72 Hours - 250 Miles experience on HW4

So here is my experience with my Tesla MY LR Gemini wheels that came with HW4 VIN-791XXX, Fremont built. This is based on 72 hours of ownership and 250 miles of mixed driving.
We are coming from "premium" Japanese brands, so there is a baseline in terms of what we expect

Booking & Delivery:

1. I booked my car precisely a month ago before taking the delivery on June 1st. Before making the booking, Mrs. Abradabra and I went for a test drive. We drove the 2023 model with Hw3, came out quite impressed, and booked it online the same evening.
2. I only needed to contact my SA/DA a couple of days before the delivery. I contacted them via the 1536 number twice, once for registration-related questions, then re. HW4. Both times got a prompt response, so I was pleased overall.
3. I completed all my tasks promptly using App, so when we showed up at the Tesla showroom, they walked us straight to the car, helped create mobile keys, inspected the car, and went off. The process was super streamlined and quick.
4. We stayed there in the lot longer and inspected the car in detail. The people at the showroom told us I could come inside and tell them if there is any problem or report it within seven days using the App. We didn't find any glaring issues (excitement of a new car, as one can guess).

Driving Experience:

1. We have had fast (ICE) cars in the past, and sports bikes, so used to the feeling of acceleration. However, the way these Teslas pull is a different feeling altogether. ICE engines roar and growl while pulling, but these cars have no drama and are deceptively fast. I guess both machines have their place and time.
2. Steering is quite responsive, even in the comfort setting. The car moves quickly with little steering input.
3. One-foot driving is new to us, so we are taking time to get used to it and occasionally using breaks to slow down.
4. Digital inputs and drive stalk are also taking some time to get used to, but we are adopting them quicker than expected.
5. In-cabin noise has its pros and cons. Missing the ICE makes this car very quiet in its way. Because we don't hear engine drone - we now hear every slight sound - like those grocery bags rubbing against each other in the back (lol), so overall, give-and-take in this area.
6. Ride quality is pretty decent (again, we have Gemini wheels 19" with Conti tires) and running them on recommended 42PSI. On small speeds, it gets a little busy, but nothing objectionable. High speed ride IMHO is similar to luxury Japanese brands.
7. We appreciate safety features - Mrs. AbraDabra was driving it on the freeway, tried to switch lanes, gave an indicator and all, then suddenly car started beeping and showed a couple of cars RED in the console. Those were two Dodge Challengers SRT racing with each other (about 100 mph) buzzed past us on the same lane where we wanted to switch. That's how fast & furious life is here in Cali. BTW, we are on basic AP. Didn't go for EAP or FSD.

Some quirks so far, and findings:

1. The front passenger door doesn't close unless it is slammed. I read to give it some time, and it will loosen, and actually, it did. Now it closes better. Other doors were okay, to begin with. Speaking of doors - that solid feeling is missing. The doors closing feel a little tinny.
2. I have a separate thread on it, but my car/HW4 is missing slow-speed parking assist, where those virtual lines appear around your car and tell you where objects are. Some members suggest it is not there in HW4 (yet). Some said I am not missing anything because it is not a polished feature, but I still want to have it.
3. When driving at a very slow speed, I noticed all four wheels, both forward and reverse, make "chit-chit-chit" sounds (similar to driving on a sand on concrete sound). It turned out to be the wheel caps on the Gemini wheels. When pressed with fingers, they make the same sound, almost like the slight sound of breaking hard plastic.
4. Multiple cameras are blocked or blinded - I got this error while driving on dark country roads at night. It went away the following day. I learned this is a known bug/feature of Teslas. People get it when driving in dark conditions where side (B pillar) cameras can't see anything. Tesla could have added Infra Red feature but I don't know why this issue is still there.
5. Now last but something everyone is waiting - the damn "Phantom Breaking" is still there in HW4. The late night drive, following a car on the freeway with basic AP engaged, suddenly car started slowing down. I was around 70, and in seconds it dropped to 50 before I picked it back with an accelerator pedal. TBH, it was not a hard brake but something like removing the foot from the pedal. So if that is what Phantom Breaking is, then yes it is still there. I guess hardware only can't fix it. It would take both enhanced hardware (hw4) and software fixes to finally eradicate this issue. Tesla - are you listening!?

That's it folks. I intend to add more to this thread as the ownership experience progresses. But overall, we are pretty pleased to have purchased it. A driving experience we never had with ICE cars. Although we are keeping our second (ICE) car so we don't forget what typical (old) driving feels like.

Cheers!

 

[VT_EE]

So here is my experience with my Tesla MY LR Gemini wheels that came with HW4 VIN-791XXX, Fremont built. This is based on 72 hours of ownership and 250 miles of mixed driving.
We are coming from "premium" Japanese brands, so there is a baseline in terms of what we expect

Booking & Delivery:

1. I booked my car precisely a month ago before taking the delivery on June 1st. Before making the booking, Mrs. Abradabra and I went for a test drive. We drove the 2023 model with Hw3, came out quite impressed, and booked it online the same evening.
2. I only needed to contact my SA/DA a couple of days before the delivery. I contacted them via the 1536 number twice, once for registration-related questions, then re. HW4. Both times got a prompt response, so I was pleased overall.
3. I completed all my tasks promptly using App, so when we showed up at the Tesla showroom, they walked us straight to the car, helped create mobile keys, inspected the car, and went off. The process was super streamlined and quick.
4. We stayed there in the lot longer and inspected the car in detail. The people at the showroom told us I could come inside and tell them if there is any problem or report it within seven days using the App. We didn't find any glaring issues (excitement of a new car, as one can guess).

Driving Experience:

1. We have had fast (ICE) cars in the past, and sports bikes, so used to the feeling of acceleration. However, the way these Teslas pull is a different feeling altogether. ICE engines roar and growl while pulling, but these cars have no drama and are deceptively fast. I guess both machines have their place and time.
2. Steering is quite responsive, even in the comfort setting. The car moves quickly with little steering input.
3. One-foot driving is new to us, so we are taking time to get used to it and occasionally using breaks to slow down.
4. Digital inputs and drive stalk are also taking some time to get used to, but we are adopting them quicker than expected.
5. In-cabin noise has its pros and cons. Missing the ICE makes this car very quiet in its way. Because we don't hear engine drone - we now hear every slight sound - like those grocery bags rubbing against each other in the back (lol), so overall, give-and-take in this area.
6. Ride quality is pretty decent (again, we have Gemini wheels 19" with Conti tires) and running them on recommended 42PSI. On small speeds, it gets a little busy, but nothing objectionable. High speed ride IMHO is similar to luxury Japanese brands.
7. We appreciate safety features - Mrs. AbraDabra was driving it on the freeway, tried to switch lanes, gave an indicator and all, then suddenly car started beeping and showed a couple of cars RED in the console. Those were two Dodge Challengers SRT racing with each other (about 100 mph) buzzed past us on the same lane where we wanted to switch. That's how fast & furious life is here in Cali. BTW, we are on basic AP. Didn't go for EAP or FSD.

Some quirks so far, and findings:

1. The front passenger door doesn't close unless it is slammed. I read to give it some time, and it will loosen, and actually, it did. Now it closes better. Other doors were okay, to begin with. Speaking of doors - that solid feeling is missing. The doors closing feel a little tinny.
2. I have a separate thread on it, but my car/HW4 is missing slow-speed parking assist, where those virtual lines appear around your car and tell you where objects are. Some members suggest it is not there in HW4 (yet). Some said I am not missing anything because it is not a polished feature, but I still want to have it.
3. When driving at a very slow speed, I noticed all four wheels, both forward and reverse, make "chit-chit-chit" sounds (similar to driving on a sand on concrete sound). It turned out to be the wheel caps on the Gemini wheels. When pressed with fingers, they make the same sound, almost like the slight sound of breaking hard plastic.
4. Multiple cameras are blocked or blinded - I got this error while driving on dark country roads at night. It went away the following day. I learned this is a known bug/feature of Teslas. People get it when driving in dark conditions where side (B pillar) cameras can't see anything. Tesla could have added Infra Red feature but I don't know why this issue is still there.
5. Now last but something everyone is waiting - the damn "Phantom Breaking" is still there in HW4. The late night drive, following a car on the freeway with basic AP engaged, suddenly car started slowing down. I was around 70, and in seconds it dropped to 50 before I picked it back with an accelerator pedal. TBH, it was not a hard brake but something like removing the foot from the pedal. So if that is what Phantom Breaking is, then yes it is still there. I guess hardware only can't fix it. It would take both enhanced hardware (hw4) and software fixes to finally eradicate this issue. Tesla - are you listening!?

That's it folks. I intend to add more to this thread as the ownership experience progresses. But overall, we are pretty pleased to have purchased it. A driving experience we never had with ICE cars. Although we are keeping our second (ICE) car so we don't forget what typical (old) driving feels like.

Cheers!

I have been getting that same "blocked or blinded" messages on dark roads since I picked up my Model 3 in Nov. Only happens for the pillar cameras. My older 2018 Model 3 (w HW3) did not have this problem so I assume it has something to do with the 2023 models. Hopefully a SW update will fix this irritating feature.

 

[nate704]

Multiple cameras are blocked or blinded - I got this error while driving on dark country roads at night. It went away the following day. I learned this is a known bug/feature of Teslas. People get it when driving in dark conditions where side (B pillar) cameras can't see anything. Tesla could have added Infra Red feature but I don't know why this issue is still there.

Normal. You can't see if you don't have the light source. not an issue.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

So here is my experience with my Tesla MY LR Gemini wheels that came with HW4 VIN-791XXX, Fremont built. This is based on 72 hours of ownership and 250 miles of mixed driving.
We are coming from "premium" Japanese brands, so there is a baseline in terms of what we expect

Booking & Delivery:

1. I booked my car precisely a month ago before taking the delivery on June 1st. Before making the booking, Mrs. Abradabra and I went for a test drive. We drove the 2023 model with Hw3, came out quite impressed, and booked it online the same evening.
2. I only needed to contact my SA/DA a couple of days before the delivery. I contacted them via the 1536 number twice, once for registration-related questions, then re. HW4. Both times got a prompt response, so I was pleased overall.
3. I completed all my tasks promptly using App, so when we showed up at the Tesla showroom, they walked us straight to the car, helped create mobile keys, inspected the car, and went off. The process was super streamlined and quick.
4. We stayed there in the lot longer and inspected the car in detail. The people at the showroom told us I could come inside and tell them if there is any problem or report it within seven days using the App. We didn't find any glaring issues (excitement of a new car, as one can guess).

Driving Experience:

1. We have had fast (ICE) cars in the past, and sports bikes, so used to the feeling of acceleration. However, the way these Teslas pull is a different feeling altogether. ICE engines roar and growl while pulling, but these cars have no drama and are deceptively fast. I guess both machines have their place and time.
2. Steering is quite responsive, even in the comfort setting. The car moves quickly with little steering input.
3. One-foot driving is new to us, so we are taking time to get used to it and occasionally using breaks to slow down.
4. Digital inputs and drive stalk are also taking some time to get used to, but we are adopting them quicker than expected.
5. In-cabin noise has its pros and cons. Missing the ICE makes this car very quiet in its way. Because we don't hear engine drone - we now hear every slight sound - like those grocery bags rubbing against each other in the back (lol), so overall, give-and-take in this area.
6. Ride quality is pretty decent (again, we have Gemini wheels 19" with Conti tires) and running them on recommended 42PSI. On small speeds, it gets a little busy, but nothing objectionable. High speed ride IMHO is similar to luxury Japanese brands.
7. We appreciate safety features - Mrs. AbraDabra was driving it on the freeway, tried to switch lanes, gave an indicator and all, then suddenly car started beeping and showed a couple of cars RED in the console. Those were two Dodge Challengers SRT racing with each other (about 100 mph) buzzed past us on the same lane where we wanted to switch. That's how fast & furious life is here in Cali. BTW, we are on basic AP. Didn't go for EAP or FSD.

Some quirks so far, and findings:

1. The front passenger door doesn't close unless it is slammed. I read to give it some time, and it will loosen, and actually, it did. Now it closes better. Other doors were okay, to begin with. Speaking of doors - that solid feeling is missing. The doors closing feel a little tinny.
2. I have a separate thread on it, but my car/HW4 is missing slow-speed parking assist, where those virtual lines appear around your car and tell you where objects are. Some members suggest it is not there in HW4 (yet). Some said I am not missing anything because it is not a polished feature, but I still want to have it.
3. When driving at a very slow speed, I noticed all four wheels, both forward and reverse, make "chit-chit-chit" sounds (similar to driving on a sand on concrete sound). It turned out to be the wheel caps on the Gemini wheels. When pressed with fingers, they make the same sound, almost like the slight sound of breaking hard plastic.
4. Multiple cameras are blocked or blinded - I got this error while driving on dark country roads at night. It went away the following day. I learned this is a known bug/feature of Teslas. People get it when driving in dark conditions where side (B pillar) cameras can't see anything. Tesla could have added Infra Red feature but I don't know why this issue is still there.
5. Now last but something everyone is waiting - the damn "Phantom Breaking" is still there in HW4. The late night drive, following a car on the freeway with basic AP engaged, suddenly car started slowing down. I was around 70, and in seconds it dropped to 50 before I picked it back with an accelerator pedal. TBH, it was not a hard brake but something like removing the foot from the pedal. So if that is what Phantom Breaking is, then yes it is still there. I guess hardware only can't fix it. It would take both enhanced hardware (hw4) and software fixes to finally eradicate this issue. Tesla - are you listening!?

That's it folks. I intend to add more to this thread as the ownership experience progresses. But overall, we are pretty pleased to have purchased it. A driving experience we never had with ICE cars. Although we are keeping our second (ICE) car so we don't forget what typical (old) driving feels like.

Cheers!

#3 can also be caused by a factory sticker on the inner bead of the tires. Happened to a lot of people including me. Sticker wears down after about 5,000 miles.

#5 I have never had phantom braking. Owned the car since 12/2021. My car has Hw3, no FSD or enhanced autopilot. I use autopilot on our road trips, just did last weekend and use it around Los angles.

 

[ICE5891]

Driving Experience:

#In-cabin noise has its pros and cons. Missing the ICE makes this car very quiet in its way. Because we don't hear engine drone - we now hear every slight sound - like those grocery bags rubbing against each other in the back (lol), so overall, give-and-take in this area.

In general the sound proofing of model 3 and model Y is quite poor. We benefit from the electrical motor silence which make other noise more preeminent. But is not only that, they are louder than lets say a Audi, Mercedes or Lexus. I have spend lots of time and money trying to reduce cabin noise and it have improved to certain extent. But the road noise is almost impossible to bring to the levels of some of the other brands. Model Y have a sound barrier material on the firewall that contribute to block sound from the front wheel arch so that is and advantage over the model 3, otherwise is mostly the same.

All in all it is a great car, I enjoy every ride and makes my daily drive and weekend trips something that I actually like to do. I keep making excuses to take it for a drive.

 

[nate704]

In general the sound proofing of model 3 and model Y is quite poor. We benefit from the electrical motor silence which make other noise more preeminent. But is not only that, they are louder than lets say a Audi, Mercedes or Lexus. I have spend lots of time and money trying to reduce cabin noise and it have improved to certain extent. But the road noise is almost impossible to bring to the levels of some of the other brands. Model Y have a sound barrier material on the firewall that contribute to block sound from the front wheel arch so that is and advantage over the model 3, otherwise is mostly the same.

All in all it is a great car, I enjoy every ride and makes my daily drive and weekend trips something that I actually like to do. I keep making excuses to take it for a drive.

That's the tradeoff that Tesla made. More sound proofing = more weight = less efficiency. Comparing my Audi Q5 and MY, I experience no difference in terms of cabin noise while driving.

 

[Geech72]

Normal. You can't see if you don't have the light source. not an issue.

Which is why radar will always be better than vision.

 

[nate704]

Which is why radar will always be better than vision.

I hope you know that we are talking about the B pillar cameras.

 

[Geech72]

I hope you know that we are talking about the B pillar cameras.

The OP’s experience with phantom braking occurred in the same lighting condition as the error message related to the B pillar cameras. If you accept that low light is an issue with the B pillar cameras; then you have to be open to the possibility that it contributed to phantom braking in a camera only AP system.

 

[nate704]

then you have to be open to the possibility that it contributed to phantom braking in a camera only AP system.

Please stop trying to tie everything to the phantom braking which is not an issue for the majority of people. Also, the term PB is the the made up term and very vague to define anyway.

 

[pkmody]

So here is my experience with my Tesla MY LR Gemini wheels that came with HW4 VIN-791XXX, Fremont built. This is based on 72 hours of ownership and 250 miles of mixed driving.
We are coming from "premium" Japanese brands, so there is a baseline in terms of what we expect

Booking & Delivery:

1. I booked my car precisely a month ago before taking the delivery on June 1st. Before making the booking, Mrs. Abradabra and I went for a test drive. We drove the 2023 model with Hw3, came out quite impressed, and booked it online the same evening.
2. I only needed to contact my SA/DA a couple of days before the delivery. I contacted them via the 1536 number twice, once for registration-related questions, then re. HW4. Both times got a prompt response, so I was pleased overall.
3. I completed all my tasks promptly using App, so when we showed up at the Tesla showroom, they walked us straight to the car, helped create mobile keys, inspected the car, and went off. The process was super streamlined and quick.
4. We stayed there in the lot longer and inspected the car in detail. The people at the showroom told us I could come inside and tell them if there is any problem or report it within seven days using the App. We didn't find any glaring issues (excitement of a new car, as one can guess).

Driving Experience:

1. We have had fast (ICE) cars in the past, and sports bikes, so used to the feeling of acceleration. However, the way these Teslas pull is a different feeling altogether. ICE engines roar and growl while pulling, but these cars have no drama and are deceptively fast. I guess both machines have their place and time.
2. Steering is quite responsive, even in the comfort setting. The car moves quickly with little steering input.
3. One-foot driving is new to us, so we are taking time to get used to it and occasionally using breaks to slow down.
4. Digital inputs and drive stalk are also taking some time to get used to, but we are adopting them quicker than expected.
5. In-cabin noise has its pros and cons. Missing the ICE makes this car very quiet in its way. Because we don't hear engine drone - we now hear every slight sound - like those grocery bags rubbing against each other in the back (lol), so overall, give-and-take in this area.
6. Ride quality is pretty decent (again, we have Gemini wheels 19" with Conti tires) and running them on recommended 42PSI. On small speeds, it gets a little busy, but nothing objectionable. High speed ride IMHO is similar to luxury Japanese brands.
7. We appreciate safety features - Mrs. AbraDabra was driving it on the freeway, tried to switch lanes, gave an indicator and all, then suddenly car started beeping and showed a couple of cars RED in the console. Those were two Dodge Challengers SRT racing with each other (about 100 mph) buzzed past us on the same lane where we wanted to switch. That's how fast & furious life is here in Cali. BTW, we are on basic AP. Didn't go for EAP or FSD.

Some quirks so far, and findings:

1. The front passenger door doesn't close unless it is slammed. I read to give it some time, and it will loosen, and actually, it did. Now it closes better. Other doors were okay, to begin with. Speaking of doors - that solid feeling is missing. The doors closing feel a little tinny.
2. I have a separate thread on it, but my car/HW4 is missing slow-speed parking assist, where those virtual lines appear around your car and tell you where objects are. Some members suggest it is not there in HW4 (yet). Some said I am not missing anything because it is not a polished feature, but I still want to have it.
3. When driving at a very slow speed, I noticed all four wheels, both forward and reverse, make "chit-chit-chit" sounds (similar to driving on a sand on concrete sound). It turned out to be the wheel caps on the Gemini wheels. When pressed with fingers, they make the same sound, almost like the slight sound of breaking hard plastic.
4. Multiple cameras are blocked or blinded - I got this error while driving on dark country roads at night. It went away the following day. I learned this is a known bug/feature of Teslas. People get it when driving in dark conditions where side (B pillar) cameras can't see anything. Tesla could have added Infra Red feature but I don't know why this issue is still there.
5. Now last but something everyone is waiting - the damn "Phantom Breaking" is still there in HW4. The late night drive, following a car on the freeway with basic AP engaged, suddenly car started slowing down. I was around 70, and in seconds it dropped to 50 before I picked it back with an accelerator pedal. TBH, it was not a hard brake but something like removing the foot from the pedal. So if that is what Phantom Breaking is, then yes it is still there. I guess hardware only can't fix it. It would take both enhanced hardware (hw4) and software fixes to finally eradicate this issue. Tesla - are you listening!?

That's it folks. I intend to add more to this thread as the ownership experience progresses. But overall, we are pretty pleased to have purchased it. A driving experience we never had with ICE cars. Although we are keeping our second (ICE) car so we don't forget what typical (old) driving feels like.

Cheers!

Picked mine up Friday and had a similar PB event at night. Glad someone wasn't riding my rear . . . .

 

[AbraDabra007]

Picked mine up Friday and had a similar PB event at night. Glad someone wasn't riding my rear . . . .

I hope Tesla finds resolution to it. Being in tech industry, I can definitely see this being a software (being fed from hardware) issue where system goes in exception mode when a "non-prerecorded" event happens.

 

[T.R.T.e.s.l.a.]

Picked mine up Friday and had a similar PB event at night. Glad someone wasn't riding my rear . . . .

HW4 also?

 

[pkmody]

HW4 also?

Nope, HW3 - should have mentioned that.

 

[Pianewman]

I wish this G.D. "Phantom" would stop BREAKING Teslas. He...oops...THEY haven't broken mine yet...

 

[AbraDabra007]

Nope, HW3 - should have mentioned that.

Please share your experience with us when you get a chance.

 

[pkmody]

Please share your experience with us when you get a chance.

Driving about 70 on TACC, no autopilot. It was after the 100 mile period that you can't turn it on. Was cresting a hill on the interstate (it was dark), car aggressively slowed down to about 45 before I think I hit the gas (didn't know that was what I need to do to stop the braking, do now. ). Scared the crap out of me.

 

[Geech72]

Please stop trying to tie everything to the phantom braking which is not an issue for the majority of people. Also, the term PB is the the made up term and very vague to define anyway.

Every term was made up by someone at some time. My vehicle will periodically decelerate suddenly and unexpectedly for no valid reason while on AP; if the term phantom braking offends you please feel free to suggest an alternative. I don’t know what “the majority of people” experience with respect to AP, and neither do you. All I know is my ‘21 MY had no phantom braking issues until Tesla disabled the lidar and switched me to vision only. Shadows seemed to be the culprit: overpasses, large trucks, trees casting shadows over the roadway have all preceded rapid declarations for me. I took delivery of a ‘23 MY in May and the experience has been the same. I don’t use AP daily and never plan to subscribe to FSD again so it’s not a deal breaker for me; but it’s clear to me, for my sample size of one ‘21 MY, that radar is superior to vision. While the term phantom braking may be in your estimation made up the issue it describes is not.

P.S. the OP has the same issue see #5 above; I guess we’re both outliers

 

[pkmody]

If the term phantom braking offends you then call it what you want; my vehicle unexpectedly decelerates periodically while on AP for no apparent valid reason.
Every term was made up by someone at some time. My vehicle will periodically decelerate suddenly and unexpectedly for no valid reason while on AP; if the term phantom braking offends you please feel free to suggest an alternative. I don’t know what “the majority of people” experience with respect to AP, and neither do you. All I know is my ‘21 MY had no phantom braking issues until Tesla disabled the lidar and switched me to vision only. Shadows seemed to be the culprit: overpasses, large trucks, trees casting shadows over the roadway have all preceded rapid declarations for me. I took delivery of a ‘23 MY in May and the experience has been the same. I don’t use AP daily and never plan to subscribe to FSD again so it’s not a deal breaker for me; but it’s clear to me, for my sample size of one ‘21 MY, that radar is superior to vision. While the term phantom braking may be in your estimation made up the issue it describes is not.

P.S. the OP has the same issue see #5 above; I guess we’re both outliers

Totally agree. Call it whatever you want. The issue exists, and is quite heart stopping when you are driving 70 MPH at night on an interstate. And we are not outliers. Also, I was NOT on AP, I was just using the cruise . . .

 

[AbraDabra007]

Driving about 70 on TACC, no autopilot. It was after the 100 mile period that you can't turn it on. Was cresting a hill on the interstate (it was dark), car aggressively slowed down to about 45 before I think I hit the gas (didn't know that was what I need to do to stop the braking, do now. ). Scared the crap out of me.

Exactly the same experience. We were driving on freeway at night and "phantom braking" happened.
No one should get offended by experiences we had and they didn't. We are not lying or making up things here.

If anything, people should be happy they are not having this issue.