drive the motors, it uses the motors as generators and charges the battery. A side-effect of this process generates mechanical torque in the wheels via the magnetic field in the motors, which slows the car down. The net result is the car slows down and the battery is charged up, thus converting the kinetic energy of the car into electrical energy in the battery,

It's true that, as a convenience, Tesla recently added a tweak whereby if the battery is fully charged, they use the mechanical brakes to simulate regen braking, but this is ONLY used until there is sufficient unused capacity in the batteries to charge them via regen.

 

[Benito1283]

It's true that, as a convenience, Tesla recently added a tweak whereby if the battery is fully charged, they use the mechanical brakes to simulate regen braking, but this is ONLY used until there is sufficient unused capacity in the batteries to charge them via regen.

Or if the battery is cold.

 

[Wattsisname]

I hate when I have to touch the brake peddle. It usually happens when the light turns yellow and I'm on the cusp of gunning it or braking.

I know that feeling, in spades since getting Y; I have never before been concerned about the risk of a rear shunt. Now, knowing how expensive it is to repair a Tesla, ( not to mention the repair time - for all marques) I use the brakes to be sure that the brake lights are on and cringe for a moment.

 

[zoomer0056]

That was an interesting experience,

What happens during this procedure?

 

[EVer Hopeful]

Now, knowing how expensive it is to repair a Tesla, ( not to mention the repair time - for all marques) I use the brakes to be sure that the brake lights are on and cringe for a moment.

it's possible that they come on anyway during regen

I don't know, but someone here might . . .

 

[father_of_6]

What happens during this procedure?

When in service mode, the speed is limited to 7mph... but you have to get to 50mph for the burnishing process... so first I had to futz around to figure out how to unlimit the speed.

Next, it provides you with written instructions, followed by 4 bars... one for target brake PSI, one for target speed, one for cycle count (how many times you got up to speed and then held the brakes), and one for a cool down period.

Essentially, it just guides you with getting up to 50mph and the sustained hard braking down to 20mph, ten times, each with. 20 second cool down period in between. It also disables regen braking.

 

[father_of_6]

it's possible that they come on anyway during regen

I don't know, but someone here might . . .

The brake lights definitely come on for regen braking... but conditionally. If you regen brake down just a few mph the lights likely don't come on... it'd be like an ICE coasting down a bit. Anything beyond that definitely does activate the brake lights. It *HAS* to activate the brake lights - you're braking.

Regarding disc brakes, they *are* engaged with regen once the vehicle slows down enough. The regen brakes slow the car down, but probably don't bring it to a complete stop the way disc brakes do. The disc brakes engage to keep the car still. There's very little friction and particulate matter. My pads are still like new at 50k miles - a marvel for a car with this much acceleration.

 

[dflowerz]

I use the brake pedal every day. Not every time, but every day. I don't brake that hard but regen is often not quite enough.

 

[Wattsisname]

it's possible that they come on anyway during regen

I don't know, but someone here might . . .

They do. As I wrote, I brake to be sure.
Belt and braces

 

[father_of_6]

I use the brake pedal every day. Not every time, but every day. I don't brake that hard but regen is often not quite enough.

This is really dependent on your driving style, in my opinion. If you're driving the speed limit and paying attention to your upcoming stops, it's easy to rely on regen only.

If you're speeding though (and/or not paying attention to upcoming stops), you're bound to get caught by some yellow lights and need to use the friction brakes to stop in time.

 

[UncleCreepy]

I mostly use it when the battery is cold.
125,000 km with the first brake pads and rotors and counting.

 

[DonaldBecker]

it's possible that they come on anyway during regen

I don't know, but someone here might . . .

Yes, they do. It's in the manual.

I've read that turning on the brake lights is based on the G force of the deceleration, rather than a simpler metric such as regenerated power. That's going to be much more predictable for following drivers than with an ICE vehicle. I can slow pretty aggressively without activating the brake light when downshifting my manual transmission car. I've followed cars in heavy traffic where they appear to just leave their left foot on the brake, giving no indication when they do the inevitable panic stop.

 

[gt2690b]

I ran the brake burnishing routine today from the service menu. That was an interesting experience, and the most action my brakes have had in a LONG time (ever).

Otherwise, I use the brakes so little, I'm afraid I might break them when braking. If they break, will they still brake?

did it help with the squeaking? mine squeak bad but i use them so rarely i dont even care

 

[father_of_6]

did it help with the squeaking? mine squeak bad but i use them so rarely i dont even care

A little. The rotors don't look nice and shiny like some photos I see on here. I'd not want to let them go for too long though. At some point, the corrosion would be so thick the torso would need to be replaced to removed and turned. I don't want to deal with that. Hoping these brakes last the life of the car.

 

[arbitrage000]

You can watch the car graphic on the screen to see when the brake lights actually come on with regen. It seems to be based on G-force. Most of the time I think they come on at appropriate levels of deceleration but sometimes I find the lights not coming on when I think they probably should have to be a bit safer in letting the following car know. They are always lit when at a complete stop in Hold mode so I assume the friction brakes are applied at that time even in Hold mode.

 

[father_of_6]

For anyone curious:

 

[EVer Hopeful]

that seems like a LOT of work to go through

 

[Midnightsun]

Rarely do I need to use the friction brakes unless something out of the ordinary happens. Just look at your car on your screen when you regen, the brake lights come on showing you they have activated. Having real winters and the cold associated with it, the brake blending was a god send. Now the car feels the same no matter what.

 

[EVer Hopeful]

We had a real winter here once too. It was about three or four years ago

It snowed TWICE!!!!!