Steering Wheel Weights on ebay. Legal now?

[95gator]

My left hand is on my left thigh. My thumb and index finger put a little resistance on the wheel. My eyes are in a scan pattern, front - L - Rr - R - dash - front.

The biggest software AP/FSD problem is with phantom braking and indecisiveness at 1:2 splits. Sometimes the car goes nuts on NOA. Biggest physical problem is road debris and the AP's lack of long distance vision.
After 15k miles of all kinds of driving out west including light snow, if somebody claims AP in safe enough to be 100% hands free, I will call them a liar to their face.

Sadly, bad drivers kill strangers instead of just themselves. So driving like a boob is like firing a gun into the air. You might get away with it for years, but your luck will run out, and it's not the bad driver who gets punished, it's their victims.

I’m saying I’m driving with my hands on the wheel in proper ready position at all times and you’re letting your index finger rest on the bottom (your own little “defeat mechanism” unless your finger has digits on it) and you’re calling others bad drivers?

 

[boonedocks]

Was going to suggest the same. The resting hand technique doesn’t seem to work for me neither but I didn’t want to say it to continue to be flamed.

I have resorted to doing exactly what I say. The car could call itself autonomy 4 and I still wouldn’t trust it for over a year before removing my hands so complacency is not an issue. I am sure there is a level of torque they can control through software and a level they can’t and if that’s true I’m pretty sure the level would go up not down on torque.

Resting my hand a) and probably most importantly is not how I want to drive and b) doesn’t work.

The only method I find works are 2 methods 1) sort of sliding my hands around the wheel pretending to turn but without enough pressure to do so (goofy and dangerous), or 2) change volume when told (goofy and dangerous). Orrrrr I can just drive the car. I’ll go with the 3rd.

Many don’t want to acknowledge this. It you are 100% correct. If I were to disengage AP and use the pressure to alleviate the nags I would sail across all 6 lanes of I-85. Much more torque than is required to keep the car straight on long stretches of road

 

[2101Guy]

seems Cadillac (and soon, Ford) do/will allow hands free driving as they use technology to confirm your eyes are straight ahead.

So that lets me know, that if you drive with eyes straight ahead/paying attention to the road, then its OK to use an Autopilot hands free.

Its ensuring that we allow the car to oversee and enforce the looking forward, thats the crux of the various concerns.

Is that a correct assumption?

 

[stopcrazypp]

seems Cadillac (and soon, Ford) do/will allow hands free driving as they use technology to confirm your eyes are straight ahead.

So that lets me know, that if you drive with eyes straight ahead/paying attention to the road, then its OK to use an Autopilot hands free.

The problem is people end up not doing that absent of a nag and that had led to fatal crashes in the past, leading to NHTSA doing an investigation (and Tesla having to make the nags a lot more strict, previously they were much more lax).

Its ensuring that we allow the car to oversee and enforce the looking forward, thats the crux of the various concerns.

Is that a correct assumption?

That's the main crux.

I should note when these defeat devices first came out, NHTSA immediately issued a C&D letter to stop it.
CONSUMER ADVISORY: NHTSA Deems ‘Autopilot Buddy’ Product Unsafe

If NHTSA finds people are still using these things readily, or even worse, someone gets into a widely publicized accident or even fatal accident while using one of these, no doubt there will be an even harder clamp down on Tesla, likely ruining the experience for all owners due to the actions of a few people.

 

[Fernand]

There are some variables here that the disapprovers can't seem to grasp. First of all, it appears that different cars require more or less torque on the wheel to quell a nag. Secondly, people have quite different upper body anatomies, and physiologies. The nags can make auto-steer almost unusable for some unlucky drivers who have to keep yanking the wheel, through no fault of their own.

A terrible car/human combination develops when no "slight torque resistance" works, and a jerk is periodically required. This can easily cause auto-steer to drop out, making the driver ever on edge and fatigued.

Given the variations in wheel response and human anatomy, the software should allow for adjustment. Barring that, a small counterweight, not enough to defeat the nag, can tune a specific car + human to where a hand resting on the wheel, e.g. lightly pulling at the cross-member, will prevent most nags. When a nag occurs, a gentle pull takes care of it. This is how it should be working by design, for everyone. If it works like that for you with no mods, that's great, but don't crucify the outliers.

If one is needed, the ideal weight to use has to be determined by trial and error. IMHO removing hands entirely should let the blue nag occur. I think that using heavy weights is crude, counter-productive, and completely unnecessary.

On my car, 100 grams (3.5 oz) behind the cross-member has had the nag behaving ideally for 2 years, until version 2021.4.10.1. The whole nag system has suddenly changed, and I just had a miserable 150 mile drive with frequent nags, and 3 drop-outs of auto-steer with dangerous dives into the adjacent lane. Either an update will fix it, or it's back to the counterweight calibration drawing board.
.

 

[Automattic]

The nag, system is quite ridiculous. I bought a 2018 model 3 and the next day and proceed to drive it 2300 miles across country. I like to have 2 hands on the wheel or one hand at the bottom of the wheel. Autopilot does not recognized this at all. because i have equal pressure on both sides of the wheel. i have had it numerous times on the long trips on the highway where its asking me to "jiggle" the wheel and i am aggressively jiggling it and its not recognizing my input. Otherwise i have to put enough pressure on it it actually disable autopilot or make me look like a idiot on the road. Then i still proceeds to disable autopilot for not paying attention.

To get around the system of how i normally drive and pay attention i have to basically grip the wheel in the 3 oclock position with the full weight of my arm and hand and it does not nag me. Driving for 40 hours over 3 days, this is not pleasant at all. If i happen to put too much pressure it basically swerves the car nearly off the road. its absolute garbage and more difficult to drive long stretches of road with autopilot on then off. Why they don't have a capacitive sensor is beyond me.

 

[Draginol]

I drive with my hands on the wheel and the torque necessary to satisfy the nag is significant. I frequently accidentally disengage autopilot.

 

[Fernand]

Absolute garbage? Ooh, I think I detect a millennial. But I hear you. Still, there are reasons why they designed it this way, IMHO. Hear me out.

I had contemplated adding a camera and a little board with face recognition AI chips, and was digging into ways to simulate "the jerk" or pass a message on the bus, but decided against it. I want the car to be safe for all family members. Here's the deal, as our president would say. The system should prevent two things: inattention and inability to immediately correct. A camera that detects the face and eyes can reasonably well guard against inattention. But only your hand(s) on the wheel can take over immediately if needed. Ideally you want both. Capacitive sensors have their own problems. The blue nag and message calls for reaction, it's testing your visual attention. Your hand(s) need to be ready to steer, right now - prove it.

So, IMHO, the only problem with the system as implemented is that on some cars some people need to apply excessive "torque" to confirm "I'm here". It is unacceptable for some drivers to have to yank the wheel. Not sure why, but trust me, me 'n Nicky are like that. I'd yanked out of autopilot so often it was no fun at all. There needs to be an adjustment, so the system works for everyone, and the lightest pull is sufficient for every driver.

Since TESLA haven't (yet) provided a sensitivity setting, my solution is a small offset on the steering wheel. On my car, with the way I keep a hand on the wheel, 100g (3.5 Oz) on the right does the trick. Smooth and easy, without defeating the driver attention & readiness nag. And I can let anyone drive the car without worries.

p.s. Updates solved that excess nagging on 2021.4.10.1.

 

[grubT_mc]

2018 Model 3, signed up on the 1st possible moment and waited ~2 years to get it. Hands down the best car I've ever owned and wouldn't trade it for any other.

But, I do not like the nag. It is quite inconsistent, and with my eyes on the road and checking the rear-view mirrors it starts screeching at me despite actually holding onto the wheel. I live where my daily drives take me over windy roads. I've found that just pushing the bottom wheel spoke right or left with one finger does the trick to quell the nag.

But more importantly, using Autopilot on curvy roads (I believe when I got my car that was specifically verboten) indicates a major problem with the algorithm: it wants to hug the inside curve, so much so that it will frequently cross the center line* (yes, even when the striping is new and visible!). It also results in the car freaking out when a turn lane (bus stop, widening of the road, etc.) comes up. Alarms and flashes and much wringing of its hands! The one-finger push works to quell this also... pushing towards the curve results in the car attempting to correct my push and (this is absolutely true) it stays in the center of the road on curves and doesn't freak out on lane-widening situations! Now if it only worked on the misinterpretation of flashing yellow alert signs as a traffic signal going red!

*One of my pet peeves: a vast majority of drivers actually cross the centerline and/or drive into the shoulder/bike lane when driving a curve!!

 

[CommuteLyfe]

Before I post this and get flamed by then steering wheel police, I want to make one thing understood.

I am a new owner of a Tesla 3 and find the autopilot/FSD steering wheel (making sure you’re there functionality laughably bad and more dangerous than if I had a tight grip on the wheel at 10/2 o’clock.

In don’t have a clue why Tesla doesn’t just install a sensor to show you have your hands on the wheel. After the SC told me I should “wiggle the wheel” to let it know I was there, I’ll bets were off. Wiggling the wheel at 65-70mph is a laughably dangerous and stupid suggestion and counterintuitive to anything safe.

Love this car more than any I’ve ever owned but it does some weird stuff and not having your hands on the wheel tightly being unrecognized tops the list so this is not a way for me to not keep my hands on the wheel, it’s a method to keep me from having to do functions that are either annoying as hell (hitting the volume every 26 seconds) or slightly turning pressure on the wheel. Any this is not seen as comically goofy by all is beyond me.

So I am going to get the magnet anti nag counter weight and in the near time I’m going to use the ankle bracelet weight which keeps me safer from accidentally disengaging or wanting to jump out of the car every 6 seconds.

I am using a bracelet weight that is small and weighs 1.2lbs and it works perfectly. I do always have my hands on the wheel but that’s because I want to. It’s not necessary. This weight convinces the Tesla that my hands are on the wheel or not, I’ve checked both in the city and on the highway.

I do not advise touch-less driving until Tesla achieves autonomy 5 and even then you unfortunately can’t count on others.

It has made driving my Tesla more fun than any one accessory and it was $12. PM me if you want to know what I got and wrapping it around any part of the wheel works.

I am not hiding that I sit back while it drives. In always have my hands on it for real but no more soft fake turns or shaking wheel or most importantly accidentally disengaging.

I don’t understand the current method by Tesla to make sure you’re there. I find it more dangerous than this method although it does require the honed system but that’s because of its own issues. (The car’s).

GM will just activate to make sure you’re there by a camera making sure you’re just looking forward. I now have erased the one thing that I didn’t like about the car. Only other thing is to get me the beta that my SA told me should definitely be available by then end of January.

Can someone please tell me what I paid 10k for? I could have paid a limo driver for that much for a year. I don’t get how it’s even legal.

All that said, I do love this car more than any one car I’ve ever owned and I’ve owned some dandies.

What am I actually getting for my FSD 10k package when the AP from my understanding would work the same on the highway as it does now which is perfect nearly. Ans what am I getting in the city with it? Thanks and sorry for the mini rant about the wheel security but it’s just so horrible and I know resting your hand sometimes works but it’s sometimes and it’s uncomfortable.

Cheers.

Hey thanks for the helpful post ! Can you send me the link of what you are using exactly? Are you using just 1 or 2?

 

[PDB2655]

I only use it on my highway driving and would never fully trust it. Have one on my last two Model 3s use to work well never stopped. But lately its being picked up and telling me to remove the devise, i believe it due to the new updates we take. Was thinking of adding another one on the other side but why waste the money at this point. When i can just move the wheel it helps seem we need to touch the steering wheel every 1/2 hour or so