Model 3 crashed into a pole

[Leafdriver333]

Regen shutting down has happened to me a couple times as well. Battery was below 85% both times.

But the steering disengaging is what I don't understand. Even in AP, Driver steering input is always honored.
If it randomly disengages, that would be the worst car safety issue.
Or if a hacker can remotely disable it...

 

[Leafdriver333]

I agree with the others that suggested the OP might have disabled auto-steer but not TACC. It's happened to me many times... I turn the wheel and hear the auto-steer chiming it's disengagement, then I am surprised when the car keeps going or accelerates around a turn because the car in front of me (which the TACC had slowed for) is now out of the way. That certainly would explain why no regen. So my best guess is the OP entered the turn too quickly, expected regen to slow him down, but TACC actually accelerated through the turn and he lost control. AEB not kicking in is easy to explain - turning and/or the object (the pole) was too small.

Op said he braked to disengage autopilot. Doesn't braking disengage TACC and steering?
Steering would only disengage AP only.

 

[nvx1977]

Regen shutting down has happened to me a couple times as well. Battery was below 85% both times.

But the steering disengaging is what I don't understand. Even in AP, Driver steering input is always honored.
If it randomly disengages, that would be the worst car safety issue.
Or if a hacker can remotely disable it...

steering input not working sounds a lot like understeer. loss of traction like a flat/blown tire or slick ground conditions, and/or excessive speed, could have caused an understeer situation.

 

[brobinson]

steering input not working sounds a lot like understeer. loss of traction like a flat/blown tire or slick ground conditions, and/or excessive speed, could have caused an understeer situation.

I agree. You can tell that the ground was not slick from his pics, but it sounds to me like he was going faster then he should have and lost traction.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

Whatever happened , it is not good practise to turn into a corner or junction at a speed which requires some regen or braking to make the corner. You should get your speed right before turning the wheel.

Just seems to be sub-optimal driving from the description.

('Sub-optimal' seems to be one of those trendy phrases at the moment, so I thought I'd shove it in here). Sounds a bit less insulting than 'crap' or 'useless', so maybe OP won't take offence)

 

[Finkleson]

Glad you safe and not hurt. But on the side note, seeing you still have the window sticker. Hopefully you were aware the difference of what an EV engine can push compared to ICE.

 

[DirtyT3sla]

Are you sure you didn't pass out, even for a second? It sounds like you are missing pieces of the story. It's possible you fell asleep for a second or lost consciousness and didn't even know it. And the tire could have gone flat from the crash.

 

[TomB985]

Ouch, just wanted to say I'm sorry to hear about the accident and I'm glad you're okay.

I got my first reminder of how careful I need to be on Tuesday when I was on my first drive after taking delivery. I thought autopilot would take the exit ramp when I put my signal on, which it didn't. I tend to disengage quickly by steering, and the wheel jerked as the system disengaged and stability control had to engage to prevent me from spinning out at 70 MPH.

It would've been completely my fault if I got into an accident, though. I didn't understand the feature and how it would disengage, and probably should have tried it at a lower speed. I remind myself every day that I am the one responsible for the car, and that these features are all in their infancy as well as being new to me. If I wreck the car because of autopilot, there's nobody to blame but myself IMHO. Take this as a learning experience, not as a reason to be afraid of the car.

I'm sorry your first lesson didn't have as happy of an ending as mine did.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Op said he braked to disengage autopilot. Doesn't braking disengage TACC and steering?
Steering would only disengage AP only.

Maybe his foot hovered over the brake as TACC braked for another vehicle.
Was there another vehicle in front of you right before the turn?
The flat tire could have been caused by hitting the curb at 25mph.
Anyway the airbags went off so the car logged what happened. I hope you let us know.

 

[ngogas]

Page 84 of the manual:

Lane Assist also provides steering interventions if Model 3 drifts into (or close to)an adjacent lane in which an object, such as a vehicle, is detected. In these situations, Model3 automatically steers to a safer position in its driving lane.

This has proven to also apply if a vehicle is entering your lane and will cause a collision.

That is scary that you lost all control of the steering. And it sounds to me like it tried to avoid a collision by steering you directly into this pole. You would thinking the safe maneuver it should do her is chime and perhaps slow you down and not steer.

 

[Jim R]

"..the airbag being deployed and I hit a pole."
Usually, the airbag deploys AFTER hitting the pole.

 

[derotam]

I passed the 1st traffic signal and had to make a left at the 2nd signal. The signal was green so I just went and tried to turn the steering wheel to the left without luck, tried turning it fully but the next thing I realize is the airbag being deployed and I hit a pole.

Your pictures contradict this statement since the wheels are turned in the pictures. Maybe they didn't turn as much as you expected them too which could indicate a lost of traction. Loss of traction could be because of blown tire but the picture contradicts that too since the tire isn't totally flat. Going too fast for the turn could cause a loss of traction.

Maybe the car didn't react to your steering/brake inputs, maybe the regen didn't work... Even if the regen didn't work though, you would have realized that immediately as soon as you took your foot off the accelerator BEFORE you even started to turn and then should have applied your brakes.

Personally it sounds like you were going too fast for the turn. Its a shame you don't have video.

 

[eCharcoal]

I guess car was going too fast at the exit? Front left tire hit a bump blowing it out and gone airborne for a brief second, causing car to lose control as you turned? Similar thing happened to me once at a highway exit as I wanted to beat the yellow light and make a left turn. Luckily that intersection was big and open. I was driving a VW at that time.

 

[Garlan Garner]

I agree with the others that suggested the OP might have disabled auto-steer but not TACC. It's happened to me many times... I turn the wheel and hear the auto-steer chiming it's disengagement, then I am surprised when the car keeps going or accelerates around a turn because the car in front of me (which the TACC had slowed for) is now out of the way. That certainly would explain why no regen. So my best guess is the OP entered the turn too quickly, expected regen to slow him down, but TACC actually accelerated through the turn and he lost control. AEB not kicking in is easy to explain - turning and/or the object (the pole) was too small.

I've disabled auto-steer before by mistake and then was surprised that it was working.

It has at times been shocking.

 

[sreams]

That is scary that you lost all control of the steering. And it sounds to me like it tried to avoid a collision by steering you directly into this pole. You would thinking the safe maneuver it should do her is chime and perhaps slow you down and not steer.

It is not possible that the car kept the wheels straight while he turned the steering wheel. There is a physical connection between the two.

 

[Daniel in SD]

It is not possible that the car kept the wheels straight while he turned the steering wheel. There is a physical connection between the two.

Ok so this is super concern trolly but here it goes...
It seems like for the car to operate autonomously on the "Tesla Network" there must be a way to prevent someone riding in the front seat from steering the car. The motor connected to the steering rack is quite large and likely powerful enough to override driver input.
Again though it seems like the most likely scenario is that OP was following a car and TACC applied the brakes. While OP's foot was lightly pressing the brake pedal the car did not register it because the brake pedal was being also being pressed by TACC. When OP moved to the left turn lane the car accelerated rapidly (acceleration under TACC is way too fast IMHO!). OP tried to make the left turn but was going too fast, hopped the curb popping the left front tire and crashing into the pole.

 

[brobinson]

Ok so this is super concern trolly but here it goes...
It seems like for the car to operate autonomously on the "Tesla Network" there must be a way to prevent someone riding in the front seat from steering the car. The motor connected to the steering rack is quite large and likely powerful enough to override driver input.
Again though it seems like the most likely scenario is that OP was following a car and TACC applied the brakes. While OP's foot was lightly pressing the brake pedal the car did not register it because the brake pedal was being also being pressed by TACC. When OP moved to the left turn lane the car accelerated rapidly (acceleration under TACC is way too fast IMHO!). OP tried to make the left turn but was going too fast, hopped the curb popping the left front tire and crashing into the pole.

Braking on TACC does not work like accelerating. tacc disengages as soon as you press the brake, regardless of if the car is already being slowed by tacc.

 

[sreams]

Ok so this is super concern trolly but here it goes...
It seems like for the car to operate autonomously on the "Tesla Network" there must be a way to prevent someone riding in the front seat from steering the car. The motor connected to the steering rack is quite large and likely powerful enough to override driver input.
Again though it seems like the most likely scenario is that OP was following a car and TACC applied the brakes. While OP's foot was lightly pressing the brake pedal the car did not register it because the brake pedal was being also being pressed by TACC. When OP moved to the left turn lane the car accelerated rapidly (acceleration under TACC is way too fast IMHO!). OP tried to make the left turn but was going too fast, hopped the curb popping the left front tire and crashing into the pole.

Yes, you want the car to not allow riders to take over steering... to a point. I suppose an Uber rider could take over steering from the driver if enough force is used. But who would?

That said, the OP stated that he physically turned the wheel. If he was able to turn the wheel, the car was not preventing him from doing so.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Braking on TACC does not work like accelerating. tacc disengages as soon as you press the brake, regardless of if the car is already being slowed by tacc.

If the brake pedal is already being pressed by TACC (the pedal does move when using TACC) you could be moving your foot along with the brake pedal and think you were pressing the brake.

Yes, you want the car to not allow riders to take over steering... to a point. I suppose an Uber rider could take over steering from the driver if enough force is used. But who would?

I could see a rider saying "Hey, what happens if I turn the steering wheel?"
Also if you have passenger riding in the driver's seat they could be fumbling with a backpack or something and knock the steering wheel.

 

[sreams]

If the brake pedal is already being pressed by TACC (the pedal does move when using TACC) you could be moving your foot along with the brake pedal and think you were pressing the brake.

I could see a rider saying "Hey, what happens if I turn the steering wheel?"
Also if you have passenger riding in the driver's seat they could be fumbling with a backpack or something and knock the steering wheel.

It should require as much force to take over the steering in an autonomous car as it would to physically subdue an Uber driver.