Back end slipping/strange for some owners

[Adopado]

I'm guessing it will be harder to fully appreciate how the Tesla will respond compared to more mechanical systems, and that it can change over time with changes to the code.

Unfortunately Tesla rarely reports detailed changes that have been made in software. (Unless it’s a specific new feature) This means that after each software update owners are looking for any indications that something has been tweaked. That’s how we end up with threads like this!

When you have an older traditional vehicle and you get an unexpected twitch at the rear on a corner your first thought may be “is there some diesel on the road” or “is it cold enough for ice” or “these tyres are shot” … now in a Tesla if you’ve recently had a software update you have an extra factor “did they change the traction control since I last drove this car”. In some cases we get to actually find out but in most cases we’ll just never know.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

Oops, looks like the Tesla software virus has spread to the Mach-E now.
"Perfect driving conditions..."

 

[browellm]

You seem somewhat invested in this mate. I'd have a biscuit and a cuppa and move on.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

You seem somewhat invested in this mate. I'd have a biscuit and a cuppa and move on.

Not sure I understand you. This is one of a few threads I've replied to, so I get notifications and when I have something I think might be relevant to contribute, I post. Just like you've done
If you don't want to read any more contributions from me there's the unwatch thread button or ignore feature.
And I've got a cuppa here already ta!

 

[browellm]

Your position is well known. What else are you adding at this stage other than a bit of snark, and creating a few more straw men?

 

[Dangerous Fish]

Your position is well known. What else are you adding at this stage other than a bit of snark, and creating a few more straw men?

The video shows another EV with lots of torque experiencing the same thing in "perfect driving conditions" recently in the UK.
That makes it relevant in my book.
I still haven't seen any solid evidence these reports are anything other than road conditions and this sort of FUD needs addressing.
What's your position on the matter?

 

[Amiable]

Just for reference, last winter I ran the OEM PS4's (warm weather tyre) throughout and didn't experience this specific type of slip (rear left when exiting roundabouts) once.

 

[browellm]

What's your position on the matter?

I drive like a nodder - I think I've had the back end step out twice in a year of ownership.

I am prepared to keep an open mind about it though. Generalising a little here, but I don't think conditions are especially challenging right now, and certainly nothing that we haven't had before at various times over the past three years the M3 has been around.

It's the glut of reports that occurred in a short window of time that's intriguing. I'd ask why didn't they occur during previous bouts of inclement weather? Perhaps they do but for some reason these have been socialised more widely.

Perhaps torque changing in snow mode has had an effect? Perhaps they've twiddled with torque distribution a bit to enhance efficiency? - What I'm saying here is that if it is a Tesla change it's not necessarily a bad one but if someone is used to a particular behaviour any change might catch them out in the short term.

I hope this gets across that I'm fully prepared to accept it's down to local road conditions. I just don't have the same certainty that perhaps you do. I think it's worth raising the question as the OP did, and it's the dismissive nature of the rebuttals that cheesed me off a bit.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

I drive like a nodder - I think I've had the back end step out twice in a year of ownership.

I am prepared to keep an open mind about it though. Generalising a little here, but I don't think conditions are especially challenging right now, and certainly nothing that we haven't had before at various times over the past three years the M3 has been around.

It's the glut of reports that occurred in a short window of time that's intriguing. I'd ask why didn't they occur during previous bouts of inclement weather? Perhaps they do but for some reason these have been socialised more widely.

Perhaps torque changing in snow mode has had an effect? Perhaps they've twiddled with torque distribution a bit to enhance efficiency? - What I'm saying here is that if it is a Tesla change it's not necessarily a bad one but if someone is used to a particular behaviour any change might catch them out in the short term.

I hope this gets across that I'm fully prepared to accept it's down to local road conditions. I just don't have the same certainty that perhaps you do. I think it's worth raising the question as the OP did, and it's the dismissive nature of the rebuttals that cheesed me off a bit.

I'm not trying to be dissmissive of anyone, especially if they approach the subject from an objective point of view.
This whole situation has come about because of a few drivers posting their views on Facebook and subsequently here, which then leads to others latching on to their view that it's due to a software update. The reasoning being that they have 'never had this happen before in x years of driving". That reason holds no water. We all have experiences we've never had before. Life would be a bit boring otherwise. Every single time you drive your car on a road, something is different from the last time you drove it on that road. Most of the time, the changes are too small to notice.

If these owners had just posted that their Tesla had a little slide and asked for an explanation, I'm sure the discussion would have quickly turned to summer vs. winter tyres instead, but the OPs have all hinted that software could be to blame without having any hard evidence other than their own subjective views.

The glut has occurred because most of the UK has had the same road conditions for a week or two. Very different road conditions from the rest of the winter it has to be said. "Inclement weather" covers a lot of bases. It's not just about one element - temperature, humidity and how they change between night and day play a part, as does the length of the dry spell, how much daily sunshine, how much cloud during the day/night, It all has an influence of road conditions. It's been a while since the roads have been this greasy. But that is all it is.

I'm the opposite of a nodder but without trying to blow my own trumpet, I also have a lot of experience driving all sorts of cars in all sorts of conditions over many years. I can draw on that experience to assess how a car behaves and diagnose problems objectively and pretty rapidly I like to think. The same night these intial reports came in I went out in a Model 3 to see if there was anything in the update suggestion and I could immediately see what the fuss was about.

There are ways to drive a car to test for how the tyres are gripping, how the traction control/stability control is working, the ABS, regen and stuff like that. I could tell very quickly that there was no change to TC in that update, but that the road conditions were very different to a few days before. I went for a longer drive the next day and that confirmed my initial thoughts. That's how I've formed my opinion. If someone can post in detail how they have tested their car to prove it's a software glitch then I'm all ears. Otherwise I'll leave it there with this thread and let everyone decide for themselves what they think is going on.

 

[yessuz]

It was raining probably whole winter last year against dry spell this year

Just for reference, last winter I ran the OEM PS4's (warm weather tyre) throughout and didn't experience this specific type of slip (rear left when exiting roundabouts) once.

 

[yessuz]

We have micro layer of all that gunk/dirt on the roads. The same you car is covered with. Especially noticeable after long trips on motorway.
It's super fine, but effect is the same as you would spill sand on tarmac. Nothing new.

As I said, I get understeer at any roundabout if I drive a bit more agressive, I get wheelspins at any T-junction. And I currently drive Nissan Qashqai with 1.3 liter turbo petrol engine with max 160 bhp.

And you talk here about cars with 300+ bhp...

 

[Sparkeur]

Just moved south to our apartment in Spain for February to warm the bones. Locally, we have a strange access onto a fast dual carriageway - it has no slip/ramp. You go from stopped, straight on to it. I've used it many times and quite enjoy the 'brisk' acceleration that's needed to get up to speed. Yesterday I used it and had exactly the same rear-right wheel split-second judder I noticed for the first time on a roundabout near our house a month or so ago. It is definitely something that wasn't there when we last visited. The road was dry, there's been no rain and it was 25c.

 

[Cloggie]

Just moved south to our apartment in Spain for February to warm the bones. Locally, we have a strange access onto a fast dual carriageway - it has no slip/ramp. You go from stopped, straight on to it. I've used it many times and quite enjoy the 'brisk' acceleration that's needed to get up to speed. Yesterday I used it and had exactly the same rear-right wheel split-second judder I noticed for the first time on a roundabout near our house a month or so ago. It is definitely something that wasn't there when we last visited. The road was dry, there's been no rain and it was 25c.

I used to enjoy your updates...

 

[Sances]

Yes, this was happening to me in the late fall, as I backed out of my driveway where I have to make a sharp turn so the steering wheel is fully turned. We didn't have snow or bad conditions yet. It happened probably a half dozen times and I was starting to be concerned. It had not happened before. But I haven't felt it in the last month. However, we NOW have snow and traction issues so now I'm being much more cautious. Or maybe the bug was fixed.