The car is borderline uncontrollable at posted road speeds if moisture or any contaminants are present on the asphalt.
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Model S Technical / Mechanical Issues
- Thread starter DrComputer
- Start date
The car is borderline uncontrollable at posted road speeds if moisture or any contaminants are present on the asphalt.
On the roadster disabling T/C does make the vehicle somewhat uncontrollable but on the Model S it goes to a whole new level. The car is pretty much useless if T/C is disabled and especially if the surface you are running the car on is not pristine. Any decent romp of the accelerator results in lateral motion and experienced hard corrections are required to make sure the vehicle goes in the direction intended.
sublimaze1
8Dec2012 / Leeroy Jenkins
The buzz should go away if you turn up the lighting level above 80%. But, they do need to fix that in software.
lolachampcar
Well-Known Member
It has been my experience that anything with north of 300hp is "borderline un-driveable" or a little hard to control on less than ideal surfaces. Horsepower over 400 is mostly a high speed item with little or no use at lower speeds. Porsche's AWD turbo 99x series seem to make good use of it but I have a 550 that will literally spin the tires at 60 mph by simply rolling into the throttle in third gear (TC off of course). I've been tempted to buy cars with more horsepower (the 458 comes to mind) but always find myself asking the question "Why?".
Anyway, TC lets you enjoy the power you have available without the need for cat like (or Montoya like) reflexes. If you really want to play, just find a skid pad at the local track and ask them to wet it down. Get a driver coach, turn off the TC and practice your CPR (Correct, Pause, Recover). It's a real hoot in just about any car and a lifesaver in one you drive every day. It's well worth the couple of hundred dollars it takes to make it happen.
Anyway, TC lets you enjoy the power you have available without the need for cat like (or Montoya like) reflexes. If you really want to play, just find a skid pad at the local track and ask them to wet it down. Get a driver coach, turn off the TC and practice your CPR (Correct, Pause, Recover). It's a real hoot in just about any car and a lifesaver in one you drive every day. It's well worth the couple of hundred dollars it takes to make it happen.
contaygious
Active Member
dailydriver
Member
It can be great fun. Just be sure you have an open parking lot and some room to play. :wink:
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NigelM
Recovering Member
I disagree with that as a blanket statement, but you're right in so far as it takes a good, experienced driver to handle that much power without TC. I grew up racing cars and there's a few other roadster owners who to the track regularly, I've driven he roadster without TC and its kinda exhilarating but get it wrong and you're toast. Haven't tried Model S without TC but I'd like to that at the local track or airfield with plenty of space for the first time out.
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P.S. nice video dailydriver, that you driving?
I've not found the Roadster to be at all "uncontrollable" with the TC off. Quite the contrary. But whatever you do don't switch off TC in the rain - bad idea!!!
dailydriver
Member
Thanks. Yup - I couldn't wait to see what the car could do with all of that torque. I made the video just a few days after I got the car. I'll have to wait until spring to get the car on the track though.
stephenpace
VIN S00219
I prefer just turning off the ambient lights until they come up with a fix. 100% is bright.
@dailydriver: Nice! I thought we were going to have to wait for the Russians to get the car to see the first one of those.
> The Model S is borderline undrivable with T/C disabled [PRJIM]
Apart from the fun n games, I'd be concerned if the S could not climb a muddy/snowy/icy/slushy hill almost as well as the Roadster can (which is quite well, thank you). With all that xtra weight on the front axle, the S needs to allow complete power control.
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Apart from the fun n games, I'd be concerned if the S could not climb a muddy/snowy/icy/slushy hill almost as well as the Roadster can (which is quite well, thank you). With all that xtra weight on the front axle, the S needs to allow complete power control.
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NigelM
Recovering Member
Yup after washing the car, and there's a few others who have mentioned it. Not a biggie, but it needs fixing.
I'm not sure how this gets past Tesla's water testing environment. Surely that's more vigorous than a car wash?
This is just a generalization. A measure of HP is useless in comparing different vehicles because of factors like vehicle weight, dyno used, where the hp is measured, transmission type etc. A 500hp car that weighs a lot can be a snail. If you are spinning the tires at 60mph at the power levels you stated, you are using the wrong tires, or the car is poorly setup. I have been in 800+rwhp cars that get good bite on the street even at low speeds, too many variables. A better measure is trap speed at a drag strip.
Yes, I've had the car one week and the left backup light does this but not the right one.
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I have had the car one week with everything working perfectly. Today I had a "Call Tesla Service" light come on for a few minutes then it turned off. I called the Tampa Service Center and they said it was a "false positive" glitch in the last upgrade. He said if the light does not go off then there is a need for concern otherwise don't worry.
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I have had the car one week with everything working perfectly. Today I had a "Call Tesla Service" light come on for a few minutes then it turned off. I called the Tampa Service Center and they said it was a "false positive" glitch in the last upgrade. He said if the light does not go off then there is a need for concern otherwise don't worry.
stephenpace
VIN S00219
Yes, although mine is on the passenger side (I can see similar after a car wash), but not as bad. I've got it on my list, though. I'm not sure if this part is supposed to be sealed or not, but it seems like it should be. My guess is some adhesive came loose on a few, but they have not evaluated it yet.
