I need parking cameras

[Hans L]

I am shocked how many people hit curbs; now I probably jinxed myself. I don't even recall the last time I hit a curb it has been so long. Just be careful. I have taken low-speed driving tests, which essentially is parking in extremely tight areas or turning around in tight areas. I remember one of the tests was parallel parking a 19 foot vehicle in a 22 foot spot. The other tests are a bit hard to explain because they are much more involved. The cars I used in the test were over 20 years old and didn't have cameras. You need to trust your mirrors and really pay attention.

When I park any of my cars, especially the 3. I always take my time, don't let others rush me, and I am not overly aggressive. If I parallel park and I am to far from the curb, I work my way closer. If I park in a parking lot and I am not centered in the spot or I am not close enough to a curb I will get back in the car and fix my park job.

My goal in a parking lot is to minimize my chance of door dings. I see others pull into spots at the store or at work and they hugging a line. If I always look how I park and correct if needed. Back to the topic, take your time, pay attention.

I've owned plenty of cars. Several with low profile tires. Never had curb rash, ever. But with the M3, twice now in less than 4 months I've rashed the wheels - bad. Same wheel - pass rear wheel. First, even with low profile tires, most wheels will have some tire outside of the rim. Not with the M3 - the wheel is outside of the tire and the first thing to hit...I think the Tesla dimensions (longer wheel base relative to its size and lack of visibility on the pass side is making the car more subject to hitting curbs.

My new policy with the M3 - never ever park next to a curb! Totally paranoid now.

 

[insaneoctane]

My new policy with the M3 - never ever park next to a curb!

Are door dings any better?

 

[240W]

I get them tested every year as an eye glasses wearer .

Though joking aside if I did have a medical depth perception issue, I'm not sure there is a whole lot medicine can do about it, so even then your suggestion seems unhelpful?

So to bring this back to the original point of the thread: has anyone tried mounting a front bumper camera to their model 3?

Amazon has all the parts you need, only helps looking at the front bump stops, won’t help sides for curb rash...

 

[Hans L]

Are door dings any better?

Are door dings any better?

No problems with door dings on this car or any other car - I tend to park in the back of the lot avoiding cars and shopping carts...

 

[sund]

Tesla's need a top view, where it shows the surrounding objects. A lot of other car manufacturers have this. My 2015 BMW has this. Tesla has all the cameras it needs, it needs just just put the images together.

 

[StellarRat]

You dont need additional parking cameras. Just listen to the loud beeps your car makes when you are close to an object.

The sensor won't detect things that are less than about 12" tall, unfortunately that includes curbs. To solve the problem electronically would require downward looking ultrasonics or some kind of down looking camera. Or you can just buy curb feelers.

 

[StellarRat]

Tesla's need a top view, where it shows the surrounding objects. A lot of other car manufacturers have this. My 2015 BMW has this. Tesla has all the cameras it needs, it needs just just put the images together.

Actually the Tesla cameras won't work for this. They are made to see other cars and aren't properly aimed to view the ground close to the car (someone else pointed this out to me.) That's what the ultrasonics are for. The best the cameras could do is take a "picture" of the ground you're moving into and do a simulation of where your car should be in that picture. I would think given the short distance involved in parking that would probably work most of the time.

 

[Glamisduner]

I had a hard time with this curb / wall and the 2014 model S loaner I have. Apparently others have too, just look at it!

The sensors don't pick it up, and I couldn't see it in the mirror when backing up, and the lot was full so not enough room to backup properly. Have to backup out the the driveway, then pull back into the lot, then turn around in the spot I just vacated because I couldn't see the curb.

Luckily I avoided curb damage, but not all curbs are created equal! The model 3 rims sticking out past the tires is stupid and a dumb.

I think 2 more cameras are needed for autopilot blind spots and 4 more for 360 view like the bolt has.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Luckily I avoided curb damage, but not all curbs are created equal! The model 3 rims sticking out past the tires is stupid and a dumb.

I'm pretty sure the reason is efficiency. I've always heard that having the rim wider than the tire is the best for handling (in terms of autocross lap times). A narrower tire is better for rolling resistance and I bet the stretched profile is better for aerodynamics.

 

[Vines]

I am rash free so far, but its a danger we all face. The model 3 is bigger than it seems, and bigger than my previous daily drivers, so I took several hours parking and getting out, parking again. I've tested curb and wheel stop heights, and in general tried to really be aware of my cars size.
2 weeks ago I very nearly curbed my rims and was only saved by the shape of the curb, and the shoulder on the P4S. The edge of the tire literally rode up the curb and I was left with about a mm of clearance between the concrete curb and the rim. That's as close as it gets without damage. Now that I have swapped out my tires to the All seasons, the shoulder is gone, and I have absolutely no protection. Its amazing between 2 identical tire sizes, how different the 2 shoulders are.

 

[BrandonLive]

First, even with low profile tires, most wheels will have some tire outside of the rim. Not with the M3 - the wheel is outside of the tire and the first thing to hit...

This is actually fairly common in premium sports and “sporty” cars.

 

[SouthBayGuy]

I asked someone to watch my car as it got closer to a parking block. The sensor initially warned me of the parking block. But as I got closer, the sensor lost sight of the parking block. In short, I would not rely on the front sensor to prevent hitting parking blocks.

 

[StellarRat]

I asked someone to watch my car as it got closer to a parking block. The sensor initially warned me of the parking block. But as I got closer, the sensor lost sight of the parking block. In short, I would not rely on the front sensor to prevent hitting parking blocks.

I'd like to know the "cone" size of the ultrasonics. I've noticed the same thing. I do know that if you stop on or close to the initial "yellow" warning usually you're about 2 - 3 feet from the block and that's really not too bad of a parking job. Nonetheless, I do think some down looking sensors would be a very nice thing to have.

 

[lolder]

Since all the sensors have a cone, the closer you are to an object, the closer it has to be to the sensor axis.

 

[Glamisduner]

I'm pretty sure the reason is efficiency. I've always heard that having the rim wider than the tire is the best for handling (in terms of autocross lap times). A narrower tire is better for rolling resistance and I bet the stretched profile is better for aerodynamics.

I think your right but any efficiency in energy saving saved by this design over the lifetime of the car is negated by the first time you turn your wheel too hard (even without moving) and bump the curb then have to fix curb rash.

 

[artsci]

Now that I have a Model 3 i’m working on developing a camera switch like I did for the S and X that shows a front or rear image on the touch screen, It will be linked into the CANBUS. It will probably take 6 months to develop. See this thread for more information on the S and X switch.Version 2 of front/rear camera switch now available

 

[240W]

nice, integrating into the screen will be key
cheapo alternative now (and somewhat ghetto looking) is buying a small screen to fit on the phone tray, lol

 

[artsci]

nice, integrating into the screen will be key
cheapo alternative now (and somewhat ghetto looking) is buying a small screen to fit on the phone tray, lol

Interesting that the rear camera mounts on the handle for the trunk lid — it comes as a single assembly but the camera appears to be removable. I have the part on order. Don’t know yet how it’s wired but will figure that out once I get the part.

 

[Glamisduner]

I just realized the S visibility is better if the mirrors are adjusted properly when in reverse. Previous loaner adjusted the mirrors to move up when in reverse instead of down! Figured this out today lol. It was subtle, but I just thought the auto lower mirrors was broken....

 

[Twiglett]

meh - I didn't need any cameras on a single one of previous cars, don't need them for this one either.
I'm all grown up now and can learn to park my own car thanks
In the end - its just a car.