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Sudden appearance of Autopilot or FSD features unexplained

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I can't find a similar thread, so if it is germane here, great, if not, could some kind soul point me to the right procedure?
I am as confused as a milkman at a crematory.
I won't rant about the Mexican Education System (Each One Teach One) of learning how to operate a Tesla. With the periodic updates and changes, I guess documentation would be a Herculean task.

Model 3 Standard Range + NO FSD. Manufactured Feb 2020 SW 2020.8.2 dc9bc402da23

When I first got the car, curiosity got the best of me and I tried to engage FSD. Got the three warning beeps and notice the feature was not enabled. Fine.

I don't remember seeing lane markings moving to left and right of car icon, although I see cars, trucks, traffic cones, and even a backhoe when stopped next to one! Cool. Noticed lane markings moving alongside last night.

JFTHOI, I engaged FSD. I was warned to keep hands on the wheel, lane markings turned blue, and little steering wheel icon at upper left turned blue, and the car began to auto steer!. Repeated several times. I was sober, BTW. No lane change on command of turn signals, Top of screen turned blue and I got warning to wiggle the wheel. Let it go all the way to beeping before I chickened out.

Have received no update notices since this version appeared, Any idea on how or why these "enhancements" appeared?

My wife's Model 3 same options, built March 2020 has same software level. Haven't checked for this behavior. She has had this software since first update, but on Monday last she sez she got a notice saying she had gotten an update, but can't find record or version, and her version remains unchanged, shows same as mine.

Since I have received no update notices, my car connects to house wifi at home, I wonder if this is something that I've just never noticed these things. The car has never steered itself, the little steering wheel icon has never turned blue, and pressing the lever twice has only resulted in warning tones and a warning message before.

Seldom does a day go by that these cars don"t surprise me.
 
Teslas come with Autopilot (AutoSteer and Traffic Aware Cruise Comtrol) as standard items for about the last year. Not to be confused with FSD, it is just those two items that function just like you observed.

it takes some time (up to 50 miles or so of driving) to calibrate the cameras, so it won’t work right out of the box.
 
Visible difference between AutoPilot and FSD by the way.
AutoPilot -> Blue lines left and right of the car in the display.
FSD-> Single blue line coming out of the front of the car in the display.


This is not correct.

The single blue is is specifically when using Navigate on Autopilot (meant for use on highways and such where it'll do its own lane changes and whatnot).... and you can turn that feature on/off at will.

FSD isn't really "one thing" it's a set of features... and a different set depending on which version you purchased.

For example prior to March 2019, you got Navigate on Autopilot as part of the Enhanced Autopilot Package (cars came standard with NO AP features at all)... and FSD was an additional purchase on top of that... (which as of today still adds 0 actual features to the car)


After March 2019 there was instead just basic AP (autosteer in a single lane, and TACC) and then everything else and all future features, got bundled into the new, much more expensive, FSD package... (which is where nav on AP lives today)
 
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Thanks, Nightshade, but I'm as confused as a milkman at a crematory.

So with a 2020 manufactured Model 3 and the $7K still safely in my pocket, I appear to have:

Cruise control with some automatic settings, can be adjusted with the right wheel button, but doesn't respond to stoplights or signs.

Automatic Keep Yer Distance From The Guy Ahead and will stop before hitting him when he stops, and restart when he continues (albeit a little abrupt a start IMHO). Rather aggressive slowdown if someone cuts across your bows. But that's what I would do with the brakes anyway.

Follow The Lane You're In If You Hold The Wheel Above The Spokes

No Summon - Fine with me, I don't park in narrow spaces, and avoid being trappable

No auto lane change controlled by turn signal - Meh, my car already hollers if I have someone in my blind spot. (I heartily recommend the little rectangular convex mirrors. Used them for years)

No Automatic (!) Navigation - Meh

If there's any functions I have missed...

I reckon I could get used to the lanekeeping function, but the slight hunting, especially when passing an exit (the right lane marker opens) kinda bugs me. And having to hold the wheel above the spokes is annoying. My usual cruising stance is right foot resting near the pedals, and left foot flat on the floor with my hand holding the wheel below the spokes.. Kind of a holdover from my truck driving days, with right hand resting on the shifter and left holding the lower left spoke.

One presumes all the automatic stuff doesn't work when roads are snow covered, or lane markings have deteriorated.
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Autosteer is not actually enabled from the factory in any Tesla. You must first enable the feature in the car settings menu and agree to the terms of use. Second, the car has to calibrate. Only after those things happen can you use it.

Also, the steering wheel icon has three states. First state is that it doesn't display. This means Autosteer is not available. Second state is grey. This means Autosteer is available but not turned on. Third state is blue. This means Autosteer is on.
 
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I won't rant about the Mexican Education System (Each One Teach One) of learning how to operate a Tesla.

The manual that comes with the car is extremely extensive and educational. I mean this without any irony. Read it, you will learn a lot about your car.

JFTHOI, I engaged FSD.

You cannot "engage FSD" - FSD is a set of features packaged and marketed under this label. Based on your description, you turned on Autosteer, which is a feature included in the base Autopilot package that's standard on all Teslas except the off-menu SR as of April 2019. The FSD package builds on top of that with options such as Navigate on Autopilot (this includes automatic lane changes), Summon, and Autopark. If you look on the Autopilot tab of the settings, you'll see that you do not have access to these features.

don't remember seeing lane markings moving to left and right of car icon, although I see cars, trucks, traffic cones, and even a backhoe when stopped next to one! Cool. Noticed lane markings moving alongside last night.

They've been there for a while, you just never noticed.
 
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Ilyak sez:
"The manual that comes with the car is extremely extensive and educational. I mean this without any irony. Read it, you will learn a lot about your car".

Oh Yes. RTFM. I'm a firm believer and practicioner. I should download a new copy, what I have read is from a while back, I read it while trying to convince myself I needed a Model 3.

OK, OK. I may have "speed read" it...
 
I reckon I could get used to the lanekeeping function, but the slight hunting, especially when passing an exit (the right lane marker opens) kinda bugs me. And having to hold the wheel above the spokes is annoying. My usual cruising stance is right foot resting near the pedals, and left foot flat on the floor with my hand holding the wheel below the spokes.. Kind of a holdover from my truck driving days, with right hand resting on the shifter and left holding the lower left spoke.

One presumes all the automatic stuff doesn't work when roads are snow covered, or lane markings have deteriorated.
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You don't have to hold the "wheel above the spokes." I rest my hand on my thigh with my finger on the wheel next to a spoke. Occasional slight pressure left or right will keep the autopilot from complaining.
 
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I'll play with it on the way to the shop a little later. I thought perhaps the wheel would detect a hand. An occasional slight jiggle of the wheel, I noted will satisfy it, as you say. Just like the alerter on some Diesel locos. There's a 3x3 inch metal plate. You get in the habit of tapping it periodically and the systems knows you are still sentient.

If you let a railroad alerter time out, you get penalty emergency brake application, flat spots on wheels, a Nastygram from the Dispatcher and an invitation to stand on carpet, and usually a week or two on the beach. And a bunch of irritated passengers or freight.

I guess you don't get a Nastygram from Elon if you let it time out... <g>
 
The wheel has no idea if you're gripping it or not.

The proxy Tesla uses for this is the wheel has a torque sensor.

It's looking for "resistance" to the autosteer movement of the steering wheel.

So there's many positions where you can rest your hand on the wheel and provide enough resistance to satisfy the check.

(you should, of course, officially, always be holding the wheel in a way you can immediately take over steering if needed)


The nag is also satisfied by interacting with either scroll wheel.


Anyway I think the only thing missing from you "stuff you don't get without FSD" list is autopark.

More features coming of course- if you're not compelling by any existing ones you've probably got a while before any you care about will be here.
 
Ilyak sez:
"The manual that comes with the car is extremely extensive and educational. I mean this without any irony. Read it, you will learn a lot about your car".

Oh Yes. RTFM. I'm a firm believer and practicioner. I should download a new copy, what I have read is from a while back, I read it while trying to convince myself I needed a Model 3.

OK, OK. I may have "speed read" it...

It's actually very much worth a read. Also, re: hands on the wheel - the car is looking for rotational force on the wheel, so hands being present alone won't do it. After some time with autosteer, you'll figure out a position that works well enough that you don't need to think about it. For me, this ended up being the one-handed 4 pm grip. The weight of my arm and hand results in just enough resistance to the motion of the wheel, so I almost never get prompted on the highway.
 
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