Yesterday I was travelling on a busy freeway with merging traffic and entering a 55mph construction zone. I typically have to adjust the cruise control to accommodate this as the software isn't aware of the reduced speed limit. And, what's even more frustrating, the car usually speeds up in the construction zone again, further requiring readjustment.
This time was different though. When I used the scroll wheel on the right, it didn't respond. I used the right stalk to disengage the cruise control. That worked. Then I noticed the speedometer readout wasn't working. It was failing to respond to changes in speed. At one point it read 34mph while going about 60mph, and even 0mph.
As I tried to maintain the speed limit (best judgement) by turning off the cruise and turning it back on at the lower speed limit. This approach didn't work, so I turned off cruise until the speed limit returned to 65mph, and then re-engaged it. Then, approaching my exit, I disengaged the cruise control. It felt like it wasn't working. I later figured out it was because the regenerative braking had stopped working. After stopping (the brake pedal did work), I attempted to turn right onto a local street, but the car didn't respond. With traffic behind me, I didn't have time to ponder the situation. It was dead.
Trying to shift into drive (D) didn't work. Looking at the display, it didn't show any (D) or (R). Taking my foot off the brake, the car rolled forward into the intersection, but didn't respond to the accelerator pedal. Fortunately there was a gas station entrance to my immediate right, and I creeped off the street. I then noticed the rear cameras were on the screen, as if the car was in (R). Again, trying to shift into (D) didn't work. So, I gently applied the accelerator and the car moved forward normally - while still showing the rear cameras and no (D) or (R) indications on the screen.
Since the car seemed to be responding normally - except for the CRT display - I proceeded cautiously to my destination only a couple of miles away.
After about another 1/2 mile, the screen went completely black. Noticing the faint Tesla logo, I thought it might be rebooting. A minute or so after that, the screen returned to what appeared to be completely normal. The car performed as expected the remaining mile or so to my destination. And, when returning to the car and driving back, it was again normal - and has been since.
This incident posed no real concerns for me other than the inconvenience and distraction it caused in traffic and difficulty in controlling the car's speed with the changing speed limit. However, for someone with less experience, less capable, or easy to panic; it might have presented much more serious issues. As a result, I believe this may present some safety concerns for normal drivers.
Upon further reflection, I filed an NHTSA report on this incident. This was further reinforced when I found there's no readily apparent way to communicate this to Tesla. This is the second time I've had an issue and been unable to communicate it directly through normal channels to Tesla. I'm a strong supporter of Tesla technology, but their customer service is seriously deficient. It falls short of needs to receive customer feedback and the communication of concerns such as this. This not only jeopardizes their competitiveness in the automotive marketplace, but also with responding to the needs of their customers.
This time was different though. When I used the scroll wheel on the right, it didn't respond. I used the right stalk to disengage the cruise control. That worked. Then I noticed the speedometer readout wasn't working. It was failing to respond to changes in speed. At one point it read 34mph while going about 60mph, and even 0mph.
As I tried to maintain the speed limit (best judgement) by turning off the cruise and turning it back on at the lower speed limit. This approach didn't work, so I turned off cruise until the speed limit returned to 65mph, and then re-engaged it. Then, approaching my exit, I disengaged the cruise control. It felt like it wasn't working. I later figured out it was because the regenerative braking had stopped working. After stopping (the brake pedal did work), I attempted to turn right onto a local street, but the car didn't respond. With traffic behind me, I didn't have time to ponder the situation. It was dead.
Trying to shift into drive (D) didn't work. Looking at the display, it didn't show any (D) or (R). Taking my foot off the brake, the car rolled forward into the intersection, but didn't respond to the accelerator pedal. Fortunately there was a gas station entrance to my immediate right, and I creeped off the street. I then noticed the rear cameras were on the screen, as if the car was in (R). Again, trying to shift into (D) didn't work. So, I gently applied the accelerator and the car moved forward normally - while still showing the rear cameras and no (D) or (R) indications on the screen.
Since the car seemed to be responding normally - except for the CRT display - I proceeded cautiously to my destination only a couple of miles away.
After about another 1/2 mile, the screen went completely black. Noticing the faint Tesla logo, I thought it might be rebooting. A minute or so after that, the screen returned to what appeared to be completely normal. The car performed as expected the remaining mile or so to my destination. And, when returning to the car and driving back, it was again normal - and has been since.
This incident posed no real concerns for me other than the inconvenience and distraction it caused in traffic and difficulty in controlling the car's speed with the changing speed limit. However, for someone with less experience, less capable, or easy to panic; it might have presented much more serious issues. As a result, I believe this may present some safety concerns for normal drivers.
Upon further reflection, I filed an NHTSA report on this incident. This was further reinforced when I found there's no readily apparent way to communicate this to Tesla. This is the second time I've had an issue and been unable to communicate it directly through normal channels to Tesla. I'm a strong supporter of Tesla technology, but their customer service is seriously deficient. It falls short of needs to receive customer feedback and the communication of concerns such as this. This not only jeopardizes their competitiveness in the automotive marketplace, but also with responding to the needs of their customers.
