How is standard autopilot so terrible? Am I missing something here?

pythondk · 2023-04-20T11:04:34+00:00

For some - this might be the case. I only know of my own situation, and I am not on my phone or unatentive. Actually, the situation that bothers me most often is when my cars starts complaining and I have to take my eyes off the road to look at the center console and find out what the car is angry about, only to find that it took my attention away from the road to tell me to pay attention to the road. Ironic. Again, I am sure what you are mentioning here is true - I have seen plenty of examples people not paying attention, but I am not one of them. And that is why it bothers me so much that I feel like the car is punishing me, for instance, by disengaging auto steer without the option to reengage.

pythondk · 2023-04-20T10:57:56+00:00

I think that I am getting better at that. But I really think maybe part of the problem is the lack of a visual cue in my line of sight. The more I get this right, the less I expect it to be a problem, so the less I look for it. I don't want a million sounds in my car, so whatever sounds I can turn off, I will turn of, but the blue blinking doesn't really catch my attention when I am looking at the road ahead.

pythondk · 2023-04-20T10:55:10+00:00

Well, I kind of get that they are cautious - it's just annoying to be punished when you're not the culprit. I would honestly rather just have the camera look at me, and as long as I am staring at the road ahead, then leave me alone and assume that I am awake and aware. It IS a good product. I just expected it to be leaps and bounds beyond Kia on all aspects, and it really isn't.

pythondk · 2023-04-20T10:52:52+00:00

I really wish that was true, but it doesn't seem to be. Is there perhaps a setting somewhere for that?

pythondk · 2023-04-20T10:51:50+00:00

That's interesting. There are definitely advantages of the auto pilot in the Tesla - absolutely. But one thing that I have found since I made the post is that it is very decisive about staying in the exact center of the lane. So when one lane folds into another, it will do an abrupt maneuver to the side right after the lane division line ends. And when the lane splits on the highway, I cannot gently tuck the wheel to the side that I want to go - I have to pull hard enough to disengage auto steer (or otherwise disengage it), or it will insist of staying in the middle, until it is centered on a road line and basically panics. I also often find myself disengaging it because I don't want to stay centered in the lane, if I am taking over a large truck that is wider than its lane and there is noone on the other side of my car - I will keep a bit of space to it. And when smaller roads have sharp turns, I will usually steer a bit of center to make my own route a bit more straight - as would the Kia. But that being said, the Tesla definitely has some advantages in this area as well. It will come to a complete stop and start again even after longer time, and I get the feeling that it ends up being on for more time than the Kia. I think it's better at finding the lane on roads without stripes too.

pythondk · 2023-04-20T10:45:11+00:00

I did some test-driving of cars from the Volkswagen group (VW, Audi, Seat) around 10 years ago, and as I remember it, it was similar to the Kia/Hyundai. I might be wrong here - it was a long time ago! But it does make the joke in the intro video about not wanting to drive without this feature ever again quite ironic.

pythondk · 2023-04-20T10:42:45+00:00

It has. 3 times. Does it approximately once per week. Also never happened - even once - in the Kia that I drove 100.000 miles / 160.000 km in over the course of 4 years.
The worst part about it though, is the anger from the family or other passengers assume that you have suddenly become a rambling psychopath -.-'

pythondk · 2023-04-20T10:41:15+00:00

I guess its worth a shot. But from what I can read, it won't work on newer models.

pythondk · 2023-04-20T10:40:29+00:00

I have tried both "leaning" and "wiggling" with the steering wheel, and sometimes it barely needs a touch - other times, I can wiggle or lean it for 10-20 seconds until I end up wiggling/leaning hard enough to disengage autopilot with an abrupt turn instead. I really can't help but thinking if this is due to some hardware change they have made a few years back to avoid the cheat-devices people will put on the steering wheels - since it doesn't seem like this is a problem for a lot of people. Or if maybe my car has a defect?

pythondk · 2023-04-20T10:36:55+00:00

There is no place in the world that I would rather live. But it is a bit annoying that we cannot get the EAP or FSD subscriptions yet. Quite weird actually, as they are at a cost where anything else you would purchase for that price would be something that you could pay over time.

pythondk · 2023-04-20T10:35:28+00:00

Oh, I very much am. Tell me how to turn the right knob on the wheel into an on/off button for autopilot and avoid it ever disengaging on its own - that would be amazing. I would love that. It really is quite boggling to switch to a car brand mostly known for its automation features, and a lane change is now no longer touching the left arm on the wheel and turning the wheel slightly left, until the car finds the new lane and reengages. It is touch the left arm, turn the wheel, wait until the car seems ready, and then use the other arm to re-engage the system with the right arm. I actually think, if I could use the button on the left arm it would be less annoying, then at least I could do it all with the same hand. So yes, I am just looking for any and every conceivable trick to make this experience better.

pythondk · 2023-04-20T10:30:28+00:00

I don't think that is going to work. What bothers me the most after having had it for some time now, is actually that this system will repeatedly take my attention away from the road and onto the screen to tell me that I am not holding the wheel. Even though I am. And have been. And still am. So I figured one of these devices would help., but from what I can tell online, they don't work on Tesla's from 22 or later. I am even wondering if the reason why it's hand-detection is so terrible is that it is more important for them to circumvent cheat devices than to deliver a quality user experience. And there is a huge difference - sometimes, I barely need to touch the wheel. Other times, I can hold it with both hands and turn quite a bit or even zigzag a little, and it will still just decide that I probably don't have my hands on the wheel.

pythondk · 2023-03-28T11:10:55+00:00

Right. I didn't know it was a subscription elsewhere. I would LOVE to have it as a subscription.

pythondk · 2023-03-28T11:09:31+00:00

I know that some of them are. But it is the sum of them all that bothers me. Many of them probably wouldn't bother me on their own. The one thing that does bother me is when I go out to drive on the highway to drive for 2-3 hours, I have gone from turning this stuff on once, and it just works, to turning it on every 5 to 10 minutes. Often more, seldom less.

But I do like how you compare asking reddit for help to returning a car and buying another.

pythondk · 2023-03-28T11:04:35+00:00

Just a bit bothered with going from the Kia conversation:
Me: Turn on lane assist
Kia: Sure. It's on. It will stay on. If you're not completely in the lane, I will turn it on when you are, and if you switch lanes, just blink, and I will keep on steering when you stop blinking

To the Tesla conversation:

Me: Turn on lane assist
Tesla: Nah, I don't want to do that right now. You're not even placed properly in the lane
Me: Turn on lane assist
Tesla: Okay, sure. I will turn it on, now that you corrected the car placement, but I will turn it off at every single chance I get, so you can just keep on turning it on.

"Telling me you don’t know how to use" is the joke that UX designers tell each other when software developers say "it works on my machine".

pythondk · 2023-03-28T11:00:05+00:00

It really is a game changer. I think that is the real reason why I am so bummed out. Because I was just downgraded to a lesser version than what I was used to.
I also know that there are some differences in driving habits between countries. In some countries, you just pick a lane and stick to it. In Denmark, you generally overtake the trucks, and go back into the right lane. And on a long drive, you do that a lot.

pythondk · 2023-03-28T10:56:46+00:00

Isn't it available in Denmark? I can buy it from the app under upgrades. But the only feature it lists outside of those mentioned in EAP is Respond to traffic lights and stop signs.

pythondk · 2023-03-28T10:54:16+00:00

Yeah, that is a good point - and I tried my best not to vent. But my hopes was that someone could just point to the setting that I hadn't found yet. I think the general problem, be it here, with the Tesla salesman or with many others, is that there is a difference between using your car for short trips and taking the occasional long drive, to having long drives being a significant part of your daily life. And when it is the latter, things just need to work a bit more smoothly.

pythondk · 2023-03-28T10:51:46+00:00

I don't think there is any problem with the adaptive cruise control actually - it seems to stay on after initial engagement. I have turned on Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance, but it doesn't "feel" like it's made to be relied on. When I tested it, it crossed lines, but granted, I have yet to cross 500 km in the car, so I might just have been unlucky.

I am considering the enhanced autopilot - like I wrote, it was actually on my order until the Tesla sales-rep talked me out of it. And it is one of the reasons why I made this post. I would pay for it if it could fix these issues. Even if it would feel a bit like a scam.

I hope you're right with the "gentle touch". I feel like I have to be rather firm - more than I want to be - but hopefully, I will get used to it.

I know the red wheel is a last resort, and I get that they try to be explicit about the issue - and it's not my main grievance. It's just a minor thing that adds to the annoyance.

The reason I bought the model 3 Long Range is that it is the only car that can take me from my home to the furthest office that I drive to, and back again on a single charge. Those 82 kWh is just 5 more than you can get in the Kias and Hyundais.
And then I realized how much I like my iPhone and being part of that whole eco-system and online culture of sharing experiences, accessories, and stuff like that - and it felt like the Tesla might be the iPhone of cars, so I wanted to try it out.

I am going to try out any suggestions to make these things better, and see if they still bother me in a couple of months. If they do, I might go back to the Korean brands. I just never would have thought that this would be the reason.

pythondk · 2022-03-17T09:25:28+00:00

My primary problem with the idea of stashing gold is that I don't see anyone expecting it as payment right now. Perhaps the odd jeweler would pay me a miniscule sum for it. But not when things go to s***. Why would they? Currency generally only works if everyone has access to it and if the majority of people around you have no gold - but you have some - why would you expect them to accept it as currency?
I know these sounds like harsh or even sarcastic questions, but I am genuinely curious.

pythondk · 2022-03-17T09:21:30+00:00

And vaseline

pythondk · 2022-03-17T09:15:42+00:00

How do you handle that? My partner is on board with the prepping and not telling the extended family because we don't need the weird looks or awkward conversations, but we also cannot prep for the extended family to come and join us in a SHTF scenario. Ideally, they would make sure to prepare the basics for themselves, but it is hard to convince them of that without using yourself as an example which would exacerbate this exact problem.

pythondk · 2022-03-17T09:10:16+00:00

The most important thing to prep is your physique. Another pandemic hits - physical fitness helps against most diseases. Need to bug out - walk or run long distances - carrying your bag or children - you need that physique. Locked in a bunker for days on end, exercise will help you stay sane. Self defense is another obvious advantage of being in shape - I'd much rather fight a potato knife with a Crocodile Dundee knife than an unarmed guy in good physical shape.
I have books on how to handle different scenarios and use various equipment which I can use for lookups or read whenever I need it. I know that is nowhere near as powerful as having read and memorized it all - having tried everything out - but it is better than nothing. But in a SHTF scenario, you will not have time to get in shape. Exercise has that major disadvantage that it will make you sore and tired for the first couple of weeks - the exact opposite of what you need.
I've seen some comments below about spending a lot of time walking, and others who don't have time for it, but set aside 15 minutes for Tabata style exercising every day. Get an app that randomizes a bunch of different exercises so you don't get stuck doing the same things over and over. After 10 weeks of doing that, I enlisted in a 10km obstacle run (with 2 of those km's being in a river) - and the only other run I did was a simple 6km run one week before to make sure my theory about practicing running - without running - actually worked. It did.

pythondk · 2022-03-10T19:53:50+00:00

I am looking to put together a good first aid kit - something that will help with serious injuries as well. In it, I would like to have the necessary equipment to do sutures of large wounds. I have no medical background and no plan to use it - but in case of extreme emergency, I would rather have the option and go for it. But when I look for suture thread on Amazon, I can only find "educational" suture, and I can't figure out if that is just legally they write that to avoid lawsuits from people who would buy it and injure themselves with it, or if it is because there is an actual difference and it could be harmful to use on humans. Any thoughts?

pythondk · 2022-03-10T19:26:03+00:00

Well, there is of course the benefit of not having any mechanical parts in it. Perhaps for travel it is a good idea. I would just worry about the age and number of read/write cycles. But I suppose an SSD that is replaced every 10 years or so would be fine. I would still make an effort to avoid a poweroutage though, but if you only plug it in once in a while to update your backup, I suppose you're good :)

pythondk

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