Firmware 5.9

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Quick check: with 5.9, sounds like the battery bar still does not show a % number along with the rated range, right?!

So, the cross-country rally cars had either 6.0 or some Tesla-internal hack to see the %.

 

[Kalud]

It certainly the main brakes, just like the stability control that applies brake to regain control, pretty standard. No way it uses the parking brake, it's too slow to engage / disengage.

 

[strider]

If it's using the brakes rather than the motor, I suspect it is engaging the parking brake to do so... as I doubt the car has the ability to electronically engage the main brake calipers.

My experience is that there is some delay and/or audible engagement noise when the parking brake is activated/deactivated from the dash... is any of this noticeable with the "hill-brake" functionality?

The car can engage the main brake calipers as that is how stability control works. The car can individually brake wheels to keep the car pointed in the right direction. I'm just curious why it's such a short delay? Why not leave it on indefinitely? The car already puts itself in park and engages the e-brake if you open the door and get out while it's in gear so it shouldn't matter.

Also, I wonder if it's always doing hill start and you just don't notice it because you're on flat ground or if the car is actually calculating that it is on a grade? How would we test that? Get a few people to stand behind the car on a flat surface and try to push the car as the driver releases the brake?

 

[Zythryn]

Quick check: with 5.9, sounds like the battery bar still does not show a % number along with the rated range, right?!

So, the cross-country rally cars had either 6.0 or some Tesla-internal hack to see the %.

Correct, this is not what the cross country drivers were apparently using.

 

[Jgdixon]

Sit and wait. Or find an excuse to get Tesla service to work on your car.

My car goes in for service tomorrow. I asked if I could get 5.9 and they said not at this point. It's just for early adopters.
So I called ownership and asked how that works. They told be they were selected by engineering. I asked if I could be added and was told they didn't have a list but would pass it on. I'm not counting on it.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

... It's just for early adopters...

No love for this early adopter For that matter, doesn't look like any 60s got this yet?!

All in due time, I guess.

 

[JakeP]

I think it is a conspiracy against early Greens...nothing here, either!

 

[SFOTurtle]

No love for this early adopter For that matter, doesn't look like any 60s got this yet?!

All in due time, I guess.

Yeah, I am curious when we start to see 60s that have it and what changes in the numbers we see. Patience, patience.

 

[ecarfan]

Yes it's the brakes. You can tell both from the power usage (or lack thereof) and the noise it makes if you let it release without stepping on the accelerator (imagine the creaking you'd hear if you were on a hill and let up on the brake just enough for the car to barely start moving).

Agreed. I tried the Hill Assist feature for the first time today on several hills on my area. It worked very well. Definitely uses the brakes. Not sure if it just the rear parking brakes or the "regular" brakes. Creaking sound on release seemed to come from the rear so my guess is the parking brakes.

@strider, my wife will also love this feature. Not so important to me, but certainly a convenience.

 

[scaesare]

The car can engage the main brake calipers as that is how stability control works. The car can individually brake wheels to keep the car pointed in the right direction. I'm just curious why it's such a short delay? Why not leave it on indefinitely? The car already puts itself in park and engages the e-brake if you open the door and get out while it's in gear so it shouldn't matter.

Also, I wonder if it's always doing hill start and you just don't notice it because you're on flat ground or if the car is actually calculating that it is on a grade? How would we test that? Get a few people to stand behind the car on a flat surface and try to push the car as the driver releases the brake?

Ah, yes, excellent point. I had been thinking about it in the context of the question that alexeiw123 asked: is it a brake-by-wire system, or is it mechanical.

So while I'm certain there is a mechanical connection, that doesn't also mean that they cannot be actuated electrically... which as you point out they are able to be for the stability control system.

That does seem to make it highly likely they could use the main brakes for this.

Thanks.

 

[ecarfan]

My car goes in for service tomorrow. I asked if I could get 5.9 and they said not at this point. It's just for early adopters.
So I called ownership and asked how that works. They told be they were selected by engineering.

I am certainly not an early adopter (car delivered to me 12/21/13) and I don't have the air suspension. Don't know why I got 5.9 two days ago.

 

[jamieb]

My car goes in for service tomorrow. I asked if I could get 5.9 and they said not at this point. It's just for early adopters.
So I called ownership and asked how that works. They told be they were selected by engineering. I asked if I could be added and was told they didn't have a list but would pass it on. I'm not counting on it.

I called Tesla last evening to see if I could be put on the list for an early push-out of 5.9 OTA. They said they didn't control the order in which OTA updates went out but they'd put the request in to my local service center. The SC contacted me by email within 30 minutes to say they, too, don't control the queue for OTA updates but that I was welcome to come in any time during business hours for them to upload 5.9 and I could install when I get home.

At some point it would be great if they move to the ability for owners to check for updates available for one's own configuration (maybe on the MyTesla homepage or on the car itself) and then schedule when you know your car will be on a WiFi to have the update downloaded and installed.

 

[swegman]

Had my car in for the one year checkup today at the Rockville Service Center and they installed 5.9. Was told that 5.9 was released to the general public last night.

 

[gekkota]

I just installed the 5.9 update on my 60 and rated range did jump from 152 to 154 before/after the update. Charging to 90% right now to see any further diff.

 

[PatP]

Got 5.9

Just went back from service and got 5.9. Haven't had time to check if someone posted the release notes. If interested let me know.

 

[ACDriveMotor]

I am certainly not an early adopter (car delivered to me 12/21/13) and I don't have the air suspension. Don't know why I got 5.9 two days ago.

Early-Adopter = as they said in the Princess Bride...

"I do no think that word means what you think it means..."

 

[SarahsDad]

While I like that the speedo now goes to 140+, I'm disappointed they changed the logarithmic scale to linear. I thought the log scale provided better fidelity at lower speeds. If you look at the comparison below, you can see the distance between 40 and 80 MPH was much wider in 5.8 than in 5.9. Not a big deal but wish they'd kept the old style scale and just added 140MPH at the top end...

5.8

5.9 (Matt_D's photo)

 

[pgiralt]

A couple of other minor changes I noticed on 5.9. The music display shows the Artist Name followed by the Album name. I'm pretty sure previous releases had it reversed (Song, Album, Artist). Also not sure if this was like this before, but never noticed it - when doing Nav, the box that shows you the list of directions is now slightly translucent so you can see some of the map below it.

Absolutely love the Hill Assist feature. It works amazingly well. Maybe at some point they will let you configure how long to hold for so that I can just take my foot off the brake when sitting at a red light that is on an incline, but I'm very happy with the addition of the feature the way it is.

 

[Kraken]

Hill hold definitely is the brakes. You can hear and feel it. It reminds me of the parking break releasing, so that is my guess.

As for the rally cars, they were probably on a 6.x or something else. it's clear that tesla has many variations of the software that they test, so in wouldn't put it past them to have made a special software for that trip. heck, for all we know they were able to load up some angry birds app on the 17" for the passenger... But it wasn't 5.9

i have a long post coming up here in a few minutes after I write it. While I wasn't willing to needlessly push myself below zero, I did pull into the garage with 2 miles left on my daily drive today. I took some pictures to compare and contrast them to the past. There is some definite changes. The meter goes red with more miles remaining now.... Etc... You'll see. At 14 it was already red. I'd never even seen red before, and I'd been down to 6 miles.

im not sure why today had me getting back with only 2 miles. We had been getting back with about 20 before. We did go out of the way 10 miles, and drove a couple mph faster going to work, but I slowed down way earlier today as I saw the inevitable coming. I had been able to make it out and back at 75 mph... I was doing 65 for half of the trip back. As for starting charge, it was about 5 miles higher than before 5.9 (after losing 3 miles since finishing charging at 1 am).

 

[alexeiw123]

While I like that the speedo now goes to 140+, I'm disappointed they changed the logarithmic scale to linear. I thought the log scale provided better fidelity at lower speeds. If you look at the comparison below, you can see the distance between 40 and 80 MPH was much wider in 5.8 than in 5.9. Not a big deal but wish they'd kept the old style scale and just added 140MPH at the top end...

5.8
View attachment 45873

5.9 (Matt_D's photo)
View attachment 45874

Nice spot, I'd say the old one would have given the impression of decreasing acceleration once over 60mph, simply looking at how quickly the speedo line moves. Maybe part of their decision to make the speedo linear?

Do you find you refer to the scale or the number when adjusting your speed?