So, another run-around in 25.2. The report:
- Three-lane divided highway with lights, FSD-b active. On ramp onto the highway is a fourth lane that, after going through the light there, merges into the right-most normal travel lane. But one can turn right at the light, too. Car is in that fourth lane, is blocked from entering the travel lane by an oncoming pickup truck - and decides to hang a right into the shopping center at the light, then gets completely stuck, at least in terms of where to go. Normal driver would have waited for the truck to clear, then used the forward lane to merge in as per normal. So, idiocy. That was the bad part.
- The good part: Once back on the Major highway, the car drove itself some 15 miles, switching lanes to avoid slow traffic as necessary, stopped when lights were red, went when lights were green, and pretty much behaved itself. Took a cloverleaf off-ramp, got on a new, double lane road, and proceeded through progressively narrower portions of the road, switching lanes as necessary to keep out of left-turn or right-turn only lanes, eventually driving right into the parking lot of the office to which I was going.
- Repeated #2 going back, this time without weird on-ramp problems, including left turns at a couple of lights in heavy traffic, no problems. Only problem: When pulling 50 (the nominal limit) for no discernible reason slowed to 38. Braking, but not hard. Some urging with the pedal got it back up to speed. I've been seeing this a bit more often on 25.2. But, having said that: Got all the way to the house without having to try and take over, plus or minus that gas pedal, that same 15 miles or so.
- @AlanSubie4Life stated that he noticed oscillatory behavior on braking when starting at higher speeds. He's right. My only quibble is that, really, I hadn't noticed it actually doing that until he had pointed it out. So, this is not a neck-breaking gas-it/brake it/gas-it oscillation, it's quite a bit milder. I agree that this isn't how humans do it, unless they're brain-dead, but it's probably not high on the list of Things To Be Fixed. My preference: Get the, "swing wide right on a left turn" bug fixed first, since that'll make me intervene each and every time it happens.
On another Tesla-related topic: Had a visit from a mobile service rep. Main problem: Pretty sure that when a family member flew in for Xmas and was given the key card to get around with, said member handed me back the
wrong key-card, the one for his car on the other coast. In the meantime, thought I had a dead key card. The app said $50 - but that was only if the dead key card was actually dead, which it turned out it wasn't. Turns out (and you all knew this, but I didn't) that one can take a completely random Tesla key card, place it on the spot on the console, and, using a good key-card, pair the random key-card with the car. And then delete the extra key-card. All good fun, the family member's been notified, and will presumably re-key the Wrong Card to his car, so we'll all be good.
And then the good one. This 2018 M3 has had an issue with the pillar trim. When they built the thing, a plastic locator guide pin on the trim didn't hit the hole it was supposed to go into and got bent 'way over. Even in that state, the people at the factory were able to pop the trim into place. Until about a month after I got the car, happened to hit the trim on the way in/out, and it popped loose. Popped it in again, later it popped out, and so on. Called a service tech, they popped it in; but, a day later, lather, rinse, repeat.
Finally took it somewhat apart, got the guide pin straightened without breaking it, and popped it all in. And, a week later, it popped out again. Argh.
Finally got busy a few months ago and disassembled everything. Figured I needed new snaps. Was in at Tesla for a recall, asked about the snaps. Service Advisor took a look, then later told me I needed a brand-new trim panel, a couple hundred bucks
. Been stewing about that.
So, with the local mobile tech present, he asked me, "Any other problems?" and I told him the story, warning him that there was probably nothing he could do.
I should just tell stories. He grinned, moved the car seat forward, pulled off the rubber moulding around both sides of the pillar, popped the trim panels loose, and pointed out that the plastic snaps that hold the panel in place to the car body were badly worn. Which, according to him, happens when they go in/out/in/out a lot. Walked over to his car, pulled out a half-dozen of these snaps from his private stash, stuck the new ones in, pushed all the parts back where they were supposed to be, and now everything is solid as a rock. No charge. For that, or for showing an idiot driver how to program Tesla key cards.
