[paulsinger]

Just before anyone else does the same as me and tries to book a service call for a non-functioning off-side reversing light on their new Model 3, you should know that there isn't one!

Yep. You heard that right. To save money, they only put one reversing light (on the passenger side) even though it looks like there is clear matching light cluster on the other side.

I only saw it for the first time when I was behind the car using summon.

I booked a service visit and then had a call from the service centre to tell that there was no fault - just no reversing light on the driver's side!

 

[Oli]

Yes, but we get a lovely fog light the other side. The rest of the world gets two reversing lights.

 

[paulsinger]

Yes, but we get a lovely fog light the other side. The rest of the world gets two reversing lights.

So the guy from the service centre explained.

But in the meantime, we'll have to just keep telling people that there IS only one reversing light whenever they point out that one is faulty!

 

[h8ten]

It's quite a common thing nowadays. A friend of mine had a Volvo V40 with only one foglight but two reversing lights. The hole for the nearside bulb was covered with a small piece of plastic that was easily broken off, bulb inserted and voila two rear foglights as the wiring was already there and wired up.

 

[TJEV]

Gotta cover the cost of blowing up a Starship every week somehow

 

[MarkyM]

Wouldn’t stress over it. UK law says only 1 reversing light needed so many manufacturers/models only have the one. It does kind of make sense. Ruins the symmetry at the back when the reverse lights are on mind, but as you tend not to see that, no harm done.

 

[MrMoonUK]

Wouldn’t stress over it. UK law says only 1 reversing light needed so many manufacturers/models only have the one. It does kind of make sense. Ruins the symmetry at the back when the reverse lights are on mind, but as you tend not to see that, no harm done.

this is the right answer, common on lots of cars and nothing to do with saving money, more about uk standards

 

[Dialogue]

this is the right answer, common on lots of cars and nothing to do with saving money, more about uk standards

True, but I think having two is safer if you’re about to reverse and a pedestrian is on the wrong side and doesn’t notice.

 

[Electrickery]

We had a Renault 21 in the 80s, only 1 reverse light as standard. I don't think even one reverse light was a UK requirement until around the 80s either.

 

[paulsinger]

True, but I think having two is safer if you’re about to reverse and a pedestrian is on the wrong side and doesn’t notice.

Also, having two reversing lights gives a better and more bright and even light so you can see where you are reversing in dark places. It's not just to show the car behind that you are reversing.

 

[lucasfunkt]

Paul


Loads of cars only have one light.

 

[whyone]

this is the right answer, common on lots of cars and nothing to do with saving money, more about uk standards

This would be OK if the single reversing light fitted by Tesla was bright enough to do an adequate job.....which it isn't!!!

Reversing in abject darkness, the reversing light does a very poor job of illuminating whats going on behind the car when either using mirrors or the camera.

 

[Mofo]

This would be OK if the single reversing light fitted by Tesla was bright enough to do an adequate job.....which it isn't!!!

Reversing in abject darkness, the reversing light does a very poor job of illuminating whats going on behind the car when either using mirrors or the camera.

This isn’t in any kind of way a “defence” for Tesla (or an “attack” on you), as I don’t think they, or any other manufacturer design the reverse light to be bright enough to illuminate what’s going on behind the car...
It’s an indicator of direction (rather than an illuminator to guide the way)

 

[whyone]

This isn’t in any kind of way a “defence” for Tesla (or an “attack” on you), as I don’t think they, or any other manufacturer design the reverse light to be bright enough to illuminate what’s going on behind the car...
It’s an indicator of direction (rather than an illuminator to guide the way)

If it is not a means to illuminate the way when reversing, how are you supposed to manoeuvre safely in the dark?!

Not a like for like comparison granted, but my 2001 NSX has a single revering light which does an admirable job of lighting the way. A much better comparison is my (soon to be sold) VW Golf GTE, again just a single reversing light, and not great when using the cars mirrors, but does enough for the rear camera to give a very clear view of what is going on behind.

So I guess the problem with the Model 3 (at least as far as I am concerned) is that either the reversing light is not sufficiently bright OR the camera is not sufficiently sensitive in low light conditions.

 

[TomH]

This isn’t in any kind of way a “defence” for Tesla (or an “attack” on you), as I don’t think they, or any other manufacturer design the reverse light to be bright enough to illuminate what’s going on behind the car...
It’s an indicator of direction (rather than an illuminator to guide the way)

Come off it!
You can see in the dark, then?
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

 

[cah197]

"I paid £50,000 for my EV and all I got was one poxy reversing light"

 

[whyone]

"I paid £50,000 for my EV and all I got was one poxy reversing light"

I don't have a particular problem with there being just a single reversing light - it's a common way for manufacturers to comply with UK (for example) legislation to include a high intensity fog light (sited where the 2nd reversing light sits for other markets).

Manufacturers have proved that with a suitable bulb / reflector set up, one reversing light is perfectly adequate. Unfortunately Tesla aren't one of these.

 

[Mofo]

Come off it!
You can see in the dark, then?
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

Of course I’m not saying that,
when I’ve been somewhere without street lamps & it’s dark, the illumination from the rear side lights are sufficient enough to see what I’m doing
I’m not saying it wouldn’t be nice if all reverse lights were brighter,
But I didn’t think/know that was the main purpose,
Is there some (as I’m here) UK regulation to say the minimum lumens a reverse light must be? Or a certain beam pattern? Etc...

 

[whyone]

......
Is there some (as I’m here) UK regulation to say the minimum lumens a reverse light must be? Or a certain beam pattern? Etc...

I don't know the answer to this, but I'd like to think that manufacturers would be sensible...responsible.... enough to put a light on the back of their cars which is fit for purpose. For me (and I know you disagree) this is to illuminate the area behind the car sufficiently to make reversing safe. I certainly don't believe that the primary purpose of these lights is to indicate to others that the car is about to/in the process of reversing.

 

[TomH]

Of course I’m not saying that,
when I’ve been somewhere without street lamps & it’s dark, the illumination from the rear side lights are sufficient enough to see what I’m doing
I’m not saying it wouldn’t be nice if all reverse lights were brighter,
But I didn’t think/know that was the main purpose,
Is there some (as I’m here) UK regulation to say the minimum lumens a reverse light must be? Or a certain beam pattern? Etc...

I suspect that there is no regulation or the Teslas would not get type approval. And I can remember a time when no cars had reversing lights - but that was away back in history.

Serving the customer's needs covers it, as whyone says.