Getting my Model X into a parking space

[Master Chief]

For the record, I am vertically challenged, so my head does not bump the top glass in my MX. Having said that, I find it a bit challenging to line up the car between the lines in a parking lot. I usually end up much closer to the right line than the left. The side cameras are of NO help and even putting it into reverse to activate the cameras once I am in the spot leaves much to be desired. My friend's Ford F150 offers a fantastic 360 view and shows perfectly how lined up he is in the parking spot. So, yes, I have a bit of Ford-envy when it comes to cameras and the user interface.

What I really wanted to talk about here is does ANYONE actually use the parking assist in the Model X? I cannot remember the last time I saw the ephemeral "R" when passing an available parking spot. I have quit trying. I just park it myself like I did for 50 years of Driving 1.0.

I have a few observations which I would LOVE for Elon to see:

• Instead of driving past a parking spot (only one with vehicles on either side) and backing in, let the driver decide which spot to park in
• While pulling in or backing in, as soon as the adjacent lines show up on the dash panel, pull back on the lever (the one that puts you into cruise control) and the car would finish parking for you.
• When you arrive at a Supercharger Station, the car would pick out the best stall for you and park automatically.
• If the Supercharger is close to full, it would know which stall pair was closest to a full charge and put you into that spot's pair.
• I haven't thought about parallel parking because I so rarely parallel park that it doesn't matter to me

Additionally, does anyone use the summon feature? The backout feature? I use neither and I am wondering how well it works for those who use it.

Thoughts?

 

[mjptech]

For the record, I am vertically challenged, so my head does not bump the top glass in my MX. Having said that, I find it a bit challenging to line up the car between the lines in a parking lot. I usually end up much closer to the right line than the left. The side cameras are of NO help and even putting it into reverse to activate the cameras once I am in the spot leaves much to be desired. My friend's Ford F150 offers a fantastic 360 view and shows perfectly how lined up he is in the parking spot. So, yes, I have a bit of Ford-envy when it comes to cameras and the user interface.

What I really wanted to talk about here is does ANYONE actually use the parking assist in the Model X? I cannot remember the last time I saw the ephemeral "R" when passing an available parking spot. I have quit trying. I just park it myself like I did for 50 years of Driving 1.0.

I have a few observations which I would LOVE for Elon to see:

• Instead of driving past a parking spot (only one with vehicles on either side) and backing in, let the driver decide which spot to park in
• While pulling in or backing in, as soon as the adjacent lines show up on the dash panel, pull back on the lever (the one that puts you into cruise control) and the car would finish parking for you.
• When you arrive at a Supercharger Station, the car would pick out the best stall for you and park automatically.
• If the Supercharger is close to full, it would know which stall pair was closest to a full charge and put you into that spot's pair.
• I haven't thought about parallel parking because I so rarely parallel park that it doesn't matter to me

Additionally, does anyone use the summon feature? The backout feature? I use neither and I am wondering how well it works for those who use it.

Thoughts?

In terms of parking - if you know you have a tendency to edge one side, it'll take a few tries, but, eventually you'll train yourself to re-center. You can use the old school tricks of knowing where your wheels are by driving along some Botts Dots (or those bumps on the road) and learn some "markers" in your vehicle to know where the left side and right side end up going over them...

After that, you know what to look at on your dashboard to know where your vehicle sits in a lane. Some very old school tricks there... You'll be able to park center knowing where your car sits. There is an aftermarket 360 camera available in the forums here, I believe by @BearBu, but, not sure if there's anything new, or, just old units that people may not have installed.

Smart Summon = just for fun in empty parking lots.. Can't trust that at all.

Regular summon = use it quite a bit, mainly for entering/exiting the garage.. Rarely, I may use it in a public parking lot if someone has come along and parked next to me and didn't leave room. Be aware, if you use summon in/out of a garage, it's advised NOT to use the Homelink/Auto garage opening feature for summon... You're asking for a disaster when it doesn't trigger correctly, or, decides it needs to activate it when the garage is already open/close.

 

[P85_DA]

I don’t use parking assist ..it’s to slow and more of a gimmick for me ..that said my camera was slightly off center and I was doing same as u parking closer to one line ..the service center adjusted and now no issues...for summons it’s same thing used it more to show folks but in practical world never have a need for it

 

[forkee]

i try to back into every spot i find and I hardly ever need to adjust. i find it immensely easier than pulling into a spot. the logistics of centering the back wheels is better when you have lateral space for the front wheels such as when backing in.

 

[Master Chief]

i try to back into every spot i find and I hardly ever need to adjust. i find it immensely easier than pulling into a spot. the logistics of centering the back wheels is better when you have lateral space for the front wheels such as when backing in.

Interesting point.

 

[jboy210]

As they say practice, practice, practice. Do it and get used to the sight picture of cars or other landmarks when you are centered in a parking spot. They will be some relation to the door, window, mirror, and the lines on the ground that will aid you.

With that said I wish the car had a 360 camera. Supposedly one is coming as part of the next FSD package. I suspect it will require a new hardware purchase since you need a front nose camera to make it truly 360. But, if it is available when I get a new car in May I might order FSD just to have it.

 

[Master Chief]

As they say practice, practice, practice. Do it and get used to the sight picture of cars or other landmarks when you are centered in a parking spot. They will be some relation to the door, window, mirror, and the lines on the ground that will aid you.

With that said I wish the car had a 360 camera. Supposedly one is coming as part of the next FSD package. I suspect it will require a new hardware purchase since you need a front nose camera to make it truly 360. But, if it is available when I get a new car in May I might order FSD just to have it.

I have been trying to figure out why I have such a hard time negotiating diagonal and perpendicular parking spaces. I believe it is the high sides of the MX, almost like sitting in a big box. By the time, I commit to a parking spot and start turning, the lines on both sides of the parking space disappear. Perhaps if I was a foot taller, I might be able to see it but, alas, I cannot.

An awesome feature would be if you are going under X miles per hour and are turning the wheel, a panoramic view would show up on the screen, or better yet, you would get those bendy white lines like we get when we back up.

Not even for parking's sake, it would be a great feature for negotiating close quarter driving. I have hit or barely missed curbs in parking lots because I cannot see them once I get near.

Are you listening @ElonMusk? FSD is a cool feature and I am looking forward to it being in full Beta by December, but jeez, pick some of the low hanging fruit. You already have the code for the backup feature, just turn it around and use it on the front!!!

 

[jboy210]

...
Are you listening @ElonMusk? FSD is a cool feature and I am looking forward to it being in full Beta by December, but jeez, pick some of the low hanging fruit. You already have the code for the backup feature, just turn it around and use it on the front!!!

No front nose camera is going to make this tougher than it needs to be.

 

[Master Chief]

No front nose camera is going to make this tougher than it needs to be.

True, but can't they combine the left and right forward looking cameras with the one by the rear view mirror? Not sure if it is enough.

Maybe if they add a nose camera it will be able to be retrofitted.

 

[jboy210]

True, but can't they combine the left and right forward looking cameras with the one by the rear view mirror? Not sure if it is enough.

Maybe if they add a nose camera it will be able to be retrofitted.

For forward parking, you want a view of the obstacles the bumper will strike if you pull up just a little closer to the wall, car in front, etc. None of the current cameras give you that. A nose camera would fix that in the same way the rear camera does for backing up.

Like a lot of cars, my BMW X3 had a bird's eye view combining the rear, side, and nose camera. It made it very easy to center your car in the parking spot and pull forward or backward as far as necessary.