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3rd party Heads up Displays

bbell

Member
Sep 14, 2018
112
183
Niagara
Just to bring up the inverse situation, I had a Hyundai rental car for a few days during a vacation a few weeks ago. I found I had totally lost track of the speed I was driving with the speedometer in front behind the wheel. I also found looking down through the steering wheel felt awkward somehow.

I just couldn't make myself look there for it. I found myself looking at the GPS I had stuck on the window (Garmin) to get the speed, which was somewhat closer to where the speed would have been on the Model 3.

So it can work both ways!
 

BluestarE3

Active Member
Apr 2, 2016
4,083
5,154
Norcal
Just to bring up the inverse situation, I had a Hyundai rental car for a few days during a vacation a few weeks ago. I found I had totally lost track of the speed I was driving with the speedometer in front behind the wheel. I also found looking down through the steering wheel felt awkward somehow.

I just couldn't make myself look there for it. I found myself looking at the GPS I had stuck on the window (Garmin) to get the speed, which was somewhat closer to where the speed would have been on the Model 3.

So it can work both ways!
Prior to my Model 3, I had driven a 2001 Prius for 17 years, so having a center-located speedometer was "normal" to me. Likewise for having the "gear" shifter mounted on the steering wheel. On the rare occasion I drive my wife's minivan, I keep activating the windshield wiper when I want to put the vehicle in gear. :)
 

Jimbydude

Member
Jun 12, 2019
61
52
SF East Bay
I've have a couple HUD doodas for previous cars and the generally they were not that good. Either a tiny display area via reflective panel on the windshield, or to look directly through it was mounted on other stuff to get it high enough.

.... integrated OLED windshields, now that would be something.

Also, I don't mind the center screen but would be nice if it swiveled a little to angle better, especially when sun washing it sometimes.
 

jerry33

(S85-3/2/13 traded in) X LR: F2611##-3/27/20
Mar 8, 2012
19,516
21,709
Texas
It's not the speedo that is really needed, it's the navigation, Driver's Aids, and music. Speed glance takes a 1/4 second. It's the other features that take your eyes off the road too long.
Actually, a centre display (when high enough) requires less eye adjustment between the road and the display. Now admittedly the fonts on the map are too small for easy reading and their choice to reduce contrast and eliminate colours (thanks Jony Ives) make it more difficult rather than instant the way the early S and X displays were but the placement is actually fine.
 
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st_o_p

Member
Mar 26, 2019
56
78
NYC metro
People that keep saying "you don't need HUD, you'll be fine" simply have no idea what they're talking about. That's like saying you don't need to drink orange juice cause you can drink plain water.

That being said - I didn't know that there are aftermarket HUD products. I'm not talking about mounting some small screen somewhere - I'm talking about actual HUD. As far as I know - the HUD on my BMW requires special windshield - so I'm not sure that's possible to accomplish aftermarket.

Having actual HUD - with speed, nav directions and audio stations/tracks projected out is priceless.
 

TLLMRRJ

Active Member
Dec 19, 2019
1,641
1,611
Houston
Drive the 3 for a while before you decide on mods. You may find other differences between the S and the 3 that have you change your priorities on where to mod.
 
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spesler

Member
Jul 6, 2018
337
468
Atlanta, GA USA
My previous car was a BMW with a HUD that included speed, media, and nav on the windshield. I drove it for a number of years and said on more than one occasion that I would never buy another car without it.

Then the Model 3 was announced, and the excitement about a Tesla I could actually afford convinced me to give up the HUD.

I don’t miss it at all and never really gave it a second thought.

I think the center screen position is good, nearly in my line of sight, but autopilot is really what makes the no-HUD work. As a start, I don’t worry about my speed as much bc the car is taking care of it once it has been set. For similar reasons, glancing away from the road for a split second is a non-issue when I’m not doing most of the steering.
 

mswlogo

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2018
5,965
4,572
MA, NH
You’ll be fine. I went from Model 3 to Model X and absolutely love the cluster display on the X but I had zero issue with the Model 3 display for speed.

That said, what’s nice about the cluster display is what’s on it, is taken off the main display. Making the already larger display in the X even bigger. Adding a center display doesn’t free up the main display (1/3 is taken away, so you end up with a 10” portrait for Nav vs 17” portrait for Nav).

I also like AutoPilot, gear selection, mini Nav, errors etc. in front. AutoPilot (including blind spot etc) is probably the most valuable being dead center in the cluster. Not the speed. It works fine on center display on Model 3, it’s just nicer in the cluster.

I also have Scan My Tesla running and would not want to get that going every time I get in the car. It will get old, boring and a nuisance over time. It’s nice for debugging and checking on the battery occasionally.
 

Kevin Bohacz

Supporting Member
Aug 8, 2017
126
246
Jacksonville, Florida
It's not the speedo that is really needed, it's the navigation, Driver's Aids, and music. Speed glance takes a 1/4 second. It's the other features that take your eyes off the road too long.

I have a 2018 MS 100D and my wife has a 2019 M3 LR AWD. I agree... What is missing is nav. The speed is not a big deal. Looking at the nav is a huge deal compared to the dashboard nav on my MS.
 

Fresnel

Member
Nov 27, 2019
384
167
USA
I am soon to move from my Model S into a Model 3 and one thing that worries me is getting used to the position of the speedo etc.

I was looking at some basic HUD's that would present my speed only. Most of them look pretty neat, compact and discrete but require an OBD port. To the best of my knowledge, the OBD port isn't available on the Model 3. Can anyone confirm if the OBD is present?

In addition has anyone tried any HUD's with the Model 3?

Besides getting used to looking at the center screen for the speed... once you start using autopilot all the time you'll realize you never have to look at the speed anyway
 

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