Seat Control Wishlist

[ccutrer]

We've had our X for about a week now (just over, but really just under cause it was gone several days getting wrapped). So far we love it. The FWDs bring some unwanted stares, but functionally they've definitely been an improvement from our previous family vehicle. One thing we hate is the second row seats, and specifically their behavior. A bit of background. - we have for kids ages 7 and under. The oldest is in a booster, the next (5) is in a high-back booster, then a forward facing car seat still in 5 point harness (3), and then the baby (9 months) is still rear facing. Originally we planned on putting the 7 year old and the 3 year old in the third row, with the baby and five year old in the second. We figured that way we could move the 5 year old between the middle seat and behind the driver as necessary to accommodate a guest. But the seats keep moving unexpectedly. Importantly with the larger car seat in the third row, when the second row returns to normal position, it was literally crushing his feet and legs. We ended up swapping the 5 and 3, so now we have the oldest two in the very back. Unfortunately that means any adult guest has to be squished between two car seats in the middle of the second row. This could all be fixed with several software changes:

* please please please remember the seat position (of both the second row and first row seats) when returning the second row to normal position. Have a profile to save positions, or just remember where they were when you moved them forward to get to the third row. This would eliminate the crushing of legs in the third row where you had previously given them a bit more room, and obviate the need for a parent to move them back in order to press the forward button in time to prevent said leg crushing. It would also prevent guessing at how much room we can give the third row without getting the "unlatched" warning for the second row when you put it in to gear.
* don't let the middle seat beat the outside seat to the back. The middle seat usually won't move as far forward, so on the way back when it starts at the same time, it will get to the furthest back first. If you catch the outside seat before it gets all the way back, the middle one will then move back forward to match it. But its optimistic go-back-fast behavior results in temporary leg crushing (though not as bad as the an outside seat leg crushing). It should wait for the outside seat to "catch up" on the way back, and then move in tandem.
* there's no way to force the middle seat all the way forward from the seats themselves. If you only move one outside seat forward, the middle seat only moves forward halfway or so. You can force it all the way forward from the touchscreen (which gives an amazing amount of room for and adult to get back there to install car seats), but then I have to get all the way too the touchscreen. If the outside seat is all the way forward, a second tap on that seat to move forward should move the middle seat all the way forward.
* sometimes the outside seat will tilt forward to give more ingress/egress room, sometimes it won't. Can't figure out why - it's done both maneuvers both with a car seat on it and when unoccupied. If it doesn't tilt, there's nothing you can do except move it back and try again. It'd be nice if holding down forward or using the recline controls could force it to tilt forwards.
* when you get the unlatched warning, and press backwards on the offending seat, only move it far enough to latch. I left that much room in the third row for a reason - give me as much as I can! Right now it goes into leg crushing mode.
* allow exiting of leg crushing mode from the touchscreen. In one of the fix-unlatch-warning incidents, I moved it back from the touchscreen, resulting in leg crushings. I was unable to move it forward from the touchscreen - I had to get out of the car, open the door, and move it forward a few inches from the seat control.
* automatically move the second row back when restoring the driver's seat. I'm 6', and my profile is set to about 3/4 back for the driver's seat. I got in to go for a drive by myself, and I couldn't figure out why my seat wouldn't move back so my knees weren't in my face, either from "restore" on the touchscreen, clicking my profile on the touchscreen, or the seat control itself. Then I realized the second row was still moved forward from our last egress. I quickly moved the second row back from the touchscreen, and then my seat could return to normal. It would have prevented a minute of confusion, and several screen taps, if it just ,over the second row back when the first row moves, analogous to how it moves the first row forward when the second row moves.


Every one of these is just software, so can be fixed without requiring any hardware changes. And it would make a world of difference to anyone that actually uses the third row seats, car seats involved or trying to put adults back there.

 

[Ryan MF]

To add to this list and it might just be my lack of understanding of how to properly use the seats--

Allow the ability to drive with the 2nd row seats not all the way back. Example, we have a car seat in one side of the 2nd row and would like to give an adult sitting in the third row some extra leg room. Right now if you leave the 2nd row partly forward it beeps when you start driving saying the 2nd row is not in a proper position.

 

[Blastphemy]

These posts encompass all my complaints about the second row seats. Well done, ccutrer and Ryan MF!

 

[AndyW]

+1!!!
Remembering the 2nd row seat position when using the 3rd row access is on top of my wish list. The fact that the car remembers so many settings but not including this one is really puzzling to me.

 

[RxShah]

you captured it all! Not sure how many others actively use the third row, but we have learnt to adjust seats every time someone gets in or out of the car. I wish it could just remember a chosen position for the entire second row.

 

[3DVFX]

Not sure if it's hardware or software, but...

Ability on the front seats to independently control the headrests would be awesome. As a passenger I like to have my seat at least as far back as the driver so they have the best visibility as possible (I also like the leg room). But with the headrest tied to the position in the car, I find it too high for me. I'd love to have the ability to change it without pushing the seat forward.

 

[djsinc]

I cannot wait until these updates are made. The second row is probably the only thing that really bothers me about the car right now.

When an adult is in the 3rd row, the car seems to know this and usually doesn't put the second row all the way back when I use the automatic single button press. But I always have to watch it and hold my breath that leg crushing doesn't happen.

Because it is tighter back there, we tend to put kids back there most of the time rather than adults.
Two issues with this:
Seat moves all the way back. I'm assuming this is probably because they are not heavy enough for the car to detect someone is sitting there (also possibly because they are sitting in a booster)
Because they are shorter, their feet are not on the floor, so leg crushing actually becomes foot crushing. If they are not quick enough to turn their foot sideways, their shoe is stuck and the chair doesn't always stop.

This happened to another child I was carpooling today when I was trying to clear the unlatched seat warning. It seems like it could really cause an injury if it happens in just the right way.

Michael

 

[ccutrer]

I've noticed the supposed-adult in back seat causing seat to not go back as far. At first I thought it was yet another bug!

It also seems like the second row always leaning forward when doing a third row easy entry has become more reliable with .26.150

 

[outie]

To add to this list and it might just be my lack of understanding of how to properly use the seats--

Allow the ability to drive with the 2nd row seats not all the way back. Example, we have a car seat in one side of the 2nd row and would like to give an adult sitting in the third row some extra leg room. Right now if you leave the 2nd row partly forward it beeps when you start driving saying the 2nd row is not in a proper position.

I did not know about that. Does the beep go away after a while or does it beep constantly? The sales advisor told me you can make the 2nd row forward to leave more legroom for the 3rd row. He didn't say anything about the alert.

 

[Ryan MF]

It did not go away the last time I tried. It's possible I wasn't using it correctly so would like to hear feedback from others.

 

[ccutrer]

I did not know about that. Does the beep go away after a while or does it beep constantly? The sales advisor told me you can make the 2nd row forward to leave more legroom for the 3rd row. He didn't say anything about the alert.

Afaik it's only supposed to keep beeping if it's unlatched AND the car thinks a human is occupying the seat (by weight and/or seatbelt buckled?).

 

[Plugsuvohio]

Interested in everything written on this too. MX90D a couple of weeks now, and had a lot of adult guests in/out of 2 and 3rd row this weekend. I can not see that 2nd row will auto forward or back every time I try. It is forcing me to keep pressing the arrow on the seat back.. And, 3rd row adults are getting crushed because 2nd row moves back too far. Warning continues while 2nd row is not fully back even thought it needs to be somewhat forward to allow the rider leg space.

 

[ccutrer]

I should post an update now that I've had the car for two months, and several software updates. The easy-access of moving forward all the way and tilting every time, even though there is a car seat on the tilting seat, has gotten far more reliable -- nearly perfect. The driver's seat returning to its original position after the second row moves back has also improved, but is still 50% at best.

I've also found out that when an adult is in the third row, it's supposed to detect that, and not move the second row all the way back to leave more leg room. I've seen this happen a few times, but it's inconsistent, and I've never actually tried it with an adult back there.

Other issues/feature requests still remain.

 

[PGeer]

I was told that fastening the seatbelt in third row is supposed to prevent second row from going all the way back. Didn't work on my X when I tried it. Agree with all above, the movement logic of second row is most annoying remaining problem with the car.

Also - my wife is 5ft, but loves to have the front seat all the way back so she can put stuff by her feet. As mentioned above, Tesla please make it possible for her to lower the headrest.

In my software engineering days we were always talking about "over automation." Tesla is still a little too much in love with automating functions that are better left manual.

 

[systemcrashed]

My observations about this showed that the occupancy sensors in the thirds row seat bottoms are what determine the amount of space left by the second row. These sensors typically detect 40lbs or more. Young kids hopping around in the third row may not engage them, but the easy access auto return leaves enough room for kids when the second row is all the way back.

You can manually override the auto return by holding the easy access button down as it moves back and release it before you make contact with the third row passenger. As long as you hear a "click" as you release the button, the seat is far enough back to engage the latch, thus you will not receive an on screen warning about the latch not being engaged.

If you do not manually return the second row far enough back, you will be informed via the "latch" message on the touchscreen, you can then push the blue button on the screen before driving off, or hold it down (if someone is sitting in the third row) to move the second row back in order to ensure the latch in engaged.

 

[Pinkshirtuk]

The third row easy access one press auto forward/backward feature (on the top side of the second row seat) is disabled when the second row seatbelt is engaged. It can only be pressed manually at this point and needs to be held for the duration of the seat movement. So in our case, when our car seat is installed in the second row seat by means of a seatbelt.

 

[ethank]

My observations about this showed that the occupancy sensors in the thirds row seat bottoms are what determine the amount of space left by the second row. These sensors typically detect 40lbs or more. Young kids hopping around in the third row may not engage them, but the easy access auto return leaves enough room for kids when the second row is all the way back.

You can manually override the auto return by holding the easy access button down as it moves back and release it before you make contact with the third row passenger. As long as you hear a "click" as you release the button, the seat is far enough back to engage the latch, thus you will not receive an on screen warning about the latch not being engaged.

If you do not manually return the second row far enough back, you will be informed via the "latch" message on the touchscreen, you can then push the blue button on the screen before driving off, or hold it down (if someone is sitting in the third row) to move the second row back in order to ensure the latch in engaged.

I've found that children seats in the back distribute the weight off the seat center which causes the occupancy sensor to not register. I might have to stick a pad or something under the seats to trigger it.

 

[ccutrer]

The third row easy access one press auto forward/backward feature (on the top side of the second row seat) is disabled when the second row seatbelt is engaged. It can only be pressed manually at this point and needs to be held for the duration of the seat movement. So in our case, when our car seat is installed in the second row seat by means of a seatbelt.

Yup, I experienced that last week, when upgrading a kid from a LATCH carseat to a high-back booster. What was even funnier is I held the button as long as it would move to return it, but when I started driving, I got the second row seat not latched warning, and pressing the screen did nothing.

So... things have been getting better, but they're still not perfect.

 

[Blastphemy]

The second row middle seat is the main problem. Any time I move one of the side seats, the middle seat moves too, and that's what crushing people's legs. I don't understand why Tesla can't just leave the middle seat where it is if I'm not telling it to move!