Dumb collision in my garage

[msnow]

The laser method is actually perfect (I don't think it is an issue here at all) - it allows me to put the car within an inch (or half an inch actually) of the proper position every time, consistently. I know exactly where in the car it should land, so I can be accurate within an inch (less actually).
For example one of the lasers has to be on the glove box button. The other one in the center between the vents in the front of the dashboard (almost where it meets the windshield glass).

It's the best method I know (and I have done the tennis ball, drawn line, bump on the floor, etc methods before).

-- Greg

Greg, that sounds very precise, nice. Can I get the brand or link?

 

[Stoneymonster]

Also I think AEB doesn't engage if you are already on the brake.

 

[redox]

Greg, that sounds very precise, nice. Can I get the brand or link?

This is what I have. Love it.
You can use it with 2 cars, or use both lasers for the same car for absolute precision (that's what I do).

 

[Cyclone]

Can I suggest a better method? Either paint a line on the floor or use some other fixed point that you can see in the reversing camera, align it to the rear bumper bar, and you will always stop at the exact same point, without lasers, tennis balls, or anything else. Works for me perfectly.

I put blue painters tape on the floor just past the minimum distance into my garage (I back in) I need to be to close the garage and get in front of the car. I go hbtil I just make the tape disappear in the rear view camera.

I also put two long strips (most of the length of the car) where the revising lines are when my car is perfectly centered. That helps me line up properly as I come up to the garage.

 

[eye.surgeon]

Sorry that happened. Let's not overcomplicate it though, you hit the gas instead of the brake. It happens all the time. The failures that would be required to explain it another way are about as close to inconceivable as you can get. And the collision avoidance isn't active below about 10 MPH or something like that. You're wasting your time with telemetry and stuff like that, just laugh it off and get it fixed and move on.

Also, how would your family see your brake lights on if they were watching you drive in from the front? And why would your brakes be on anyways if you have creep off? When I park in my garage the brake is only needed at the very last second.

 

[Andyw2100]

I also put two long strips (most of the length of the car) where the revising lines are when my car is perfectly centered. That helps me line up properly as I come up to the garage.

Can you expand on this a bit?

I'm still trying to find some way to better center the car as I approach the garage. My problem is that I have to turn just before entering the garage, so I have very little distance to adjust left or right, and of course with the car being as wide as it is, even with the mirrors folded in, there isn't a lot of room for error.

I actually tried using the exact laser device the OP posted up thread, but it's not intended for what I was attempting to use it for, and the laser definitely was not bright enough to be seen well while still outside the garage.

It really hasn't been much of a problem, but something that would make centering easier, and a little less stressful would be good.

Thanks!

 

[brkaus]

Back cars in so I can see the tires in the mirror. Put a T on the ground with blue tape on the outside edge of the tires. Put cone on the junction of the T.

Did this with fire trucks to park in the same spot every time in the station.

 

[Cyclone]

Can you expand on this a bit?

Im in Chicago right now and won't be home until next week. I'll have to post a pic when I get back.

Basically I have three strips of blue painters tape. With the help of a second person, I backed up exactly center in the garage and directed them to where to put the tape so the white lines on the screen "hide" the tape. Then I backed in and got to where I was pulled in enough to squeeze around the front of the car (plenty of space to keep backing in). From there, I directed the other person to put the tape at the edge of the camera's field of view, seamingly about to be hidden by the bumper. Then each time I pull in, I line up the white lines over the blue tape and keep backing in until I can't see the back blue line. I then know I could even close the garage door from within the car without worrying. I have enough space to walk around the car completely (but not get in/out the passenger side because of how close the wall is).

 

[stopcrazypp]

Also I think AEB doesn't engage if you are already on the brake.

I remember reading that too in on the the threads (something about how if you press and release the brakes it will disengage). I'm not sure however that was on the Model S manual or some other car's manual.

 

[Andyw2100]

Im in Chicago right now and won't be home until next week. I'll have to post a pic when I get back.

Basically I have three strips of blue painters tape. With the help of a second person, I backed up exactly center in the garage and directed them to where to put the tape so the white lines on the screen "hide" the tape. Then I backed in and got to where I was pulled in enough to squeeze around the front of the car (plenty of space to keep backing in). From there, I directed the other person to put the tape at the edge of the camera's field of view, seamingly about to be hidden by the bumper. Then each time I pull in, I line up the white lines over the blue tape and keep backing in until I can't see the back blue line. I then know I could even close the garage door from within the car without worrying. I have enough space to walk around the car completely (but not get in/out the passenger side because of how close the wall is).

Thanks very much.

Since I pull straight in (I don't back in) I guess I could center the car in the garage door opening, and then put down some tape in line with the left wheels, and just try to line up on those as I approach the garage. That could help.

Thanks!

 

[redox]

Also, how would your family see your brake lights on if they were watching you drive in from the front? And why would your brakes be on anyways if you have creep off? When I park in my garage the brake is only needed at the very last second.

Because you can see the brake lights on the side walls when the butt gets into the garage.
My guess is that I either slipped from brake to accelerator, or I was always on the accelerator to start with, just lifting the foot off of it. This would have caused the braking (from regen - I have it at max), which causes the brake lights to be on, if I'm not mistaken. Then instead of pressing on the brake (like you say, sort of "very last second" to come to a stop), I kept the foot where it was (on the gas) and pressed down.

The reason I want telemetry isn't to avoid accountability. I'm very well aware that in all likelihood it's something I did rather than a one-in-a-million-chance bug, but I'd like to understand it so that I can fix the amnesic part of my brain for that split second in time (call it "get closure" if you will), but also understand if I'm doing something wrong that could lead to this, so I can correct it.

-- Greg

 

[Cyclone]

Greg,
At home I back in and I notice my lights turn on while I park. At the garage at work, my lights turn on instantly as I cross into it. It could be your family saw your taillights rather than your brake lights when you lurched.

 

[redox]

And the collision avoidance isn't active below about 10 MPH or something like that.

Really? Where did you get that info?
I don't understand what the rationale for this would be. When is it ok to allow a collision to happen? I thought the obvious answer was "never"?
Surely a common use case is when going around parking/public garages or areas we're not familiar with, where this feature would be very useful... I'm a bit perplexed.

-- Greg

- - - Updated - - -

Greg,
At home I back in and I notice my lights turn on while I park. At the garage at work, my lights turn on instantly as I cross into it. It could be your family saw your taillights rather than your brake lights when you lurched.

Yes, very possible!
Sometimes things happen in such a split second that we are somehow convinced about events that may not have happened at all.
In this particular example, my wife is adamant that the car came to a full stop before jumping forward again. And she also claims that she saw my right hand hit the P button. I, on the other hand, do not remember this at all.

-- Greg

 

[Andyw2100]

Really? Where did you get that info?
I don't understand what the rationale for this would be. When is it ok to allow a collision to happen? I thought the obvious answer was "never"?
Surely a common use case is when going around parking/public garages or areas we're not familiar with, where this feature would be very useful... I'm a bit perplexed.

-- Greg

The information posted in post number three in this thread explained this.

We don't yet have true collision avoidance.

We have one system that will try to warn us if it believes a collision may be imminent--Forward Collision Warning, and we have another that will brake --to reduce the impact of an unavoidable frontal collision--Automatic Emergency Braking. Unfortunately I don't believe it is described anywhere as being able to prevent or even mitigate what occurred in your garage.

 

[redox]

The information posted in post number three in this thread explained this.

We don't yet have true collision avoidance.

We have one system that will try to warn us if it believes a collision may be imminent--Forward Collision Warning, and we have another that will brake --to reduce the impact of an unavoidable frontal collision--Automatic Emergency Braking. Unfortunately I don't believe it is described anywhere as being able to prevent or even mitigate what occurred in your garage.

Yes I did see post #3 but then there was post #13. Does that match your understanding?

The behavior described in the manual (quoted in post #3 to which you refer) says the car will reduce the speed by 25 MPH. It's easy to understand that you could still collide if you were going relatively fast, but if you're going under 25 MPH, and subtract 25 to your speed, aren't you coming to a full stop?

(I'm waiting for someone to say you'd be going reverse!)

 

[Andyw2100]

Yes I did see post #3 but then there was post #13. Does that match your understanding?

No. I think the information is post number 13 is just misinformation / a misunderstanding.

There are a lot of misunderstandings about the Tesla collision avoidance and emergency braking systems. I've made several posts trying to clear up some of the confusion, because when people are confused about the safety features of their cars, bad things happen.

Again, sorry about what happened with you and your car.

 

[redox]

No. I think the information is post number 13 is just misinformation / a misunderstanding.

There are a lot of misunderstandings about the Tesla collision avoidance and emergency braking systems. I've made several posts trying to clear up some of the confusion, because when people are confused about the safety features of their cars, bad things happen.

Again, sorry about what happened with you and your car.

Thanks, it's OK.
I'm glad nobody got hurt. It could have been a lot worse!

Cheers,

-- Greg

 

[HankLloydRight]

just lifting the foot off of it. This would have caused the braking (from regen - I have it at max), which causes the brake lights to be on, if I'm not mistaken.

You have to be moving pretty fast before the regen lights up the brake lights -- I think it kicks in at 30kW and above. The brake lights don't come on every or just any time regen is active.

 

[Gardener]

A brick can help

Today is not a good day for me (and my P85D!)... I had a collision in my garage that I don't actually understand the details of yet.

I pulled into my garage as usual, and slowed down as I got close to the "end wall" (where a door into the house is too). I have a laser pointing down from the ceiling that I use to know exactly where to stop.

Then I'm not sure what happened, but the car jumped forward, as if I had pressed the gas pedal.
My wife (and 22 month old daughter) had opened the door to welcome me, and says I had my foot on the brake because she saw the brake lights on, but I don't recall this myself. She says the car even came to a full stop and then leaped forward.

At any rate, the car jumped forward and hit the wall.

I have called Tesla to ask them to collect and preserve telemetry information to figure out what happened.
It is definitely possible that I somehow pressed the gas pedal by mistake (I'm not trying to avoid responsibility here), in which case I'm not sure why the collision avoidance system didn't kick in and prevent the collision to the wall from happening (it's a simple flat drywall with no particular challenges to detect). Do these not work at low speeds maybe?

At any rate, I won't know until I get info back from Tesla about the telemetry info analysis.

And now I'm off to the insurance roller coaster ride: I've called them and they gave me a body shop to go to for an estimate. Of course Tesla has a different list of approved body shops, but the insurance (Liberty Mutual) says I can get the repair at a body shop of my choosing, just not for the estimate.

It looks like the damage is limited to the front bumper + nosecone (those are the parts that touched the wall), but I don't know what else isn't visible. Airbags didn't deploy.

For those of you who have had to deal with this, is there a list of dos and don'ts? I suspect I don't have much of a choice but to go to a Tesla approved body shop?
Any suggestions?

Of course I am bummed, but I'm glad that nobody got hurt: my wife & daughter were just a couple of feet away from the collision point. They could have easily been "pinned to the wall".

Regards,

-- Greg

I feel for you. Being rather down to earth, I always place a strategically placed brick before parking in my garage - don't want to ding my little sports car. Particularly useful when you back in.

 

[Stoneymonster]

You have to be moving pretty fast before the regen lights up the brake lights -- I think it kicks in at 30kW and above. The brake lights don't come on every or just any time regen is active.

Is it power based or accelerometer based? I think Tesla said something about using accelerometers to detect how much "braking" was occuring.