Tesla vehicles come with a range of wonderful features that put the vehicles in a league of their own when it comes to safety, creature comforts, and driving experience. However, like most technology, these features can be subject to glitches or other issues.
In this article, we’ll go over the most common issues Tesla owners run into and how you can solve them within minutes without needing to take the vehicle in for service.
Touchscreen Glitches
Your Tesla vehicle touchscreen is powered by a large internal computer which controls all screen displays, navigation, camera and autopilot operation, and vehicle settings. As such, it can experience glitches, as most computers do.
Glitches can include, for example, a black touchscreen, the screen lagging or becoming unresponsive to touch, and/or phantom touches, wherein the screen registers touches that were not made or menus open by themselves.
In most cases, these small glitches can be fixed with a Scroll-Wheel Reset. To perform a reset, press and hold both steering wheel scroll balls for about 10-15 seconds until your main touchscreen turns off.
Once it turns off, let go of the scroll wheels. After about 15-30 seconds, your touchscreen will reboot.
Once the reboot is completed, test your touchscreen. The glitch should now be resolved, and you’ll be able to operate your vehicle as intended.
Window Malfunctions
In some cases, the windows (particularly the front driver and front passenger windows) may fail to operate as expected. This may mean they roll up or down unexpectedly, fail to close, or give erroneous on-screen errors.
To rectify this, you can perform a window recalibration to reset the motors that control the window movement.
Begin by checking the area around the window for anything that could be obstructing it. Ensure the window frame is clear. Next, close the door with the malfunctioning window. Then, while sitting in the driver seat with all doors closed, use the window switch on the driver’s door. Use the switch to raise the applicable window until it stalls and cannot go up any further. Then, lower that same window until it stalls and cannot go down anymore. Lastly, raise the window again until it stalls.
You may need to repeat this 2-3 times to ensure the calibration completes. Once done, retest the malfunctioning window. The issue should now be resolved.
If it is still not resolved, you may need to schedule a service appointment to diagnose the issue and return the window to normal operation.
Audio Issues
If you experience issues with the audio system - such as static, clipping, or other small auditory glitches - you can attempt to resolve them with a Scroll Wheel Reset.
To perform a reset, press and hold both steering wheel scroll balls for about 10-15 seconds until your main touchscreen turns off.
Once it turns off, let go of the scroll wheels. After about 15-30 seconds, your touchscreen will reboot.
Once the reboot is completed, test your audio system. The glitch should be resolved.
If it is not, you may need to schedule service for further diagnosis.
Autopilot Camera Alerts
In some cases, you may experience “Autopilot Camera Blocked or Blinded” alerts on your touchscreen.
In a majority of cases, this is caused by dirt or debris on the camera lenses, sun glare, or inclement weather.
To reduce these alerts, ensure your vehicle is clean. You can wipe the cameras down with a microfiber cloth to remove any debris or dust that may be obscuring the lenses.
In cases of sun glare or inclement weather, the alerts will resolve on their own once the glare or weather conditions are no longer present.
If you note that a camera is persistently giving “camera blocked or blinded” alerts even after ensuring the camera is clean and nothing environmental is impacting its visibility, you may need to schedule a service appointment for further diagnostics.
WiFi Connectivity
Your Tesla vehicle relies on WiFi connectivity when parked to download new software updates, allow for remote diagnostics, connect to your Tesla App, and operate HomeLink. If you are unable to connect to your vehicle, it is likely because your WiFi signal is too weak. To confirm this, enter your vehicle when it is in your normal parking spot.
Check the WiFi strength signal on the upper right-hand side of the screen. Ideally, you should see all four bars of WiFi strength. If you see that the signal is weak, you’ll need to strengthen the WiFi connection.
You can do this in two ways: by moving your home WiFi router closer to your vehicle’s parking spot, or by securing a WiFi extender from your internet service provider.
Once completed, test to ensure the WiFi is reaching your vehicle and has good signal strength. You will now be able to use HomeLink, receive firmware updates and diagnoses, and control your vehicle via the Tesla App.
Bluetooth Pairing
In some circumstances, your phone and vehicle may fail to pair via Bluetooth. To correct this, you can first try a Scroll Wheel Reset (instructions outlined above).
If that does not resolve the issue, perform a full Bluetooth reset. To do so, first make sure you have a physical key for the vehicle in hand.
Next, delete the phone Bluetooth connection from the vehicle settings, and delete the vehicle Bluetooth connection from the phone settings. Then, sign out of the Tesla App and delete it from your phone.
Once completed, go into your phone’s settings and use the search bar to search “Network Reset.” Perform the network reset. Then, turn your phone off and back on again.
While your phone is rebooting, perform a Scroll Wheel Reset in your vehicle. Once both the phone and vehicle are back on, redownload the Tesla App on your phone and sign in.
Pair the phone and vehicle via Bluetooth, and test the operation. The issue should now be resolved.
Conclusion
Although you may run into minor issues with your Tesla’s operation during your ownership, most of them are easy to resolve on your own.
By following the steps in this article, you can identify common issues, resolve them, and quickly get back to enjoying all the great features your Tesla has to offer.
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