Autopilot on highways with lights?

[Averdi]

Hi All
I have a 2015 Model S with autopilot and was wondering if it is bad use this function on stop and go highways? (Lights every 1-2 miles) or in stop n go traffic?

Is this bad for the drive train to stop n go? Or is it meant for this?

 

[beatle]

Is it bad for the drivetrain to stop and go? No.

 

[Averdi]

Is it bad for the drivetrain to stop and go? No.

Only reason I’m asking is because the car won’t start to slow down until it’s time to really brake.. so I’m not sure if it’s even using battery regen to slow down or if it’s using the brakes cause it’s not prepared

 

[beatle]

It uses the brakes because Tesla screwed up the algorithm that governs following distance years ago.

 

[DerbyDave]

Also the event horizon is too short a distance from the car. It never uses regen braking because the car does not recognize stopped cars or stop lights until way after a normal driver would start to slow down. Maybe HW4 on the newest cars will be better.

 

[PCMc]

Check what you have set for the following distance. If you have it set to 1 or 2, it will late until really late. If you set it to 6 or 7, you should see some difference, especially if it's following cars between the stops. However, if your driving at highway speeds, someone already at a light quite some distance ahead and you come up on them, yeah, it will wait until quite late as the detection range is much less than distance as which I'd normally start to slow.

Another trick is when you get to a distance where you think it should start to slow, start toggling down the set speed by pushing down on the autopilot stock. You can lower in 5 mph increments with a full push down. If you do that so that it starts to decel before it detects the car, then you can make it less abrupt. Then when it does stop, you can push the stack back up a few times to get back to your prior set speed for when the light changes and your car starts to move, following the car in front of you.

 

[dwbv]

From my short experience with autopilot in my 2015 MS is that as long as you are in traffic, you're fine, it will fully stop and go but it won't stop for lights or stop signs.