AutoSteer Techniques?

[BnBinAlpine]

i’ve had my Model X now since August and have yet to find a way to be comfortable with using AutoSteer (have only tried it on divided hwys). I’ve read PapaFox’s “A Pilot Teaches Autopilot” thread (good advice) but haven’t found any tips on how to deal with what I consider a major weakness where AS does not detect Hands On the Wheel except by applying torque (surely there’s hdw that senses hands’ electrical presence?). I’ve tried wiggling the steering wheel when the warning appears but sometimes miss that due to driving situations. I’ve tried applying constant torque by having my right hand applying a slight pull down or left hand, but find that the car offsets in the lane to the opposite side of the lane torque is applied! And when there’s a significant turn in the highway I remove both hands not wanting to interfere with the car’s positioning! I’ve given up using AS for now, but use TACC most of the time and love it. I’m also not impressed with AS’s inconsistent lane positioning.

I’ve tried searching for what techniques others are using here on the forum, but no luck.

Suggestions? Or maybe it’s best to simply NOT use it until it’s no longer “beta”.

 

[macacovelho]

I have found that putting my left hand thru the bottom of the wheel, and resting my wrist on it, just a bit up to the left, makes enough of a torque on the wheel such that I don't get any nags. Driven 4 hours like this with no issues, and it's very comfortable.

 

[boaterva]

The only sensor is torque sensitive. All you need to is resist the movement of the wheel as it reacts to the changes of the road by steering. This has been discussed in literally hundreds of posts especially when the nagging was increased because people were trying to get around it with oranges and the like.

You don’t need to wiggle, just hold the wheel and stop it from turning. Slightly. The weight of your hands on the wheel should be enough angular momentum to do the trick but that isn’t enough for some cases.

 

[boaterva]

(And there’s no need to make three threads. Just wait a minute and refresh to see it appear.)

 

[wamochi]

if you use the scroll wheel on the steering wheel, that gets rid of the warning too. i'm not big on nudging the wheel either, it feels very forced. so i just scroll the wheel up/down and the nag goes away.

 

[BnBinAlpine]

(And there’s no need to make three threads. Just wait a minute and refresh to see it appear.)

Shoot, it didn’t refresh, just stayed on the submit page first two times.

 

[BnBinAlpine]

if you use the scroll wheel on the steering wheel, that gets rid of the warning too. i'm not big on nudging the wheel either, it feels very forced. so i just scroll the wheel up/down and the nag goes away.

Interesting, thanks

 

[BnBinAlpine]

I have found that putting my left hand thru the bottom of the wheel, and resting my wrist on it, just a bit up to the left, makes enough of a torque on the wheel such that I don't get any nags. Driven 4 hours like this with no issues, and it's very comfortable.

Thanks, will try that.

 

[boaterva]

Shoot, it didn’t refresh, just stayed on the submit page first two times.

Site has been known to get stuck, no biggie, just FYI for next time!

 

[boaterva]

if you use the scroll wheel on the steering wheel, that gets rid of the warning too. i'm not big on nudging the wheel either, it feels very forced. so i just scroll the wheel up/down and the nag goes away.

This is a recent addition, which is great for those that have problems ‘holding the wheel’. I’d even forgotten about it since lol I don’t.

 

[ewoodrick]

i’ve had my Model X now since August and have yet to find a way to be comfortable with using AutoSteer (have only tried it on divided hwys). I’ve read PapaFox’s “A Pilot Teaches Autopilot” thread (good advice) but haven’t found any tips on how to deal with what I consider a major weakness where AS does not detect Hands On the Wheel except by applying torque (surely there’s hdw that senses hands’ electrical presence?). I’ve tried wiggling the steering wheel when the warning appears but sometimes miss that due to driving situations. I’ve tried applying constant torque by having my right hand applying a slight pull down or left hand, but find that the car offsets in the lane to the opposite side of the lane torque is applied! And when there’s a significant turn in the highway I remove both hands not wanting to interfere with the car’s positioning! I’ve given up using AS for now, but use TACC most of the time and love it. I’m also not impressed with AS’s inconsistent lane positioning.

I’ve tried searching for what techniques others are using here on the forum, but no luck.

Suggestions? Or maybe it’s best to simply NOT use it until it’s no longer “beta”.

In an effort to make it a little easier, for now, don't add torque, just increase the volume one notch, then about. 20 seconds later, decrease it a notch.
This should keep the nag happy.
Once you have a better feel, you can go back to torque.

 

[BerTX]

It has baffled me in the past, how some people have such a problem with this and others do not. I have started to wonder if the steering sensitivity setting has any bearing on the success rate? I have never had any problem, with just the weight of my hand on one side or the other of the wheel. But I have the steering set on Sport -- I wonder if that setting has anything to do with the ability of the car to detect the torque on the wheel?

 

[BnBinAlpine]

It has baffled me in the past, how some people have such a problem with this and others do not. I have started to wonder if the steering sensitivity setting has any bearing on the success rate? I have never had any problem, with just the weight of my hand on one side or the other of the wheel. But I have the steering set on Sport -- I wonder if that setting has anything to do with the ability of the car to detect the torque on the wheel?

I have mine set to Sport, so it’s not that. For me, with only 2,400~ miles, it’s too new. I don’t understand how much “torque” is needed so probably overcompensate and I’m worried I’ll miss the alert to hold the wheel and it’ll disengage when I still may believe it’s active resulting in an accident. And I’m very uncomfortable with touching the wheel when the car is handling significant turns, worried I’ll interfere with its positioning, so I take my hands totally off with added worry that it’ll issue the Hold Wheel alert during the turn.

I expect that as my seat time increases all of this concern will eventually ebb. I wish Tesla’s engineers had instituted a better method of monitoring the driver’s attention such as detecting the electrical presence of hands and/or a driver-facing camera. Using wheel torque seems too unnatural to me, at least at this point.

 

[wamochi]

i rarely use AP since i don't do a ton of highway driving, but when i do, i still get nags even when my hands are at 10 & 2 on the wheel (or 4 and 8). i guess i don't death grip the wheel enough for it to notice so the scroll wheel method is an ok alternative to prove your hands are still there without having to apply opposing force to the steering wheel! i agree with you it's unnerving to apply pressure if the wheel in the middle of taking a curve on the highway.

 

[DCGOO]

If you hold the wheel with both hands, it will tend to be balanced and no torque detected. Try holding with one hand and just drag down from one side or the other. It doesn’t take much to be detected.

 

[Need]

On the Model X, it is a lot harder to let it know your hand is on the wheel. On Model 3, it hardly ever went off. With AP, I drive with only left hand at the 9 o'clock position. Just hang there and do nothing. It seems to work for me. If my arm gets tired, I switch to right hand at 3 o'clock. With the Model 3, I could just hang my left hand at the 7 o'clock. Can't do that with Model X.

Putting both hands balanced on the wheel will almost for certain trip the "put your hands on the steering wheel" warning. And putting the steering wheel in Sport mode helps too. It requires a lot less torque to detect your hand so yo don't panic and jerk the car out of AutoSteer.

 

[bikeandsail]

I have learned in about 40,000 miles with many on autopilot to use single hand weight. I usually rest my elbow on either the door arm rest or the center cup holder depending on the hand. That 'weight" is sufficient to stop the alarms. It is a little trickier if you try to keep two hands on the wheel. I have never noticed that affecting the track of the car. In fact I notice the opposite. If I try to move a bit further from a truck it will disconnect the autopilot.

 

[ek993]

I usually rest my elbow on either the door arm rest or the center cup holder depending on the hand. That 'weight" is sufficient to stop the alarms.

+1 this is exactly the technique I use. Just let the wheel move around and you naturally apply minimal torque against it without doing anything. Zero alarms and you arm / elbow / hand is in a static / relaxed position.

 

[kendallpb]

I'm glad I found this thread; I'll try both things. I'm kinda afraid I'll be too heavy-handed and it will cancel autosteer! ;-)

 

[BerTX]

I'm glad I found this thread; I'll try both things. I'm kinda afraid I'll be too heavy-handed and it will cancel autosteer! ;-)

Adjust the location of your grip to compensate for the difference in the weight of your arm/hand. moving your grip location more toward the bottom of the wheel puts less torque on the wheel. Just gripping all the way at the bottom is not optimal, but find a position on the side of the wheel that works for you.