2022 Model 3 USB-C ports inside the console don't communicate with infotainment system

[drivec]

Just got my 2022 M3 LR last Tuesday. The USB-C ports inside the center console are present and powered, but are not talking to the infotainment computer (controllers, drives don’t work). USB in glovebox works fine with drives and controllers. I know that the rear ports are power-only and are functioning as such.

As far as I can see, the manual indicates these are supposed to communicate with infotainment. I've scheduled service for sometime towards the end of the month. Software version 2021.35.103. The restart combination of holding both steering wheel buttons successfully reboots the screen, but does fix the issue.

Anyone else run into this issue? If so, were you able to fix it?

 

[rpiotro]

Not 100% certain but I think that is just the way it is. I remember seeing a post here about a person that added a USB hub to the port in the glove compartment so they could play music from a USB stick and still retain the TelsaCam recording capability.

BTW, you have an old software version. It generally can take up to 8 weeks after purchase to get your first update. After that they come more regularly.

I'm on 2021.36.8. My son's Y is on 2021.40.6 but I've heard of a few minor issues with that one.

 

[EVRider-FL]

There are 4 USB ports in the console, two at the front and two at the rear. Only the front ones can be used for media playback or recording video. If the front ones aren’t working as expected, make a service appointment.

 

[bthoj]

I just received my 2022 Model 3 SR in November and on SW 2021.35.103 same issue. All 4 usb slots work and fast charge my phone but when I connect usb hub for the wired controller it does not work. The controllers I used PowerA Xbox Wired controller with micro usb to usb A, PS3 with 5 pin Mini B to usb A , PS4 micro usb to usb A, PS5 usb C to usb A and usb C to usb C. The PowerA controller does not get power (does not light up XBOX symbol) , PS3 (controller number 1-2-3-4 turns on)- PS4 (touchpad lights up) - PS5 (touchpad lights up) controllers all have power but does not work. The only usb slot I did not try was the USB in the glove box.

 

[vinh.dam@vdnet]

I got my Model 3 LR last Saturday, the 11th of Dec.
Which regard to USB port, I have 2 USB-C in front console and 2 in the rear. None in the glove compartment.
I think it is stupid because USB-C ports are for peripheral device.
Tesla car act as computer and not peripheral device. Cellphones, tablets are.
I have not seen a computer that has an USB-C.
Now I have to find appropriate cables to charge my cell phones and I don't know what kind of cable the friends in the back seat need.
I bought bunch of USB sticks and now can't use them.
I hope Tesla retrofit this to standard USB.

 

[IronCoffee_Max]

I got my Model 3 LR last Saturday, the 11th of Dec.
Which regard to USB port, I have 2 USB-C in front console and 2 in the rear. None in the glove compartment.
I think it is stupid because USB-C ports are for peripheral device.
Tesla car act as computer and not peripheral device. Cellphones, tablets are.
I have not seen a computer that has an USB-C.
Now I have to find appropriate cables to charge my cell phones and I don't know what kind of cable the friends in the back seat need.
I bought bunch of USB sticks and now can't use them.
I hope Tesla retrofit this to standard USB.

USB-C is standard USB. Almost all computers use them now. Many exclusively. Phones (except for iPhones) also use them almost exclusively.

You want USB-C, not USB-A which is the old standard being phased out.

 

[TexasTezla]

I got my Model 3 LR last Saturday, the 11th of Dec.
Which regard to USB port, I have 2 USB-C in front console and 2 in the rear. None in the glove compartment.
I think it is stupid because USB-C ports are for peripheral device.
Tesla car act as computer and not peripheral device. Cellphones, tablets are.
I have not seen a computer that has an USB-C.
Now I have to find appropriate cables to charge my cell phones and I don't know what kind of cable the friends in the back seat need.
I bought bunch of USB sticks and now can't use them.
I hope Tesla retrofit this to standard USB.

Nearly all Apple Macs nowadays are USB C...USB C is fast becoming the standard...USB C to USB3 adaptors are cheap ($9 for a pack of 3 on Amazon) so yes you can use your USB sticks

 

[tm1v2]

USB-C is standard USB. Almost all computers use them now. Many exclusively. Phones (except for iPhones) also use them almost exclusively.

You want USB-C, not USB-A which is the old standard being phased out.

Also USB-C can provide much more power than USB-A. Up to 100W in the current standard. The USB-C ports in my Model 3 go up to 27W which is more than enough for any phone, and enough to keep most portability-focused laptops going. (Probably not for a gaming laptop or such.)

I'm really glad Tesla went all USB-C.

 

[vinh.dam@vdnet]

I don't see the added value in a car. USB-C is physically flimsy, with more adapter sticking out it would break easily. 27W is enough for a small soldering iron but who will need that.

 

[TexasTezla]

I don't see the added value in a car. USB-C is physically flimsy, with more adapter sticking out it would break easily. 27W is enough for a small soldering iron but who will need that.

Added value that lots of people DO see:
USB-C features a new, smaller connector shape that’s reversible so it’s easier to plug in. USB-C cables can carry significantly more power, so they can be used to charge larger devices like laptops. They also offer up to double the transfer speed of USB 3 at 10 Gbps. They also offer faster charging for mobile phones. While connectors are not backwards compatible, the standards are, so adapters can be used with older devices.

If you don't see the value there then you are outta luck my friend because you have 'em!

Also, the adaptors are like 0.5" added length. They will only break if you whack them. As for USB-C being flimsy...actually it is quite the opposite. Much less likely to be damaged due to much smaller footprint and therefore less likely to be struck. I have USB-C on my work Dell laptop, on my Macbooks, phone and other devices. MUCH better than USB-A...IF you keep your gadgets up to date...if your equipment is more USB-A based then you are either going to need adaptors OR update your gear!

 

[stopcrazypp]

I don't see the added value in a car. USB-C is physically flimsy, with more adapter sticking out it would break easily. 27W is enough for a small soldering iron but who will need that.

You can use an angle adapter or an adapter with a small section of cable to reduce the chances of it breaking. Most people however would be better off just buying the cables as that gives the full speed of the port.

 

[bthoj]

I got my Model 3 LR last Saturday, the 11th of Dec.
Which regard to USB port, I have 2 USB-C in front console and 2 in the rear. None in the glove compartment.
I think it is stupid because USB-C ports are for peripheral device.
Tesla car act as computer and not peripheral device. Cellphones, tablets are.
I have not seen a computer that has an USB-C.
Now I have to find appropriate cables to charge my cell phones and I don't know what kind of cable the friends in the back seat need.
I bought bunch of USB sticks and now can't use them.
I hope Tesla retrofit this to standard USB.

My glovebox has a USB-A slot for the sentry mode and dash cam recording for a thumb drive. So I am guessing that your M3 LR is set up the same way for the USB-A slot. I forget but read somewhere that it was USB 3.0 for better Sentry Mode and Dashcam footage recordings. Also it "prevents" anyone from opening the glovebox and taking the thumbstick or hard drive you installed.

 

[drivec]

It looks like Tesla may be pulling a fast one. Another post concerning a 2022 Model Y having the same issue. Specifically, the user notes that there's an addendum that mentions that cars manufactured after 2021-11-01 have in-console USB-C that are charge-only. If this is the case, this is super lame.

 

[stopcrazypp]

It looks like Tesla may be pulling a fast one. Another post concerning a 2022 Model Y having the same issue. Specifically, the user notes that there's an addendum that mentions that cars manufactured after 2021-11-01 have in-console USB-C that are charge-only. If this is the case, this is super lame.

Wow, that sucks. I guess they don't have enough parts and they switched to a data only port. A lot of other automakers straight up just removed the ports and gave a credit.

As others pointed out in the thread, while this whole thing is being sorted out, there are plenty of USB 3.0 hubs you can use in the meantime in the glovebox's USB-A connection.

 

[bthoj]

So an update on the usb a connection in the glove box, Yes, that port works with controllers. I tested with and without a hub and it works, so the downside is the glove box has to be open when using the controllers and with a hub for 2 controllers. Also you have to remove the sentry/dashcam memory if you want to use the hub or plug the memory stick into the hub and leave it in. Not sure how much this affects the quality since I have not tested before and after with the hub on the sentry/dashcam videos.

 

[frankusb]

This is Tesla's way of obsoleting USB media playback!

 

[dmurphy]

I don't see the added value in a car. USB-C is physically flimsy, with more adapter sticking out it would break easily. 27W is enough for a small soldering iron but who will need that.

Actually, I've seen LOTS of broken USB-A connectors (try a charging port at an airport sometime....); haven't run across any USB-C issues at all yet.

USB-A can't die fast enough for me.

Bring on USB-C everywhere.

 

[tm1v2]

So an update on the usb a connection in the glove box, Yes, that port works with controllers. I tested with and without a hub and it works, so the downside is the glove box has to be open when using the controllers and with a hub for 2 controllers. Also you have to remove the sentry/dashcam memory if you want to use the hub or plug the memory stick into the hub and leave it in. Not sure how much this affects the quality since I have not tested before and after with the hub on the sentry/dashcam videos.

Going through a USB hub should have no effect on the memory stick / sentry / dashcam UNLESS:

1) The USB hub is slower speed than the USB port and memory stick. E.g. if you were using a USB 3 memory stick, *and* the USB port is USB 3, but the USB hub is only USB 2, then you'd be limited to USB 2 speeds of course. This is almost certainly not a problem, I'm pretty sure (haven't checked though) the USB port is only USB 2, and USB 2 has been standard for a loooong time now, nobody sells USB 1.x-only hubs these days, and I think you'd have to dig pretty hard to come across one anywhere.

2) You are using up a lot of the USB bandwidth for other activities. The port's bandwidth will be shared across all devices on the hub (for a given set of USB data lanes). However I doubt game controllers use much bandwidth, and you're probably not using them at the same time that you need sentry / dashcam recording anyways.

3) Some weird compatibility issue or insufficient power from the USB port for the hub + multiple devices. I think this is unlikely to be an issue as well, especially if you're not doing dashcam recording at the same time as using the controllers.

I think you're unlikely to have any issues. But if you do, maybe the list above will help you troubleshoot.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Going through a USB hub should have no effect on the memory stick / sentry / dashcam UNLESS:

1) The USB hub is slower speed than the USB port and memory stick. E.g. if you were using a USB 3 memory stick, *and* the USB port is USB 3, but the USB hub is only USB 2, then you'd be limited to USB 2 speeds of course. This is almost certainly not a problem, I'm pretty sure (haven't checked though) the USB port is only USB 2, and USB 2 has been standard for a loooong time now, nobody sells USB 1.x-only hubs these days, and I think you'd have to dig pretty hard to come across one anywhere.

FYI, the glovebox port is USB 3.0, so it benefits to use a 3.0 hub. There is no practical price difference between the two, so might as well get a faster hub.

 

[Grisha]

Just got my 2022 M3 LR last Tuesday. The USB-C ports inside the center console are present and powered, but are not talking to the infotainment computer (controllers, drives don’t work). USB in glovebox works fine with drives and controllers. I know that the rear ports are power-only and are functioning as such.

As far as I can see, the manual indicates these are supposed to communicate with infotainment. I've scheduled service for sometime towards the end of the month. Software version 2021.35.103. The restart combination of holding both steering wheel buttons successfully reboots the screen, but does fix the issue.

Anyone else run into this issue? If so, were you able to fix it?

Hi, while reading some European forums, I noticed that many people who got their car after the 1st of November 2021, got USB ports in the middle console whit no data capability, only charging. This maybe due to some components shortage in the manufacturing process.
(don’t know though if that only affects the cars from the Shanghai factory or US as well)
My M3 LR from end of August came from China, everything working as expected, perfect assembly quality, even with passenger lumbar seat, and radar. And is boosted as well. Happy M3 owner