Can one Model S "wink" at another Model S automatically?

[ecarfan]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum for this question, and it will probably get lost in the excitement over the 5.9 firmware release ;-) But here goes...

Last week I was charging my S85 at the Tejon Ranch SC in the California Central Valley. A new red S85 pulled in next to me and plugged in and my wife and I started chatting with the very nice couple from Clovis CA who had just received their Model S and were using an SC for the first time.

We were standing to the rear of the cars and suddenly my wife says to the other couple "Your right taillight just flashed once!" (she could not tell if the front right turn signal also flashed but she does think that the left rear taillight did not flash) I did not see it because I was facing away from the cars, but this struck me as very unusual since we were all standing outside our cars.

The woman we were talking to said something like "Sure that's called a 'wink' and when two cars are close to each other they do it automatically".

I had never heard of or witnessed this Model S "wink" behavior. I have searched the TMC forums and the Tesla company website forums and find nothing about it except this topic at Get your WINK ;-) on | Forums | Tesla Motors titled "GET YOUR WINK ;-) ON". But it does not seem to be describing what my wife saw.

I welcome your comments...

 

[Raffy.Roma]

I still have not a Model S (unluckily) but if I am not wrong each Model S has GPS installed and their position can be determined precisely for this reason. So it shouldn't be difficult to enter in the firmware of each Model S the order "to wink" (meaning flashing) when two Model S met in the range of some meters.

Problem is that I don't think that such a firmware is already installed in each Model S. :wink:

 

[invisik]

That's kinda neat. My guess is when the cars are charging (safety so you car doesn't wink while driving) and they recognize an unknown key fob or key fob receiver near by, they wink.... I'd be scared if it was by GPS.

I'll have to try it when I get my car.

-m

 

[woof]

Most likely just the car unlocking while the owner with the key fob walks nearby. Or the opposite, as it times out and re-locks. On both those occasions the lights flash.

 

[ecarfan]

Most likely just the car unlocking while the owner with the key fob walks nearby. Or the opposite, as it times out and re-locks. On both those occasions the lights flash.

Perhaps, but my wife swears that only the right side taillight flashed and not the left. I asked her if the left rear of the car was in the sunlight so she might have missed noticing that both sides flashed, but she says now.

Regardless, I do not believe that the cars can flash their lights on one side because they sense another car close buy. But my wife is sticking with her description of what happened, that the right taillight of the car charging next to ours flashed once while no one was in the car.

 

[FlasherZ]

Most likely just the car unlocking while the owner with the key fob walks nearby. Or the opposite, as it times out and re-locks. On both those occasions the lights flash.

First thing I thought too. In all of our Tesla meet-ups, I haven't seen this behavior.

 

[caddieo]

Most likely just the car unlocking while the owner with the key fob walks nearby. Or the opposite, as it times out and re-locks. On both those occasions the lights flash.

I think this is the most logical explanation. Absent this we have an all too human trait of anthropomorphic projection - implying and attaching human intentions and actions to inanimate objects or to non-human life forms.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum for this question, and it will probably get lost in the excitement over the 5.9 firmware release ;-) But here goes...

Last week I was charging my S85 at the Tejon Ranch SC in the California Central Valley. A new red S85 pulled in next to me and plugged in and my wife and I started chatting with the very nice couple from Clovis CA who had just received their Model S and were using an SC for the first time.

We were standing to the rear of the cars and suddenly my wife says to the other couple "Your right taillight just flashed once!" (she could not tell if the front right turn signal also flashed but she does think that the left rear taillight did not flash) I did not see it because I was facing away from the cars, but this struck me as very unusual since we were all standing outside our cars.

The woman we were talking to said something like "Sure that's called a 'wink' and when two cars are close to each other they do it automatically".

I had never heard of or witnessed this Model S "wink" behavior. I have searched the TMC forums and the Tesla company website forums and find nothing about it except this topic at Get your WINK ;-) on | Forums | Tesla Motors titled "GET YOUR WINK ;-) ON". But it does not seem to be describing what my wife saw.

I welcome your comments...

I think you had your leg pulled.

 

[ken830]

This would be horrible in the Bay Area... I see 30-40 Model Ses on my daily commute.

 

[MikeC]

Maybe someone in the driver seat flicked the turn signal briefly?

 

[muleferg]

Getting close to April 1.

 

[wts13]

I think if the car had this feature we'd have surely seen it by now - people charge side by side all the time.

If Tesla just added this feature, then I'd say their priorities are a bit out of whack

 

[jerry33]

I think this is the most logical explanation. Absent this we have an all too human trait of anthropomorphic projection - implying and attaching human intentions and actions to inanimate objects or to non-human life forms.

Just don't let Tessie hear you say that.

 

[ecarfan]

No one was inside the car that flashed its right rear taillight once. But I do not believe the Tesla has such a "wink" feature. I was amazed to listen to the couple who owned the other car assure me that there was indeed such a feature. As I had only just met them I did not think it appropriate to question their sincerity.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Maybe they confused the grin with a wink.

 

[MSMX2014]

Haven't noticed this yet. Would be cool feature.

 

[WARP 10]

Anyone have any updates on this? We had parked in a relatively empty lot last night and went inside to wait for some friends that also have a model S. When they arrived, they mentioned this had happened as they passed our car in the lot. I've never seen or heard any confirmation of this being an actual feature.

 

[SMAlset]

Can't say seen or heard this but found this on Electrek's site: Parked Tesla vehicles are freaking out some owners by randomly flashing their lights in the dark [Video] and then went to the guy's YouTube video page. According to an update he posted on the actual YouTube webpage, he said he heard back from Tesla and they said the cars in his video were being updated.

Did your car have any recent updates?

 

[WARP 10]

Can't say seen or heard this but found this on Electrek's site: Parked Tesla vehicles are freaking out some owners by randomly flashing their lights in the dark [Video] and then went to the guy's YouTube video page. According to an update he posted on the actual YouTube webpage, he said he heard back from Tesla and they said the cars in his video were being updated.

Did your car have any recent updates?

Had an update sometime last week, but not Monday evening that I know of.