Firmware 7.0 - For Classic Model S

[mknox]

I find that the HVAC will always put the air towards the feet, not the windshield. This is going to be useless in the winter.
Seems I'll be manually changing all settings in HVAC rather than leave it to auto.

I almost always over-ride the recirculate button to remain on outside air. Not sure about now, but in the past the car in Auto would stay in recirculate way to much, which is a huge no-no in the winter because you will get crazy fogging. I find if I over-ride to outside air and just use the thumb wheel to ramp up the fan, even if it's at the floor the increased fresh air movement does the job.

 

[jerry33]

Isn't it more straightforward to just use the button on the screen? I say just get rid of the old going into park extends the handles altogether.

Not in my opinion. The park button is one step, The screen is two. Less steps are better.

 

[ohmman]

Not in my opinion. The park button is one step, The screen is two. Less steps are better.

The new screen lock control is also one step.

 

[TexasEV]

What was wrong with climate control in 6.x? Is heater performance also improved in 7? All I can seem to gather from the forum is that the compressor ramps up more quickly and aggressively. This seems like a negative to me bc that compressor can be embarrassingly loud. What am I missing?

What you're missing is you're in southern California and don't stress the A/C very much. In Texas the previous versions of firmware took a long time for the air conditioning to cool down to the desired temperature if we didn't pre-cool the car. Now it reaches the set temperature faster, similar to other cars, and I think the settings are more accurate. We had to set the temp a few degrees lower than other cars to get the same amount of cooling. Now we don't. This is the only benefit I can see to version 7 in my pre-AP car.

 

[SW2Fiddler]

I find that the HVAC will always put the air towards the feet, not the windshield. This is going to be useless in the winter.
Seems I'll be manually changing all settings in HVAC rather than leave it to auto.

Nah. I got in the car this morning and had fog outside (bottom of windshield only; has to be due to cooled air blowing on the windshield on the inside).

 

[invisik]

What you're missing is you're in southern California and don't stress the A/C very much. In Texas the previous versions of firmware took a long time for the air conditioning to cool down to the desired temperature if we didn't pre-cool the car. Now it reaches the set temperature faster, similar to other cars, and I think the settings are more accurate. We had to set the temp a few degrees lower than other cars to get the same amount of cooling. Now we don't. This is the only benefit I can see to version 7 in my pre-AP car.

We're (mostly) out of cooling season here so I can't test.... is the compressor run as loudly as before at max?

I do agree, when you change the temperature 1 degree, there is a perceptible change in fan speed/air temperature..... on 6.x, one degree change would yield no perceptible difference.. had to go 3-4 degrees for it to react. That is a nice change.

Thanks.

-m

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

Help me out with this one:

Not in my opinion. The park button is one step, The screen is two. Less steps are better.

BTW, I appreciate Lycanthrope's clarification:

"However, I think we have three separate use-cases here:
- engage parking brake
- unlock doors
- present door handles

Unlock and present are different, unlock means no presentation of door handles, but when unlocked they can be extended by pressing on the outside, when locked, not."

I like the screen lock/unlock feature.

 

[gmontem]

I am convinced my 2012 S-85 did not receive the RWD performance improvement after driving a 2014 P85+ loaner yesterday that had the v7 firmware.



That car's release notes mentions the performance improvements whereas mine did not.

Edit: 2014, not 2015

 

[TexasEV]

While driving today I think I figured out why the new UI on the dashboard is bothering me so much. It's because it requires much more eye movement, at least for my habits. I frequently look at the time and the battery when driving. That used to be just a quick, slight glance downward to the center screen to see both. Now the battery and the time are as far apart as possible, the battery at the lower left corner of the dashboard and the time is no longer on the bottom row so I look at the one on the upper right corner of the 17" screen. Those two pieces of information are as far apart as possible, requiring lots more eye movement. I know I could put up the clock app on the center screen but I wouldn't waste one of the two positions for that.

 

[omarsultan]

I think the dropping of the "ownership" email is telling.

The official channels for customers to contact Tesla have been reduced to 1) sales and 2) service. Neither is appropriate for concerns about 7.0.

The concept of a team responsible for "ownership experience" seems to have been eliminated. The sales channel is useless for existing customers. The beleagured, way too busy service channel is the last place an existing owner wants to reach out to for issues that are essentially non-important to SERVICE people. Complaining about a sucky UI means nothing to SERVICE people. Their job is to FIX stuff that's broken. Like MASH doctors, they have to triage the incoming requests, because there are so many far more needy "patients" than those with gripes and disappointments but no "injuries."

What is now missing is a channel for existing customers to communicate with the company about ownership issues, disappointments, changes they have no say in. Tesla's message seems to be, we are too big now to care about existing customers. We have too many new ones to deal with, and old-timers need to keep quiet.

Once again, Tesla gets an F when it comes to communications.

Now, I am the first one to say that Tesla has significant communications issues, but this is such a bunch of whiney, made-up tripe (and that is the polite version that will hopefully keep me out of moderation). Have you used the new e-mail address? I am going to venture the answer is no. I have, on multiple occasions, for everything from compliments to feedback to getting questions answered--the user experience is exactly the same as the ownership address. If you use the "contact us" web form and select "Model S Owner Feedback", it routes to the same ServiceHelp email address. They get back within a day or so. In fact, I just wrote to them with feedback re: the v7 UI and the response was thanks and we will pass it along to the appropriate folks.

As the company grows, its needs to do things differently. I used the old ownership address often enough that I was on a first name basis with one of the team leads. The old approach with the ownership address was not scaling and, in case you have not noticed, the company is global, so a single email alias is not going to work for everyone. If you are in Europe, you are likely not gonna be happy waiting for the guys in California to wake up to answer your questions and you might want to communicate in your native language instead of English, so they localized addressed for each region now (i.e. ServcieHelpEU, ServiceHelpAU, etc).

 

[Gizmotoy]

Now, I am the first one to say that Tesla has significant communications issues, but this is such a bunch of whiney, made-up tripe (and that is the polite version that will hopefully keep me out of moderation). Have you used the new e-mail address? I am going to venture the answer is no. I have, on multiple occasions, for everything from compliments to feedback to getting questions answered--the user experience is exactly the same as the ownership address. If you use the "contact us" web form and select "Model S Owner Feedback", it routes to the same ServiceHelp email address. They get back within a day or so. In fact, I just wrote to them with feedback re: the v7 UI and the response was thanks and we will pass it along to the appropriate folks.

As the company grows, its needs to do things differently. I used the old ownership address often enough that I was on a first name basis with one of the team leads. The old approach with the ownership address was not scaling and, in case you have not noticed, the company is global, so a single email alias is not going to work for everyone. If you are in Europe, you are likely not gonna be happy waiting for the guys in California to wake up to answer your questions and you might want to communicate in your native language instead of English, so they localized addressed for each region now (i.e. ServcieHelpEU, ServiceHelpAU, etc).

If anything, the new one is better, I think. In my car's early days I sent several emails into the black hole that was the Ownership email address. I'm not sure I got a response to any of them. I have gotten responses from ServiceHelpNA, even if they are sometimes canned responses. That's better than not knowing if they even received my message.

 

[Tslynk67]

Not aware of a version 2 but I know there have been many hardware revs. Mine is a -K from the last swap I had in February. Let us know what you find out.

So first-up, this is a completely new version of the DU, not a revision. Unfortunately, the Service Centre guys do not know what has changed or what it may facilitate, other than, I presume some design issues with the previous being removed. Externally it looks identical, but major changes internally, they said.

In driving it felt lovely and smooth, but as the old one was on the way out, that probably doesn't mean much. I'm still on 6.2 as well, so no change in throttle mapping and all that stuff.

 

[Duckjybe]

So first-up, this is a completely new version of the DU, not a revision. Unfortunately, the Service Centre guys do not know what has changed or what it may facilitate, other than, I presume some design issues with the previous being removed. Externally it looks identical, but major changes internally, they said.

In driving it felt lovely and smooth, but as the old one was on the way out, that probably doesn't mean much. I'm still on 6.2 as well, so no change in throttle mapping and all that stuff.

Maybe this is the "million mile" drive unit that Elon said they were working on when they discovered Ludicrous mode.

Three Dog Day | Tesla Motors

 

[Tslynk67]

Maybe this is the "million mile" drive unit that Elon said they were working on when they discovered Ludicrous mode.

Is that the 1609344 kilometre DU I heard about?

 

[ohmman]

Is that the 1609344 kilometre DU I heard about?

I had heard rumors of a 1.701 x 10^-7 light-year drive unit. Could be related.

 

[markb1]

Not in my opinion. The park button is one step, The screen is two. Less steps are better.

I wouldn't mind this, because unlocking the car from the inside is something I rarely need to do. But I think better would be if I could unlock and extend the handles simply with a second tap of the park button.

Anyway, on the first tap, I think Tesla should definitely make it so the car stays locked, or at least make it configurable.

 

[mknox]

But I think better would be if I could unlock and extend the handles simply with a second tap of the park button.

And you can right now. They made that change a few firmware releases ago.

Anyway, on the first tap, I think Tesla should definitely make it so the car stays locked, or at least make it configurable.

Agree!!

 

[ericonline]

Sorry if this has already been addressed. For newer cars (Mine is a 70 RWD) with the AP hardware, that don't have the AP software upgrade - Do we still keep the original speedometer? I've resisted upgrading as I don't want to lose the speedometer with energy usage and regen indicators.

 

[Tslynk67]

But right now, the handles extend on first press. Thus we don't want...

 

[markb1]

And you can right now. They made that change a few firmware releases ago.

Huh? My handles always extend on the first tap of the park button. How do I change this?

- - - Updated - - -

But right now, the handles extend on first press. Thus we don't want...

Yeah, and it's always been that way. Has there been any change at all?