[BUG] Model 3 randomly goes into PARK while driving

[Jedi2155]

Hey guys, I recently helped a friend pick up a MR Model 3 last Friday and she complained to me today that THREE times today, that she was driving normally with no traffic around her.

• One time driving down the street with no cars around
• Another time was coming out of a shopping center

Apparently this happened 3x yesterday, and she said clearly the car showed a "P" on the screen, and she was unable to drive the car until she pushed down on the stalk.

I asked if she accidentally push the P while driving (but even then this shouldn't occur accidentally unless you press and hold). She already called out Tesla service and they suggested a hard reboot and she hasn't experienced it since (only 1 day though). She was running 2018.48.12.1 when I picked up her car last Friday.

Has this occurred to anyone else or has anyone heard of this?

 

[MXWing]

Never heard of it but that's dangerous.

Educated guess is the parking "switch" has a malfunction.

Drive into Tesla SC and state an emergency?

 

[sduck]

If the reboot doesn't fix it, I'd guess it's a variant of the stalk column problem, that normally affects the turn signals. Call service immediately if it happens again.

 

[Electroman]

she complained to me today that THREE times today, that she was driving normally with no traffic around her.

Why would anyone complain driving with no traffic around?. I actually love it when the traffic is light. I hate traffic.

You know some people are strange..

 

[Jedi2155]

Why would anyone complain driving with no traffic around. I actually love it when the traffic is light. I hate traffic.

Apologies bad engrish. What I meant to say, that it occurred 3 times haha....

 

[RedMS]

Was she driving very slowly at the time, without a seatbelt, and lifting off the seat?

 

[AltLogic]

If one is below a certain speed (or stopped), not wearing a seat belt and the driver’s seat doesn’t detect an occupant it will go into park. It is easy to lift off the seat a little and the car thinks no one is seated.

 

[Electroman]

Is she too frail and very light, that on bumps it is not detecting the driver's weight on the seat?

Also if the car is put in park at any speed, did it jerk violently and come to a sudden stop?

 

[silenteski]

If you come to a stop and let your foot off the brake before HOLD is engaged, the car shifts to park if you’re not on absolutely flat ground. If the driver seatbelt is unbuckled, it will shift to park even if HOLD is engaged (when you let off the brake).

 

[Jedi2155]

If one is below a certain speed (or stopped), not wearing a seat belt and the driver’s seat doesn’t detect an occupant it will go into park. It is easy to lift off the seat a little and the car thinks no one is seated.

You know what, this might be the real answer, she was likely not wearing a seat belt. I noticed it when I was helping her pick up the car that she doesn't like wearing the seat belt much to my dismay and tried to make multiple warnings about the safety of such but...couldn't convince her!

I'll let her know her know her bad habits could be the cause and the car is trying to correct it....

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

You know what, this might be the real answer, she was likely not wearing a seat belt. I noticed it when I was helping her pick up the car that she doesn't like wearing the seat belt much to my dismay and tried to make multiple warnings about the safety of such but...couldn't convince her!

I'll let her know her know her bad habits could be the cause and the car is trying to correct it....

Well, that'll be two problems solved.

 

[RedModel3]

You know what, this might be the real answer, she was likely not wearing a seat belt. I noticed it when I was helping her pick up the car that she doesn't like wearing the seat belt much to my dismay and tried to make multiple warnings about the safety of such but...couldn't convince her!

I'll let her know her know her bad habits could be the cause and the car is trying to correct it....

Does she also not like to use turn signals? She won't be able to use EAP to change lanes without signaling. YAY!!

 

[Chanrhc]

Also happened to me yesterday. Not sure what caused it. Soft reset while in autopilot fixed it but was a bit scary.

 

[JasonR67]

If you come to a stop and let your foot off the brake before HOLD is engaged, the car shifts to park

No. Most of the time I never hit the break when coming to a stop.. and if I do, i often let up before fully stopped if I have room and region is going to top me in time.

 

[Fresnel]

If one is below a certain speed (or stopped), not wearing a seat belt and the driver’s seat doesn’t detect an occupant it will go into park. It is easy to lift off the seat a little and the car thinks no one is seated.

I think what this person posted is probably whats happening.. She's probably driving too long without a seatbelt and its automatically going into park... Ask her if the seatbelt chime is going off constantly before it goes into park

 

[linux-works]

If one is below a certain speed (or stopped), not wearing a seat belt and the driver’s seat doesn’t detect an occupant it will go into park. It is easy to lift off the seat a little and the car thinks no one is seated.

if I go thru a drive-thru fast food, I will remove my seatbelt and reach for my wallet. like many people, I keep it in my back pocket. you have to lift yourself up to get it. that often triggers are seat-move and other annoying things in my car. grrr!

likely the car thought the right states were there to shift from drive to park. the state table is somewhat complex, but actually needs to be a bit smarter, imho.

as long as the car didn't brake-engage while driving at highway speeds, that is! that, I can't imagine happening.

 

[jsmay311]

So it should only happen when moving at <1.5 mph AND two out of the three qualifying conditions (no seat belt, no occupant detected, or door open) are met at the same time.

I'm honestly not really a fan of this behavior given how easy it is to get a false negative from the occupancy sensor. Not that I'd excuse someone who routinely doesn't wear their seat belt. But I think if you're going to have this behavior, it should require all 3 conditions to be met.

And I'm very curious what the "certain scenarios" are where it's "possible" for it to happen with only one condition met.

 

[Fresnel]

View attachment 506070

So it should only happen when moving at <1.5 mph AND two out of the three qualifying conditions (no seat belt, no occupant detected, or door open) are met at the same time.

I'm honestly not really a fan of this behavior given how easy it is to get a false negative from the occupancy sensor. Not that I'd excuse someone who routinely doesn't wear their seat belt. But I think if you're going to have this behavior, it should require all 3 conditions to be met.

And I'm very curious what the "certain scenarios" are where it's "possible" for it to happen with only one condition met.

I'm not sure how accurate that is. I've had my car shift into park when my seatbelt was unbuckled and I was going way faster then 1.5 mph.. sitting on the seat and doors not opened. I agree. It should be less limited.

 

[jsmay311]

I'm not sure how accurate that is. I've had my car shift into park when my seatbelt was unbuckled and I was going way faster then 1.5 mph.. sitting on the seat and doors not opened. I agree. It should be less limited.

That's scary and potentially dangerous. (Seat belt non-use danger notwithstanding.)

 

[DopeGhoti]

I have, three times, had my car abruptly shift into Park.

All three times I was on Autopilot; all three times the car was at a full and complete stop in traffic. The behavior was exactly the same as when one gets put into Autopilot Jail: Loud alert tones, large red-hands image on the MFD with a TAKE OVER IMMEDIATELY prompt, hazard lights come on, car shifts to Park, interior lights come up.

Pressing the brake and shifting back into Drive stopped the alerts, the prompt, the hazard lights, and re-darkened the interior lights. I was not in AP jail, as I was able to resume AP once traffic started moving again.

Each time I was stopped for, at most, five minutes before this occurred. I have had zero instances of the car attempting to shift itself into Park whilst the car was in motion.