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Shifts to Park when Butt Lifted from Seat?

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I think the car automatically going into park is a good safety feature. Just maybe need to adjust the parameters that allow that to happen. Vehicle speed, perhaps an open door as well as butt off the seat.

Well in my experiment I had to open the door to exit but the car was stationery even though I left it in D/R. Sorry TMC-ers, I'm not committed enough to exit a moving vehicle just to see what happens.

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So you think they did a firmware upgrade since that video?

Either that or the cars.com car was a beta.
 
It'll go into P from D with doors closed if you're not moving. It probably does it while moving but below a certain speed. Probably the same speed limit where you can manually engage parking brake from the display, too. (5 MPH?)
 
It'll go into P from D with doors closed if you're not moving. It probably does it while moving but below a certain speed. Probably the same speed limit where you can manually engage parking brake from the display, too. (5 MPH?)

I tried it reversing at slow speed and nothing happened. Even standing still nothing happened. It was only when I exited the car with the door open that the car went to "off". I think the point is that no-one need worry about the car automatically going into park at some critical time.

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It's Florida, so I'd think the name of someone jumping out of a car is less "James Bond" and more "Jimmy Ray Bondo".

Haha, I'll bet there's not an Englishman on this planet called Jimmy-Ray ..anything.. :wink:

Short off-topic: A few years back I lived in NY city and liked to go to Stand Up NY. One night I made the mistake of getting a front row table and the comedian decided on some interaction with me and my British accent became the butt of his jokes far a half hour or so. Then he decided to tell a joke about rednecks and turning to me the conversation went as follows:

Comedian: You do know what rednecks are right?
Me: Yes....
Comedian: Do you have rednecks in England?
Me: Yes....
Comedian: What do you call them?
Me: Americans....

Brought the house down, his face was priceless.

[/Off-topic]
 
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I'm not convinced. I think you need to get yourself a MythBusters moustache, and build a hydraulic spider-leg contraption that will anchor itself to the window sills so it can fully lift your body weight off the seat without itself touching the seat in any way. You then need to put together a video showing your contraption at work.

Then I'll be convinced. And amused. :)
 
Well in my experiment I had to open the door to exit but the car was stationery even though I left it in D/R. Sorry TMC-ers, I'm not committed enough to exit a moving vehicle just to see what happens.

Could you at least try to swap places with you passenger while driving? Shouldn't be too hard, since there is no transmission tunnel or center console.

That way we'll all know what happens when you lift your butt off the seat, your feet off the pedals and your hands off the steering wheel while driving at highway speeds...and can put the issue to rest once and for all :wink:
 
Could you at least try to swap places with you passenger while driving? Shouldn't be too hard, since there is no transmission tunnel or center console.
That way we'll all know what happens when you lift your butt off the seat, your feet off the pedals and your hands off the steering wheel while driving at highway speeds...and can put the issue to rest once and for all :wink:

Yeah right. How about we try it blindfolded also? :wink:
 
I'm not convinced. I think you need to get yourself a MythBusters moustache, and build a hydraulic spider-leg contraption that will anchor itself to the window sills so it can fully lift your body weight off the seat without itself touching the seat in any way. You then need to put together a video showing your contraption at work.

Then I'll be convinced. And amused. :)
There have to be robots or at least remote controls involved. Bonus points for testing it at small scale first using Z's RC.
 
OK, I survived: Model S does NOT shift itself into park if you lift your butt off the seat when you're reversing and it doesn't do that if you lift your butt off the seat at 60mph either (I tested it on a private road). I also lifted myself completely using the armrests to make sure the sensor wasn't in the back of the seat. If you are operating the foot controls the car will not shift gears automatically.

Just for fun: On my flat driveway I put the car in "D" and exited the car upon which it turned itself off. Same thing if you leave the key in the car, leave it in "D" or "R" and exit the driver seat. This car is smart! :smile:

That should be the end of this thread.

+1 - end of this thread unless someone has a different result to post. Also, when I did my test drive I backed up twice while sitting up and looking over my sholder. The car didn't stop, so I wonder if its an issue with the car he tested.
 
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