Got my Model 3 today: some noob questions

[Peteski]

First, a few times I noticed an error message that the left door pillar camera is blocked. Then the right pillar camera. Then "multiple cameras are blocked or blinded". I searched this and found info on condensation and such but (if I'm looking at the correct camera - top side of the door pillar), the glass is clean and I see no condensation. I was driving at night. Anything I should check? Autopilot worked the 3x I tried it and the error doesn't seem to appear while using autopilot. In fact, the times I noticed it most was when using the left/right turn signals to make a turn.

I had this issue on my new M3 too. It got much better after a couple of weeks, but I did log it with the SC. The pillar cameras seem very prone to condensation in the M3. It's not because of the dark. The cameras in my MX only get phased by heavy rain or fog.

Standard AP doesn't use the pillar cameras when driving along, but when you signal it checks the side cameras for cars in the next lane and warns you if not clear - hence why you would get a blocked/blinded camera warning when signalling. With FSD you get the blocked camera warnings more often as they are more active in FSD.

 

[MikeyC]

I had this issue on my new M3 too. It got much better after a couple of weeks, but I did log it with the SC. The pillar cameras seem very prone to condensation in the M3. It's not because of the dark. The cameras in my MX only get phased by heavy rain or fog.

Standard AP doesn't use the pillar cameras when driving along, but when you signal it checks the side cameras for cars in the next lane and warns you if not clear - hence why you would get a blocked/blinded camera warning when signalling. With FSD you get the blocked camera warnings more often as they are more active in FSD.

I did activate FSD so that might be part of it. I do think the darkness has something to do with it though because I realized that I never got the warnings when I was on the highway: probably because there was traffic all around me (hence lights). The warnings only popped up after I turned off the highway onto dark country roads. When I got home (about 2 minutes after receiving my last warning on signaling), I jumped straight out of the car and looked at the pillar cameras. There wasn't a hint of condensation (to the unaided eye anyway). It wasn't raining and the weather was perfect: about the same temp both outside and inside the car and not foggy or high humidity.

I'm driving it today during the day so I'll see how it does. Not too worried about it at this point.

Mike

 

[rjpjnk]

Time to go drive the new Tesla!
Must be fun.

 

[wws]

It is worth noting that it takes a few miles after delivery for the computer to calibrate the cameras and whatnot.

As for the adapter, there is no problem just leaving it attached to the J1772 plug in your garage. Main thing is to not forget it, and for that matter the UMC kit, when on a road trip. Might come in handy for some opportunity charging.

 

[MikeyC]

Thanks for all the replies. Drove it today in daylight and never got a camera warning. It either calibrated itself or it's a "dark issue". So if I may continue with a couple more noob questions...

My car came with a Tesla flash drive already in the slot. The dashcam icon shows ready. I don't know if it is standard now to include one or what the size is, but it's in the glovebox in the USB slot. Now I searched this and found info saying that sentry mode clips would overwrite if the flashdrive got full so you don't have to worry about clearing it or losing sentry mode clips. BUT here's my question: what about the dashcam? Let's say you have sentry mode on and after a short time the flash drive is full and it starts to overwrite. Then something happens and you press the dashcam icon to record the previous 10 minutes: the flash drive is full from sentry mode clips that are continuously overwriting... will the dashcam be able to save?

Today I went to Walmart (such fun) and it was the first time I had just pressed the park button, gotten out, and walked away while away from home (I have it set to not auto-lock at home). I glanced back after I had walked maybe 30 feet and the mirrors folded so I felt better that the auto-lock worked. Did my shopping, came back, popped the trunk to put the groceries in, and the trunk opened immediately as expected. Yet when I walked around to open the driver's door, it wouldn't open. Once I got my phone out of my pocket, turned it on, and unlocked it, THEN the door opened. I tested it two more times by walking away until it locked only to come back and the driver's door wasn't opening. After getting my phone out of my pocket and unlocking it, the door would open. When I got home I thought, "Wait... I'm an idiot... I never paired my phone to the car via BT". Is that what is causing that opening delay: not having it BT paired with the car? And why would the trunk open no problem, yet the driver's door wouldn't open right after that? You'd think if it recognized the phone and unlocked the trunk without me taking my phone out, why not the driver's door?

... getting used to all these gadgets but it's fun!

Mike

 

[MXLRplus]

There are a LOT of customization settings, and not all are in the owner's manual (or easy to find). You need to go through the menu.
Enjoy!

 

[MikeyC]

I'm still playing... I was able to find plenty of substitutes for the old Sirius/XM radio so I found a good song to crank and MY GOD! This is the best sound system I've ever had in a car! And I've had quite a few! I'm blown away. Quite literally.

Mike

 

[MikeyC]

All this excitement on my part... and I forgot to post a pic so finally, here it is. Still deciding if I should pop off the aero wheel covers and get the wheel cap kit from Amazon.

Mike

 

[tstolze]

All this excitement on my part... and I forgot to post a pic so finally, here it is. Still deciding if I should pop off the aero wheel covers and get the wheel cap kit from Amazon.

Mike

I have to ask, how is the color of the bumper in person.. I'm assuming it's the camera that is making it look different.

 

[MikeyC]

I have to ask, how is the color of the bumper in person.. I'm assuming it's the camera that is making it look different.

It looks perfect in real lighting. Cell phone with flash and reflections makes it look weird. I did a thorough inspection of the paint and gaps when I took delivery, knowing that can be a sticking point with some. I noticed one tiny dust fleck in the paint (typical Tesla paint job imperfection) on the back but it's so small that it's not worth noting. Gaps are all pretty close. The only thing I've noticed is that when the trunk closes, it jiggles to the side a bit when it latches, like it isn't quite aligned and the latch pulls it into alignment. In looking at it, there's a little more gap on one side of the trunk than the other but the difference is so small that I wouldn't think it would account for the hatch making a lateral jiggle when it closes. Maybe I can get a video of it.

Mike

 

[father_of_6]

if it recognized the phone and unlocked the trunk without me taking my phone out, why not the driver's door?

From my few months of experience.... if the doors are locked, the trunk is locked too. There are occasions where the bluetooth lock is slow to connect, and it results in me standing there pulling the door handle... OR the trunk latch... both seem effected equally.

If you didn't have bluetooth key enabled, perhaps the "walk-away lock" *didn't* work as you expected at Walmart. Did it honk? The mirrors may fold in after just sitting in park for a few minutes. The certain sign of the "walk-away lock" is a tiny honk plus the mirrors folding (and possible a little flicker of the headlights).

Side note - I recommend setting up PIN to drive. A few weeks after getting my M3 I read a post about someone's MS being stolen. PIN to drive seems like such a small gesture for the added peace of mind to know that someone can't just get in a drive away. How about this scenario... when you're walking into Walmart, I bet I could get in your car and drive off before you're distant enough for the walk away lock to trigger. For someone who knows enough about a Tesla and who's looking for a target, this would be easy to do.

 

[MikeyC]

Good idea. I'll activate PIN to drive. Sounds like good reassurance. I took a video of the trunk closing. I had to watch it like 5 times before I could see it. It's subtle. If you keep your eye on the D of MODEL 3 on the license plate while it is closing you can see a little shift to the left maybe 1/8 inch. Not sure if it's that or just one side of the trunk lid is hitting the stoppers just before the other side. See if you think this is a problem, please:

Thanks,
Mike

 

[JohnnyEV]

I couldn't tell from the picture but do you still have the shipping protective plastic on the pillars? My M3 they prepared well and it didn't, but my Wife's Y still had them on. I removed them at home while detailing.

 

[MentalNomad]

Once I got my phone out of my pocket, turned it on, and unlocked it, THEN the door opened.

You may be having a problem I experience sometimes. The problem is my ass.

The car's sensor is in the door pillar, and if the phone is in my back pocket, my ass is in the way. If I turn as if to moon the car, the door unlocks just fine.

If the phone is asleep, mooning the car is not enough, but I can wake the phone by tapping it. So I moon the car and tap my ass; that works just great, as long as nobody is looking at me.

I make it a habit to pull out my phone as I approach my car, and then I don't have any trouble, and I'm going to need to pull out the phone to put it in the center console, anyway, so it works out.

It does sometimes annoy me that if I stand next to the car, my ass is in the way, but if I enter a building and go up to the second floor and am 30 feet away from the car and behind a wall and I check my phone, sometimes it's connected to the car and it's unlocked. Fortunately, I can always fix that by putting my ass in the way.

 

[tstolze]

You may be having a problem I experience sometimes. The problem is my ass.

The car's sensor is in the door pillar, and if the phone is in my back pocket, my ass is in the way. If I turn as if to moon the car, the door unlocks just fine.

If the phone is asleep, mooning the car is not enough, but I can wake the phone by tapping it. So I moon the car and tap my ass; that works just great, as long as nobody is looking at me.

I make it a habit to pull out my phone as I approach my car, and then I don't have any trouble, and I'm going to need to pull out the phone to put it in the center console, anyway, so it works out.

It does sometimes annoy me that if I stand next to the car, my ass is in the way, but if I enter a building and go up to the second floor and am 30 feet away from the car and behind a wall and I check my phone, sometimes it's connected to the car and it's unlocked. Fortunately, I can always fix that by putting my ass in the way.

I suggested this was the problem my wife was experiencing with the car not opening in the morning, she moved her phone from her back pocket to her hand or purse and after a week 100% success.

 

[cylonmode]

The BT on my phone to Tesla is a little delayed sometimes as well. Never really bothered me though, you'll get used to the little things like that.

 

[father_of_6]

So I moon the car and tap my ass

Can't tell whether to take your post seriously or not... but *either* way I'm cracking up

 

[MikeyC]

I shall practice the moon tap dance next time and see if it helps.

Mike

 

[afty]

I also moon my Model 3. Glad I’m not the only one.

 

[holmgang]

First, a few times I noticed an error message that the left door pillar camera is blocked. Then the right pillar camera. Then "multiple cameras are blocked or blinded". I searched this and found info on condensation and such but (if I'm looking at the correct camera - top side of the door pillar), the glass is clean and I see no condensation. I was driving at night. Anything I should check? Autopilot worked the 3x I tried it and the error doesn't seem to appear while using autopilot. In fact, the times I noticed it most was when using the left/right turn signals to make a turn.

Simply it happens often, you just deal with it and ignore the messages, and most of the time it doesn't actually impair the APx functionalities.
(The computer will tell you when APx cannot be engaged due to system visibility, or disable it when it's already turned on.)