Can I drive while the steering wheel is adjusting?

[tel]

I'm enjoying the Easy Entry feature, but the time it takes to adjust from the easy entry position to my normal driving position seems excessive (first the seat moves, then the steering wheel comes forward, then it repositions itself downward).

Normally, I get impatient and start to drive as the steering wheel is moving toward me, before it starts its downward tilt. Is this bad for the mechanism? Can I safely drive the car while the steering wheel is still doing its dance? I've noticed no problems in the short term, but I want to be sure I don't do any long term, avoidable damage.

 

[BrettS]

I don’t think there is any possibility of damaging the mechanism if you drive while the steering wheel is moving. But in general it is usually recommended against doing this as it is possible that the movement of the steering column may cause the wheel to move and send the car in a direction that you didn’t intend for it to go. Of course this is much less likely to happen at 5 mph as you just start driving than it would be if you tried to adjust the steering wheel at highway speeds, but there is at least a small risk there.

 

[David99]

Yes it works fine. Since the new 'easy entry' feature I'm almost always already moving when the steering wheel is still adjusting. The seat adjusts first, then the wheel. I think that is smart. A moving seat while driving is worse IMHO.

 

[SmartElectric]

Yes it works fine. Since the new 'easy entry' feature I'm almost always already moving when the steering wheel is still adjusting. The seat adjusts first, then the wheel. I think that is smart. A moving seat while driving is worse IMHO.

Same.

I'm usually backing up the car as the steering column is finishing it's adjustment cycle, and it's been 2+ years of this behaviour for me, as my wife and I have vastly different profiles, and we had a third profile called "exit the car" that we used routinely before shutting down to make it easier for the next driver. This predates the automatic easy entry capability we recently got by two years.

Further, our garage has a big "lip" / hump as a rain barrier, which requires using the accelerator in reverse, as the "creep" is nowhere near strong enough to back over it. So we are doing at least double creep speed while the steering is being adjusted, and causing the car to ride vertically over a bump at the same time.

No issues.

Unrelated note : Tesla solved a problem over the air early in our ownership where the car would lurch to a stop as my wife was backing out of the garage. We suspected the combination of lifting weight slightly off the seat to turn and look behind during the back-out procedure, while simultaneously going over a bump that further causes the driver to move vertically, caused the car to think the driver was no longer in the seat. Presumably they added an averaging or timeout factor to their calculation of "is the driver still in the seat".

 

[David99]

Unrelated note : Tesla solved a problem over the air early in our ownership where the car would lurch to a stop as my wife was backing out of the garage. We suspected the combination of lifting weight slightly off the seat to turn and look behind during the back-out procedure, while simultaneously going over a bump that further causes the driver to move vertically, caused the car to think the driver was no longer in the seat. Presumably they added an averaging or timeout factor to their calculation of "is the driver still in the seat".

Definitely. I remember the car putting in the park brakes almost the moment you would lift your butt off the seat for a moment. Now it takes 3 seconds. Except when you open the door, Then it is instant again.

 

[Shock-On-T]

Yes, I'm usually halfway up my driveway before the steering wheel reaches final position.

 

[Stiction]

why do people turn around in the seat to look back when there's a backup camera?

 

[BrettS]

why do people turn around in the seat to look back when there's a backup camera?

Because turning around gives you a much better view of what’s behind you. It’s very dangerous to back up and only use the camera as the camera has blind spots. When you back up you should turn around and physically look out the window as well as use all of the mirrors to help ensure that you aren’t going to hit anything. The camera can be very helpful too, but it doesn’t replace using your eyes and mirrors.

 

[Grossvater]

why do people turn around in the seat to look back when there's a backup camera?

Because you are not to trust the backup camera. You are also not to trust the mirrors completely...

 

[Captainvideo]

why do people turn around in the seat to look back when there's a backup camera?

When backing out in my neighborhood, it's always good to pause before crossing the sidewalk, and to check over both shoulders for fast-approaching joggers in the street, skateboarders, and/or bicyclists on the sidewalk coming from the wrong way.