Model 3: Turn Signals... ARGH!

[sduck]

Call service.

 

[surfrasch]

Call service.

okay new to Tesla.....called for remote service, they claim they will follow up....I have a case number....that's good.

 

[confusatron]

I just got off the phone with Tesla. I've been going back and forth with them, trying to get the 3-blink issue fixed since I picked up the car in mid-October. Now they're telling me this is a software issue, with no eta for when the update is available. Not sure I buy that.

Has anyone else gotten this story?

 

[rlb4]

I just got off the phone with Tesla. I've been going back and forth with them, trying to get the 3-blink issue fixed since I picked up the car in mid-October. Now they're telling me this is a software issue, with no eta for when the update is available. Not sure I buy that.

Has anyone else gotten this story?

I say BS. Someone posted that it is a known issue and this is what needs to be replaced :
STEERING COLUMN CONTROL MODULE 1 (1097662-00-L)
AIRBAG HARNESS RETAINING CLIP 1 (1028053-00-A)

 

[surfrasch]

I just got off the phone with Tesla. I've been going back and forth with them, trying to get the 3-blink issue fixed since I picked up the car in mid-October. Now they're telling me this is a software issue, with no eta for when the update is available. Not sure I buy that.

Has anyone else gotten this story?

Well it's interesting you mentioned that. I picked up the car Friday, did about 4-5hr of highway driving that day, no problems with the blinkers. The car was delivered with 39.something software and said I needed an update. I updated yesterday morning, it loaded 44.1.....I go out on the highway and the 3-blink on left side stopped working, immediately.

go figure??....I was wondering if it was software until I saw all the people posting about getting a new stalk.

 

[dave999z]

I hate the way the turn signals work in my 3. I wish the stalk just stayed down or up when the left or right blinker is on, and that you just move it back to the center to turn off. Having the stalk in the center position while the blinker is on just makes no sense. No tactile way to tell the status. And it’s difficult to turn off without turning the opposite signal on. There was no reason this had to be different than every other car, which works well.

 

[animorph]

I hate the way the turn signals work in my 3. I wish the stalk just stayed down or up when the left or right blinker is on, and that you just move it back to the center to turn off. Having the stalk in the center position while the blinker is on just makes no sense. No tactile way to tell the status. And it’s difficult to turn off without turning the opposite signal on. There was no reason this had to be different than every other car, which works well.

These were normal on our old Mini, and I believe BMW's in general. They were easy enough to use when you got used to them. The Model 3 screwed-up version is is another story. We're supposedly waiting for parts for ours.

I think they work nicely for Tesla by allowing you to "latch" the turn signal to initiate an automatic lane change and have the car cancel the signal when it finishes. The right solution for Tesla.

My X has the physically latching turn signal stalk. In my X it is safer to latch the turn signal, instead of holding it and possibly having it release and cause an abort mid-lane change. But that means I have to manually cancel the turn signal after the lane change is complete.

 

[Arduin]

I hate the way the turn signals work in my 3. I wish the stalk just stayed down or up when the left or right blinker is on, and that you just move it back to the center to turn off. Having the stalk in the center position while the blinker is on just makes no sense. No tactile way to tell the status. And it’s difficult to turn off without turning the opposite signal on. There was no reason this had to be different than every other car, which works well.

I felt the same way at first, but here are some things I learned over time that may help:

1. Cancelling the turn signal can be done by lightly lifting the stalk in the same direction - not the opposite direction. This prevents you from accidentally activating the turn signal for the other direction.
2. Push the stalk 100% fully up or down and quickly let go - if you don't let go quick enough, it will only blink 3 times.

 

[dave999z]

Push the stalk 100% fully up or down and quickly let go - if you don't let go quick enough, it will only blink 3 times.

Wait, that’s the opposite of what I thought.

So what determines whether you get a mere 3 blinks versus turning the signal on indefinitely? Is it how far you push the stalk? How quickly you push and release the stalk? Both?

 

[Kermee]

Page 49 of the manual...

 

[dave999z]

Except it doesn’t really work like it says in the manual. I find it difficult to reliably do a partial press and get just 3 blinks. I don’t see what the point is of the distinct click you feel when you push it all the way down, because I often push it only partially down (don’t feel the click) yet it turns on continuoisly. And as stated above, apparently you can cancel by pushing again in the same direction (don’t have to do the opposite direction).

 

[Kermee]

Except it doesn’t really work like it says in the manual. I find it difficult to reliably do a partial press and get just 3 blinks. I don’t see what the point is of the distinct click you feel when you push it all the way down, because I often push it only partially down (don’t feel the click) yet it turns on continuoisly. And as stated above, apparently you can cancel by pushing again in the same direction (don’t have to do the opposite direction).

News Flash: Your turn signal is defective.

EDIT: I'm actually trying not to be an ass, but you just described the exact issue I had before it was determined the turn signal SCCM was defective. This is why as the OP, this entire thread exists. After they replaced it with the reworked part # to fix this exact issue, my turn signal stalk works exactly as the manual states.

You need to schedule a service appointment and get yours replaced under warranty.

 

[Kermee]

P.S. Any SC or tech that says this problem is solved with an upcoming "Software Update" is blowing smoke. It's a HARDWARE DEFECT hence the reworked part #.

Even print out my SC appointment notes that I posted earlier in this thread and take it to them as proof that the SCCM needs to be replaced to fix the defective turn signal stalk.

 

[dave999z]

I think they work nicely for Tesla by allowing you to "latch" the turn signal to initiate an automatic lane change and have the car cancel the signal when it finishes. The right solution for Tesla.

My X has the physically latching turn signal stalk. In my X it is safer to latch the turn signal, instead of holding it and possibly having it release and cause an abort mid-lane change. But that means I have to manually cancel the turn signal after the lane change is complete.

I guess I don't see why these are Tesla's only two choices. For normal driving, I think it should latch in the up or down position, and automatically release following a wheel turn, plus you can manually release it at any time by moving it back to center (like every other car). For autopilot, you should be able to latch it in the up or down position to initiate a lane change, and when the lane change is completed it should automatically release back to center position. I understand most stalks that release back to center probably have some physical mechanism that releases following a wheel turn. But it seems like it would have been simple enough to design and solenoid switch or something that electronically releases when it receives the appropriate command following an autopilot lane change.

I miss being able to check the state of the turn signal by simply feeling its position, without having to listen to or look at anything.

 

[dave999z]

News Flash: Your turn signal is defective.

EDIT: I'm actually trying not to be an ass, but you just described the exact issue I had before it was determined the turn signal SCCM was defective. This is why as the OP, this entire thread exists. After they replaced it with the reworked part # to fix this exact issue, my turn signal stalk works exactly as the manual states.

You need to schedule a service appointment and get yours replaced under warranty.

Thank you. Sometimes I just need a slap to wake up. I see that, per this thread, this is likely a defective stalk.

My car is an October build. Don't suppose there is any way to check the current version of the stalk? Regardless, I imagine it's not Rev L, or I likely wouldn't be having this problem.

Not excited to take it into service for this and some due bill cosmetic issues, and be without my brand new car for days.

 

[lairdb]

[...]I understand most stalks that release back to center probably have some physical mechanism that releases following a wheel turn. But it seems like it would have been simple enough to design and solenoid switch or something that electronically releases when it receives the appropriate command following an autopilot lane change.[...]

As a product design guy, I'll make that "...it would have been simple enough hideously complex to design...", but then I'll say that I think it would have been worth it. That's still, imo, the most disorienting control UX change in the entire vehicle.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

I hate the way the turn signals work in my 3. I wish the stalk just stayed down or up when the left or right blinker is on, and that you just move it back to the center to turn off. Having the stalk in the center position while the blinker is on just makes no sense. No tactile way to tell the status. And it’s difficult to turn off without turning the opposite signal on. There was no reason this had to be different than every other car, which works well.

The reason it is different is because of Autopilot/Autosteer.

We drove 1000 miles in a 3 last month and I loved the turn signals. All I had to do was push the turn signal up or down and it would turn on the turn signals, make the lane change and then automatically turn the turn signal off. In my Model S, I have to manually move the turn stalk back to the middle after each Autosteer lane change or I have to hold the turn signal stalk throughout the entire lane change. The Model 3's stalk is a definite improvement!

 

[dave999z]

The reason it is different is because of Autopilot/Autosteer.

We drove 1000 miles in a 3 last month and I loved the turn signals. All I had to do was push the turn signal up or down and it would turn on the turn signals, make the lane change and then automatically turn the turn signal off. In my Model S, I have to manually move the turn stalk back to the middle after each Autosteer lane change or I have to hold the turn signal stalk throughout the entire lane change. The Model 3's stalk is a definite improvement!

I agree the way it works in the 3 sounds better than the S. But the 3 could (and imo should) work the way I described above.

As fsr as that being complex to execute, that’s their problem. Wonder if they even tried.

 

[Oceans808]

I guess I don't see why these are Tesla's only two choices. For normal driving, I think it should latch in the up or down position, and automatically release following a wheel turn, plus you can manually release it at any time by moving it back to center (like every other car). For autopilot, you should be able to latch it in the up or down position to initiate a lane change, and when the lane change is completed it should automatically release back to center position. I understand most stalks that release back to center probably have some physical mechanism that releases following a wheel turn. But it seems like it would have been simple enough to design and solenoid switch or something that electronically releases when it receives the appropriate command following an autopilot lane change.

I miss being able to check the state of the turn signal by simply feeling its position, without having to listen to or look at anything.

This. Sometimes I forget my signal is still on because I assumed it would just turn off after making a turn. Now, I'm like that really old guy driving around with his blinkers still on.

 

[voip-ninja]

I hate the way the turn signals work in my 3. I wish the stalk just stayed down or up when the left or right blinker is on, and that you just move it back to the center to turn off. Having the stalk in the center position while the blinker is on just makes no sense. No tactile way to tell the status. And it’s difficult to turn off without turning the opposite signal on. There was no reason this had to be different than every other car, which works well.

It works pretty much exactly like it does on a German car. Which is to say it works awesome.