Kneel Mode

[Kenmecca]

It used to (I say used to as I’ve noticed it suddenly does start to kneel on my driveway that’s on a slope now) not kneel if the grade was too steep for it (not sure why) so that could be a factor - if you know it’s not going to kneel, you can work around this by selecting “Sport” a moment before arriving and it’ll go to its lowest height.

It would be cool if you had GPS set to a destination it would go to sport mode close to your stop.

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[SwampNut]

I didn't see this mentioned, but didn't read every detail of the whole thread... The display shows you when the suspension is in motion. Look at the bottom right. When you press park it will show that it's being lowered, and if you open a door, it will say that it's paused.

 

[ElGuano]

Yeah, I kinda stopped using kneel mode because it was so slow. We're always in a bit of a rush to get out whenever we park, so it's not as useful as I was hoping it would be.

 

[SwampNut]

I have a habit of not using park at all and letting the car handle it. Probably bad since one day I might do that in a dumb car that can't self-park. So I've started hitting park first before doing whatever needs to be done before opening a door (get phone, packages etc).

 

[ggood]

our kneel mode sometimes just does not kneel and the roomy exit the same. i set up a new driver that has the same roomy exit position that is a 2 touch thing to engage. it is spotty but thanks to comments i am going to play with the slope situation

 

[KirkB66]

Running boards might be the better way to go to avoid excess cycling of the air suspension.

 

[KBabione]

Running boards might be the better way to go to avoid excess cycling of the air suspension.

The mobile service tech who was here last week to swap out our 12V battery actually said the opposite when I asked if we'd regret using kneeling mode...He said that most Rivian owners rarely change their ride height and that the suspension system needs to be used regularly to keep things lubed and working properly. Kneeling does that, as does the auto-height adjustment if you have that turned on. FWIW

 

[POLAR1S]

i wish it continued to kneel even with door opened... my 2020 RRS did this and it was great. It's quite annoying having to wait 3+ seconds for it to drop. I mean I don't mind since I'm 6'2" but we got the 20" AT's and my wife is average which is fine, but taking out the kids for my wife is a bit more difficult.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

The mobile service tech who was here last week to swap out our 12V battery actually said the opposite when I asked if we'd regret using kneeling mode...He said that most Rivian owners rarely change their ride height and that the suspension system needs to be used regularly to keep things lubed and working properly. Kneeling does that, as does the auto-height adjustment if you have that turned on. FWIW

Both could be true. People need to be cognizant of generalizations (not always right/wrong). Some components get "exercised" and lubed, while others endure additional operating cycles. Being a new year, like physical exercise? good for cardio vascular health, but may exacerbate joint wear?

 

[Mathme]

running boards here for the win!

In addition to using to get into and out of the truck, they are also really helpful when washing it as I can stand on them and wash/dry the roof easily

 

[riv-e-in]

I have Kneel Mode set however it does not Kneel until after we have exited the vehicle. My wife is short and this would help her exit. Does anyone know how to make it Kneel when placed in Park right away. Thank you

No more kneel when you buy these…and easier to enter & exit - https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/realwheels-ev-stainless-steel-running-boards.24148/

?

 

[KirkB66]

The mobile service tech who was here last week to swap out our 12V battery actually said the opposite when I asked if we'd regret using kneeling mode...He said that most Rivian owners rarely change their ride height and that the suspension system needs to be used regularly to keep things lubed and working properly. Kneeling does that, as does the auto-height adjustment if you have that turned on. FWIW

That's an interesting recommendation by the tech. It makes sense that there needs to be "some" periodic cycling of the air suspension height adjustment. But maybe not every time you get out of the vehicle. Those components wear out over time and are not cheap to replace (approx. $2k per corner once out of warranty).

 

[ttphhi]

I think if you have the ride height set to high when you park the vehicle won't kneel. At least that's what my R1S does.

 

[fxstein]

Have been using kneel mode a lot for the first year, but eventually got tired of the waiting and explaining it to friends a family. If I know I have somebody on board that is a bit hight challenged I manually put it in low. Otherwise I leave it at auto.
Was also wondering if the constant kneeling and raising on every stop was something good or bad for the longevity of the car.
What bothered me most with kneeling was that the cars air suspension often was empty after a few days of sitting and would warn me to drive before lifting again - which could take a few minutes. Once I disabled kneeling mode that completely went away.
Now I only only lower the car when putting it into shipping mode (eg when being gone for a while and having the car sit in the garage)

 

[KBabione]

That's an interesting recommendation by the tech. It makes sense that there needs to be "some" periodic cycling of the air suspension height adjustment. But maybe not every time you get out of the vehicle. Those components wear out over time and are not cheap to replace (approx. $2k per corner once out of warranty).

Yeah - I don't know where the balance point is and wasn't clever enough to think to ask him. We probably average 6-10 kneels a day (i.e. 3-5 trips), but there are days that our Rivian doesn't leave the house (we both work from home). My plan is to visit my new Malvern Service Center when we get to around 45-48K miles and have them thoroughly inspect the suspension system (unless someone tells me that the suspension is part of the powertrain).

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