Any advice on FSD usage after 2 false strikes

[Zluz]

Hello fellow Tesla owners and FSD beta testers.

I am seeking advice on continuing to use FSD beta and/or reaching out to Tesla after getting 2 FSD strikes due to (what I think is) a software bug.

I have a 2017 Model S and I have been using FSD beta since it opened to NA users in Nov 2022. The car has had the computer and camera upgrades.

(I do see other posts related to false strikes but not related to a standing notification on this version of FSD.. Apologies if I missed this in an earlier discussion)


A few days ago I got an FSD strike. The car was driving down a mostly straight, well marked country road in the afternoon in good weather. Pretty basic driving.
Not long before this the car started reporting that the 12V battery was in need of replacement. This appeared as a notification on the dash. This notification switched between two messages (I believe it was one message talking about an issue with the battery and another message about scheduling service for the battery).
So on this day when I activated FSD there would be an occasional third message asking the driver to apply pressure to the steering wheel.
The car was driving normally and I was responding to the regular attention prompts normally. I was not distracted and no prompts went beyond the basic simple text. The car was driving confidently through what seemed to be an easy driving environment.
The car suddenly went into panic mode with audible alerts and showing the big red image on the dash indicating that the driver must take over immediately. I firmly held the wheel and looked for what might be the problem and disengaged FSD.
Prior to this there was no warning; no pulsating bloom around the dash, no red messages, no icons indicating a problem.

This counted as a strike. My second.
The first strike also happened when there was a standing notification, but it happened so long ago I do not remember the details. At the time I did not think it was a real FSD strike because it was also an instance where the car panicked out of nowhere; no prior warning.

I was responding promptly to all attention requests in both cases. The car went from smooth, calm FSD driving one second and then the next second it goes straight to driver-take-control-immediately.
I have always given the driving my full attention and applied manual input when asked. Sometimes I would input speed changes or disengage FSD. I never used any devices to fake input. No fruit was involved.


I suspect that the standing notification interfered with the progressive driver prompts. I could imagine that it might suppress the pulsating flash and other more intense prompting. I don't know, maybe that's a stretch. I doubt it would block audible alerts.
Just a theory. I really don't know.
Another factor may be related to this 2017 car not having the interior camera. Maybe the code can periodically require a positive visual confirmation of an attentive driver.

Or, have I been using FSD wrong? Should I have been voluntarily applying pressure to the wheel, and that it had to ask at all was on me? Or, should it only be used after some number of regular prompts; only for a few miles? None of that seems right either but I am not discarding the possibility that I have been doing something wrong.


As I have been writing this 11.4.2 just went to the car. I have been not using FSD because I didn't want to get the last strike and I wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong.
I was also hoping that I might be able to reach out to Tesla and ask/argue my case to have these strikes removed, and I did not want to overwrite recent FSD driving history, so it may be pulled and reviewed.

I am really impressed with FSD and I very much appreciate how well it works but I am now thinking of just dropping back to AP. Keep FSD for a long trip. Since the strike I have not been using any driving assistance features at all.


Can anyone share some information about this?
Has anyone experienced the same thing (FSD strike while a standing notification interfered with prompts)?
Is there a Tesla contact I should reach out to? Request service via the app? (I did take pictures also)
Should I stop using FSD? Do strikes ever reset? (After 11.4.2 was installed it still showed 2 strikes.)
Am I using FSD wrong, or should I use FSD differently in general? What can I do to avoid future strikes?

I appreciate any input.
(Wow, this got long, thank you for reading this far!)

 

[oneday]

The strikes reset after 1 week for the most current software. Seems to me you are way overthinking this. Drive your car, use FSDb when it is helpful to you, don’t overthink it and enjoy the car.

 

[azred]

Don’t change a thing. You’ll be much safer after that third strike.

 

[Resist]

Just to be clear you don't apply pressure the steering wheel, you apply torque. Some might confuse pressure as meaning to squeeze the wheel when it's actually torque resistance that it senses. But, you could just use the scroll wheel instead. I got several strikes within a week because on my long drives I didn't react fast enough, even though I was paying attention. The good thing is, like someone already said, it resets after a week.

 

[Tdriver]

It’s possible that the car was concerned about the 12 V battery failing and interfering with the FSD

 

[BitJam]

Replace your 12 volt battery!!!

The strike limit is up to 5 and it resets after a week. No biggie.

 

[T3slaDad]

Replace your 12 volt battery!!!

The strike limit is up to 5 and it resets after a week. No biggie.

Just to clarify, do you mean it gives you 5 strikes, then disables you for 1 week, then gives you 5 more strikes?

I'm on strike 4 on 11.3.6 and nowhere does it mention that the strikes will reset after 2 weeks (the pre-11.4.2 period). My strikes have also never reset since FSDb went public in December.

 

[BitJam]

Just to clarify, do you mean it gives you 5 strikes, then disables you for 1 week, then gives you 5 more strikes?

I'm on strike 4 on 11.3.6 and nowhere does it mention that the strikes will reset after 2 weeks (the pre-11.4.2 period). My strikes have also never reset since FSDb went public in December.

Yes. It's not that you are allowed 4 strikes per week. IIUC once you get to 5 strikes, you're given a one week timeout and then the count resets. The timeout used to be two weeks but several sources have said it's been reduced to one week. If you do some searches then you'll know as much as I do.

 

[Resist]

The timeout used to be two weeks but several sources have said it's been reduced to one week.

It actually says that in the latest update release notes.

 

[JulienW]

Replace your 12 volt battery!!!

The strike limit is up to 5 and it resets after a week. No biggie.

OP has a 2017 Model S. So it is 3.

 

[T3slaDad]

Yes. It's not that you are allowed 4 strikes per week. IIUC once you get to 5 strikes, you're given a one week timeout and then the count resets. The timeout used to be two weeks but several sources have said it's been reduced to one week. If you do some searches then you'll know as much as I do.

Thanks! I can confirm it's a 1 week lockout now...

I finally got the option to upgrade to 11.4.2 today from 11.3.6 so caused the 5th disengagement on purpose. I was hoping the 2 week suspension would lift with the update but instead it just got reduced to 1 week suspension.

Now to wait another week to play with 11.4.2

 

[r1200gs4ok]

Replace your 12 volt battery!!!

The strike limit is up to 5 and it resets after a week. No biggie.

I wish....I was driving again to Salt lake when near the same stretch of I-15 I got 2 strikes within 20 miles....a specific stretch 25 miles south of St George.....this is the third time in this area, either coming or going, I have been hit with strikes......this trip I got 2 going and on my return trip got the 3rd....I did not get 5 strikes...only 3 and my car told me I was in jail for a week.....I was driving 68mph all the way and very safe.....something is wrong

 

[r1200gs4ok]

Thanks! I can confirm it's a 1 week lockout now...

I finally got the option to upgrade to 11.4.2 today from 11.3.6 so caused the 5th disengagement on purpose. I was hoping the 2 week suspension would lift with the update but instead it just got reduced to 1 week suspension.

Now to wait another week to play with 11.4.2

 

[Deaf Paul]

I never used any devices to fake input. No fruit was involved.

I suggest you reconsider this.

I now use a weight on my wheel because I've gotten dinged one too many times even though my hands were on the wheel. It got rid of the "apply torque" warning. However two times it "busted" me with the weight and kicked me out. Had to pull over, restart and then resume driving to get AP back.

I also got locked out of FSD Beta on a rental within 2 days the first time I used FSD... Car came with two strikes already. Got 1 strike because of not applying torque quickly enough, one because I was looking at my phone in stop and go traffic, one because I forgot to put my sunglasses on before looking at my phone in stop and go traffic.

-Paul

 

[r1200gs4ok]

I have got kicked out and put in jail 2 times..... both of which were on the same freeway, at the same place going to Salt Lake City.....one going and one coming......bot times, it was on the same stretch of road: just going in different directions......I was driving at 68mph in a 75mph zone...minding my own business and both hands on the wheel at 10 and 2......I am so pissed I quit using the damn thing....Telsa wont listen and offers not help....I had to wait for 2 weeks the first time and a week the second time.....you are now supposed to get 5 strikes, but mine still says 3 times......just wonder what V12 is going to be like

 

[danielandrewMY]

The suspension period is based on what version of FSDb you are on. When I was on v.11.3.6, my suspension period was 2 weeks. It stated it in the Autopilot menu. My actual suspension period was 11 days. I just updated to FSDb v.11.4.4 and in the poorly written release notes it states (I am paraphrasing) that FSB will be suspended when you receive five forced autopilot engagements. The FSD feature will be unavailable while in a suspension for approximately one-week.

 

[r1200gs4ok]

The suspension period is based on what version of FSDb you are on. When I was on v.11.3.6, my suspension period was 2 weeks. It stated it in the Autopilot menu. My actual suspension period was 11 days. I just updated to FSDb v.11.4.4 and in the poorly written release notes it states (I am paraphrasing) that FSB will be suspended when you receive five forced autopilot engagements. The FSD feature will be unavailable while in a suspension for approximately one-week.

I was on 11.4.4 when I got kicked off the last time......3 strikes rule......for 2 weeks.....now I am on 11.4.7..........it still says 2 weeks and 3 strikes

 

[danielandrewMY]

I was on 11.4.4 when I got kicked off the last time......3 strikes rule......for 2 weeks.....now I am on 11.4.7..........it still says 2 weeks and 3 strikes

That’s really strange. You have different rules altogether. It is because you have no cabin camera? I remember someone posting that people who are using FSDb with no cabin camera get fewer strikes.

 

[izzzyyd]

That’s really strange. You have different rules altogether. It is because you have no cabin camera? I remember someone posting that people who are using FSDb with no cabin camera get fewer strikes.

Why would you even allow a cabin camera buy one of those privacy things and block it.

Open it when you need

 

[jjayforbes]

Just realized something interesting: Everybody seems to know that giving your right scroll wheel a little ”love” counts as torque on the wheel. Mine does the same with the left scroll wheel, too. I change volume on the stereo every song now. No fruit required.