2021 Model 3 LR USB drive kept being un-recognized

[Knightshade]

I'm currently using a micro SD card in a USB reader, and have had some luck, but I'm still not 100% sure it's working right. I may also just not understand how it's supposed to work.

I guess my main question would be: should the red dot be on the dash cam icon when driving?

Unless your car is sleeping, or you intentionally turned it off, the red camera dot should always be on- even parked/stopped.

If the car is awake (and you didn't turn it off specifically) dashcam is always recording.

Sentry is only on when parked (and only if your settings are such that it should be on in that spot).

When I initially get into the car, and it's in park, the sentry mode and dash cam icon are gray. If I tap the sentry mode icon, both the sentry mode and dash cam icons get a red dot. Next, when I put the car into reverse, the sentry mode icon disappears, and the dash cam icon red dot goes away.

I guess it MIGHT be correct to act that way if you turned off dashcam, but turning sentry on in that state turns dashcam back on only for sentry (remember- sentry itself does not record video- only dashcam does)

I just went for a drive, put it in park, then tapped the dash cam icon and the "save" option was available. I hit that, then I entered the viewer and was able to see the saved footage.

Does that sound correct?

You're saying the dashcam icon did NOT have the red dot during the actual drive but appeared to have recording and you were able to view said recording? No, that does not sound correct at all.

Do I have to tap the sentry mode icon before every drive to start recording the dash cam?

You shouldn't need to ever do anything at all with Sentry for any reason other than turning sentry on or off.

Dashcam is a separate function.

By default it's supposed to be on if the car is awake (though you can manually turn it off pressing the icon when it's on).

Tapping the dash cam icon itself, doesn't do anything except open the menu. It seems odd that I have to tap sentry to start the dash cam, and that I have to do it every time I start a drive.

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/model_3_owners_manual_north_america_en.pdf

Page 74 explains how it's supposed to work, including changing the dashcam icon between recording, paused, and saved states.

 

[benginc]

I tried testing it again this morning, and here's everything I did and what I observed on a 2 mile trip:

1. Turned on climate via app about 20 minutes before driving
2. Got in car and hit the brake: sentry mode and dashcam icons had red dots
3. Put car in reverse: sentry mode icon disappeared, and the dashcam icon red dot disappeared.
4. While driving: the dashcam icon had no red dot
5. Returned home, and put the car into park: no red dots, and tapping the dashcam icon had no "save footage" option available.

When I hit review footage after, there was no dashcam recording, but there was a sentry mode recording for about an hour before I left the house. I'm not sure if that should be there, as I have sentry mode turned off at my home location.

I'm suspicious of the option to turn off sentry mode at home, so I disabled that and will see what happens. I'm wondering if that's related to it turning off the dashcam dot when I leave the house.

 

[Knightshade]

What happens if you touch the dashcam icon while driving?

 

[benginc]

What happens if you touch the dashcam icon while driving?

It doesn't do anything when I tap while driving.

 

[Knightshade]

It doesn't do anything when I tap while driving.

Then there's something wrong. Open a service ticket in the app.

 

[benginc]

Then there's something wrong. Open a service ticket in the app.

I will! I have them coming back to fix some of my initial issues soon, or at least when the parts come in.

 

[benginc]

Just to clarify an older message of mine in this thread... When I thought that it had recorded driving footage even though the dashcam dot was off, I was mistaken. It actually only recorded while the car was parked.

 

[JCtx]

It doesn't do anything when I tap while driving.

Then there's something going on with the USB stick. Did you try formatting it again? Or deleting all 'error' files on a PC? You reportedly need to do that every once in a while... or when you have issues, like you're having now. Good luck.

 

[benginc]

Then there's something going on with the USB stick. Did you try formatting it again? Or deleting all 'error' files on a PC? You reportedly need to do that every once in a while... or when you have issues, like you're having now. Good luck.

I've tried the supplied Tesla drive, another USB drive, and a SD card in a USB reader. I've formatted all via the Tesla, and also via a computer. They all record sentry mode video just fine, so I'm not sure why that would work.

I have a service appointment scheduled for this and a couple other things, so we'll see what they say.

 

[benginc]

A quick update: Tesla came out and replaced the USB hub and they still couldn't get it to work. He started a software update and said to let them know if it helped. It didn't.

The guy said something about there being a "power problem" with the glovebox port, and maybe a future software update will fix it.

When I replied to the messages that it still didn't work, the ticket was closed. They still have parts for other problems on order for me, so maybe they'll do something next time they come back. Who knows?

 

[Donuts]

Same problem on and off dash cam and viewer. 2021 with Tesla USB stick. Today someone reversed into me and of course nothing was recorded. I hit the horn before he actually made contact and it also didn’t trigger dash cam. Why is this so hard to get right. Even updated the software 2 days ago…. Brutal

 

[eNORm]

For me, usb with m.2 ssd works well in the glovebox. Something in the latest update 2021.4.11 fixed it

 

[benginc]

Another update... They fixed it!

It took them a little digging to figure it out, but apparently my car hadn't been marked as delivered, and that was the issue. They did something over the air, and me reboot, and it works now!