Autopilot: No option to set car-length distance

[johnc925]

I've seen in various threads people discuss setting a minimum car distance from the car in front of you for Autopilot. And I've also seen threads discuss the minimum for the new MYs with no radar is a distance of 3-car length equivalent where the slider setting lets you set the number of car lengths from 3-7. However, I do not have that as an option at all in my Autopilot menu. It seems mine has a fixed value hidden somewhere that I can't adjust.

I have a 2021 MYLR with a 269xxx VIN built in Sept 2021. It's running 2021.11.103 -- and the system says I'm up to date.

Is there a way to enable that or is it just not available on some cars, OS/SW versions?

 

[nigelmansell]

right steeringwheel joystick, trigger left / right to adjust distance

 

[UT4EVER]

You adjust it with the right scroll wheel on the steering wheel while engaged…. Just push it left and right to adjust the distance.

 

[johnc925]

Yikes

right steeringwheel joystick, trigger left / right to adjust distance

You adjust it with the right scroll wheel on the steering wheel while engaged…. Just push it left and right to adjust the distance.

Ahh... I did not try that! What a rookie mistake (I thought just about every setting was available via the screen)!

Thanks to you both!

 

[Tam]

Please follow the instructions from the manual:

 

[angus[Y]oung]

 

[evnautilus]

So mine appears to be stuck at 2. When I press the right scroll wheel to the right, the icon just comes up that shows it is set to 2 but it doesn't change. Pressing the wheel left does nothing. Anyone encounter this?

 

[Johnny Vector]

I've seen in various threads people discuss setting a minimum car distance from the car in front of you for Autopilot. And I've also seen threads discuss the minimum for the new MYs with no radar is a distance of 3-car length equivalent where the slider setting lets you set the number of car lengths from 3-7. However, I do not have that as an option at all in my Autopilot menu. It seems mine has a fixed value hidden somewhere that I can't adjust.

I have a 2021 MYLR with a 269xxx VIN built in Sept 2021. It's running 2021.11.103 -- and the system says I'm up to date.

Is there a way to enable that or is it just not available on some cars, OS/SW versions?

One other thing: the number is not "car-lengths". That's a stupid and wrong way of describing following distance that was created by brain-dead driving instructors who assumed all their students were idiots.

First of all, there is no "safe following distance", there is a "safe following time". It's all about reaction time, so the faster you're going the more distance you need to leave. Two seconds is about the minimum safe time (for a human driver), in good conditions.

Secondly, the whole "car-lengths" unit of measure is both imprecise and almost impossible to judge while driving. How long do you think the stripes are on the road? Now go look up how long they are! Answer in ROT-13: Gurl ner gra srrg ybat, jvgu guvegl sbbg fcnpvat orgjrra.

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

One other thing: the number is not "car-lengths". That's a stupid and wrong way of describing following distance that was created by brain-dead driving instructors who assumed all their students were idiots.

First of all, there is no "safe following distance", there is a "safe following time". It's all about reaction time, so the faster you're going the more distance you need to leave. Two seconds is about the minimum safe time (for a human driver), in good conditions.

Secondly, the whole "car-lengths" unit of measure is both imprecise and almost impossible to judge while driving. How long do you think the stripes are on the road? Now go look up how long they are! Answer in ROT-13: Gurl ner gra srrg ybat, jvgu guvegl sbbg fcnpvat orgjrra.

Thanks. Every time I see someone write "car lengths" on this forum I try to correct them. The owner's manual refers to it as "following time". But it's an uphill battle.

From the owner's manual:

"Traffic-Aware Cruise Control....to maintain a selected time-based distance from the vehicle in front" and "each setting corresponds to a time-based distance that represents how long it takes for Model Y, from its current location, to reach the location of the rear bumper of the vehicle ahead of you."

 

[GtiMart]

Thanks for that manual excerpt, good information. It's just that it's an arbitrary variable in an algorithm, the unit attached to that number isn't something that people typically want and easily understand. Car lengths isn't precise but we can relate to it. Seconds would also be relatable but that's not the proper unit either. When I set it to 7, it certainly doesn't take 7 seconds to reach the bumper of the car in front.
--> There is no unit associated to the value, it's a "setting" to adjust the algorithm, and the algorithm is time-based.

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

Thanks for that manual excerpt, good information. It's just that it's an arbitrary variable in an algorithm, the unit attached to that number isn't something that people typically want and easily understand. Car lengths isn't precise but we can relate to it. Seconds would also be relatable but that's not the proper unit either. When I set it to 7, it certainly doesn't take 7 seconds to reach the bumper of the car in front.
--> There is no unit associated to the value, it's a "setting" to adjust the algorithm, and the algorithm is time-based.

Yes not in units of seconds. But directly proportional to units of seconds.

The problem is that people CAN relate to car lengths. Thinking of it as car lengths is incorrect and misleading. It would be much easier to think of it using the scale "talegater" (1) to "granny" (7). But car lengths is just wrong.

 

[spacecortes]

So mine appears to be stuck at 2. When I press the right scroll wheel to the right, the icon just comes up that shows it is set to 2 but it doesn't change. Pressing the wheel left does nothing. Anyone encounter this?

Mine is doing the same thing. Did you have any luck finding out why this is happening?

 

[evnautilus]

Mine is doing the same thing. Did you have any luck finding out why this is happening?

Nope. I talked to support and they said to contact them again if driving it around for a while doesn't sort it out. I got the impression they thought a software update might help, but I'm still in factory software jail, so we'll see.

 

[evnautilus]

Mine is doing the same thing. Did you have any luck finding out why this is happening?

Nope. I talked to support and they said to contact them again if driving it around for a while doesn't sort it out. I got the impression they thought a software update might help, but I'm still in factory software jail, so we'll see.

Updated to 2021.44.6 but the problem persists, so I guess it's not a software issue. Have a service appointment in January, hoping they can fix this.

 

[spacecortes]

Updated to 2021.44.6 but the problem persists, so I guess it's not a software issue. Have a service appointment in January, hoping they can fix this.

Let me know what they say about the after your appointment.

 

[chyuan]

One other thing: the number is not "car-lengths". That's a stupid and wrong way of describing following distance that was created by brain-dead driving instructors who assumed all their students were idiots.

First of all, there is no "safe following distance", there is a "safe following time". It's all about reaction time, so the faster you're going the more distance you need to leave. Two seconds is about the minimum safe time (for a human driver), in good conditions.

Secondly, the whole "car-lengths" unit of measure is both imprecise and almost impossible to judge while driving. How long do you think the stripes are on the road? Now go look up how long they are! Answer in ROT-13: Gurl ner gra srrg ybat, jvgu guvegl sbbg fcnpvat orgjrra.

It's all relative, and will in fact increase the distance between you and the car in front when going at constant speed for as long as you're equal or faster than the car in front.

It comes down to how comfortable you're about the braking at various speed as well as how fast the car in front is stopping, if one find it rough than increase the number. For me even at the maximum 7 I still finding it breaking too late for my taste when going at freeway speed of maybe 55+ or so when the traffic comes to a stop relatively fast. I'm not going to trust the car being able to always stop in time in that case tbh and would rather disengage TACC ahead of time (it's the worst combo to hesitate and decide to cancel TACC very late though as it's hard to brake to the right level while it cancels TACC, so either cancel it early or let it do it).

 

[evnautilus]

Let me know what they say about the after your appointment.

@spacecortes

So when I first took it in they said they might have to replace the whole steering wheel (!). But I picked it up and they had replaced the right switch in the steering wheel, not the whole steering wheel, and that fixed it. So I can use the button properly now. It seems left press on the button wasn't registering at all.

Parts Replaced or Added
Part Quantity
STEERING WHEEL 1.00 SWITCH RIGHT
HAND(1094965-00-E)

 

[Tha_Ape]

Mine is doing the same thing. Did you have any luck finding out why this is happening?

If your car was built after April 2021, it is vision only.

vision only cars have a minimum distance setting of "2".

 

[evnautilus]

If your car was built after April 2021, it is vision only.

vision only cars have a minimum distance setting of "2".

The problem is that the maximum distance setting was also 2.

 

[spacecortes]

@spacecortes

So when I first took it in they said they might have to replace the whole steering wheel (!). But I picked it up and they had replaced the right switch in the steering wheel, not the whole steering wheel, and that fixed it. So I can use the button properly now. It seems left press on the button wasn't registering at all.

Parts Replaced or Added
Part Quantity
STEERING WHEEL 1.00 SWITCH RIGHT
HAND(1094965-00-E)

I was wondering if it was the right switch having issues! When I press it to the right is shows follow distance of 2 but pushing it left doesn't do anything. Also if I push it left before right then nothing shows on the screen. Guess they installed some bad switches from the factory because mine has never worked. Did they replace it for free?