AP step back with both 2020.32.3 and 2020.36.10

[Mardak]

I wonder...why bother sending updates if in December we're going to be getting that new completely re-written version?

I believe the main purposes of the various "old" Autopilot updates, e.g., traffic light stop control, is to get experience with the feature and collect data for the rewrite. The green light chime was a new feature released to all regions around the same time based on learnings from having first released traffic light control in the US. Additionally even if single-camera traffic light control is only temporary code before multi-camera rewrite, having it deployed to the fleet helps collect examples of when the pre-rewrite detection has trouble to make sure the incoming version performs better.

So yes there is some waste in writing temporary code to improve pre-rewrite Autopilot, but theoretically it helps improve the new Autopilot as well. (This is as opposed to waiting to release the rewrite sooner only to then get traffic light improvements later.)

This does somewhat spread out resources and priorities to manage both the old and incoming Autopilot versions, and that might also allow for regressions in the old behavior especially knowing it'll be less maintained soon. Then again, there will be some portion of the fleet that doesn't have FSD computer, so unclear what will happen.

 

[mike123abc]

The last update (32.3) When driving on a highway that goes through towns it now "sees" the speed limit signs, you can see them in the animation. But, the bit problem is that it only "sees" signs 60 MPH and under.

TX typically goes 75MPH rural, 70 approaching town, 55 at town edge, down to 45 then 35 or so (or less) in town, then goes back up to 45/55 then as you exit the town 70 and then 75 a few hundred yards later. It sees all the signs slowing down, then when exiting the town it starts to go back up, but the last sign it "sees" is 55. So, you are then stuck on the rural area 75MPH zone with a max speed on autopilot of 60 MPH -- 5 MPH greater than what it thinks the speed limit it! These are small towns without any stoplights or stop signs.

It also of course only adjusts speed limits as you pass the sign. This actually is faster than the GPS since it would not recognize the change until well after the sign. They really need to get it to start slowing down for the towns as it comes to the signs, not as it passes.

Signs with 65/70/75+ speed limits do not even show on the display as you pass them. I also had a situation where it picked up a speed limit sign that was not there (jumble of highway number intersection signs must have confused it). The highest number that I observed it detecting was 60 MPH. It would not be an issue if it used GPS for the higher speed limits and set the speed back up for rural highways.

Ideally it would see the signs farther ahead and start the breaking sequence as you come into town, waiting until you pass the sign to speed up is not really an issue, better than the GPS since it would be well past it before it started to speed back up.

Well the update (32.10) did not fix the speed limit problems on rural highways. Today I found yet another new bug with it. When going down a non access controlled turnpike (only in OK could they design one that way). It passed a sign with 40 MPH minimum and 65 maximum. Guess what it decided to do -- It decided that 40 was the new speed limit (car slows to 45)... So much for using auto steering on that turnpike until it is fixed.

Again every time I went through a small town it would just keep the last low speed limit before exiting the town for the rural parts of the road. It thinks most highways now are 45 in OK...

 

[Twiglett]

I've seen exactly the same thing but more like in the last 3 maybe 4 updates.
Roads that were previously flawless on AP are now uncomfortable to use AP, previously smooth curves are now bouncy sawtooth journeys in frustration.
The last two versions seem to have had a speed limit lobotomy. As with AP accuracy, roads that have had know speed limits are now show completely random and stupidly low limits - this is where most of my new "phantom braking" events are coming from now.
It isn't that the car is slowing down for some unseen hazard - its slowing down because it suddenly decides that the 65mph road is now 45, or even worse 25mph. I'm paying attention so I can correct it but it sure makes for a really uncomfortable ride as it slams on the brakes followed by me correcting it to stop being rear ended.
My wife hates it when I use AP now, whereas before it was great. There are too many times where it panics and hits the brakes.
It can't even slow down for traffic lights without causing ridiculous head bobbing.

I'd say its regressed from an experienced 19year old to being a16yr old learner again.

 

[Knightshade]

FWIW this is a HUGE improvement for my drive (got to test 36.x first time today)

There's a road I drive several miles before the turn for my street that's 55 mph (posted)- about halfway down my travel of the road the car, the entire ~2 years I've had it- would drop to 45 mph for no apparent reason (incorrect maps I suppose) always at the same spot.

Today it kept the 55 since it saw no new sign indicating lower afterward all the way to my turn.

This was the only part of a ~75 mile roundtrip the system ever consistently gotten wrong. And now appears fixed.

 

[Atari2600]

There was one intersection where AP would give the giant red steering wheel and hands you are going to die alert almost every time. Have not been able to replicate it with this and 2020.32 and 2020.36 versions. Have not had any phantom braking yet so seems like a net improvement so far to me.

 

[LACALawyer]

After you turned autopilot on, how far did you drive before it braked that hard?
How fast were you traveling when the car braked?
How do you know you would have hit the windshield?
Were your hands on the wheel at the time it braked. ?

Literally the moment I turned it on
About 70 - 80
The stopping force applied as felt through my seat belt and the lifting motion of my body. Apparently you have never moved and stopped quickly in your life.
Of course.

Now my turn...what kind of joker questions are these, Gadget?

 

[Phlier]

Literally the moment I turned it on
About 70 - 80
The stopping force applied as felt through my seat belt and the lifting motion of my body. Apparently you have never moved and stopped quickly in your life.
Of course.

Now my turn...what kind of joker questions are these, Gadget?

The type a lawyer would ask?? I'm just kidding!!!! No offense intended, my friend.

I'll see myself out now.

 

[TX_M3P+]

I was on .36.2 (or maybe it was 36.6.2, I can't remember the exact previous version number) for about 2 weeks and a few days ago went to 36.10. Since going to .36.10 I haven't had any problems with AP once it's activated, however I have had it fail to activate multiple times, despite the gray steering wheel being present on the driving cluster. When it fails to activate the gray wheel disappears and I get a warning message that AP is currently unavailable. About 10 seconds later the gray wheel will appear again and typically it will engage the second time. I did have one experience where it took 3 times for it to engage though. I have also had a lot more issues with my phone not connecting when I'm standing at my door trying to get in my car. I have to take my phone out, and it shows the app is connected, but I still have to open the app before it will let me open the door. This has happened 3 or 4 times since the 36.10 update. The speed sign recognition seems to be working very well though. There are multiple streets I drive on where the limit changes several times, and previously the car would never show the speed changes on these roads. Now it sees every speed change, so far.

 

[thewishmaster]

... and lane changes finished with a sudden jolting recentering in the lane.

I've noticed this behavior for the last few versions, starting probably around version 2020.20-something. 36.3.1 seemed to make it more subtle for me (or I've just gotten used to it).

 

[astrowunder]

Just one data point, but since the 36.x versions, I've had phantom braking just slam me into the seat belt- seems even more aggressive than in the past. I was really hoping the speed limit sign reading would help, but no luck there. It does work nicely in town though.

 

[boiler81]

So everyone is talking about the latest updated to Autopilot, however due to the lack of transparency for Tesla's update contents, we seldom, if every get notifications of any specific changes to Autopilot unless the change creates a new function on the screen. It is getting old being Tesla's beta software "guinea pigs" even if I am "long on Tesla". My wife hates me using Autopilot or TACC because of the seemingly random behaviors of phantom braking and jerky steering during passing lane transitions.

 

[ranova]

this is why I stayed on 2019.36.4 for almost one year! I luckily held off on 2020 updates since I heard AP had regressed significantly. It wasnt until end of spring/early summer where I heard AP was nearly on par with 2019. I guess I should really hold off on updates again until I heard from others if AP is worse/better

 

[Knightshade]

Literally every update if you read forum posts you find the new update:

Reduced regen
also that it increased regen
Made autosteer worse
also that is made AS better
Made lane changing worse
also that it made it better
Made phantom braking worse
also that it make it better
Made the car slower
also that it made it faster.
and so on.

All depending on who you ask.

(and almost every time anyone with a calibrated measuring device checks- the imaginary changes aren't really there for things like regen or speed- humans are notoriously terrible calibration and measuring devices)

 

[mike123abc]

All depending on who you ask.

I believe that it is just trade offs they make. Each adjustment has positive and negative effects. It could help your particular driving route/situation, or it could hurt it. Adjusting, for example, autosteering to handle one case could cause it to behave slightly worse in some situations, but on balance probably comes out ahead for the majority of drivers.

People are most sensitive to the routes they regularly drive -- to/from work, regular shopping, etc. So, it would be a different test for each driver.

 

[LACALawyer]

The type a lawyer would ask?? I'm just kidding!!!! No offense intended, my friend.

I'll see myself out now.

That's actually the first thing I thought

 

[SlimJim]

I had a phantom braking today for the first time since I got the car in late June.
Sunny day. 60 mph freeway. About 100 yards before an overpass in moderate rush hour traffic.
It braked pretty hard but fortunately I recovered with a quick response on the go pedal and the car behind me was far enough to be too startled about it.

 

[Twiglett]

(and almost every time anyone with a calibrated measuring device checks- the imaginary changes aren't really there for things like regen or speed- humans are notoriously terrible calibration and measuring devices)

That almost sounds plausible - except the roads that pre-202-36 AP would drive are roads I used to drive several times a week, mostly on AP. Now I can't because now it insists that the posted 65mph limit is in fact 45.
Tonight I drove on a road (also 65mph) that I used to drive every single weekend for 4 months again usually on AP, now is unusable on AP because it also sees it as a 45mph road.
The speed seems to be key. On a 60mph road that it sets to 45, it will adjust when it sees a speed limit sign. At 65 however, it sees the sign, shows the sign, then ignores the limit at keeps it at 45.