Tesla GPS Calibration: All You Need To Know

Do you have an issue calibrating the GPS of your newly-acquired Tesla car? Do you wonder why your Tesla is showing you the wrong location from where you are?

Have you tried turning the car off and on several times, hoping to get its GPS calibrated right? Well, that’s why I’m here to help you with all the answers you need. Now, let’s see!

An easy way of recalibrating the GPS of your Tesla vehicle is by taking it for a drive. However, if you don’t know that, you’ll constantly worry if the GPS malfunctions and begin showing location errors. Furthermore, a software update is one key feature that can disturb your Tesla’s GPS calibration.

This article will explain why your Tesla GPS is incorrect and how you can recalibrate it back to normal. Ultimately, you’ll know how long a normal recalibration process should last.

Why is My Tesla GPS Not Correct?

The most likely reason that’ll make your Tesla’s GPS incorrect is a software update. This scenario can occur anytime if you’re not driving, provided the vehicle’s software has an update.

Say you park your car in a particular location in England or any other country; if the GPS is incorrect, it’ll say you’re in China.

Having a car that has a malfunctioning GPS is troubling because you’ll find it hard to get a location you’re trying to find.

Another limiting factor about that problem is that you would need help finding your way home when you get lost.

Moving on, apart from having a software update interrupting the GPS, an incorrect time in the Tesla can be a significant cause.

To illustrate, if you don’t set your Tesla’s time correctly, especially if it’s brand new, it’ll still carry the seller’s or manufacturer’s location.

GPS problems are easy to solve because Tesla ensures that driving corrects its location.

That is, as the car is moving, its GPS will automatically reset to take up the location at which its wheels are rolling.

So, if you notice that the location of your vehicle isn’t where you are, start up and drive it for a reasonable distance.

Once you start driving, you’ll notice a change in your location.

Furthermore, an incorrect GPS is a common problem you’ll encounter as a Tesla owner; driving your Tesla as soon as you take it to a new location is advisable.

That way, you’d help it reset and get acquainted with a new owner and location.

This table will tell you if the calibration error is from a software update or other issues:

Software Update Issue	Other Complex Issue
The only problem here is the GPS calibration error.	Here, there are additional issues.
Other features of the car aren’t affected here.	Other features are affected here.
Driving the car for a reasonable distance solves the problem.	Here, driving the car doesn’t take away the GPS error.

Hence, if you still get a GPS error after driving the Tesla, take the car to an expert dealer for help.

How Do I Recalibrate My Tesla GPS?

To recalibrate your Tesla’s GPS, you’ll need to take the wheels rolling, driving the Tesla through a distance to update itself to the new location. 

Without driving the Tesla, you can’t recalibrate the GPS. 

So, if you’re getting a new Tesla and transporting it to someplace new, ensure to drive it out to places.

That’s the only way to correct its location if you saw something different initially.

Also, most times, you’ll need to drive the Tesla for a long distance before the location recalibrates.

That usually happens when you take a lot of time before getting the Tesla out for a recalibration after buying it.

Another reason why you’ll need to ride the car for a long time before it recalibrates is the distance from Tesla’s manufacturing location.

To illustrate, if your location is far from where you bought the Tesla across countries, it’ll take longer to recalibrate itself.

However, if you bought the Tesla from within the state/country you’re in, then recalibrating will take less time.

Moving on, while driving helps to recalibrate the location of your Tesla, it also gives another benefit; it helps to reconfigure the time of the car to that of its new location.

That’s important to note because it’s possible to notice not just a wrong location but also a wrong time.

Ultimately, driving the Tesla should be the first thing you do after a new purchase because it goes a long way in setting everything up.

How Long Does Tesla GPS Calibration Last?  

Typically, calibrating your Tesla’s GPS should take 32-40 km (20-25 miles). That’s the time your Tesla should take to recalibrate and get both the location and time set.

Now, since nothing is absolute, there’ll be instances when that takes longer than that, making you drive longer than you should.

Hence, it’s essential to identify why a simple calibration process should delay.

Here are two main factors that can lengthen the time of your Tesla calibration.

#1. Road

The single most common factor that prolongs the time your new Tesla calibrates itself is the road/environmental factor.

If the road you’re driving at is unfavorable, you’ll likely be driving slow, prolonging the calibration time.

However, if you’re driving on smooth terrain, you’ll likely drive faster, which will shorten the time your Tesla will need to calibrate its GPS.

#2. Speed

Speed is another determining factor in how long the Tesla GPS calibration would take.

Although it’s related to the nature of the road, it’s somewhat independent because you can have smooth terrain and still decide to drive slowly.

Most times, that happens when you’re a new owner of a Tesla, and you feel driving too fast would be deleterious.

Moving on, your car’s maximum distance to calibrate is 160 km, approximately 100 miles.

Therefore, if you drive that long and the vehicle fails to calibrate, get it to an expert dealer for inspection and fixing.

You can also contact Tesla directly from your home for quick assistance.

What Causes Tesla’s GPS Calibration Error?        

Two things can cause Tesla’s GPS calibration error, these include:

#1. Software Update

If your Tesla is undergoing an update or just did, there’ll be a GPS calibration error; an easy way to navigate that problem is to drive the car through some distance.

When you do that, you’re not just trying to get acquainted with the car but also helping it eliminate unnecessary errors.

A typical instance of a GPS calibration error is when you buy a new Tesla with a software update.

Since the vehicle still carries its original location and default mode, it would need some time for a fresh update.

During that period of update, GPS and other software features will exhibit errors; the best thing to do is to drive the car through some distance.

Additionally, that works so that while you’re driving, its location sensor detects the new environment and corrects itself.

#2. Time Settings

If you’re using the wrong time zone for your location, the GPS calibration of your vehicle will have errors.

It’s also possible to mistakenly change the time zone without knowing; please check and see if that isn’t the case before finding a proper solution.

Contact the Tesla support team if you’ve explored those factors and still get Tesla’s GPS calibration error. You can also take the car to any Tesla dealer shop nearby for expert help.