Ever found yourself in a tight parking spot, wishing your Tesla could just magically appear at your side? Or perhaps you've used Smart Summon and now want to understand its intricacies, or even how to disengage certain aspects for specific situations. While Smart Summon is a remarkable feature, offering convenience and a touch of futuristic flair, it's also crucial to understand how to manage and, if necessary, turn off its various functionalities. Let's dive into a comprehensive guide to mastering Smart Summon and ensuring you're always in control of your Tesla.
Step 1: Understanding Smart Summon and Its Two Flavors
Before we talk about turning it off, let's quickly recap what Smart Summon is and its two main variations. This will help you understand what you're looking to disable.
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| How To Turn Off Smart Summon Tesla |
What is Smart Summon?
Smart Summon is a feature that allows your Tesla to navigate complex environments, like parking lots, and drive to your location or a designated spot, all while you're outside the vehicle. It's an extension of Tesla's autonomous driving capabilities, designed to make your life a little easier, especially in less-than-ideal weather or when you're simply carrying a lot of groceries!
The Two Flavors: Dumb Summon and Actually Smart Summon (ASS)
Yes, you read that right – Tesla officially refers to a simpler version as "Dumb Summon."
Dumb Summon (Forward/Reverse): This is the more basic function. It allows your Tesla to move straight forward or backward into, or out of, a parking spot. It's akin to a very precise remote-controlled car.
Actually Smart Summon (ASS) (Come to Me/Go to Target): This is the more advanced version. It enables your Tesla to navigate more complex paths, maneuvering around obstacles, to reach your phone's GPS location ("Come to Me") or a location you've selected on the map ("Go to Target"). It uses the vehicle's cameras to sense and avoid objects.
It's crucial to remember that both versions of Summon are intended for use only on private property, like parking lots and driveways, where the environment is familiar and predictable. They are not meant for public roads.
Step 2: Stopping an Active Smart Summon Session
The most immediate way to "turn off" Smart Summon is to stop an active session. This is designed as a primary safety mechanism.
The Immediate Stop Method
Tip: Read once for gist, twice for details.
Release the Button: Whether you're using the "Forward," "Reverse," "Come to Me," or "Go to Target" button on your Tesla mobile app, the simplest way to stop your car during a Smart Summon session is to simply release the button. The car will immediately come to a halt. This is a critical safety feature; you should always be ready to release the button if you perceive any hazard.
Other Ways Smart Summon May Cancel
Smart Summon is designed with several built-in contingencies that will cause it to cancel and require you to restart it:
Engaging a door handle or opening a door.
Interacting with the steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator pedal, or shifting gears inside the car.
If the vehicle is blocked by an obstacle and cannot proceed safely.
If Smart Summon has moved the car its maximum allowable distance.
If your phone enters sleep mode or loses connectivity with the Tesla.
Step 3: Managing Standby Mode and Preventing Battery Drain
While you can't truly "permanently disable" Smart Summon as a feature from your car, you can manage its "Standby Mode" which affects its readiness and, importantly, its battery consumption.
Understanding Standby Mode
Standby Mode keeps your Tesla ready to initiate a Summon session quickly, reducing the warm-up time. However, this convenience comes at the cost of additional battery power consumption. If you're parking your Tesla for an extended period, especially in a location where you won't be using Summon, turning off Standby Mode can help conserve battery.
How to Adjust Standby Mode Settings:
On Your Tesla's Touchscreen:
Navigate to Controls > Autopilot > Customize Summon.
Here, you'll find the Standby Mode option. You can toggle this On or Off.
Excluding Locations from Standby Mode (for Energy Conservation): If you want the convenience of Standby Mode generally, but wish to conserve battery at specific, frequently visited locations (like your home or workplace), Tesla provides options to exclude these:
Within the Customize Summon settings, look for options like:
Exclude Home: Disables Standby Mode at the location you've set as "Home" in your Favorites list.
Exclude Work: Disables Standby Mode at the location you've set as "Work" in your Favorites list.
Exclude Favorites: Disables Standby Mode at any location in your Favorites list.
Note: To conserve energy, Summon automatically exits Standby mode from midnight to 6:00 AM. During these hours, a delay occurs as Summon starts up.
Step 4: Utilizing Valet Mode to Temporarily Disable Summon valet
Valet Mode is a very useful feature that limits certain functionalities of your Tesla, including Summon, making it ideal when someone else is driving or parking your car.
Tip: Avoid distractions — stay in the post.
How to Enable Valet Mode:
On Your Tesla's Touchscreen:
Tap the profile icon at the top of the touchscreen.
Select Valet Mode.
You'll be prompted to enter a 4-digit PIN (or create one if it's your first time). This PIN is required to exit Valet Mode.
What Valet Mode Does to Summon:
When Valet Mode is active, Summon is disabled. This is a great way to ensure that the valet or anyone else driving your car cannot use the Summon feature, providing an extra layer of security and control.
To exit Valet Mode, simply enter your PIN on the touchscreen.
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Step 5: Understanding Limitations and When Summon Won't Operate
While not "turning off" the feature, it's important to be aware of scenarios where Summon is designed not to operate or may abort. Knowing these limitations can prevent frustration and ensure safe operation.
Situations Where Summon is Disabled or Unlikely to Operate:
Valet Mode: As mentioned, Summon is disabled when the car is in Valet Mode.
Dog Mode: If your Tesla is in Dog Mode (which keeps the climate control on for pets), Summon will be disabled.
Track Mode or Drag Strip Mode: For performance-oriented driving modes, Summon is deactivated.
Accessories: If your car has accessories like a roof rack, trailer hitch, or body kit that extend beyond the vehicle's normal dimensions, Summon may not operate as intended, as it doesn't account for these extensions when avoiding obstacles.
Raised Edges: Summon will not move the Tesla over steep edges.
Weather Conditions: Heavy rain, snow, fog, or extremely hot or cold temperatures can interfere with camera operation, leading to Summon being unable to function or aborting.
Trailer Mode: If your Tesla is in Trailer Mode or has an accessory attached that mimics a trailer, Summon is disabled.
GPS/Cellular Coverage: Poor or unavailable GPS data or cellular coverage can prevent Summon from working.
Unpaved Surfaces: Summon is primarily designed for paved surfaces.
Steep Slopes: Summon is designed for flat or gently sloped roads (up to 20% grade). On grades higher than 10%, speed is limited, and it may not operate at all above 10% in poor conditions.
Camera Calibration: The vehicle's cameras must be fully calibrated for Summon to work correctly.
Clear Line of Sight: You should maintain a clear line of sight to your Tesla while using Summon.
Vehicle Status: Your Tesla must be in Park, not charging, and all doors and trunks must be closed.
Tire Pressure: All four tire pressures should be 34 PSI or higher.
Step 6: Ensuring Your App and Car Software are Up-to-Date
While not a direct "off" switch, keeping your Tesla's software and mobile app updated can impact Summon's functionality, performance, and any potential future options for its management.
Tesla Mobile App: Ensure you have the latest version of the Tesla mobile app installed on your smartphone. Summon often requires a specific minimum app version.
Vehicle Software: Tesla regularly releases over-the-air software updates that can introduce new features, improve existing ones, or refine the operation of features like Smart Summon. Keeping your car's software updated ensures you have the most current functionality and any bug fixes related to Summon.
Tip: Highlight sentences that answer your questions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Tesla Smart Summon
How to permanently disable Smart Summon Tesla?
Currently, there is no option to permanently disable Smart Summon as a feature in your Tesla. However, you can manage its "Standby Mode" to prevent continuous battery drain and utilize "Valet Mode" to temporarily disable it.
How to stop a Tesla Smart Summon session?
To immediately stop an active Smart Summon session, simply release the button you are holding down on the Tesla mobile app (Forward, Reverse, Come to Me, or Go to Target).
How to prevent Smart Summon from draining my battery?
You can prevent Smart Summon from continually draining your battery by disabling Standby Mode in your car's settings (Controls > Autopilot > Customize Summon > Standby Mode). You can also exclude specific locations (Home, Work, Favorites) from Standby Mode.
How to use Valet Mode to turn off Summon?
To use Valet Mode, go to your Tesla's touchscreen, tap the profile icon, select Valet Mode, and enter your PIN. While in Valet Mode, Smart Summon and other features are restricted.
How to know if my Tesla has Smart Summon?
QuickTip: Read section by section for better flow.
Smart Summon is generally available on Teslas with the Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability package. You can check your vehicle's software and features list on the touchscreen or in your Tesla app under the "Upgrades" section.
How to troubleshoot Smart Summon issues?
If Smart Summon isn't working, check your phone's connectivity to the car, ensure you have a clear line of sight, verify the car isn't in Valet or Dog Mode, and make sure you're on private property with good GPS/cellular signal. Also, check for any obstacles.
How to update my Tesla app for Summon?
Visit your phone's app store (Google Play Store for Android or Apple App Store for iOS), search for "Tesla," and check for any available updates.
How to use "Dumb Summon" instead of "Smart Summon"?
In the Tesla app, after selecting Summon, you'll see separate buttons for "Forward" and "Reverse" (Dumb Summon) and "Come to Me" or "Go to Target" (Actually Smart Summon). Simply choose the forward/reverse options.
How to understand Smart Summon's limitations?
Smart Summon has limitations regarding unpaved surfaces, steep slopes, weather conditions, and proximity to your phone. Always refer to your Tesla Owner's Manual for detailed limitations and warnings.
How to ensure safe Smart Summon operation?
Always maintain a clear line of sight to your vehicle, monitor its surroundings, and be prepared to release the button on the app to stop the car immediately if needed. Remember, you are responsible for monitoring the vehicle.
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