Model 3 didnt brake / stop!!

[TrevTremaine]

Lots of cars were slipping and sliding and wheel spinning yesterday with barely any snow on the ground. Even with snows, it's not that hard to get the tires to spin under the conditions. Driving without snow tires is just a bad idea. I think part of the problem is that with the electric motors you don't hear an engine rev as the tires slip, so it's an adjustment to understand when the tires aren't getting enough traction - and drive according to the condition of the roads (or stay off them).

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

I'm a culprit for having a lead foot...even more so in the model 3...had to be careful today. Even though I was driving like a grandma, I hit a patch of black ice which was fun. The car started to fish tail but corrected itself right away. Thought I was going to slid into the center median

The traction control system is amazing. I tried to purposely fishtail in the parking lot after work while waiting for traffic to clear. The icon shows up and after two flashes the car is straight and driving. Repeated multiple times with 1 inch snow wet sloppy snow.

 

[TrevTremaine]

The traction control system is amazing. I tried to purposely fishtail in the parking lot after work while waiting for traffic to clear. The icon shows up and after two flashes the car is straight and driving. Repeated multiple times with 1 inch snow wet sloppy snow.

Good that you're trying it in a safe manner. The issue isn't so much getting going as it is about stopping during the winter months. That said, the traction control does help make for a safer drive.

 

[Psd84]

The traction control system is amazing. I tried to purposely fishtail in the parking lot after work while waiting for traffic to clear. The icon shows up and after two flashes the car is straight and driving. Repeated multiple times with 1 inch snow wet sloppy snow.

That's what I've read from other people and also have seen in a few videos. I'm just hoping it's a easy software fix if there is something there. Thank you all for the comments btw

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

Good that you're trying it in a safe manner. The issue isn't so much getting going as it is about stopping during the winter months. That said, the traction control does help make for a safer drive.

Stopping is 90% user/driver and 10% rubber on asphalt - if you're driving outside the safety limits of your equipment, no matter what that equipment is - the risk is higher for an incident.

However, having proper winter tires for your location is the smart thing to do - avoid one accident and they've paid for themselves.

 

[Snick3rs]

Cool story Hansel. I love hearing third-hand accounts of the car's braking system malfunction on the 1st snowfall of the year with an improperly equipped vehicle running on all-seasons. Seems super reliable.

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

Cool story Hansel. I love hearing third-hand accounts of the car's braking system malfunction on the 1st snowfall of the year with an improperly equipped vehicle running on all-seasons. Seems super reliable.

Sarcasm won't help here

 

[Buggle]

Stopping is 90% user/driver and 10% rubber on asphalt - if you're driving outside the safety limits of your equipment, no matter what that equipment is - the risk is higher for an incident.

However, having proper winter tires for your location is the smart thing to do - avoid one accident and they've paid for themselves.

That's my exact thought process. Once I was driving on the 407 on a very slight downhill in a snowstorm. Doing 80, car lost traction, and I started veering left onto the shoulder and towards the ditch. I didn't touch the brake, swung the wheel around and hoped for the best. Right at the lip of the shoulder the tires grabbed and swung around.

Winters for me every year after that.

 

[Buggle]

Cool story Hansel. I love hearing third-hand accounts of the car's braking system malfunction on the 1st snowfall of the year with an improperly equipped vehicle running on all-seasons. Seems super reliable.

Yesterday the ramp to the 410N from the 401E was closed, there were THREE trucks stuck on the incline. I couldn't believe it -- you're TRUCKS in Toronto in mid-November, how can they not have proper tires? I was stuck in that line for an hour yesterday, really pissed me off.

 

[Buggle]

Cool story Hansel. I love hearing third-hand accounts of the car's braking system malfunction on the 1st snowfall of the year with an improperly equipped vehicle running on all-seasons. Seems super reliable.

For the record tho, wouldn't this be a second hand account?

 

[skhenry81]

I live in Brampton and the roads were very bad yesterday. There was not a lot of snow but due to the milder temperature that snow was turning to ice which is why so many cars were sliding all over the place. My Model S has winters on it and I was still finding it pretty slippery out there. With that said we live in a climate where winter tires are an absolute must. Your car was not the issue in this case. I'd see you can get your winters on sooner to avoid further issues. My commute from Yonge and Eglinton to Brampton usually takes an hour to an hour and a half typically and yesterday it took me 3 and a half hours. That should give you some insight into the severity of the weather.

 

[SmartElectric]

@Psd84

If your wife refuses to drive a car that you didn't put winter tires on before the first snow, I don't blame her!

Whereas:

My wife will only drive her Tesla in bad weather.
I responsibly put winter tires on the car before the first snow.
She told me it handled better than the Mercedes AWD SUV she used to own.

We went to a safe place and practiced heavy braking in the rain so she could see her how the car handles in those conditions, specifically with how the anti-lock brakes will be pressing and releasing dozens of times per second which has a "shuddering" feeling underneath you, so you MUST keep your foot planted to the floor and not let off.

If there is any fault here, it is must likely on the preparation of the tires and driver for the conditions than the car itself.

When practically every single reply to you clearly outlined that anti-lock braking feels like a shuddering, and that you should get winter tires on the car, and that your wife shouldn't be on the phone and properly slowing down for the conditions, perhaps there is a pattern.

Hope she can gain confidence in the Tesla, my wife sure has, she drives the Tesla, while I drive a Smart EV.

 

[christdm]

I'm just hoping it's a easy software fix if there is something there.

What about putting winter tires on now and likely solving the problem yourself?

Even with a Tesla, there are some problems software cannot fix. Like trying to drive in a Canadian winter with all-seasons.

 

[Psd84]

What about putting winter tires on now and likely solving the problem yourself?

Even with a Tesla, there are some problems software cannot fix. Like trying to drive in a Canadian winter with all-seasons.

Getting them next Friday. I get what everyone is saying but car wasn't sliding when trying to stop, I kept rolling as if the brakes weren't applied when trying to stop.

 

[Ludatik]

Getting them next Friday. I get what everyone is saying but car wasn't sliding when trying to stop, I kept rolling as if the brakes weren't applied when trying to stop.

This is how ABS is supposed to work... If your car's brakes are actually locked up and you're skidding, then ABS has failed. The whole point of ABS is to keep your tires rolling in an emergency braking situation so that you can maintain the ability to steer. This doesn't mean your car doesn't have some sort of problem - we're just interpreting what you've described.

 

[eepic]

Getting them next Friday. I get what everyone is saying but car wasn't sliding when trying to stop, I kept rolling as if the brakes weren't applied when trying to stop.

Like others have said, your entire description sounds exactly like the ABS (anti-lock brakes) working as its supposed to. If the brakes allowed the sliding to occur your wife wouldn't be decelerating any more and would have additionally lost steering control as well.

Unfortunately, not being ready for winter weather last night with proper tires is a common issue with 60+ car accidents last night in Toronto alone More than 60 crashes overnight as city sees first snowfall

Maybe see if you can move up your appointment for winter tires.

 

[X.l.r.8]

I was on the roads yesterday. 3 hour commute with winter tires. Full regen and I was it happy, usually I’m super confident but yesterday was like ice, the car didn’t like it at all, not a model 3 so not specific but if you were rolling around on all seasons yesterday you were asking for trouble. For the record I drove from Cambridge to Toronto, and the entire journey was an ice rink. Snow would have been preferable.

 

[realvvk]

Regen is set to low. Her settings are as close to an ice.you can get, doesn't use Regen much anyways. She was.even saying it couldn't get.up our driveway with a little snow.

This tells us that the tires don't have enough traction for the conditions. Does it have summer tires on by any chance? The stock Michelin Primacy MXM4 are pretty good in snow when new. If the tires don't have enough traction, pressing on the brake pedal hard will engage ABS and the car will keep rolling. Get a good set of snow tires and you will be fine.

 

[Psd84]

This tells us that the tires don't have enough traction for the conditions. Does it have summer tires on by any chance? The stock Michelin Primacy MXM4 are pretty good in snow when new. If the tires don't have enough traction, pressing on the brake pedal hard will engage ABS and the car will keep rolling. Get a good set of snow tires and you will be fine.

Trying to move up the appointment thanks for all the comments. .

 

[Need]

If ABS is trying to regain traction, you will hear some loud sound from the wheels. I live in SoCal and don't know how to drive in the snow. One time we took our AWD Model X up on the mountain... didn't expect snow but it did. I have all season tires and driving about 15 miles per hour, but I applied the brake too late at a stop sign. I can hear the wheels making some tock tock sound and the car kept rolling. Eventually when it came to a stop, I was about 3 to 5 feet passed the stop sign. There was no cross traffic though. I think there were about 3 inches of snow on the road, but the sun was out so some of them turned into ice. After that I drove like 5 miles per hour and it was fine.