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An update:
Team, I think I might have finally found the root cause here or rather the circumstances. I think it has to do with the "roll forward" that happens if the car is parked down an incline. As you can imagine, usually when reversing, one does not push the accelerator too far down as it is always a slow reverse action. When down an incline, this can lead to the car rolling forward a bit based on how steep the incline is versus how far the accelerator pedal was pressed. I was able to arrest the roll forward by pressing a bit harder on the accelerator. Under similar circumstances, the roll forward can also happen if one needs to stop the reverse action (e.g., when there is something/someone behind the car) because usually one might just release the accelerator pedal but when on a downward incline one needs to use the brake as well.
Does this make sense or am I rationalizing it? I would have thought that engaging the reverse shift would act like a brake for any forward motion.
I have not driven an ICE car in 6 years except for a few occasions so I am not sure how other cars behave but my i3 does not behave like this (it is a much lighter car). Also I have not encountered the circumstances above that often.
Team, I think I might have finally found the root cause here or rather the circumstances. I think it has to do with the "roll forward" that happens if the car is parked down an incline. As you can imagine, usually when reversing, one does not push the accelerator too far down as it is always a slow reverse action. When down an incline, this can lead to the car rolling forward a bit based on how steep the incline is versus how far the accelerator pedal was pressed. I was able to arrest the roll forward by pressing a bit harder on the accelerator. Under similar circumstances, the roll forward can also happen if one needs to stop the reverse action (e.g., when there is something/someone behind the car) because usually one might just release the accelerator pedal but when on a downward incline one needs to use the brake as well.
Does this make sense or am I rationalizing it? I would have thought that engaging the reverse shift would act like a brake for any forward motion.
I have not driven an ICE car in 6 years except for a few occasions so I am not sure how other cars behave but my i3 does not behave like this (it is a much lighter car). Also I have not encountered the circumstances above that often.
gavine
Petrol Head turned EV Enthusiast
It does not act like a brake. You should get the temporary incline braking after letting off the actual brake pedal, but being in any gear is like being in neutral - an incline one way or the other will allow the car to drift.
If this is happening solely on inclines, then I think you have definitely found the root cause. I would argue it's not a fault of the vehicle, either, just a nuance that you'll have to get used to.
Let us know.. in a way this is pretty good news.
The Model S (and I assume Model X) will roll when in Drive or Reverse, so it is certainly possible for the car to move in a direction other than the gear it is in. I usually let my car roll backwards slightly (while still in drive) if I pull too far into my parking spot.
Drive (and reverse) provide a really tiny bit of resistance, but it is, for all intents and purposes, like being in neutral. (My parking spot is sloped just enough to let me roll backwards about halfway out while in drive -- if I want to roll the rest of the way out I need to put it in neutral or reverse).
Thanks a lot guys. I agree it is about getting used to it. In the beginning no-creep experience was a bit unsettling but now I prefer it the traditional ICE mode. I think because of the weight of the car, some of these rolling effects are more pronounced compared my current i3 or previous Nissan Leaf.
Good to know it's not a software or design issue. I love using brake hold for this very reason. The X is so heavy that even on minor inclines it can slide uncomfortably if you don't engage brake hold.
The i3 has 2 anti-roll features. The first one called Hold Assist automatically prevents the car from rolling in the opposite direction as the gear selected. The second called Drive-off Assistant is a more traditional brake hold feature where the car holds the brakes for a few seconds after you let the pedal go. This second feature was recently added to the Model S via software update (you can tell when it's activated when you see a little H in a circle on the dash). But Tesla doesn't have Hold Assist.
So when brake hold is engaged, the car won't move at all until you touch the accelerator..... but as soon as you touch the accelerator, if you don't apply enough force while on the incline, the car could slowly roll in the "wrong" direction because you aren't providing enough torque to balance out the incline. This might feel like the car is in the "wrong" gear. Oddly enough, if it wasn't for Brake Hold, the car would start rolling right away as you release the brakes and you'd have to quickly apply the gas to balance it out. It's more "natural" but less safe IMO, especially when someone hugs your bumper.
However, in the i3, the car always applies enough torque using the electric motor to prevent the car from rolling in reverse when in D, and forward when in R. The car stays perfectly still until you apply the accelerator *enough* to go in the direction you want to go. You can't actually make an i3 slowly roll backward by easing up on the gas like you could in the Tesla or any ICE. The i3 will even stop and hold when going uphill if you release the gas, the Tesla (or any ICE) will eventually start rolling back.
I think this is why some people keep creep on, it "adds" torque to balance most inclines. In the i3, you can forgo creep entirely, but yet still have its benefit (and while both in D and R)
Hold Assist is the feature I really really miss on my Model S (I owned an i3 until a month ago or so too). It greatly enhances Brake Assist. It would make driving the car so much easier. And it could be implemented with a software update. I was happy to see Brake Hold, now I'm crossing my fingers for Hold Assist :-D
jackbowers
Jack Bowers
I had that happen to me in my Model S several years ago. If you have creep turned *off* in a situation where there is a slight downward incline, the car will sometimes roll forward in reverse. The solution is to turn creep *on*.
Phil Seastrand
Member
chipmunk
Member
This happened to me today. I left a parking spot, just briefly going into reverse to get closer to the car behind me, and went into drive to keep going. When I realized the car showed that it was in reverse, I was sure that was in error. But looking back, it was an incline, and I figure I must have been in reverse and assumed I was in drive by the behavior.
Sorry to hear about your marital problems. I suggest buying a Model S to correct the problem before it is too late. lol
This past Saturday my Model S was in reverse and when I pressed the accelerator it went forward. Initially, I thought I had accidentally put it in drive but I verified and it was in reverse. I put the car back in park and then put it in reverse again but the car kept going forward when I hit the accelerator. After trying a couple of times I tried turning the car off and back on but the behavior did not change. I called roadside assistance and they had me turn the car off and on again, putting the car in neutral and pushing (I'm not even close to strong enough to move the car), and they had me put the car in tow mode. Nothing worked and they sent a tow company to me however while they were on the way I worked through all the same options with roadside assistance and after taking the car out tow mode I was able to reverse with no problem. I immediately drove the car to our nearest service station where they are going to do an inspection to try and find out what caused the problem. Fortunately, we knew the exact time, took pictures of the parking spot and have video of the car moving forward that I was able to share with the service folks to help them figure this out.
Sorry, if I have posted this in the wrong place. This was the only thing I could find on a Tesla going forward when in reverse and I'm new to forums and am not 100% on etiquette.
Sorry, if I have posted this in the wrong place. This was the only thing I could find on a Tesla going forward when in reverse and I'm new to forums and am not 100% on etiquette.
K-MTG
Sunshade Captain of TMC
JeffK
Well-Known Member
Sorry for the delay, here are the pics. I'm getting the following error message when trying to post the video from my iPhone "The uploaded file does not have an allowed extension." I'll post the video once I can figure this out.
Attachments
Here is the video guys. I went in to the service center today to take a test drive of my car with the service technician and he told me the issue occurred because I had slightly accelerated and I was on an incline. I wasn't on an incline though and the car behaves exactly as though it was in drive. Also, I put the car in both neutral and tow mode multiple times and the vehicle would not budge with me pushing as hard as I can. I told them it was a safety issue and that I need a resolution before I'll drive the car again. They are going to "open a case" which was explained to me as a way to have the engineers who "made the car" look into the issue. I'm starting to get really nervous about this and do not have a very good feeling after this the third time they have told me that it was an incline issue.
K-MTG
Sunshade Captain of TMC
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