Cruise Control - Adjusting the Following Distance

[asolof]

The manual says:

<<
You can also display and adjust the setting for the following distance on the touchscreen at any time, even when Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is not active. Touch Controls > Autopilot > Cruise Follow Distance, then adjust the following distance by touching plus (+) or minus (-).
>>

"Cruise Follow Distance" isn't showing up as an option in the Autopilot Menu.

I have a Model Y long range. I do not have the "Full self-driving upgrade".

Since standard Autopilot has Cruise Control, shouldn't it be there?

 

[Kabillyhop]

Ajust cruise control follow distance with the right thumbwheel, pushing it to the left and right.

 

[asolof]

Ajust cruise control follow distance with the right thumbwheel, pushing it to the left and right.

Thanks. That works. But the menu item I quoted from the manual is still missing. That is, to be able to set it from the computer screen when not driving.

 

[spokey]

Thanks. That works. But the menu item I quoted from the manual is still missing. That is, to be able to set it from the computer screen when not driving.

I've now got FSD, but before I bought it, it was in control display. Don't remember exactly where but was a slider control. I think 1 on the left and maybe 7 on the right.

 

[Mickyb]

I have problems now (October 2020) adjusting follow distance: used to be in Autopilot menu but now only through RH wheel on steering wheel. Pushing wheel to right does not change distance. Pushing wheel to left brings up Voice App

 

[Mike_TV]

I have problems now (October 2020) adjusting follow distance: used to be in Autopilot menu but now only through RH wheel on steering wheel. Pushing wheel to right does not change distance. Pushing wheel to left brings up Voice App

You are pressing the right wheel down to bring up the Voice App. You need to left or right click the right wheel to adjust the following distance.

For new users, it's not intuitive but both click wheels have FIVE motions

Scroll UP & DOWN
Press DOWN on the wheel
Slide LEFT to click
Slide RIGHT to click

 

[Puma2020]

right scroll wheel, left and right work for adjusting the following distance. 1 = follow on their bumper, 7 = safest option but will allow cars to cut in front. Depending on speed and amount of traffic and how respectful the other drivers are, you should be able to follow at a reasonable distance. The closer you follow the more aggressive TACC will react to the car in front. Remember the slower you go, the farther you go. Relax, enjoy the Tesla and Hakuana Matata.
You are representing all Tesla car owners. Be mindful of the reputation you are giving all of us.
Then at the next stop light, beat them off the line!

 

[SalisburySam]

The manual says:

<<
You can also display and adjust the setting for the following distance on the touchscreen at any time, even when Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is not active. Touch Controls > Autopilot > Cruise Follow Distance, then adjust the following distance by touching plus (+) or minus (-).
>>

"Cruise Follow Distance" isn't showing up as an option in the Autopilot Menu.

I have a Model Y long range. I do not have the "Full self-driving upgrade".

Since standard Autopilot has Cruise Control, shouldn't it be there?

This was a setting on the Model 3 until v40.3 removed it. Now following distance is set only by the scroll wheel, at least on my 3 and several others mentioned in other fora/threads. Guessing the Y is the same now.

 

[asolof]

You are pressing the right wheel down to bring up the Voice App. You need to left or right click the right wheel to adjust the following distance.

For new users, it's not intuitive but both click wheels have FIVE motions

Scroll UP & DOWN
Press DOWN on the wheel
Slide LEFT to click
Slide RIGHT to click

Like a mouse.

 

[asolof]

This was a setting on the Model 3 until v40.3 removed it. Now following distance is set only by the scroll wheel, at least on my 3 and several others mentioned in other fora/threads. Guessing the Y is the same now.

That would explain it.

 

[spokey]

This was a setting on the Model 3 until v40.3 removed it. Now following distance is set only by the scroll wheel, at least on my 3 and several others mentioned in other fora/threads. Guessing the Y is the same now.

Just checked and yes, the screen control is gone in my MY. Pretty sure it was still there a few days ago before the update to 2020.40.3

 

[WADan]

We took our first long trip with MY, and I tried the cruise control feature the first time. It was following the car in front a bit too close for my comfort and I had to google to find this thread. It would be nice if Tesla put the instruction for making this adjustment in the screen control (instead of just removing it completely).
I also found that the car also accelerated rather aggressively when the car in front moved over to the next lane rather than gradually.

 

[DaedalusOne]

Ajust cruise control follow distance with the right thumbwheel, pushing it to the left and right.

Thank you! I just drove ~1700 miles and could not figure out how to change this! People in Maryland/DC area drive crazy (speed and then brake, continuously ) so it wouldve been great to add an additional car length. I now have a few more grey hairs

 

[Puma2020]

Also discovered that a setting of 3 seems about right for traffic and lights. At a setting of 4, when at a stop light, the car accelerates a bit more slowly as it tries to distance itself with the car in front. When it gets to the desired separation distance, then the AI isn't sure whether it should be going through the green light because the car in front is too far in front. At a setting of 3, the AI is tracking the car in front and goes through the green light without issues.
Plus with a setting of 4, the Bostonian drivers around here see that as a big enough gap to cut in front of you, causing the AI to slow down to increase the separation. That is just an open invitation for the next driver to cut in front.

Of course, having lived in Boston for several years, I understand the rules dilemma. First rule about cutting someone off is judge the value of the cars. If their car is worth more than yours, they'll cede right of way. Of course, Tesla wins on rule #2, acceleration into the gap can negate rule #1 (sometimes). Using rule #2, does put your car at some risk.

Of course there are always exceptions, such as public transportation. While in Boston, I once saw a bus at a red light preparing to do a u-turn across 2 lanes of traffic, to start the return trip of his route. A car in the left lane inched up trying to deny that. The bus inched up further as the driver knew that it has to do it right away before the traffic from the other side makes it impossible. The car inched up further. The bus inched up again and was now partly in the car's lane. Very evident what the bus was going to do. The car was brand new having the sales/price sticker still in the rear window. The light turned green, the bus lurched forward and the car... the car lurched forward into the bus. Considerable damage to the brand new car. I was on the sidewalk watching this. Still have trouble believing that someone with a brand new car would even risk it... But that was Boston.

 

[240vPlug]

I live in the MD/DC/VA area. When I change this does it retain my selection? Regardless of other aggressive drivers I like to maintain more of a distance when following. The default on MY appears to be 2 car lengths. I think I would be more comfortable with 3 or 4. Of course I would rather not have to change this setting each time I use TACC or AP.

 

[frankvb]

I live in the MD/DC/VA area. When I change this does it retain my selection? Regardless of other aggressive drivers I like to maintain more of a distance when following. The default on MY appears to be 2 car lengths. I think I would be more comfortable with 3 or 4. Of course I would rather not have to change this setting each time I use TACC or AP.

It will remember whatever it was set to the last time you used TACC or AP.

 

[twistedskipper]

BTW, I’m pretty sure this setting is just “closer” and “farther”, not actual car lengths.

 

[AlexHung]

I believe it is the number of car length travel at the speed of the vehicle at that moment. So 3 car lengths at 20 mph is obviously shorter than at 75 mph.

From page 86 of the manual:

Each setting corresponds to a time-based distance that represents how long it takes for Model Y, from its current location, to reach the location of the rear bumper of the vehicle ahead of you.

 

[240vPlug]

I'm definitely more comfortable with a setting of 4. The post above makes sense because I have notice that at slower speeds it will follow slightly closer then when I am on the interstate traveling say 75 mph.

 

[CapinWinky]

I just took my first drive with my new Model 3 and I was not impressed with how over-reactionary the cruise control was to people changing lanes ahead. I had my distance set to the minimum and I was still getting hard slowdowns from cars 50 yards up that were actively accelerating after merging. Not to mention that long after the cars ahead sped up and were gone, my 3 was still maintaining speed 10MPH lower than the set speed. I'm a cruise control all the time kind of person and I did the last half of my drive with it turned off because it was just that frustrating.

I think I'd be happier with just dumb cruise control; resume would be nice too. Cruise control is probably my most used set of controls in my ICE cars (all pre-dating distance keeping cruise control). Don't get me wrong, I like the distance keeping aspect, but it needs to be way more chill about reactions to lane changing and allow you to use some of that following buffer it is maintaining to gradually slow or give the car ahead time to speed up instead of cranking up regen to the max right away.