My Tesla M3 Wants Me To Buy A Tractor

[Wingsy]

Just cruising down a rural road when I get another phantom braking event. I went back and repeated the drive through the area and got it again, same place. I drive this road from time to time and have never had unexplained braking in this area before. I went back again and made this movie of the event. Best I can tell, the cause of the slowdown was that tractor (for sale) parked beside the road. I guess my car thought I needed to stop and look it over. You can get an idea of the degree of slowdown by the regen indicator going full to the left. It bled off 5mph just like that. If my wife were with me she would have let out another yelp.

OK, so say that large metal object WAS in my lane. It didn't need to slow down so soon and so abruptly in order to stop prior to hitting it. So why do the software guys continue to hit the brakes so hard when it detects something way out there? I know that's a rhetorical question. But I sure wish they would address this issue or we may wind up taking 2 cars whenever we go somewhere.

2019.32.12.2

 

[derotam]

Guess you need to buy a tractor!

Would be interesting to swipe up on the visualization on your screen and see if it shows up there at the same time as the slowdown. When you swipe up on your car in the visualization you will get a look further ahead.

 

[Tessaract]

Just cruising down a rural road when I get another phantom braking event. I went back and repeated the drive through the area and got it again, same place. I drive this road from time to time and have never had unexplained braking in this area before. I went back again and made this movie of the event. Best I can tell, the cause of the slowdown was that tractor (for sale) parked beside the road. I guess my car thought I needed to stop and look it over. You can get an idea of the degree of slowdown by the regen indicator going full to the left. It bled off 5mph just like that. If my wife were with me she would have let out another yelp.

OK, so say that large metal object WAS in my lane. It didn't need to slow down so soon and so abruptly in order to stop prior to hitting it. So why do the software guys continue to hit the brakes so hard when it detects something way out there? I know that's a rhetorical question. But I sure wish they would address this issue or we may wind up taking 2 cars whenever we go somewhere.

2019.32.12.2

Nicely documented!

I've also experienced phantom braking, but not spent the effort/time to go back and replicate the situation. My impression is that gentle left-curving roads with low metal guard rails under the right lighting conditions will cause phantom braking. As will a semi trailer in an adjacent lane under strong sunlight conditions when the semitrailer shadow is cast onto my lane.

 

[KenC]

It seems that a combo of the tractor and the white road sign on the right, were lined up when the slowdown started.

 

[Bill Foster]

Well done video.

I just chalk it up to "It's Beta"