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.
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Sports mode steering feels significantly lighter
- Thread starter MountNTrumpet
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Ernest H
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Glad I haven't been the only one noticing the steering has gone a lot lighter for sports mode since 2022.12.x. I've picked up the China-made Model 3 RWD in Australia March 2022 and the sports steering had a pretty decent weight and resistance to it (I have owned multiple M3 in my past life, you know, the other brand of M3 with the optional indicators / blinkers. 
But suffice to say their steering weight was just a dream). Anyway, since the updates of 2022.12.x, I've noticed the sports steering is not much different to normal or comfort. Have already raised a ticket with our service centre and they replied with the standard "no change were recorded in those firmwares.. etc". I can't be certain if the China-made Model 3 had different geometry compared with the US-made, but I certainly don't think doing 3 months of driving with tyres wearing in, would make the steering feel lighter. Yes, I've deliberately tried with under-inflating the tyres from the recommended 41psi to 37psi all round, and then up to 45psi, all done on separate days before dawn to test this theory, but so far even with 37psi tyres, the steering is definitively lighter. Hope this is not the placebo effect people are referring to..
But suffice to say their steering weight was just a dream). Anyway, since the updates of 2022.12.x, I've noticed the sports steering is not much different to normal or comfort. Have already raised a ticket with our service centre and they replied with the standard "no change were recorded in those firmwares.. etc". I can't be certain if the China-made Model 3 had different geometry compared with the US-made, but I certainly don't think doing 3 months of driving with tyres wearing in, would make the steering feel lighter. Yes, I've deliberately tried with under-inflating the tyres from the recommended 41psi to 37psi all round, and then up to 45psi, all done on separate days before dawn to test this theory, but so far even with 37psi tyres, the steering is definitively lighter. Hope this is not the placebo effect people are referring to..
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My 2022 MYP just got 2022.16.2 which softened the hek out of sport mode steering and regen - I'm a real fan of the previous sport mode - it's so mushy and floaty now like an old Buick Dynaride. Am going to ask my local folks what's up with that if I can manage to catch them before they go offline for the day
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I just installed 16.3 for the M3P. Not optimistic about any change. The tesla software update website is saying 15 days until the estimated release of 2022.24. I will hope they add back something undocumented.
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16.3 had no restorative effect on sport mode steering. I've yet to establish communication with support. Also pinning some hope on 2022.24
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I just drove with 2022.6.3 for the first time. Same result as @tribhuvanji, no change that I noticed, still overboosted at low speeds.
@sTuKat Is your M3P fully stock? The steering always felt mushy to me when stock, even with the older software when it wasn't overboosted. It took bushing and suspension mods to fix that on mine.
(This is based on driving two October 2021 build M3P's, the demo car I tested and the car I bought, which felt exactly the same as the demo car when stock. I've read earlier M3P's had stiffer, sportier suspension tuning from the factory but I don't know if the steering was less mushy.)
@sTuKat Is your M3P fully stock? The steering always felt mushy to me when stock, even with the older software when it wasn't overboosted. It took bushing and suspension mods to fix that on mine.
(This is based on driving two October 2021 build M3P's, the demo car I tested and the car I bought, which felt exactly the same as the demo car when stock. I've read earlier M3P's had stiffer, sportier suspension tuning from the factory but I don't know if the steering was less mushy.)
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Maybe they removed it so they can put it in the Model 3 plaid
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Well, I was waiting for someone to post your comment. I was thinking perhaps I had been given a placebo or was just imagining what I wanted. To me also, one can make an extremely small movement of the wheel and the car responds immediately. Yesterday and today's drives on twisty roads have had added more fun back to the driving experience for me. Hopefully, folks will have a similar experience.
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FastEddieB
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It really seems to me that all SPORT does is artificially increase the amount of effort needed to steer the car. A "steering damper", so to speak. While I like the "feel" of a bit more effort, I don't see how it affects "responsiveness". To do that, wouldn't one need to have the settings affect the steering ratio?
That said, and at the risk of repeating myself, I find the SPORT setting perfect as is. I have not felt a significant change in feel through the last several software updates, but would not want the steering any heavier than SPORT is now and has been.
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