Screen viewing by old eyes

[ajstan]

They don’t apply because the limitations you cite for a small smartphone screen don‘t exist on a Tesla’s screen. Tesla has twice as much real estate on its screen as other manufacturers do, yet the others don’t have the same problems with legibility. Beyond that, many of Tesla’s menus already require scrolling, so your claim is pretty much a non sequitur.

Do you really not get how you're wrong here or are you just being argumentative? I'm thinking it's the latter. The false equivalencies and other logical fallacies you employ to try to establish your personal preferences as arguable facts are uninteresting and not conducive to reaching any sort of mutual understanding.

 

[ErnieCharlin]

Does any company make an attachable screen magnifier for the Tesla Model Y computer screen? The font is too small with messages appearing too quickly to easily read.

 

[TomServo]

Tesla and all other manufactures will need to start to consider and address the aging of one of their most wealthy demographics - BOOMERS. I’m not sure what the ultimate solution will be to make their products usable to a wide swath of the buyers, but doing NOTHING isn’t a solution.

Tesla is best positioned to offer a solution since that big LCD screen could easily be updated with a SW update to allow owners to select an Accessibility or Unique Display settings. For those users I’m sure Tesla could allow certain functions to be TO BE INCREASED IN SIZE. It’s not rocket science Elon.

Hell I’m surprised the Fed’s haven’t stepped in yet. Accessibility is the mantra in every facet of our lives.

 

[sleepydoc]

Do you really not get how you're wrong here or are you just being argumentative? I'm thinking it's the latter. The false equivalencies and other logical fallacies you employ to try to establish your personal preferences as arguable facts are uninteresting and not conducive to reaching any sort of mutual understanding.

Not being argumentative other than directly refuting your points. If my arguments have logical fallacies, by all means, point them out.

Hell I’m surprised the Fed’s haven’t stepped in yet. Accessibility is the mantra in every facet of our lives.

This is a bit of an interesting area - nominally, if you have significant uncorrectable visual deficits you shouldn't drive. That being the case should 'accessibility' be a reason for the feds to intervene?

Of course the majority of complaints are from people with vision that's perfectly adequate for driving, so it would seem to fall somewhere in between.

 

[deuskid]

I have good long range eyesight but poor short range. The ribbon at the top of the screen is slightly too small for me to see without glasses. I'd like to make the top ribbon larger/easier to read. Is there some way to expand it?

Thanks

 

[EVRider-FL]

Not at this time.

 

[artnalex]

I have similar vision problems as the original author’s wife. I can see the bigger fonts, but some of the smaller fonts are just too small for me to see without physically leaning towards the screen. I can never quite make out the time, temperature or words on the top ribbon. For the most part it isn’t a big issue, but there are times when Tesla issues a warning on the screen in small font, which disappears after a few seconds. It would be a great option if I could get the car to verbalize those warnings (like navigation), rather than just merely displaying them on the screen.

The option of bigger fonts (in black) would be a better fix altogether for me. I suspect that option will get here….one day.

 

[bo3bdar]

But there are other eye problems that can develop which are not so simple to deal with. My wife had cataract surgery in both eyes. One of the lenses that they inserted turned out to be the wrong power. The other one got kinked and pushed the cornea out of shape. They fussed with that one, but it left a mess. She had Lasik surgery which helped quite a bit, but she is still left with one eye with a positive correction, the other with a negative correction and nasty astigmatism. She can still see her cell phone with corrective lenses, so she's not blind or anything. But it does require concentration. The brain is an amazing image processor and she can suss the meaning out of the blur. But it takes focus and she can't see detail very well at a glance. She still passes the eye exam and still drives as well as she ever did, but her vision is sufficiently distorted that she cannot read the screen without leaning over and concentrating on it. Unfortunately, most of the distortion is in her right eye which is the one that looks most directly at the screen. The left eye ended up with good distance vision and that's why she can drive.

If your wife can see well enough out of her right eye to read computer monitor distance, one option might be for her to get special driving glasses that she uses whenever driving any car, not just Tesla. There is a prescription called 'monovision', where you would set the glasses prescription to have the left eye at distance, and then the right eye for up close viewing. Not everyone can adapt to this, but it's a combo that would work here as long as the right eye prescription was tuned for viewing the screen.


There are lots of vendors for the screen rotation- I did this modification and it's fantastic. Absolutely no regrets, unquestionably far superior to just simply have the screen oriented toward the driver. I don't think the ones that add up/down are particularly important, but your wife might prefer that second axis.

Another option is to add an aftermarket display like a regular car has a binnacle behind the wheel. The one I added is the TopFit variant. This is relatively hard to install, so unless you are handy I'd recommend someone like a car stereo installer who has experience. There are a bunch of these sorts of after market displays, I just like the simplicity and look of this one. It's also possible to just use a smartphone with a bluetooth adapter.

Unless you are a purist- don't hesitate to modify your Tesla. The car is great, but Tesla makes a lot of fundmental mistakes with the UI on the car, and they don't care about user feedback at all. I added the TopFit display after they destroyed the user interface so that I didn't have to worry about their next stupid move. This plus the voice commands resolved the problems for me. No regrets.

These sorts of mods may not solve the problem for your wife- only she can know what makes sense for her. But it's worth knowing some of the things you can do. If you don't feel like futzing around this sort of stuff, you can always sell your car at a profit for the time being.

 

[db93]

UI is an art
Yes even Tesla can do better here with text size for some of the objects on screen, without alienating those with perfect vision
tbh, I've become so accustomed to where things are on screen out of necessity, as my near vision is somewhat poor

Also the voice app is pretty handy at times

 

[gnemmas]

Tesla Model Y or 3 are not for your wife.

A front display is a must. Mustang Mach E, Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Genesis GV60 are much better choice. Tesla driving range are bloated, where Mustang Mach E and Genesis GV60 real life range can match Tesla.

We have both Genesis GV60 Advanced and 2023 Model Y long range, Genesis is a much luxurious, quiet, comfortable ride. High tech is overrated, enjoy the day to day ride comfort!

 

[aerodyne]

During the ten months we waited for the car (Model Y) to be delivered, my wife had some medical problems with her eyes and now that the car has arrived she cannot read the display. Actually, she can read it with special glasses, but she cannot see the road while wearing those glasses. Since it was supposed to be her car, we have a problem.

I can think of two options. One, we can sell it. It has 101 miles on it right now and I have been told we could probably get more than we paid for it. Or we can find some way that she can deal with the screen viewing issue. Frankly, I was intending to keep driving my old beater pickup, which will probably outlive me, but I like this Tesla so much that I hope we can keep it so I can drive it when she is not using it.

I am very new to this car, so please be patient if there is something obvious that I have missed.

So is it possible to enlarge what you see on the screen, or at least the fonts?

Are there alternative "themes" or such that can be installed? Or is it possible for us to modify the layout, ourselves? Some things would be much easier to use if they just looked different without a change of size. The radio controls, for example, occupy about the same square inches on the screen that they do in her old car. But most of that is just white space surrounding little tiny icons. I'm sure someone thinks it is stylish in some bizarre way, but a visual cue to the edges of the buttons, perhaps with "shadows" to make them look like buttons, and slightly larger icons would make them much easier to see and push.

Is it possible to control the car by voice rather than finding and pushing "buttons" on the screen? How do we learn about that? (I thought there would be an owner's manual in that Tesla App; but if there is, I cannot find it.)

If all else fails, what is the best way to go about selling a brand new car like this? With minimal hassles. We hate buying and selling. I am driving my third Toyota pickup since 1980 and my wife's old car (which we kept, thankfully!) is a 2000 Toyota. And is it reasonable to expect to get our money back? A friend who owns one Model Y and has another on order tells me that I should post it at a high price and ask for offers over that. Sounds bizarre to me, but pretty much everything about the world we currently live in is becoming bizarre.

Thanks, --Brian

Try this, a little bizarre, but as a proof of concept, I hope it gives you some ideas:

 

[nchan2000]

How about buying a larger center screen like this one: 10.25-Inch Tesla Model 3 Y Dashboard Display With Carplay|Hansshow I don't think it solves all the problems, but some basic information might be more readily available. I don't have experience with the larger one though (I have the small version (Ultra Mini Display).

I absolutely wish there was a way to increase the font size. I would call it "Old People Mode"!

 

[Srad600Volt]

I'm in a similar boat. I need glasses to read, but not for distance (so not to drive). I have to wear my reading glasses when I drive in order to read the smaller text on the center display. Never thought about it but every other display I use (computer, phone, ipad, even my watch) has a customizable display for font size and contrast. It would make a nice useable addition to the software on these cars.

 

[Bikeman]

Three days in, am finding the screen to be difficult to read and navigate due to the small-ish fonts.

 

[hodad66]

I just ordered my first bifocals specifically for driving BUT, when I tried them on, the "reading distance" was far
too close to my head to be helpful reading the screen. The gentleman took them back and is going to change
the lenses. We'll see how this adjustment works out.

 

[nghiaho58]

During the ten months we waited for the car (Model Y) to be delivered, my wife had some medical problems with her eyes and now that the car has arrived she cannot read the display. Actually, she can read it with special glasses, but she cannot see the road while wearing those glasses. Since it was supposed to be her car, we have a problem.

I can think of two options. One, we can sell it. It has 101 miles on it right now and I have been told we could probably get more than we paid for it. Or we can find some way that she can deal with the screen viewing issue. Frankly, I was intending to keep driving my old beater pickup, which will probably outlive me, but I like this Tesla so much that I hope we can keep it so I can drive it when she is not using it.

I am very new to this car, so please be patient if there is something obvious that I have missed.

So is it possible to enlarge what you see on the screen, or at least the fonts?

Are there alternative "themes" or such that can be installed? Or is it possible for us to modify the layout, ourselves? Some things would be much easier to use if they just looked different without a change of size. The radio controls, for example, occupy about the same square inches on the screen that they do in her old car. But most of that is just white space surrounding little tiny icons. I'm sure someone thinks it is stylish in some bizarre way, but a visual cue to the edges of the buttons, perhaps with "shadows" to make them look like buttons, and slightly larger icons would make them much easier to see and push.

Is it possible to control the car by voice rather than finding and pushing "buttons" on the screen? How do we learn about that? (I thought there would be an owner's manual in that Tesla App; but if there is, I cannot find it.)

If all else fails, what is the best way to go about selling a brand new car like this? With minimal hassles. We hate buying and selling. I am driving my third Toyota pickup since 1980 and my wife's old car (which we kept, thankfully!) is a 2000 Toyota. And is it reasonable to expect to get our money back? A friend who owns one Model Y and has another on order tells me that I should post it at a high price and ask for offers over that. Sounds bizarre to me, but pretty much everything about the world we currently live in is becoming bizarre.

Thanks, --Brian

Is it possible to control the car by voice rather than finding and pushing "buttons" on the screen? How do we learn about that? (I thought there would be an owner's manual in that Tesla App; but if there is, I cannot find it.)
Push the small wheel on the right side of the steering wheel and speak clearly what you want the car to do such as "navigate to.... I am hot, I am cold, open glove box, turn wipers on, turn radio on, etc...

 

[Bikeman]

Is it possible to control the car by voice rather than finding and pushing "buttons" on the screen? How do we learn about that? (I thought there would be an owner's manual in that Tesla App; but if there is, I cannot find it.)
Push the small wheel on the right side of the steering wheel and speak clearly what you want the car to do such as "navigate to.... I am hot, I am cold, open glove box, turn wipers on, turn radio on, etc...

Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla

Learn how to use voice commands in your vehicle and view examples of common voice commands.

www.tesla.com

A Complete List of All Tesla Voice Commands

A list of all Tesla voice commands for your car.

www.notateslaapp.com

V11 Tesla Voice Commands

Commands List Tesla Voice Commands - V11 and Beyond,Suggest additions that you have found to work by using this form: <a href="https://forms.gle/eBugENRjD7vPiyqh7"> https://forms.gle/eBugENRjD7vPiyqh</a>7 Updated 6:18 PM CDT, 11/5/2023 - 196 recognized commands (and many alternatives!) Updates a...

docs.google.com

 

[bo3bdar]

Is it possible to control the car by voice rather than finding and pushing "buttons" on the screen? How do we learn about that? (I thought there would be an owner's manual in that Tesla App; but if there is, I cannot find it.)
Push the small wheel on the right side of the steering wheel and speak clearly what you want the car to do such as "navigate to.... I am hot, I am cold, open glove box, turn wipers on, turn radio on, etc...

Here's an interesting web app with all the known commands. Tesla Voice Commands

The voice command works fairly well, but has some limits. If you don't have an LTE connection it doesn't work at all, and also has the terrible UI of not making any sound to let you know. You have to look at the screen to see it say "command not understood." This is of course, completely stupid.

Best recognition happens if you enunciate as cleanly as you can. The lack of feedback on success/fail makes it less useful than I'd want.

 

[14characters]

Has anyone heard any indication that Tesla is listening and will do something to allow larger fonts on the screen? I heard someone say all the people wanting this are over 60, and all the engineers in charge Of it are under 30, and don’t see the problem. Sigh.

 

[Kestrel77]

During the ten months we waited for the car (Model Y) to be delivered, my wife had some medical problems with her eyes and now that the car has arrived she cannot read the display. Actually, she can read it with special glasses, but she cannot see the road while wearing those glasses. Since it was supposed to be her car, we have a problem.

I can think of two options. One, we can sell it. It has 101 miles on it right now and I have been told we could probably get more than we paid for it. Or we can find some way that she can deal with the screen viewing issue. Frankly, I was intending to keep driving my old beater pickup, which will probably outlive me, but I like this Tesla so much that I hope we can keep it so I can drive it when she is not using it.

I am very new to this car, so please be patient if there is something obvious that I have missed.

So is it possible to enlarge what you see on the screen, or at least the fonts?

Are there alternative "themes" or such that can be installed? Or is it possible for us to modify the layout, ourselves? Some things would be much easier to use if they just looked different without a change of size. The radio controls, for example, occupy about the same square inches on the screen that they do in her old car. But most of that is just white space surrounding little tiny icons. I'm sure someone thinks it is stylish in some bizarre way, but a visual cue to the edges of the buttons, perhaps with "shadows" to make them look like buttons, and slightly larger icons would make them much easier to see and push.

Is it possible to control the car by voice rather than finding and pushing "buttons" on the screen? How do we learn about that? (I thought there would be an owner's manual in that Tesla App; but if there is, I cannot find it.)

If all else fails, what is the best way to go about selling a brand new car like this? With minimal hassles. We hate buying and selling. I am driving my third Toyota pickup since 1980 and my wife's old car (which we kept, thankfully!) is a 2000 Toyota. And is it reasonable to expect to get our money back? A friend who owns one Model Y and has another on order tells me that I should post it at a high price and ask for offers over that. Sounds bizarre to me, but pretty much everything about the world we currently live in is becoming bizarre.

Thanks, --Brian

Hi Brian, I am experiencing similar problems with my Tesla 3 which I started driving at Christmas 2022 just after cataract surgery in both eyes.
I am sorry to hear about your wife's eye problems.
My cataract surgery went well and means I have good distance vision and no longer need glasses fir driving.
Seeing the screen clearly is a problem, however. I can read the speed limit but the clock, mileage left in vehicle, radio etc are all too small. Disappointed to read that there is no way to adjust the font size and colour.
The voice commands do not always work and I cannot read the response to know whether it dies not recognise the command or the function is unavailable ( "Fog light on" was one I needed on a foggy evening. Nope)
Confess I have also wondered why we spent so much money on a vehicle that is not making me totally happy!
Will try perching some narrow reading glasses on the end of my nose!

My cousin had cataracts, and had replacement lens surgery. They asked him if he wanted perfect up close vision, perfect distance vision, or one eye of each. He chose perfect up close vision in both eyes, and used glasses if he needed to drive.

Keith

During the ten months we waited for the car (Model Y) to be delivered, my wife had some medical problems with her eyes and now that the car has arrived she cannot read the display. Actually, she can read it with special glasses, but she cannot see the road while wearing those glasses. Since it was supposed to be her car, we have a problem.

I can think of two options. One, we can sell it. It has 101 miles on it right now and I have been told we could probably get more than we paid for it. Or we can find some way that she can deal with the screen viewing issue. Frankly, I was intending to keep driving my old beater pickup, which will probably outlive me, but I like this Tesla so much that I hope we can keep it so I can drive it when she is not using it.

I am very new to this car, so please be patient if there is something obvious that I have missed.

So is it possible to enlarge what you see on the screen, or at least the fonts?

Are there alternative "themes" or such that can be installed? Or is it possible for us to modify the layout, ourselves? Some things would be much easier to use if they just looked different without a change of size. The radio controls, for example, occupy about the same square inches on the screen that they do in her old car. But most of that is just white space surrounding little tiny icons. I'm sure someone thinks it is stylish in some bizarre way, but a visual cue to the edges of the buttons, perhaps with "shadows" to make them look like buttons, and slightly larger icons would make them much easier to see and push.

Is it possible to control the car by voice rather than finding and pushing "buttons" on the screen? How do we learn about that? (I thought there would be an owner's manual in that Tesla App; but if there is, I cannot find it.)

If all else fails, what is the best way to go about selling a brand new car like this? With minimal hassles. We hate buying and selling. I am driving my third Toyota pickup since 1980 and my wife's old car (which we kept, thankfully!) is a 2000 Toyota. And is it reasonable to expect to get our money back? A friend who owns one Model Y and has another on order tells me that I should post it at a high price and ask for offers over that. Sounds bizarre to me, but pretty much everything about the world we currently live in is becoming bizarre.

Thanks, --Brian