Hack to keep autopilot engaged

[PianoAl]

Too much pressure and autopilot disengages. Too little and the message persists.

just hanging your hand on the wheel.

Yes, there's an art to this (an art my wife has yet to master). My favorite position involves planting my right foot on the floor such that my knee is close to the steering wheel, with my leg resting against the center console. I rest my hand on my knee and wrap my thumb and forefinger around the wheel. When the wheel turns, I let it slip through the fingers as if reluctantly giving a twenty dollar bill to a teenage son.

It would be marginally safer to have my foot on the brake or accelerator pedal, but I can get it there pretty fast if something comes up.

 

[OCJoe]

Wow, lots of conversation. I didn't anticipate that this topic would evoke so many and various responses. To recap, my "discovery" (which apparently several of you already knew) was that any adjustment using the thumbwheels will satisfy autopilot's requirement to keep your hands on the steering wheel. For me, adjusting the thumbwheels is preferable to other methods (sanctioned and otherwise) to apply slight torque to the wheel.

Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel! And enjoy the ride!

 

[Noodles]

Normally, I can go 30 seconds between touching the wheel. But resently, when in stopped at road construction, autopilot went red. After that event it required me to respond every 15 seconds for about a day. So, there appears to be something within Autopilot to punish you if you are not responsive...

I had a similar experience in my last drive

I tested the wheel scroll advice. it worked but after some time the car doesn't respond to it so I have to put pressure on the steering wheel.

 

[MikeHolliday]

I have driven over a thousand miles and just touching one of the scroll wheels it will sense that I am using the steering wheel. I have never experienced it not to respond. I am not saying that people may or maynot have experienced this, but I just know that it has always responded to my use of the scroll wheel for speed, car spacing, volume or skipping a sound to sense that I am still in control of the car...

 

[Mattopotamus]

I have my steering set to "sport". It takes a lot less tension to keep it from nagging.

 

[jlemdy]

Hi all,
A friend of mine showed me this and works. I trap it on the steering and no more nagging.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KKBR26H/

 

[Gasman23]

Hi all,
A friend of mine showed me this and works. I trap it on the steering and no more nagging.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KKBR26H/

there are better options than that on Amazon, purpose made for the wheel

 

[lUtriaNt]

^^^care to hook a brotha up with a link to those "better options" playa?

 

[Gasman23]

Just search for Tesla steering weights on Amazon. £90-£100. Model 3/y have different one to s/x

There are cheaper ones listed from China for about £20. The magnets fell out the day it arrived but nothing a spot of superglue couldn’t fix

 

[DanielXP]

I wished they could use the inside camera to detect if the driver is paying attention to the road.

 

[MikeHolliday]

Why would you want to defeat the Autopilot awareness system. I can imagine an accident where someone was using a device to defeat the system and Tesla gets blamed. Could that not set back the progress of Full Self-Driving...

 

[lUtriaNt]

Why would you want to defeat the Autopilot awareness system

why do people in LA get into speed chases when there's a heli above and cops everywhere?
why do people argue and debate ad nauseam on internet forums?
why did charlie brown keep getting suckered into trying to kick the football when lucy would ask him to?
why did i buy black model 3 when 99.9% of the people on this forum wouldn't?

a wise blonde dame once told me "people are people and they will do what they want..."

 

[Knightshade]

Why would you want to defeat the Autopilot awareness system.

Wizards First Rule

 

[jeremymc7]

Maybe someone can develop a small mechanical device that you can strap on the steering wheel that moves the thumb wheel up and down every 30 seconds and then you're golden. Like some kids toy or fidget device.

Someone did make a little electronic circuit that sent an up down and then a down pulse every 30 sec. Hides in the steering wheel. Not recommended but it exists.

 

[jeremymc7]

I wished they could use the inside camera to detect if the driver is paying attention to the road.

That won’t work on S or X since they don’t have them.

Also the cameras can’t see though sunglasses for eye tracking.

 

[Candleflame]

Yes, there's an art to this (an art my wife has yet to master). My favorite position involves planting my right foot on the floor such that my knee is close to the steering wheel, with my leg resting against the center console. I rest my hand on my knee and wrap my thumb and forefinger around the wheel. When the wheel turns, I let it slip through the fingers as if reluctantly giving a twenty dollar bill to a teenage son.

It would be marginally safer to have my foot on the brake or accelerator pedal, but I can get it there pretty fast if something comes up.

I too have mastered the art of resting my right knee (RHD) against the steering wheel to keep AP running.