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Sports mode steering feels significantly lighter

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I was out for 2 weeks and when I got back and started driving my model 3P, I could feel the steering wheel was not as heavy as before. My setting was in sports mode. Has anyone seen this behavior previously? Maybe worth mentioning my Tesla went through a software updates while I was gone, but nothing on the update log was about steering mode change.
 
I’m updating to 12.3.1 as we speak. I’ll report back if I can feel any difference.

I normally like everything in “Sport” if it provides an overall sportier feel. But up to now I found the “Sport” steering setting just made it feel like the steering was heavier overall, but not more responsive. So I’ve been driving in “Normal”. A heavier feel with the same steering ratio just seems like more work for no meaningful effect.

But That’s Just Me! (tm)
 
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Yes. There definitely is a difference between hydraulic assisted rack and pinion power steering and drive-by-wire. One gives you great road feel and feedback, the other not so much.
Did you mean electric power assist instead of drive-by-wire? Most new cars have EPS now, but drive-by-wire is totally different and thankfully mostly not a thing yet.

Electric power steering can have good steering feel comparable to hydraulic assist. Mazda for one has it figured out. I've read Porsche does too for their newer EPS sports cars but I can't confirm that firsthand, the Porsche sports cars I've driven were all older with manual steering or hydraulic assist.

I think "electric assist is numb" just comes from certain automakers that had good hydraulic assist then dropped the ball on their electric assist systems. *Cough* BMW *Cough*
 
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I installed 12.3.1 two days ago and went for a drive yesterday. I didn't notice any difference in steering feel but I use the "Standard" setting. I did switch it to comfort and sport and could detect a difference... but since I don't use Sport regularly I'm not a good judge in whether or not the Sport setting changed. As far as I can tell, "Standard" did not.

Mike
 
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I never really understood "feeling the road" through the steering wheel. I know it can give you a slight edge when going 9/10 on a road course but for daily driving, I don't want bumps and perterbations affecting my steering; I just want the car to go where I point it. I equate it to people preferring 24 FPS because it "looks more cinematic". It's just because we got used to it. 60 FPS (for example) is far better and looks more like real life. But the low FPS has been attributed with "theater".

Mike
 
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So does the steering wheel feel the same to you no matter what car you’re driving? I’ve been driving for almost 60 years and every car had a characteristic feel to it. Some were light as a feather (Camrys and aforementioned A6), and some were much more fun to drive. I attribute that feeling to the different suspension designs that transmit what I, many people, consider road feel or feedback. Has nothing to do with “bumps or perterbations”. Just my opinion.
 
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I've driven cars with lighter steering, tighter steering, faster and slower ratios, torque steer, etc. I can "feel" the road through other means: suspension and attitude for example. The very nature of the word "feedback" means, to an extent, the road is driving your steering wheel. I prefer it the other way around.

Mike
 
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I've driven cars with lighter steering, tighter steering, faster and slower ratios, torque steer, etc. I can "feel" the road through other means: suspension and attitude for example. The very nature of the word "feedback" means, to an extent, the road is driving your steering wheel. I prefer it the other way around.

Mike
@MikeyC Having the steering weight go up as cornering forces increase, and then give hints of going light as the front tires start to lose grip (progressively, hopefully, depending on the tires and surface), is helpful to me when pushing a car to its limits. The weight alone also helps me judge how close I am to the limit of understeer, when on a consistent, high-grip surface.

That's the core of steering feedback to me. Feeling road texture through the wheel I like too but agreed that can come through the seat and suspension just as well on a good sporty car. (A good sporty road car suspension lets me feel what's going on without being harsh about it.)

Btw what cars have you driven with a quicker steering ratio than a Model 3? I'm pretty sure the 3 has the quickest ratio I've ever used, short of go karts. I think it's even quicker than the 11.5:1 rally car rack I had installed in my last ICE car. (Can you tell that the quick steering is one of my favorite features of this car? Shame the steering reactions are a little slow stock, but they're much better now after a few choice upgrades.)
 
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The Model 3's steering is kind of weird. It’s a fast ratio so small movements make the car seem very nimble. The heavy weighting of sport mode kind of reigns that in. But it’s completely devoid of feedback and I think it’s not speed or turning angle variable. Makes driving windy roads kind of unpredictable and not very satisfying.
 
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The Model 3's steering is kind of weird. It’s a fast ratio so small movements make the car seem very nimble. The heavy weighting of sport mode kind of reigns that in. But it’s completely devoid of feedback and I think it’s not speed or turning angle variable. Makes driving windy roads kind of unpredictable and not very satisfying.

I like it.
 
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I just got another update yesterday and it seems like sport mode went back to normal again.

I hope so! If this were coffee, they went from light/medium/dark to light/medium/medium.

After the 12.3.1 update, my subjective impression is that they did “soften” Sport mode just a bit. In my opinion, it went from objectionably heavy to pretty much “just right”. Enough so that for now I’m going to keep in Sport.

Well if they change things back, you have two other lighter settings to choose from.
 
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Btw what cars have you driven with a quicker steering ratio than a Model 3? I'm pretty sure the 3 has the quickest ratio I've ever used, short of go karts. I think it's even quicker than the 11.5:1 rally car rack I had installed in my last ICE car. (Can you tell that the quick steering is one of my favorite features of this car? Shame the steering reactions are a little slow stock, but they're much better now after a few choice upgrades.)

The Model 3 is definitely the fastest ratio I've experienced. I just meant I've experienced a pretty wide range (with the Model 3 being the fastest). I thought my Challenger had a pretty quick ratio... until I got the Model 3. My 2005 Corvette had pretty slow steering by comparison.

Mike
 
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I hope so! If this were coffee, they went from light/medium/dark to light/medium/medium.



Well if they change things back, you have two other lighter settings to choose from.
Sport was honestly heavier than I cared for, like @FastEddieB I preferred Standard before this update and I Sport now...but I'm glad Sport was a distinct option. That's how I can most easily tell something actually changed - Sport used to be very obviously heavier / less assist than Standard and now the difference seems subtle.

The other change I think I feel is both Standard and Sport used to feel like a fairly constant level of assist (compared to typical power steering at least), thus naturally feeling heftier at slow driving speeds, and now they seem to lighten some at lower driving speeds (extra assist). Lots of power steering cars do that but I never like it. Even with this new SW the Model 3 is still far from the worst in that regard...some cars ridiculously over-boost the steering at slow speeds, literally giving up any possible steering feel just so you can park with your pinky, and this new SW isn't *THAT* bad at all.

What I really can't say with any confidence is how much lighter / more assisted the steering got overall, because right before this SW update I installed coilovers + billet pillowball top hats + FLCA bearings, and then right after I got the car aligned (of course). Both sets of mechanical changes significantly affected steering weight and feel too.
 
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I just updated to 2022.12.3.2, and sport steering still feels very light at lower speeds. It's especially apparent when you're making tight maneuvers and it's very easy to spin the steering wheel from lock to lock. It's not a big deal (and many may feel it's an improvement) but I wish this change was optional. Over 30mph or so and the steering is nice and stiff like before.

Feels a little less like a sporty sedan and more like I'm driving for uber and maneuvering in and out of spots at a busy airport. 🤨
 
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Damn, I had hopes for that update. :(

I drove a couple miles of twisties this morning and for sure the steering is lighter / overboosted in low speed corners now, even in Sport mode. Very frustrating!

Has anyone tried escalating this though Tesla service? I'm very tempted to. Really the only thing holding me back is I just changed out my suspension, so if service insists on testing my actual car, they'll probably just write it off as the fault of my suspension mods. And I wouldn't blame them even though for sure the issue is a Tesla software change, not any mechanical change. (The steering got firmer with the mods, right before the SW update hit.)
 
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Yes I agree Standard was made lighter and worse too.

Everyone affected PLEASE file service requests. Ask the SC staff to escalate to Tesla engineering. Maybe with enough feedback they'll revert this change.

In your service request make it clear that you don't believe there is anything mechanically wrong with your car, and you're not asking them to diagnose or inspect it. You're just asking them to escalate a software issue with the recent update.
 
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