Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Firmware 7.0 vs. 7.1

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Am I the only one left who has not upgraded from 7.0?

I held off on the 7.1 upgrade due to concern over excessive autopilot nag. The main new feature summon seems more like a gimmick than a practical solution for my garage on a slight incline. Auto park perpendicular seems unnecessary. Then I heard about losing audio source shortcut, which I use all of the time, people complain about autopilot staying further to the right, etc. What is a compelling reason to upgrade to 7.1?

What would compel me to upgrade the firmware? In no particular order...
1. Fix 3G signal loss. Currently I pretty much have to do the 2 button reset every 1-2 weeks. It's annoying.
2. One big remote garage door button - it's surprisingly hard to hit the right remote and not go to the set up screen when you are stopping and moving. I know 7.1 can memorize location to activate garage door remote automatically, but I cannot use it for our community gate because every time I exit I would open the entrance gate on the opposite lane. Like the rear camera comes on when car switches to reverse, I want a big button show up when in geolocation of a garage door remote, please.
3. Waze integration to navigation! On that note, I don't understand why Google has not integrated Waze with google map more thoroughly...
4. Improve autopilot follow capability. Frequently when I am locked onto car in front of me at a stop light, autopilot would lose the lock when the other car accelerates, and I have to take over in the middle of the intersection. Maybe the lock distance can be extended?
5. Autopilot slow down as soon as car ahead in next lane encroaches the lane divider, and accelerate earlier when car ahead leaves my lane. Right now it feels like car does not slow until part of the other car is already in my lane, and does not accelerate until the car ahead
Is completely settled in the other lane.
6. Autopilot look further ahead for stopped traffic or big bend in the road. Currently with 7.0, if traffic ahead stops, autopilot starts to slowdown way later than I would have (usually I just disengage), and car does not slow down early when there is a big bend (like highway exit type turn) ahead; it does slow once it is in the turn though, but only if you enter the turn slowly enough.
7. Improve blind spot warning. Right now we get these white and yellow lines showing if there is something next to the car. They are not vary visible. How about the screen flashes if there is something next to the car when turn signal is engaged?
8. Autopilot makes use of rear view camera image to warn of car coming up from behind; maybe only when turn signal is engaged.
9. Autopilot nag optional original (7.0 variety) or enhanced (7.1 variety).
10. Built in Tune-in podcast memorizes where I paused previously. If I'm half way into a show in my morning commute, when I get into the car to go home in the afternoon, the broadcast starts from the beginning.

I can come up with a lot more! Blame autopilot for giving me extra time to think about these things during my commute :)

Cheers,
 
I'm still on 7.0 as well. and I absolutely refuse to downgrade to 7.1

There are 2 ways I will install a software update from here.
1) Tesla gives up on the extra nags and the speed restrictions and goes back to the way it was in 7.0 (or better, gives us what they actually promised which was hands-free on-ramp to off-ramp)
or
2) I learn how to get in to the developer mode on my car so that I can disable those annoyances myself.

Short of one of those 2, there's no possible thing they could "improve" on autopilot to make me switch because my current ability to actually use the system is worth far more to me than any other gimmick they add. I'd rather be able to use it on all the highways around here in it's current state, than be stuck with AP only working on about 10% of the highways and it being a perfect driver (guess based on the fact that the speed limit recognition doesn't know the actual speed limit on 90% of the highways around here, and most of those are roads I would bet are "Restricted")
 
My experience with 7.1 by your great list:

1. That sucks. I live in Santa Cruz and have never had this issue. Perhaps your antenna, is bad. It's in the pass mirror housing. I have never lost my signal unless in a dead area and I have never had to reset. I pretty much only drive the Bay Area. I am thinking about the 4G upgrade. But I am mixed on the reviews that I have read. Is it really worth $500? Doubt it because the browser is not up to snuff.
2. 7.1 fixes this with the auto open/close Homelink. I never have to hit the button anymore. Though the small button really never bothered me anyway. Works like a damn charm every single time and is actually my most favorite feature of the upgrade. Yes, lame. I know. I do agree. It should be larger.
3. Waze... Oh how I wish!!!!! I do use the Teslawaze, which works OK.
4. Completely fixed on 7.1. I have no issues with losing the car in front of me anymore. And the switching from the car in front to the lane markers and back again works very well. Lanes disappear and the it tracks the car that may be a good 100 ft in front of me. No hesitation, no wavering, no nothing. Quite impressive to watch it do it both on the IP and in function.
5. Slows much better when one enters my lane. Smooth and seamless. Still slows too much when when one leaves my lane for a turn. I just massage the go pedal for smooth transition.
6. Much smoother and earlier slowing with slowing traffic. Less jerky and less hard braking. Though it will also brake very hard when needed and seems to do it very well for me. It seems to be more predictive than before. Not sure how. But I like it.
7. Yup. Still useless except for parking.
8. Excellent idea. I'd love it. What I would love is the new Caddy mirror (I can't believe that I just said I want a Caddy product) that is a camera/display. As soon as a third party figures it out, I am in.
9. I get very, very, VERY few nags. I don't have any of the experience of others who have commented. I have no idea why. It seems to only nag when it gets confused, such as lots of activity, especially lateral movement of vehicles or a sudden change in structures on the side (not sure how to say that). A significant change in topography, such as a significant curve or slope will trigger it. I have measured and do not have any time-related consistency to it. I pretty much never hold the wheel or rest my hands on the wheel when in AP. Though I did do a test in traffic, where I just rested my fingers on the top side of the bottom of the wheel, which I actually found very comfortable, and I did not get one nag over 2 hours of driving from Santa Rosa down 101, Golden Gate, 19th, 280, 85. I did intervene when I felt I should, of course. I just do not have this issue!
10. Oh G-d yes!

Other comments:

Summon: meh. Gimmicky. Though I did find it convenient when doing my "patented annual beautification treatment" :) last weekend, where I would summon her out of the garage to wash and dry, back in for something, back out for something and I did not have get in the car with wet and dirty shoes, etc. Lame. But WTF. It was really handy.

Perp parking: I have not had the oppty to try it yet. I have used the parallel parking and it works like a F***ING CHARM! Totally cool and I love it.

Not sure what the audio shortcut issue is. Is that the icon in the upper right part of the screen? Never used it. I always have my screen on faves and that works for me. I have heard that some people don't have AM anymore (is that only on the X?). I still do. But I don't listen to it and don't care.

So after all of that blathering, I really don't feel like Big Brother is controlling me or my car with 7.1. And I hate that kind of monitoring. I don't even use Facebook, Twitter, etc, because I refuse to be tracked. TMC is actually the only "social" thing that I do. Period.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JenniferQ
Am I the only one left who has not upgraded from 7.0?

I held off on the 7.1 upgrade due to concern over excessive autopilot nag. The main new feature summon seems more like a gimmick than a practical solution for my garage on a slight incline. Auto park perpendicular seems unnecessary. Then I heard about losing audio source shortcut, which I use all of the time, people complain about autopilot staying further to the right, etc. What is a compelling reason to upgrade to 7.1?

What would compel me to upgrade the firmware? In no particular order...
1. Fix 3G signal loss. Currently I pretty much have to do the 2 button reset every 1-2 weeks. It's annoying.
2. One big remote garage door button - it's surprisingly hard to hit the right remote and not go to the set up screen when you are stopping and moving. I know 7.1 can memorize location to activate garage door remote automatically, but I cannot use it for our community gate because every time I exit I would open the entrance gate on the opposite lane. Like the rear camera comes on when car switches to reverse, I want a big button show up when in geolocation of a garage door remote, please.
3. Waze integration to navigation! On that note, I don't understand why Google has not integrated Waze with google map more thoroughly...
4. Improve autopilot follow capability. Frequently when I am locked onto car in front of me at a stop light, autopilot would lose the lock when the other car accelerates, and I have to take over in the middle of the intersection. Maybe the lock distance can be extended?
5. Autopilot slow down as soon as car ahead in next lane encroaches the lane divider, and accelerate earlier when car ahead leaves my lane. Right now it feels like car does not slow until part of the other car is already in my lane, and does not accelerate until the car ahead
Is completely settled in the other lane.
6. Autopilot look further ahead for stopped traffic or big bend in the road. Currently with 7.0, if traffic ahead stops, autopilot starts to slowdown way later than I would have (usually I just disengage), and car does not slow down early when there is a big bend (like highway exit type turn) ahead; it does slow once it is in the turn though, but only if you enter the turn slowly enough.
7. Improve blind spot warning. Right now we get these white and yellow lines showing if there is something next to the car. They are not vary visible. How about the screen flashes if there is something next to the car when turn signal is engaged?
8. Autopilot makes use of rear view camera image to warn of car coming up from behind; maybe only when turn signal is engaged.
9. Autopilot nag optional original (7.0 variety) or enhanced (7.1 variety).
10. Built in Tune-in podcast memorizes where I paused previously. If I'm half way into a show in my morning commute, when I get into the car to go home in the afternoon, the broadcast starts from the beginning.

I can come up with a lot more! Blame autopilot for giving me extra time to think about these things during my commute :)

Cheers,
All of the above. You are either in, or out. You are currently not getting out of the car what you paid for it. Upgrade. IMO, OC.
 
All of the above. You are either in, or out. You are currently not getting out of the car what you paid for it. Upgrade. IMO, OC.
You're right that I'm not getting what I paid for, but I'm still getting more out of the car now than if I were to downgrade to 7.1 It is far closer to what was promised as it is, than if they crippled AP so that I can no longer use it. Of course neither 7.0 or 7.1 is even remotely what they actually promised, but that's a different rant. (they promised hands free, and they promised summoning to your front door, neither of which have been delivered)

Let me be crystal clear, most of my use for AP is on roads that I strongly suspect will be "limited", have never registered a speed limit on the centre display, and have real limits far higher than the arbitrary number Tesla chose to restrict it to. I refuse to give up the ability to cruise along on AP at my chosen set speed on those roads for the sake of a tiny handful of extremely minor "improvements" to a system I'll no longer be able to use anyway coupled with 2 useless parlour tricks (summon (especially in Canada where it's crippled further than in the US) and perpendicular parking)
 
Agree. I was replying to yeeha. It sounds like Canada is in a whole different situation. That is obviously frustrating for you.

I will add, however, that here in CA where the roads do not have speed limits, I have not been speed restricted. There are many I drive on that are not 'divided' and are not restricted. YMMV.
 
Agree. I was replying to yeeha. It sounds like Canada is in a whole different situation. That is obviously frustrating for you.

I will add, however, that here in CA where the roads do not have speed limits, I have not been speed restricted. There are many I drive on that are not 'divided' and are not restricted. YMMV.
With no way to test without going to 7.1, and no way to revert firmware, I'm not willing to take that risk.

7.0 Autopilot works as well as I could ever hope for without going to actual hands free (which 7.1 is not). No point tempting fate.

But honestly, to some extent it's ok. I learned long long ago never to buy any technology on the promise of future software upgrades, 99% of the time those upgrades either don't come, or don't do what was promised, Tesla has been no exception to this rule, but that's ok because I bought the car for the capabilities it had at the time I purchased it, not for what it promised to become later. Had I never received any firmware updates at all, it would still be the car I chose.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JenniferQ
The nag is consistent and annoying. The only solution is to keep your hands on the wheel which is kinda useless as it's so good that you really don't need it on highways.

Elon: please at least remove nags for highway driving. Keep it for the speed restricted non-divided roads if you must. If the goal is to detect the person is not sitting in the back seat (thanks whoever pulled that stunt and uploaded to YouTube), you can verify that with the seatbelt and weight sensor.
 
I will say that TACC has noticeably improved with 7.1 (and its various updates) but I would still go back to 7.0 to avoid the mis identification of roads and speeds. The nags are a pain but nothing compared to the speed issues. In my case, autopilot is no longer useable in the express lanes on I595. Photo attached to show the car on I595, the car says we are on a restricted road and the camera has just grabbed a speed limit sign from the overpass above I595. Totally pita and completely unnecessary.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20160316_071607.jpg
    IMG_20160316_071607.jpg
    138.6 KB · Views: 61