Model Y Tips and Tricks. Whatcha Got?
Just picked up a new model Y and there's a steep learning curve and this subreddit has been amazing. What took you some time to learn that you wish you had learned earlier?
Tesla-Answer is a dedicated community forum for Tesla owners and enthusiasts. Our platform connects experienced Tesla drivers who share practical knowledge, troubleshooting tips, and maintenance insights to help you maintain and upgrade your Tesla.
Just picked up a new model Y and there's a steep learning curve and this subreddit has been amazing. What took you some time to learn that you wish you had learned earlier?
Drive for at least a couple days on surface streets without using AutoPilot. Just to get used to 1-pedal driving. Get used to the acceleration. Get used to cornering, etc. My wife was anxious about AP at first, and I think the extra time I took driving manually helped me a lot.
Then start playing with AutoPilot. Get used to learning what it will do in different situations. Will it let other cars merge in your lane? How much wheel force does it take to disengage it? How much wheel force while the blinker is on? Does it take curves in the road comfortably?
Where can you leave your hand on the wheel that triggers the nag but still feels comfortable and doesn't interrupt the system? (I do the DirtyTesla thing, and leave my hand in the lower left corner, just enough pressure that it knows I'm there) Get used to turning it off via the gear stalk, so it's not so abrupt.
Basically learn when you'll need to disengage it and take over.
Log into Netflix, Hulu, etc now while you don't need it. Nothing is more annoying than having to log in on the spot.
For any car - But get a good first aid and emergency kit for your trunk. I also threw a pack of sanitizing wipes, and hand sanitizer back there.
Get a pack of windex wipes. You might get in a situation where you're on a trip and your AP cameras get too dirty to use AP. You'll want to have something easy to clean them off.
You can't jumpstart other cars with a Tesla. So I got one of those stand alone car jumper things just in case somebody needs a jump. Also works good for a backup battery for charging cell phones if you're stranded. If you can get one that also pumps up tires, then you'll have a good multi-tasking unit there.
How are you going to charge daily? In a garage? Can you get a higher power charger installed? Go to PlugShare and learn where your emergency charging places will be. Where's the closest supercharger? What about the others around the city? Probably should go supercharge at least once just so you can know the process of how it all works.
It took me a couple of drives to understand that squeezing the steering wheel is not the right way to signal to Autopilot that you are still there :)
It took me even longer.
With using AP, drive with 1-hand and let your arm rest. The natural weight will be enough to prevent any warnings most of the time.
Prior to figuring this out, I'd get a warning 2-3x/minute. Now? Maybe one or two warnings a month.
Also adjusting the speed one mile up or down with the right little wheel button makes the warning go away. That is if you don’t want to keep your hands in the steering wheel.
Also, shaking it clockwise and counter-clockwise doesn't do it well. Just do a light constant force in one of those directions for maybe a second to get rid of the nag alert.
Has anyone tried the steering wheel counterweight that you can purchase? Asking for a friend.
Yes, it works as true autopilot should with out interactions.
I’ve seen it for $90-100 but also saw someone use a 1lb wrist weight and people have said it works wonders
Yup, the torque required is actually not the amount of force, but the duration of it (1 second of constant torque for the car to recognize an interaction)
Yeah that’s a problem since it doesn’t explicitly state what counts as “keeping your hand on the steering wheel”.
Most people would have thought that there are pressure sensors in the steering wheel to recognize an attentive driver, but it is in fact, actually torque on the steering wheel for a set duration, at least 1 second of light constant torque, rather than heavy torque for 0.5 seconds.
Great write up OP. If anything, I’d introduce the driver to the concept of TACC. In this “course”, you teach the driver to only actuate TACC with a single lever down push. This helps train the driver to “trust” the car to accelerate and brake, while maintaining complete control of the steering wheel.
Once drivers are comfortable with TACC (and changing car length distance on the fly via left/right on the right scroll wheel), then “course 2” is to enable Auto Steering with TACC via 2 x stalk down (aka AP) :). Might be helpful to explain in this mode that you’re now “piloting” the vehicle and to understand nuances with lane-centering.
Another pro tip: the hatch opening height is adjustable. The default height will let the hatch bang against the top of the garage door. To adjust, manually pull the hatch to the desired height and press and hold the hatch button until it beeps.
Game changer! Thank you!
Take corners wider than expected... especially ones with curbs. Curbs love MY wheels
My car was three GD days old and I scraped the wheels already.
so scared of doing this. I am planning to avoid all drive-thru's and going inside to order :)
love this topic. I've already seen every video on YouTube already.
This. The most important tip on this thread! This is my 13th car and I’ve hit curbs 4-5x in 18K miles because of turning too tight around a curb. The geometry, wheelbase, seating position...not sure what it is but it’s there. Probably happened 5x total for my other 12 cars in my life.
you KILL milage with anything over 65MPH... I set autopilot for a weekend 1.8 hours away, average 55mph highway driving and got 300 ~ 315 e-z ....didnt even need to consider the fast chargers around me. made it back home with 25 in the 'tank'... so my tip... auto pilot behind a smooth moving truck is GREAT for hyper miles!
my shorter commutes (99% of my driving) im not even sweating speed and acceleration.
Yeah 65 feels super slow nowadays but ultimately way faster if it saves you a charging stop.
You have to press the brake pedal to switch from neutral to drive. I learned this the hard way right at the end of a tunnel car wash. Fortunately the car tells you what’s going on. Also, an obligatory recommendation to never use an automatic car wash (I still do :))
I’ve been wondering about using an automatic car wash... it would be awfully nice to just drive thru the one by my house. Have you noticed any issues using it??
It’s best to stick with touch less ones.
It works exactly the same way it works for any other car. I don’t believe Teslas are special. My 4Runner has a bunch of scratches and swirls on the hood, and I am sure the car wash did it. It still beats having to hand wash the car :)
Add the PPF Tesla sells for the painted area in front of the rear wheels or watch that paint disintegrate.
I totally second this, Tesla OEM or third parties, rocker PPF is a MUST have.
I asked about that and was told it was sold out. Is that possible?
At first the store manager didn't know what it was, I did cal it PPF, and not by the full name, but I thought that was weird.
Get it from somewhere else then, it is a must have. I personally went full front plus rocker panels and 1/4 doors to the body line.
learn how to put it into neutral before you go in an automatic carwash.
Know if you take off your seatbelt to reach for something in the backseat while going through a car wash in neutral and raise your butt off the seat in the process, your car switches to park.
I have to ask - what does this mean?
Some carwashes have little rollers you drive on to and you have to put the car in neutral and it rolls you forward. First time I went I was failing to get it into neutral.
Ah.
What were you doing?
Another tip: switch your display from range estimate to battery percentage. It is counterintuitively a lot more useful for understanding when to charge and reducing range anxiety. I recently realized that a safe quick way to estimate remaining range in miles is to multiply the battery percentage by three, rounding the battery percentage up or down to the next ten depending on how paranoid I feel.
If your Bluetooth key is being a butt and not working (rarely, but it happens), you can hold your phone up to the B pillar instead of getting your wallet out and finding the Tesla card key and holding it up on the same B pillar spot.
Is any further setup required to get this to work? I wasn't aware the Tesla app was capable of unlocking the car by tapping to the B pillar
There wasn't on my Android device (and I don't think there is on iOS either). It blew my mind when I found out a few weeks ago after having the car for more than 6 months already.
The key fob has yet to fail me.
If you have an iPhone (not sure about android), you can share an address from maps or waze to the Tesla app and it adds to Navigation in the car. Same for Netflix and YouTube. You just have to share with the Tesla app. I tried safari to the Tesla and it didn’t work. Anyone else get this to work?
There is no steep learning curve imo. Its just a car at the end of the day.
As an owner of 3 and Y for 2 years and 9 months, they're just vehicles like almost every other. They drive well and sometimes I enjoy them a lot and other times I enjoy my ICE BMW a lot more.
Given this is a topic re. tips I'll just say : be wary of heater in winter. It will drastically kill range so preheat your EV before leaving while it is still plugged in and switch to heated seats and sparing use of heater to maximize range. Else you'll see a min 45% drop in range with heater at 72F and 70mph driving
you can password protect your glove box. So it only opens when you type in a your pin
Love this feature.
What are you protecting in your glovebox?
Gloves?
i am CCW holder. I like to leave it in the car
I don't. I'm still trying to figure out the auto steer
I don't. I'm still trying to figure out the auto steer
me either.. but love the autopilot so far
just received my Tasmanian floor mats. They looks so much better in person.
its a must have for MY