Tesla to Remove Steering Wheel Nag in January 2023
MKBHD/Twitter
Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla vehicles will no longer require the driver to apply force to the wheel while using FSD Beta. All Teslas currently require drivers to apply resistance to the wheel at certain intervals to confirm attentiveness. However, with the addition of the cabin camera in 2017, this requirement may soon go away.
Elon confirmed the change in response to a tweet from @WholeMarsBlog, who asked if users with more than 10,000 miles driven using FSD Beta software, could have the option to disable the tedious steering wheel nag.
Elon replied, "Agreed, update coming in Jan."
While using Autopilot, drivers are alerted to put their hands on the wheel after 30 to 70 seconds of not applying torque to the wheel. The amount of time varies depending on situations and models. If a driver fails to apply force after being alerted, Autopilot could be suspended for the remainder of the drive, or access to FSD Beta could be removed.
FSD Beta allows drivers to get up to five strikes before Tesla disables the feature for an extended period. For vehicles without a cabin camera, the number of strikes is limited to three.
Possibilities
It's still unclear what Elon meant by agreeing to the 'option to turn off steering wheel nag.' Tesla may be able to more accurately gauge hand tension in an upcoming update, or they may switch to using the vehicle's cabin camera. While many are expecting the use of the cabin camera to replace detecting tension on the steering wheel, Tesla may have simply improved the ability to detect hand tension. Tesla recently added the ability to detect defeat devices, so it's obvious they're making some improvements in that area.
If Tesla transitions to only using the cabin camera, this change would leave out Model S and Model X vehicles manufactured before 2021, since they don't contain a camera inside the vehicle.
If the nag is ultimately removed, this is a huge step forward for Autopilot and FSD Beta use, as it would truly offer a hands-free experience.
Since Autopilot was first introduced in 2014, it has relied on the application of force as a sign of driver attentiveness. Removing the nag would be a huge step forward for FSD Beta and the level of autonomy that self-driving Teslas can have.
Ordering a New Tesla?
Consider using our referral code (nuno84363) to get up to $2,000 off your new Tesla and get 3 Months of FSD for free.
Last night, Tesla released software update 2024.45.25.15, which includes FSD V12.6.1. This update adds support for all HW3 vehicles, including the Model 3 and Model Y. We’re excited to see the continued support for HW3 owners.
FSD V12.6.1
V12.6.1 is now going wide, according to Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s VP of AI. This update is going to the Model 3 and Model Y for the first time - as only the Model S and Model X were included in FSD V12.6.
V12.6 is a big step forward for HW3 - it includes End-to-End on Highway, Improved City Streets Behavior, and Smoother and More Accurate Tracking - all contributing towards a better, smoother, and more comfortable build of FSD. You can read our comparison between FSD V12.6 and V13.2.2 here.
In short, FSD V12.6 performs considerably closer to V13 than V12.5.4.2 - which is a massive improvement. It performs as well as the Cybertruck version of FSD V13, which is still missing a few features when compared to other HW4 vehicles, but it’s a great sign for HW3. A lot of the improvements can be pointed to in the improvements to lane selection and decision-making - the vehicle tends to hesitate far less on V12.6, meaning the ride is a lot smoother. Many early V12.6 testers mentioned that it felt more like V13-mini than anything else.
Legacy Model S & X
We haven’t seen this update hit any legacy Model S and Model X vehicles just yet. We’re not sure whether Ashok’s statement of “generally” applies here - but it should. If you do get the update, please let us know.
Legacy Model S and Model X vehicles are still on an older FSD build and potentially won’t see another FSD update for a little while longer. While they do have the same FSD hardware as other vehicles, there are enough hardware differences that require a build specifically for these vehicles.
FSD V12.6.1 is going out now to the redesigned Model S and X with HW3 and all Model 3 and Model Y vehicles with HW3. The initial wave went out last night, and we expect to see more later today or tomorrow. If this release ends up going “wide,” we should see much larger waves go out next week.
Tesla has issued a recall for some vehicles due to issues linked to a revision of the Hardware 4 (HW4) computer that was introduced this past November. This recall affects all vehicles with the revised hardware except for the Cybertruck, as it uses a slightly modified version of the HW4 system.
Many vehicle owners have reported a complete failure of their Autopilot computer, which not only leaves the vehicle without FSD and Autopilot but also disables many of the active safety features that make a Tesla what it is.
Let’s take a look at this recall - because the recall is partially physical and partially a software recall.
HW4 Failure
Tesla has identified the failure and flagged it to the U.S. NHTSA (but not Transport Canada or Euro NCAP at the time of publishing) as a recall.
Tesla mentions that the vehicle’s FSD computer circuit board may short circuit, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera image. The recall itself is focused on the rearview camera - as not having a functional rearview camera breaks a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. However, it does impact more than just the rearview camera.
As previously mentioned, users have experienced the full loss of Autopilot and FSD on these vehicles, as well as reduced traction control and removal of safety features such as automatic emergency braking, collision avoidance assist, and forward collision warnings.
While the vehicle remains driveable, it is not necessarily a good idea to drive the vehicle with many of these features, especially with the reduced traction control noted by many people. We’ve already noted that while Tesla has been sending tow trucks to pick up some vehicles, it is also prompting owners to drive the vehicle to their service center in some cases.
Remedy
Unlike most of Tesla’s recalls, this one isn’t entirely an OTA recall, owing to the fact that people have already experienced circuit board shorts and are already waiting for replacements.
The software portion of the recall has already been mostly completed for any vehicles with Tesla software update 2024.45.25.3 or greater. However, a significant portion of the tracked fleet remains on update 2024.44.25.2 (approximately 20%), so we recommend updating your HW4 vehicle whenever you receive the notification.
On the hardware side, Tesla is immediately identifying and replacing hardware that has had circuit board failure. Tesla is also reaching out to customers who have expressed intermittent issues with Autopilot features, active safety features, or vehicle cameras that don't display correctly. If you have experienced any of these issues in a late 2024 vehicle, we recommend submitting a service ticket with Tesla to ensure that your vehicle isn’t affected by this recall.
![Tesla's Hidden 'Elon Mode' Unveiled: A Sneak Peek into the Future of FSD [Video]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/images/news/2022/fsd-beta-inside_300w.jpg)
