How to best test Navigate on Autopilot?

[melduk]

So I have NoA but I have not used it yet. Reading the forums I have heard some scary stores about it but really curious to test it.

From my experience phantom breaking has not been that bad with standard Autopilot, so I am hoping my experience with NoA might not be too bad.

However testing anything at high speeds is a little scary! Any advice on things I should look out for, places to test etc?

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

NoA is fairly easy to test. Put in a destination, drive on a motorway, it will suggest a lane change which if you ignore will result in nothing happening. If you accept it will change lane. You're still responsible so you need to do the blind spot check and make sure nothing is closing quickly before you do.

I don't bother with NoA personally, I find it's too lethargic and can make poor recommendations, but the lane change when using AP is useful. It's probably worth just trying that first and getting used to how it changes lane before trying NoA. The lane exit feature part of NoA is also a bit of a waste of time on our roads, you invariably have to take over 10 seconds later anyway and some exits you might want to head to the left side if turning left or the end or right for right.. NoA doesn't seem to reliably do that.

 

[Durzel]

I loved it when I drove to Wales a while ago. It took care of everything from joining the motorway to exiting it. I would say that I have FSD though so it's slightly less annoying (it doesn't disengage on lane changes).

I think from memory I have it set to a pretty aggressive setting though, and even then it changes lanes slower than I would do.

 

[melduk]

NoA is fairly easy to test. Put in a destination, drive on a motorway, it will suggest a lane change which if you ignore will result in nothing happening. If you accept it will change lane. You're still responsible so you need to do the blind spot check and make sure nothing is closing quickly before you do.

I don't bother with NoA personally, I find it's too lethargic and can make poor recommendations, but the lane change when using AP is useful. It's probably worth just trying that first and getting used to how it changes lane before trying NoA. The lane exit feature part of NoA is also a bit of a waste of time on our roads, you invariably have to take over 10 seconds later anyway and some exits you might want to head to the left side if turning left or the end or right for right.. NoA doesn't seem to reliably do that.

Thanks George. I have been using the lanes changes on standard Autopilot the past few weeks and get along with this really well now. I did have an issue at first with disengaging Autopilot a lot but have gotten use to this now.

I have heard its not so great on exits and joining the motorway, I've read a lot of stories about it trying to pull you off at the wrong junctions, have you had experience of this @GeorgeSymonds @Durzel?

Is it easy enough to disable NoA whilst driving? I see the button to enable it but I've yet to click it. Is it simply click again to disable?

 

[M3noob]

I loved it when I drove to Wales a while ago. It took care of everything from joining the motorway to exiting it. I would say that I have FSD though so it's slightly less annoying (it doesn't disengage on lane changes).

I think from memory I have it set to a pretty aggressive setting though, and even then it changes lanes slower than I would do.

Indeed. The "Mad Max" setting is less than "Slightly Miffed Max" IMHO

 

[Durzel]

Thanks George. I have been using the lanes changes on standard Autopilot the past few weeks and get along with this really well now. I did have an issue at first with disengaging Autopilot a lot but have gotten use to this now.

I have heard its not so great on exits and joining the motorway, I've read a lot of stories about it trying to pull you off at the wrong junctions, have you had experience of this @GeorgeSymonds @Durzel?

Is it easy enough to disable NoA whilst driving? I see the button to enable it but I've yet to click it. Is it simply click again to disable?

Easy enough to disable, as you say you just press the button again. As with AP if you take control of the wheel it'll disengage anyway.

Exits - it's hit and miss in my experience. On my trip to Wales it got it right, but I have also peeled off the motorway to go to the Cribbs Causeway Tesla service centre and it was indecisive about which lane to get into to the point that I just took over.

 

[MrBadger]

Turn off speed based auto lane change requests (you still get route based recommendations and return from passing lane) and auto enable NoA at start of route.

NoA doesn’t really give you anything extra that you have not already encountered with auto lane change except at off ramps and intersections where it’s behaviour can only be described as ‘interesting’ and not recommended if busy and/or someone close behind - it’s sometimes a little (ok very) late in it’s choice of lane/off-ramp.

 

[melduk]

Thanks for the additional info everyone.

From what I've read unlike auto lane changes which require my "permission" before the car does them, the car will simply start to off-ramp/on-ramp without my acknowledgement/permission. Is that correct?

Just thinking how much time you have to I guess fight with it.

 

[Neilio]

Thanks George. I have been using the lanes changes on standard Autopilot the past few weeks and get along with this really well now. I did have an issue at first with disengaging Autopilot a lot but have gotten use to this now.

I have heard its not so great on exits and joining the motorway, I've read a lot of stories about it trying to pull you off at the wrong junctions, have you had experience of this @GeorgeSymonds @Durzel?

Is it easy enough to disable NoA whilst driving? I see the button to enable it but I've yet to click it. Is it simply click again to disable?

I love a good moan but I have to say I rarely have problems with exits on the motorway. Sometimes when the motorway "splits" with the inside lane leaving the motorway, it's got confused but when it's a straight slip road it works pretty well. I would echo others about the lane change too. Tesla automatic features err on the side of caution so the lane changes are very slow and deliberate. Despite it's name, "Mad Max" mode is still sane and the only one that changes lane similar to the speed of a human autopilot

 

[Fursty Ferret]

If you prod the accelerator at the start of a lane change it works as a signal that it's safe to go and removes some of the timidness.

Because it needs pressure on the steering wheel to confirm the lane change you will probably knock Autosteer out a few times anyway.

 

[Tony Hoyle]

I don't use NoA any more because its lane discipline is nonexistant.. you're cruising at 70 and it'll suggest a lane change 'to move into a faster lane' that'd just mean you hogging the new lane for no reason, and it's very slow suggesting a move left after an overtake if it ever does. Also, it indicates *far* too late for exit ramps, almost as if it's forgotten it's supposed to until the last minute.

 

[Fursty Ferret]

It's slightly cleverer than I originally gave it credit for. It can anticipate that a car to your left is approaching a slower vehicle and will want to pull out, and will often suggest a pre-emptive lane change to allow them to do this. It does, frustratingly, tend to stay in the lane it moved into until someone approaches from behind, then it'll suggest a move further left.

Doesn't bother me too much as I tend to drive at quiet times and will cruise in lane 2 on smart motorways anyway due to lack of hard shoulder.

 

[init6]

I'm not saying that it's late in taking an exit, but I'm sure it changed the badge on the bonnet to BMW

 

[Rirawin]

Drove 120 miles (60 each way) on the M4 over the weekend and found Navigate on Autopilot to be almost perfect. No phantom breaking experienced, even when passing soft sided lorries. The only two minor scares I had were when passing junction exits/slip roads while in the far left lane that I didn't need to take. The car decided to signal, almost make a manoeuvre and then cancelled NoA altogether and put me back in control. Wasn't expecting it the first time, and confused the driver behind me, the second time I was a little bit more prepared but still an unnerving event! What am I doing wrong or how can I prevent this from happening in the future?

On a similar note I had lane changes set to standard and found it little too shy, will try aggressive next time before jumping to mad max. Nevertheless, it made driving on the motorway a lot more relaxing and enjoyable.

 

[MrBadger]

On a similar note I had lane changes set to standard and found it little too shy, will try aggressive next time before jumping to mad max. Nevertheless, it made driving on the motorway a lot more relaxing and enjoyable.

When you say "shy" are you talking about speed of lane change or a reluctance to recommend a lane change?

Mad max mode etc has nothing to do with speed of lane change if that is what you are expecting. All it does is affect when it decides to "do" a lane change, or in our case (when it does not "do" a lane change without manual intervention) when it recommends a lane change for the driver to then trigger the lane change (by indicator confirmation) for the car to then get on and "do" the lane change.

One of the big factors affecting the cars ability to "do" a lane change, is it waiting on the confirmation that the driver is holding the steering wheel appropriately. So when you trigger a lane change, make sure that you are holding the steering in a way that the car instantly recognises it is being held. There is a delay in getting any nag, but the car will change lane quicker if it is aware that the steering is held as it wants as soon after indicating as you can.

Its up to you do work out how to hold the steering as the car wants. There are lots of different suggestions and, in my experience, the force needed to satisfy this can vary, from the most subtle of holds to almost having to shake the wheel to the point that it disengages autopilot.

 

[Rirawin]

Yeah I meant reluctance in recommending a lane change. All of the above is good to know, thanks!