Driver Assistance Features Unavailable

[MarcG]

I'm currently on a long road trip in ID/UT/WY for skiing, and after charging at a local HPWC at 79A/212V for a couple of hours, I get back in my car to find the below message in the IC:

Driver Assistance Features Unavailable (Contact Tesla service)

I tried to reboot both screens but the message didn't go away. I also cleaned off the radar, sensors, and windshield area by the camera to no avail. After trying to engage TACC, I unsurprisingly got the warning: "Cruise Control Disabled".

Tesla ownership wasn't very helpful either. They basically said I did all the right steps to try getting it back and I should go visit a service center. But of course it's Sunday and they're all closed, never mind that I'm hundreds of miles away from the closest one...

Does anyone have any other suggestions I may not have thought about? Thanks!

 

[scottm]

Just drive it yourself, and enjoy the control!

 

[Discoducky]

If you've cleaned the radar and camera after leaving the car cold soaking it is most likely that there is a build up of condensation around the camera. Once the car is on the heater grid will evaporate this condensation and the driver assistance features should start working again in about 5 to 20 minutes. Next time, preheat the car and you won't have to wait.

 

[MarcG]

If you've cleaned the radar and camera after leaving the car cold soaking it is most likely that there is a build up of condensation around the camera. Once the car is on the heater grid will evaporate this condensation and the driver assistance features should start working again in about 5 to 20 minutes. Next time, preheat the car and you won't have to wait.

Thanks for the insightful response. I actually did preheat the car about 20 min. before getting back into, but it was really cold out (-10ºC or 14ºF) so it may not have had time to clear the condensation enough.

Anyway, at the next stop I supercharged for about a half hour and the messages all went away after getting back in the car. I preheated the car about 10 minutes before getting back into it but did not clear the sensors, camera, or radar that time.

I wish there was a more specific message that explained why AP features become unavailable, such as "radar obscured" or "camera unclear". Otherwise it seems like a random message that doesn't give a clear idea of what the problem is.

 

[mitch]

@MarcG Happened to me the other day. Spoke with the Dedham, MA service center and they said they're seeing a lot of this with V7. They also said there was a fix on the way in an upcoming release.

In the meantime, they said I needed to let my car turn off for a period (few hours maybe) such that it resets its sensors. Then, when it wakes up, it's most often fine. This is what I did, and it worked as they said. Haven't had trouble since either.

They also said that a simple reboot doesn't reset that portion of the system, so I had to let it sleep/turn off.

Good luck.

 

[blogth]

I've called in the same error message multiple times. Been told dirty senors or parked with camera facing into the Sun. Message often clears after next drive power cycle. Support suggested powering off main car rails from console, leaving car off for at least a minute. That clears the message 80% of the time. My guess is Tesla has upped the power on test standard for the sensors. They did a 'remote reset', but that didn't seem to correct it. Am planning to call again, but the nearest service center in 450 mikes away....

 

[Cyclone]

Thanks for the insightful response. I actually did preheat the car about 20 min. before getting back into, but it was really cold out (-10ºC or 14ºF) so it may not have had time to clear the condensation enough.

Anyway, at the next stop I supercharged for about a half hour and the messages all went away after getting back in the car. I preheated the car about 10 minutes before getting back into it but did not clear the sensors, camera, or radar that time.

I wish there was a more specific message that explained why AP features become unavailable, such as "radar obscured" or "camera unclear". Otherwise it seems like a random message that doesn't give a clear idea of what the problem is.

It's the new "Check Engine" light. How very insightful! lol.

 

[MarcG]

I've called in the same error message multiple times. Been told dirty senors or parked with camera facing into the Sun. Message often clears after next drive power cycle. Support suggested powering off main car rails from console, leaving car off for at least a minute. That clears the message 80% of the time. My guess is Tesla has upped the power on test standard for the sensors. They did a 'remote reset', but that didn't seem to correct it. Am planning to call again, but the nearest service center in 450 mikes away....

Thanks for the suggestion.

This morning I started my long drive from SLC to SF (about 750 miles) and immediately got the "Cruise control unavailable" upon trying to engage it on the freeway. At my first stop, I tried to reset the screens and cleaned the camera and radar, but didn't get it back.

After stopping to charge again, I powered down the car per your suggestion and left if off the whole time I was charging, which was about 45 minutes. However getting back in the car, it looked like the car was on again (screens came on immediately upon opening the door) and cruise control still wasn't working.

So I pulled over at the exit, powered down the car again from the console and left if off for a couple of minutes. Strangely enough, the IC wasn't completely shut down because it showed a very large image of my car and its range at the time. Needless to say, that second shutdown STILL didn't restore cruise control.

Perhaps the car needs to be shut down and left alone for a lot longer, as the post from Mitch above suggests. But this didn't explain why it came back by itself this past Sunday when I was driving from Jackson to SLC (it came back after I stopped to supercharge for less than an hour).

Either way, this is getting pretty frustrating and I really hope they soon fix this glitch, which I'm guessing is a software "feature" that doesn't let cruise resume after the camera was obstructed, even if it's cleared and the car is rebooted.

 

[highedu]

Happened here as well. I asked Tesla if their was a way to use cruise control without auto steering so we wouldn't lose all functionality just steering and they had no clue.

the most basic car can drive with basic cruise control...they should allow this on Model S and X as well.

as an example, classic model s can operate with basic cruise control as it doesn't have all the sensors

 

[MarcG]

Happened here as well. I asked Tesla if their was a way to use cruise control without auto steering so we wouldn't lose all functionality just steering and they had no clue.

the most basic car can drive with basic cruise control...they should allow this on Model S and X as well.

as an example, classic model s can operate with basic cruise control as it doesn't have all the sensors

My thoughts exactly as I'm driving hundreds of miles without the most basic speed-regulating function, trying to keep a steady speed with my right foot that started to cramp after a while... left foot had to take over at some point.

Just like we can disable Autosteer, why can't we disable TACC and reliably have good old cruise control?? I understand there may be liability issues here as one may forget TACC isn't available and expect the car to slow down behind a slower car ahead, but I would think warning messages could take care of that..

 

[highedu]

My thoughts exactly as I'm driving hundreds of miles without the most basic speed-regulating function, trying to keep a steady speed with my right foot that started to cramp after a while... left foot had to take over at some point.

Just like we can disable Autosteer, why can't we disable TACC and reliably have good old cruise control?? I understand there may be liability issues here as one may forget TACC isn't available and expect the car to slow down behind a slower car ahead, but I would think warning messages could take care of that..

I called Tesla technical support for owners today and they said you can still use basic cc even if TACC or Autopilot is not working

 

[MarcG]

I called Tesla technical support for owners today and they said you can still use basic cc even if TACC or Autopilot is not working

Really.. I highly doubt it, but if that's the case I'd love to know how!!

 

[mrElbe]

I had the same "Driver Assistance Features Unavailable" message just a few days before the Autopilot software came down. Took it to Tesla service and despite their busy booked out schedule, they took me right away. Work order stated that Radar unit needed re-alignment. At the same time they noticed the creaking noise in the front suspension and replaced a front suspension arm. Great service!

 

[MarcG]

I had the same "Driver Assistance Features Unavailable" message just a few days before the Autopilot software came down. Took it to Tesla service and despite their busy booked out schedule, they took me right away. Work order stated that Radar unit needed re-alignment.

Same here. I took it in this morning and they said the radar needed to be recalibrated, which also required a four-wheel alignment.

Since then the cruise control and autopilot functions have all been working.

Kudos to the Burlingame service center for a quick and effective fix!

PS: my service advisor confirmed there is no way to just engage "regular", non-traffic aware cruise control if driver assistance features are unavailable.

 

[Dropje]

This has been happening to me from 0-5 times weekly for the 2 months since I got my new 70D. I don't have autopilot enabled yet. I took it in for service and they provided a firmware update. This didn't help. I was told it's a software problem with a fix in the future. They have not suggested a radar recalibration, so I guess I'll wait and see. I've found no other way to "fix" it other than the way you described, ie going away for a while.

 

[Cyclone]

My thoughts exactly as I'm driving hundreds of miles without the most basic speed-regulating function, trying to keep a steady speed with my right foot that started to cramp after a while... left foot had to take over at some point.

Just like we can disable Autosteer, why can't we disable TACC and reliably have good old cruise control?? I understand there may be liability issues here as one may forget TACC isn't available and expect the car to slow down behind a slower car ahead, but I would think warning messages could take care of that..

A great way to be sure the user knows the TACC isn't available is if when "driver assistance" features on not available, revert to the classic v7 UI. Having that circular speedo will certainly let the driver know this isn't Autopilot!

 

[MarcG]

A great way to be sure the user knows the TACC isn't available is if when "driver assistance" features on not available, revert to the classic v7 UI. Having that circular speedo will certainly let the driver know this isn't Autopilot!

That would be one way, though don't forget that TACC was available pre-7.0 with the circular speedo.
Still a good suggestion nonetheless, and one I hope software engineers at Tesla will consider.

 

[Cyclone]

That would be one way, though don't forget that TACC was available pre-7.0 with the circular speedo.
Still a good suggestion nonetheless, and one I hope software engineers at Tesla will consider.

True. But making the instrument cluster that different should hopefully be enough to let the driver know something is different.

 

[gizmoboy]

A great way to be sure the user knows the TACC isn't available is if when "driver assistance" features on not available, revert to the classic v7 UI. Having that circular speedo will certainly let the driver know this isn't Autopilot!

Funny but impractical.

 

[Cyclone]

Funny but impractical.

Seriously though, why impractical. Except for AP/AutoSteer, everything the car has displayed was implemented on 6.2. So if you disable TACC/AP because the driver assistance features are unavailable, and the likely reason is to not confuse a driver who may think TACC is on, this would help to provide a proven interface that is different enough so the driver knows something is different. And it wouldn't require much programming as the UI is already built for pre-AP cars with v7. So they would just leverage the work they have already done.