It only took me 30,000 miles to figure this out..

[macd1995]

So I will assumed this will help someone else. I have had a Model S for 26,000 miles and my Model X for 5,000. In particular with the Model X, I get anxiety when Autopilot is engaged because I just can't seem to squeeze the steering wheel hard enough for my Tesla to know that I am not asleep at the wheel. Every now and then I have to disengage auto pilot and then reengage, so I can keep using it.

Then on my way to Pennsylvania, I realized all I need to do is tug on the steering wheel gently, and my warning disappears.
I really like Auto pilot on any highway so the threat of losing it for the duration of my drive... Then pulling over, and resuming my drive (which I have had to do) was real.

And just like that-- a simply, slight tug on the steering wheels solves this issue. I hope this finds anyone who had the same challenge as me.

 

[Peteski]

That's interesting. I had presumed that there was no pressure sensor on the steering wheel and that AP knew you were holding the wheel by sensing your torque inputs, which makes sense that your slight tug on the wheel worked. I doubt squeezing the wheel rim does anything at all unless there is a pressure sensor built in.

 

[Xenius]

It's certainly torque being applied and not simple touch. I find that leaving my left hand resting in the lower left quadrant of the wheel is plenty to keep AP engaged.

 

[andrewket]

This is well documented. I’m sorry it took you so long to figure it out or read it in the FAQ :/

There are no sensors in the steering wheel. It’s registering torque on the motor attached to the drive shaft. All you need to do is turn (pull either day) the wheel slightly.

 

[Paul Carter]

Doesn't help that the feedback loop from the car says hold the steering wheel as it does absolutely nothing right @rolosrevenge? Maybe it should read, apply torque to steering wheel.

 

[rolosrevenge]

OMG, they should bloody well put sensors in the steering wheel. Stupid autopilot. I also have a feeling that you'd permanently put me on Chill Mode...

 

[Skidmark]

Before buying our car, the Tesla rep who took us on the test drive told us that we need to squeeze the wheel to get the car to let it know we were still there, but that's not the case at all. It is definitely torque on the wheel that slightly resists the car's automatic steering that does it.

 

[boaterva]

Yeah, 'hold it from turning' is what they meant... This is like how 'head restraints' got turned into 'hest rests' and now everyone says 'head rests'?! They aren't comfortable at all...

'Holding' the wheel could mean following through its motions and it will never know you are there. That won't do the trick, as you discovered!

 

[PhatCat]

When my hands/arms get tired from holding the wheel ... ahem ... i sit so that the inner thigh of one leg rests lightly against the bottom portion of the wheel, just enough to offer slight resistance to the automated steering. Works like a charm. Of course i would never do this for an extended period on an empty highway.

 

[Xminus6]

My main issue is that AP doesn't recognize when you're holding the wheel gently at the bottom. I do that a lot when I'm driving long distance and it simply doesn't know that you're holding the wheel. I have to pull/push the wheel a bit to get it to recognize that I'm holding it, but if it has to warn you enough times it permanently disables AP until you stop. That was annoying.

 

[Joe F]

Pulling or pushing the steering wheel does not provide the kind of feedback your car requires to satisfy AP. That's about as useful as pushing the brake or accelerator pedal left or right to control speed or stopping. Nor does squeezing the wheel have any effect.

As others have stated, it's either slightly resisting AP's wheel movement, or gently turning the wheel enough to provide resistance, not hard enough to actually steer the car, that is registered by the sensor that you're there.

From the manual:

Autosteer detects your hands by recognizing
light resistance as the steering wheel turns or
from you manually turning the steering wheel
very lightly (i.e., without enough force to
retake control). When your hands are
detected, the message disappears and
Autosteer resumes normal operation.

 

[ecarfan]

I had presumed that there was no pressure sensor on the steering wheel and that AP knew you were holding the wheel by sensing your torque inputs, which makes sense that your slight tug on the wheel worked.

That is correct.

Maybe it should read, apply torque to steering wheel.

In my experience, the vast majority of people do not know what “torque” means.

My main issue is that AP doesn't recognize when you're holding the wheel gently at the bottom.

You are holding it too “gently”.

From the manual:
Autosteer detects your hands by recognizing
light resistance as the steering wheel turns or
from you manually turning the steering wheel
very lightly (i.e., without enough force to
retake control). When your hands are
detected, the message disappears and
Autosteer resumes normal operation.

Those instructions seem very clear to me. If only all Tesla showroom and delivery personnel, and all Tesla owners, would just read the manual...

 

[Peteybabes]

i'm so lazy it look me like 30 seconds to figure out... LOL!

just gently tug it until it hits a small bumper or as i've perfected it, just bump with your knee.

 

[Paul Carter]

...
In my experience, the vast majority of people do not know what “torque” means...

Agree. Perhaps "Apply some input/force", "move the wheel human"

 

[macd1995]

Hoping this has helped someone else. I didn't read the manual, but refer to it when I have a challenge usually, the scrolling on it is annoying. However, AP is even more enjoyable to me now.

 

[HankLloydRight]

I've run into too many people who think there is a pressure sensor in the steering wheel and you need to squeeze the wheel. I try to explain to them the torque thing, and their eyes just glaze over.

The thing is that depending on how they squeezed the steering wheel, it was probably just enough to trigger the torque resistance, so it seemed like it was working by squeezing.

 

[macd1995]

That's is literally what I did for 30,000 miles and it worked , but gave me angst because I knew I would be prompted. Didn't even think to check with forums for a remedy..

 

[bmah]

AP1 Model S owner here...when using auto steer I periodically jiggle the steering wheel very gently (holding it near the bottom), both to tell autopilot that I’m “paying atttention” but also to feel the increased resistance that tells me that auto steer is still engaged and doing its job.

Bruce.

 

[bnsfengineer]

That's interesting. I had presumed that there was no pressure sensor on the steering wheel and that AP knew you were holding the wheel by sensing your torque inputs, which makes sense that your slight tug on the wheel worked. I doubt squeezing the wheel rim does anything at all unless there is a pressure sensor built in.[/QUO

So I will assumed this will help someone else. I have had a Model S for 26,000 miles and my Model X for 5,000. In particular with the Model X, I get anxiety when Autopilot is engaged because I just can't seem to squeeze the steering wheel hard enough for my Tesla to know that I am not asleep at the wheel. Every now and then I have to disengage auto pilot and then reengage, so I can keep using it.

Then on my way to Pennsylvania, I realized all I need to do is tug on the steering wheel gently, and my warning disappears.
I really like Auto pilot on any highway so the threat of losing it for the duration of my drive... Then pulling over, and resuming my drive (which I have had to do) was real.

And just like that-- a simply, slight tug on the steering wheels solves this issue. I hope this finds anyone who had the same challenge as me.

I thought the same thing until I did exactly what you did and of course no longer get the warning!

 

[lymex2017]

It is the torque thing, and many people in China know the 'bottle trick', nipping a bottle of water on the steering wheel, and you can auto-piloting without touching the wheel indefinitely. But, use it wisely.