--- title: "Tesla’s “Toilet Humor” Mode Is Real and It’s Called “Emissions Testing”" description: "Tesla's new \"Emissions Testing\" and \"Romance Mode\" features allow owners to make their Teslas fart and play Marvin Gaye. But why?" date: "2018-12-17" modified: "2018-12-17" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/tesla-debuts-romance-toilet-humor-modes" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "elon musk" - "Model 3" - "tesla" --- # Tesla’s “Toilet Humor” Mode Is Real and It’s Called “Emissions Testing” ![Tesla's new "Toilet Humor" and "Romance Mode" features allow owners to make their Teslas fart and play Marvin Gaye. Why?]() *\Image: Tag Hartman-Simkins\* ## Holiday Surprise Elon Musk — Tesla CEO and mischievous [prankster]() extraordinaire — promised Tesla owners a software update including "romance mode, toilet humor, and more video games" in a tweet last month. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1068211597095559168 Now the eccentric billionaire has seemingly kept his word, with two new settings called "Romance Mode" and "Emissions Testing Mode." ## Emissions Testing With Tesla's latest December firmware update, all Tesla Model S, X, and 3 vehicles are now able to produce flatulent noises — presumably what Musk referred to as "toilet humor" in his tweet. A [video]() — [discovered by *Teslarati*]() and uploaded to a private Model S owners group on Facebook — made the rounds showing off the new feature. To turn on the "Emissions Testing" — a likely reference to [Volkswagen's "dieselgate"]() — owners need only tap the "whoopee cushion" icon under Tesla's brand new "Easter Egg" menu. One option tells the car to "fart on turn signal." The flatulence can be adjusted from "Falcon Heavy," and "Ludicrous Fart," all the way to "Boring Fart" — all references to Elon Musk ventures. Drivers don't have to take their hands off the wheel to let one rip: all it takes is a press of the scroll wheel on the left side of the steering wheel. ## Electric Feel By tapping the fire symbol on the Easter Egg menu, Tesla owners can also now activate "Romance Mode." It pulls up a video of a fireplace on the main display, and plays Marvin Gaye's 1982 hit "Sexual Healing." Does the car industry take itself too seriously? Is this Musk's way of wishing Tesla owners a happy holiday? After all, it's not like Tesla's employees have too much [free time on their hands](). **READ MORE:** [Elon Musk keeps word on Tesla’s “Romance Mode” and “Toilet Humor” Easter Eggs]() \[Teslarati\] ***More on Tesla's Easter Egg features:** [Elon Musk Tried to Bring “Mario Kart” to Your Tesla Model 3]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()