Stiff turn signal

[ks-man]

The more I drive my Model S, one thing I don't love is how stiff the turn signal is. I find I have to put too much effort into turning on and off the blinker, especially if I'm just doing a quick lane change. Today I drove my wife's Odyssey and truthfully one thing I liked more was the simplicity of flicking on and off the signal. I don't remember ever thinking about this either in my old 535xi.

I'm sure I'll get used to it but I wonder if there is a way to loosen the signal so I don't have to think about it so much. Has anybody else experienced this? Is it just a function of the sportier ride? Thanks.

 

[pxy]

One thing you might try with lane change is a half-depress on the turn signal: a momentary half-press will indicate 3-4 times then turn off, or a continuous half-press will continue to indicate until released. Suppose that the effort to fully depress is also there to be firm while performing other functions like wiper setting (twist), wiper spray (push in), and high beam (toward/away) on a relatively long stalk, and to remain consistent after many uses in different temperatures.

Hopefully this keeps your mind at ease and back to enjoyment of odysseys in the Model S!

 

[mknox]

I always avoid putting the signal fully on unless I am making a turn where it will cancel due to the steering wheel being turned far enough. Manually cancelling a turn signal by pulling it back to center has always made me cringe.

 

[pgiralt]

I actually noticed this yesterday, not because I noticed how stiff it was, but when I had to drive our ICE after weeks, I noticed how easy it was to move the signal on the ICE. Still don't think it's that bad though.

 

[Doug_G]

I hadn't noticed. Seems fine to me.

 

[ks-man]

I thought I remembered the 3-4 times with a half press but that hasn't been happening on mine. If I push just before the click it will stay on until I let it go. Is there an option somewhere for the 3-4 times turn on?

 

[mknox]

When Tesla gave me a Ford Fusion loaner, I noticed its turn signals worked kind of like the Model S shift lever. You would depress it, but it would always pop back to the center position. It would cancel electronically after the turn. It threw me a bit at first, but I got to like it. I'm not sure how you would cancel it if you put it on by mistake though...

 

[Gizmotoy]

It was a commonly-requested feature. Maybe have been in one of the new software releases. Which version are you running? My 5.8 does it, and there was no option anywhere I could see.

 

[Al Sherman]

I thought I remembered the 3-4 times with a half press but that hasn't been happening on mine. If I push just before the click it will stay on until I let it go. Is there an option somewhere for the 3-4 times turn on?

Yes this is expected behavior. If however you press to the "half click" and release; the blinker light flashes 3 or 4 times.

 

[twinklejet]

Okay the explainations are all confusing. Basically there are 3 ways to "on" the blinkers.

1) Sliding it up/down all the way past the resistance point and it will stay on until you manually cancel it by returning it to the centre/center or until the steering wheel turns past a preset point after making a turn.
2) Sliding it up/down but DO NOT go past the resistance point, and continue to hold it at that position. The turn signal will stay on until you let go of the stick and it should return to center/centre and cancel the signal.
3) Sliding it up/down but DO NOT go past the resistance point and IMMEDIATELY let go of it so it returns to the center/centre position. The turn signal will flash for 3-4 times and then automatically cancel itself with no further action from you and regardless of steering position (useful for lane changing)

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong cause I'm basing this on its mercedes origins.

 

[ks-man]

Okay the explainations are all confusing. Basically there are 3 ways to "on" the blinkers.

1) Sliding it up/down all the way past the resistance point and it will stay on until you manually cancel it by returning it to the centre/center or until the steering wheel turns past a preset point after making a turn.
2) Sliding it up/down but DO NOT go past the resistance point, and continue to hold it at that position. The turn signal will stay on until you let go of the stick and it should return to center/centre and cancel the signal.
3) Sliding it up/down but DO NOT go past the resistance point and IMMEDIATELY let go of it so it returns to the center/centre position. The turn signal will flash for 3-4 times and then automatically cancel itself with no further action from you and regardless of steering position (useful for lane changing)

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong cause I'm basing this on its mercedes origins.

Thanks. I'll try this a little later.

 

[mknox]

Okay the explainations are all confusing. Basically there are 3 ways to "on" the blinkers.

1) Sliding it up/down all the way past the resistance point and it will stay on until you manually cancel it by returning it to the centre/center or until the steering wheel turns past a preset point after making a turn.
2) Sliding it up/down but DO NOT go past the resistance point, and continue to hold it at that position. The turn signal will stay on until you let go of the stick and it should return to center/centre and cancel the signal.
3) Sliding it up/down but DO NOT go past the resistance point and IMMEDIATELY let go of it so it returns to the center/centre position. The turn signal will flash for 3-4 times and then automatically cancel itself with no further action from you and regardless of steering position (useful for lane changing)

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong cause I'm basing this on its mercedes origins.

You got it. By the way, it works like this on many makes/models of cars these days.

 

[ks-man]

So it did work for me the way people described. I still think the resistance is too much (i.e. too stiff) but at least this new way will help for changing lanes. I wish it was more like 5 or 6 signals before it shut off as it is usually turning off just as I'm starting my lane change. I remember with my BMW I thought the same thing (3 signals was too few).

 

[jerry33]

I don't have a problem with the stiffness (it seems about the same to me as every other car) but pressing to the resistance point is annoying because if you don't hold it for just the right amount of time (too long or too short) it doesn't do anything. Same thing with the wipers. If you press the button to the resistance point and let go, no single wipe. I get it wrong about one time out of ten on both the turn signal and the wipers.

 

[mknox]

Same thing with the wipers. If you press the button to the resistance point and let go, no single wipe. I get it wrong about one time out of ten on both the turn signal and the wipers.

Me too! I don't seem to have a problem with the signals, but the wipers seem to need a definite pause when pressing otherwise you get nothing.

 

[TurboFroggy]

When Tesla gave me a Ford Fusion loaner, I noticed its turn signals worked kind of like the Model S shift lever. You would depress it, but it would always pop back to the center position. It would cancel electronically after the turn. It threw me a bit at first, but I got to like it. I'm not sure how you would cancel it if you put it on by mistake though...

This is the exact reason why my Mom ended up buying a Volt instead of a C-Max Energi, she could not stand that screwy turn signal.