Yes, Tesla owners need to have a certain amount of weight on the steering wheel to prevent the nagging message from popping up. This message is a safety feature implemented in Tesla vehicles to ensure that drivers remain attentive and engaged while using Autopilot, Tesla's driver assistance system.
When Autopilot is engaged, Tesla vehicles use sensors and cameras to detect the environment around them and make decisions based on that information. However, Autopilot is not a fully autonomous system, and drivers still need to be ready to take control of the vehicle at any time.
To ensure that drivers are paying attention and can take control when necessary, Tesla requires them to keep their hands on the steering wheel while using Autopilot. If the car detects that the driver's hands are not on the wheel for an extended period, a nagging message will appear, reminding the driver to keep their hands on the wheel.
The weight required on the steering wheel to prevent this message from popping up varies depending on the specific model of the Tesla vehicle, but generally, some amount of pressure or weight needs to be applied to the steering wheel to keep the message from appearing. This can be achieved by simply holding the wheel, or by using a device designed to simulate the weight of a hand on the wheel, such as a small weight or a specially-designed accessory.
Here is the steering wheel weight for Tesla that is designed to simulate the weight of a hand on the wheel.
