Model 3 External Lighting Service Mode Please

[Thunderbird1]

It would be great to have a service mode for the exterior lights.The service mode could apply all the lights sequentially whilst the driver can stand outside and check all the lights are functioning correctly.Rather than two people one inside the car operating and one outside checking.Useful for pre-MOT checks and a quick safety checks too.
Especially useful for the rear brake lights.
Or better still manually apply each of the lights from the app whilst standing outside !

 

[pow216]

Sounds very old fashioned. I’d be very surprised if the control electronics doesn’t know immediately if there is a problem.

 

[MrBadger]

In car electronics wouldn’t know if there was a physical compromise to the light that you wouldn’t necessary notice unless you were looking at the light.

I only noticed that one of our front fog lights had partially unclipped because it visually looked different to the other side when lit. Also our rear stop light had to be replaced as it was physically damaged during a roof glass change although that one I could see a problem when sitting in the car but only at night. On our previous car you could only see that an indicator repeater had a cracked lens when in use. The latter would have been an MOT failure had it not been a clear lens with coloured bulb so visually it was still a yellow light. So physical faults are not uncommon even though the car electronics do not indicate a fault.

A mode in the app sounds like a useful feature especially as some lights (such as fog lights) are impossible to visually check without a second person due to mode change when no one is in the drivers seat. Brake lights always been an issue in pretty much any car though, it’s just an issue with more lights in Model 3.

Certainly an answer to a real problem unlike many of Teslas answers to already solved problems.

 

[M3noob]

In car electronics wouldn’t know if there was a physical compromise to the light that you wouldn’t necessary notice unless you were looking at the light.

I only noticed that one of our front fog lights had partially unclipped because it visually looked different to the other side when lit. Also our rear stop light had to be replaced as it was physically damaged during a roof glass change although that one I could see a problem when sitting in the car but only at night. On our previous car you could only see that an indicator repeater had a cracked lens when in use. The latter would have been an MOT failure had it not been a clear lens with coloured bulb so visually it was still a yellow light. So physical faults are not uncommon even though the car electronics do not indicate a fault.

A mode in the app sounds like a useful feature especially as some lights (such as fog lights) are impossible to visually check without a second person due to mode change when no one is in the drivers seat. Brake lights always been an issue in pretty much any car though, it’s just an issue with more lights in Model 3.

Certainly an answer to a real problem unlike many of Teslas answers to already solved problems.

In olden days, panel lights would go out if a tail light or brake light BULB burnt out. I recall it happening in my 57 Chevy Useful.

 

[MrBadger]

Yep, if an indicator bulb was out the indicator would flash double time but it wouldn’t tell you if the lens cover was broken.

I remember being stopped for a broken near side headlight once on way home from work - first dark drive home after it started getting dark in evenings I noticed because I spotted it in a shop window adjacent to the side road I was pulling out from but it had probably failed some point over summer. Too late to do anything about it but when I was stopped I could explain that I new about it and was going to buy a bulb next day. Police were happy with that. Seems though that modern car warnings are less effective than outward visible signs by the number of ‘one eye monsters’ you see on the road this time of year. Mind you, neither are in car indicator , fog light or headlight warnings by the number of times you see cars with indicators or fog lights unnecessary on or a car with no headlights. Not so easy to spot with cars that have an electronic dashboard.

 

[CMc1]

Useful for trailer checks too.

Side note: I had daylight running light out for a while and car never flagged it. Seen another Model 3 cruising up M1 with same issue the other day. Also noticed TOCUK done a recent poll on this (albeit aimed at mainly Model S) to try and force Tesla UK to do a recall / fleet check as it’s difficult to see unless certain angles. Can see easily in reflections though.

Back on thread.

 

[Thunderbird1]

Sounds very old fashioned. I’d be very surprised if the control electronics doesn’t know immediately if there is a problem.

Yes,rear lights and number plates lights inoperative and there was no notification from the car at all.