Model 3: Turn Signals... ARGH!

[Kermee]

From Page 47 of the Owner's Manual:

For the life of me, I'm fairly sure I push the lever fully up or down for a continuous signal and yet, about 60% of the time, it only does the three-flash sequence. But if I lightly push the turn signal lever up or down and HOLD for a few seconds, it becomes a continuous signal... Which isn't even stated in the manual that's the behavior.

I do not have EAP or TACC engaged. This is during local city driving. Anyone else have similar issues like mine? Or am I just doing it wrong? (Read: I'm an idiot.)

*Note: I'm on v8.1 2018.32.2

 

[RTPEV]

How long have you had your vehicle?

This is how I felt at first too.

After about 3 weeks you get used to it and I find that now I don't have to think much about it.

It will be interesting to see how I do when I get into a "regular" car.

 

[Need]

I am on 32.3 and I didn't have that issue. There is a little more resistance when you push passed the 3 blink point and you should be able to feel it.

 

[Kermee]

How long have you had your vehicle?

This is how I felt at first too.

After about 3 weeks you get used to it and I find that now I don't have to think much about it.

It will be interesting to see how I do when I get into a "regular" car.

I've had the vehicle for almost two weeks now and 1,500 miles driven.

Haha, yeah. There's something very "analog" about having, feeling and hearing that "click" in a "regular" car. I'm still getting use to the stalk, but starting to get frustrated than when I want a continuous turn-signal, my Model 3 won't let me have it... Maybe I'm just not forcing the stalk up and down enough, but I can definitely feel the tactile resistance when I go above "light"...

 

[Kermee]

I am on 32.3 and I didn't have that issue. There is a little more resistance when you push passed the 3 blink point and you should be able to feel it.

Good to know! Thanks!

Yeah... I feel the extra resistance and I'm pretty sure I go past it. Maybe I need to add a bit more pressure until the stalk won't physically pass the travel limits. I'm hoping I'm not an idiot and maybe it's an issue with the stalk, but with both yours and @RTPEV's responses, I'm starting to lean towards "Operator Error"... Thanks!

 

[Need]

Good to know! Thanks!

Yeah... I feel the extra resistance and I'm pretty sure I go past it. Maybe I need to add a bit more pressure until the stalk won't physically pass the travel limits. I'm hoping I'm not an idiot and maybe it's an issue with the stalk, but with both yours and @RTPEV's responses, I'm starting to lean towards "Operator Error"... Thanks!

Well I just went out to the car to pay more attention when trying it. When you push the stalk up or down, it has a first stop for the non-holding blinks. Even if I just keep it there for a while, as soon as I release the stalk, the blinking will stop in 2 to 3 blinks. Now when you hit the first stop and push pass that (about 1/2 inch more up or down), you should hit the hard stop. That's when it will keep blinking until you turn or cancel it.

 

[Kermee]

Well I just went out to the car to pay more attention when trying it. When you push the stalk up or down, it has a first stop for the non-holding blinks. Even if I just keep it there for a while, as soon as I release the stalk, the blinking will stop in 2 to 3 blinks. Now when you hit the first stop and push pass that (about 1/2 inch more up or down), you should hit the hard stop. That's when it will keep blinking until you turn or cancel it.

Awesome! Thank you so much! — It'll try again here shortly. I'm almost certain now that I'm the idiot...

 

[Eno Deb]

Interesting. I have the opposite problem: often when I try to do the 3-blink thing (i.e. explicitly not push past the resistance point), it just keeps blinking anyway, particularly on the left side. Given the differences in experience, I wonder if there are overly big manufacturing tolerances on the switches that the stalk operates.

 

[Kermee]

Welp, I did some testing... and... It's quite possibly my turn signal stalk is defective.

I have the exact same issue as @Eno Deb it turns out.

Testing:

• Left (Down) Light Press: Continuous
• Left (Down) Long Press: Continuous
• Left (Down) Light Press To Cancel Continuous Blinker: Does Not Cancel (Most likely because it's thinking I'm doing a Long Press)

• Right (Up) Light Press: 3 Blinks
• Right (Up) Long Press: Continuous
• Right (Up) Light Press To Cancel Continuous Blinker: Cancels

Other notes:

• If I "Ever So Lightly"™ go Left (Down) on the stalk, I can get it to the 3-Blinks.
• Once the Left blinker is on Continuous, a Left (Down) Light press doesn't cancel, but if I do an "Ever So Lightly"™ Left Down, it'll stop blinking then suddenly "hiccup" back to Continuous.
• Only way I can cancel a Left Continuous blinker other than steering wheel motion, is to signal Right (Up) Light Press. But if I go hard, then now I'm Right blinker Continuous.

I'll be contacting the Service Center shortly to schedule. Thanks all!

 

[Eno Deb]

Welp, I did some testing... and... It's quite possibly my turn signal stalk is defective.

I have the exact same issue as @Eno Deb it turns out.

Testing:

• Left (Down) Light Press: Continuous

I can sometimes get the 3-blink to work by pressing very quickly/lightly, but I can't always do it consistently. So far I assumed I was just being clumsy.

I'll be contacting the Service Center shortly to schedule. Thanks all!

Please let us know what they say.

 

[Kermee]

@Eno Deb — Clumsy? You and me, both!

I'll keep this thread posted. I did an on-line appointment for 9/24. My preferred location for the Service Center doesn't have availability until 9/20 and the other one is 9/14. I drive nearby the one I made an appointment with so I might just drop by and see what they say over the next several days. — I also have rattle from the Phone Dock area so I might as well have them take a look at it also.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[DaveHarper]

How long have you had your vehicle?

This is how I felt at first too.

After about 3 weeks you get used to it and I find that now I don't have to think much about it.

It will be interesting to see how I do when I get into a "regular" car.

I agree completely - took me 2-3 weeks to get used to it too. I had friends take me to pick up my car and they followed behind me back to the house. When I changed lanes I'd put on the blinker (sending all the way up or down) and then I couldn't get the darn thing turned off. Every time I tried I'd end up with it blinking continuously in the other direction. My friends were in hysterics. I also found out that with the regenerative breaking I didn't even have to touch the break pedal until the last moment. They told me after I got home that the break light never came on until just before I stopped completely. Would be nice if the break lights blinked periodically while the regenerative breaking is engaged so that the person behind you knows you're slowing down.

 

[Eno Deb]

The brake lights do come on if you decelerate above a certain rate using regen braking (you can see that on the little car avatar on the left side of your screen). They do not come on if you only slow down mildly, but this is no different than using engine braking in a car with manual gearbox.

 

[insaneoctane]

How do you compare the blinker stalk resistance to your other vehicles? I noticed that the Model 3 stalk has noticeably more resistance than my previous vehicle. This further complicated the adjustment period and process.

 

[T34ME]

I'm almost certain now that I'm the idiot...

Welcome to the club. I'm a charter member!

 

[Krugerrand]

Practice makes perfect, except when it doesn’t. I’m sitting on 19k+ miles and it still occasionally confuzzles me.

 

[gzerninplatz]

They are replacing my control stalk module tomorrow for misalignment of the control, resulting in incorrect flash setting....so it may not be you that is the problem...

 

[Kermee]

They are replacing my control stalk module tomorrow for misalignment of the control, resulting in incorrect flash setting....so it may not be you that is the problem...

Awesome! Thanks for letting me know!

Keep me/us posted if the replacement control stalk module fixes your incorrect flash setting. I'd like to think I'm intelligent enough to use the turn-signals, but I will also be the first person to admit that I could be the problem too.

Thanks and good luck!

 

[Atari2600]

I got my car today and the continuous turn of left always works. But I have not been able to get it to work a single time for a right signal. Guess I didn't check my car close enough. At least the paint and gaps were great.

 

[Kermee]

I got my car today and the continuous turn of left always works. But I have not been able to get it to work a single time for a right signal. Guess I didn't check my car close enough. At least the paint and gaps were great.

First of all, congratulations! Hope you're enjoying your Model 3 so far!

ACK. Least the important stuff (i.e., paint, gaps, etc.) is good. That stuff is a lot harder to get fixed, if not impossible unless you reject delivery. — Are you going to schedule service to see if they can troubleshoot and possibly replace your stalk?