Some questions for my new-to-me Model S

[bcsteeve]

I have a new-to-me 2015 Model S that just arrived on Saturday morning. I've been having fun with it

I have a few "problems" (not quite the right word) and was hoping for some answers from you experts:

• Most of the time I get in the car and I can't use the 3G connection. About half the time it will connect after a few minutes and generally stays connected until I get out of the car. But other times it has stayed disconnected the whole trip. Is that normal? I bought the car from out of market (other side of Canada) so is it possibly trying to connect to a carrier that isn't well supported where I am? Can this be changed?
• When it is connected, it is sufficient for streaming music but the browser speed is ridiculously slow. For example, I typed simply "google.com" and I waited probably 45 seconds before it finished rendering the page. Does the browser just suck or is the 3G just that bad? Is there an option to upgrade to LTE? Or use my phone's connection instead?
• Normally when I stop a "regular" car, the music shuts off. This keeps playing until the doors are opened and closed. Is there an option somewhere to have it shut off when parked?
• I can't seem to figure out when/why I have options for different screens (tabs?) at the top of the display. Navi, sound, phone, etc. Sometimes the tabs are there, sometimes not? Is there a way to bring it up while driving?
• I didn't immediately realize locations were being stored as I was playing around with the smart suspension. I saw today that it started to raise up at some seemingly-random place so I must have stored it. I can't figure out how to clear those locations?
• When I test drove an S in 2015, the display in the speedo-area looked like a traditional analog speedometer and now it is a digital one. Did that simply change or is there a way to switch back? Any other styles?
• Is the left scroll ALWAYS volume and the right scroll ALWAYS contacts? Or is there a way to choose what those do?
• Is there any way to show tire pressure as PSI instead of Bar, but still show speed as KM instead of miles? Canada is weird... we're officially metric, but certain things are simply not familiar in metric (pressure being one). I see an option to change temperature independent of speed, but not pressure.
• My rearview camera appears to be very low resolution. I recall from my testdrive 2 years ago how high def it appeared. Was there different cameras used on some builds and I just got unlucky? Or is it somehow out of focus? I've cleaned the lens to no effect.

Thanks.

 

[Tam]

...

• ...can't use the 3G connection...

I don't know what carrier your Tesla is using, but in the US, it uses AT&T so it depends on the signal availability.

• When it is connected, it is sufficient for streaming music but the browser speed is ridiculously slow.

In my case, sometimes it is not enough for streaming music depending on cell signal.

I think browser speed is slow because of its own program/operating system.

My guess is it may cost about about $500 to upgrade to LTE but I have both 3G 2012 Model S and LTE 2017 Model X and I don't see much difference at all.

You can connect your car to home Wi-Fi which should be much faster than LTE and see if there's any difference (I can't).

...This keeps playing until the doors are opened and closed. Is there an option somewhere to have it shut off when parked?

No.

You can easily manually shut it of by pushing on the left scrolling wheel on the steering wheel.

An equivalent of ICE off is to manually go to your screen CTRL->E-Brake & Power Off-> Power Off

At that time your music will also stop.

...Sometimes the tabs are there, sometimes not? Is there a way to bring it up while driving?

You must have your map on and it will occupy the space of top tabs in a few seconds to give you a larger area. To get those tabs back, you just touch the map.

...smart suspension....

Please go to CTRL->Suspension and clear the X mark when you are at the appropriate auto-raising location.

...a traditional analog speedometer and now it is a digital one. Did that simply change or is there a way to switch back? Any other styles?

I don't think users can switch analog<->digital speedometer. The art design is changed by Tesla from time to time with firmware updates.

...

• Is the left scroll ALWAYS volume and the right scroll ALWAYS contacts? Or is there a way to choose what those do?

Those scroll wheels are user programmable.

If you do one long push then you can scroll and see other options.

• Is there any way to show tire pressure as PSI instead of Bar, but still show speed as KM instead of miles?

Please go to CTRL->Settings->Units & Formats

...My rearview camera appears to be very low resolution...

Can't help you in this department.

As long as I can see the line markers so I can backup and not hitting anything, I am fine with it.

Good luck.

 

[ken830]

• Your US car might not work so well with Canadian carriers. It will probably be roaming when it does have a connection. At the very least, I believe the SIM might need to be swapped out. Should probably contact Tesla to ask
• The in-car browser is simply slow. Don't use it if you don't have to.
• Nope.
• In recent versions of firmware, if the Maps app is at the top half, it'll expand into and auto-hide the top-row icons when you are not in "Park." Simply tap near the top of the screen to temporarily bring them back. Don't think you can change this.
• Whenever you are in a location where auto-raising is set, bring-up the suspension screen on the main display. You will then need to touch the Auto-raising location "X" to clear each one individually.
• Newer firmware released for Auto-pilot cars have removed the analog power and speed meters in center console. I don't like it either, but I don't have an Auto-pilot car, so I'm okay for now. Just not looking forward to my next "upgrade". Auto-pilot cars can still show a crappy-version of the power meter in one of the left/right sides of the console display
• Left scroll wheel is always volume. Right scroll wheel is configurable. Try pressing-and-holding the scroll wheel, or hitting the menu button to play with it. There are several options for you to setup the behavior you like, or select the right-side app.
• Don't know about the units. Probably not. It's like the same problem I have with wanting to display battery capacity in "Range", but charging in power/energy (kW/kWh).
• I had a car with a blurry rear camera. After a lot of convincing, Tesla finally replaced it and it was really clear.

BTW, the owner's manual is built-in to the main screen, so it's easy for you to read whenever you need it.

 

[Retired]

There is an icon with circular arrows at a bottom corner of the map screen. touch it and it will put the map on the bottom half. Any other function on the top screen wont cover the icons. Only the map does that (and I wish it didn't).

 

[bcsteeve]

Thanks for the answers! Very helpful and clear.

I really thought there'd be a better way to go in and clear all the auto-raise locations without having to drive back to them. I suppose it doesn't matter, it just bugs me that unnecessary points are sitting in there somewhere taking up room lol. I guess a factory reset would do the trick. I was considering doing that anyway but I can't until I get app access.

I was confused by how the screen was displaying and I didn't recognize that it was the NAV screen that was the culprit, so TYVM for pointing that out!

As for the 3G, I found that setting about power saving and read the "?" and I see it powers down the cellular so that very well may have been why it stays off sometimes. I've changed the setting and I'll see if that helps. i did a speed test on the browser and it gets about 2 Mbps down and 400k up with both the 3G and the Wifi so I guess that's just browser limited for some reason. Why put it in if it is so hobbled? Whatever, not important. I've got a phone.

I knew I could shut off the music easily enough with the left scroller... I just wanted a different option if it existed. It doesn't, that's fine.

The PSI/bar units thing is a piss-off. I'll see if I can figure out a way to send in a feature request because that would obviously be very simple for them to implement. But I won't hold my breath.

Next time I'm down in Vancouver, I'll stop in and see if they can take a look at my rearview camera. I think it is excessively blurry, but it isn't causing any problems.

Thanks again. I'm sure I'll have more questions

Oh, I do! What in the world is the end button of the cruise stalk for?? I looked through the manual and I know what all the other directions (forward, back, up, down, rotate forward, rotate back) do, but no idea what the button on the end does?!?!

 

[bcsteeve]

Oh, I do! What in the world is the end button of the cruise stalk for?? I looked through the manual and I know what all the other directions (forward, back, up, down, rotate forward, rotate back) do, but no idea what the button on the end does?!?!

n/m... found the answer.

 

[ken830]

Glad we were able to clear up most things for you. The problem with such a "smart" car, is that sometimes, it's too smart. It assume you want things done a certain way. It's mostly okay, but inevitably, some features/behaviors are just not what you want. They get most things mostly right. The few annoyances here and there are a small price to pay. No other car or car company comes close to the overall driving and ownership experience.

 

[bcsteeve]

Oh for sure! I hope I wasn't coming across as complaining. Just figuring it out.

 

[PrGrPa]

n/m... found the answer.

Unsure if the 2015 model has the MB switches & levers. In a MB, that button on the end of the cruise lever swaps between having a limit on the speed and having a cruise speed set. With the former setting you can squash the gas pedal and it will not go faster than the limit you’ve set.

 

[JohnSuhr]

I have a 2016 S 85.
I try to use my Browser for TeslaWaze and it is rediculously slow when I went from LA to Vegas, basically useless.
I checked out my friends brand new 3 and it was fine. Also seem like I can't do a 50% screen which also makes it worthless.
I wish he would give us the option of CarPlay. The waze maps are better and my Chevy Bolt is a blast with the interface and easy and quick with my phone as the brain.

I have a new-to-me 2015 Model S that just arrived on Saturday morning. I've been having fun with it

I have a few "problems" (not quite the right word) and was hoping for some answers from you experts:

• Most of the time I get in the car and I can't use the 3G connection. About half the time it will connect after a few minutes and generally stays connected until I get out of the car. But other times it has stayed disconnected the whole trip. Is that normal? I bought the car from out of market (other side of Canada) so is it possibly trying to connect to a carrier that isn't well supported where I am? Can this be changed?
• When it is connected, it is sufficient for streaming music but the browser speed is ridiculously slow. For example, I typed simply "google.com" and I waited probably 45 seconds before it finished rendering the page. Does the browser just suck or is the 3G just that bad? Is there an option to upgrade to LTE? Or use my phone's connection instead?
• Normally when I stop a "regular" car, the music shuts off. This keeps playing until the doors are opened and closed. Is there an option somewhere to have it shut off when parked?
• I can't seem to figure out when/why I have options for different screens (tabs?) at the top of the display. Navi, sound, phone, etc. Sometimes the tabs are there, sometimes not? Is there a way to bring it up while driving?
• I didn't immediately realize locations were being stored as I was playing around with the smart suspension. I saw today that it started to raise up at some seemingly-random place so I must have stored it. I can't figure out how to clear those locations?
• When I test drove an S in 2015, the display in the speedo-area looked like a traditional analog speedometer and now it is a digital one. Did that simply change or is there a way to switch back? Any other styles?
• Is the left scroll ALWAYS volume and the right scroll ALWAYS contacts? Or is there a way to choose what those do?
• Is there any way to show tire pressure as PSI instead of Bar, but still show speed as KM instead of miles? Canada is weird... we're officially metric, but certain things are simply not familiar in metric (pressure being one). I see an option to change temperature independent of speed, but not pressure.
• My rearview camera appears to be very low resolution. I recall from my testdrive 2 years ago how high def it appeared. Was there different cameras used on some builds and I just got unlucky? Or is it somehow out of focus? I've cleaned the lens to no effect.

Thanks.