Best Upgrade Path for Dec 2016 Model S?

[realyc]

Hey folks,

I have a December 2016 Model S 90D which was right after they introduced AP2.0. I did *not* purchase autopilot back then. I recently bought the software update for base autopilot, and I'm looking to upgrade it to both have MCU2 and also be FSD capable (as a subscription since I probably won't keep it for more than a couple more years).

Right now, I cannot subscribe to FSD unless I request a hardware upgrade for $1000 according to the app. It's not clear to me what exactly that upgrade does. I also heard that it's a bad idea to do that upgrade without also having MCU2, since my MCU1 is slow and I'm already having issues with it. That means I'd also need an infotainment upgrade.

So there are three upgrade paths I can see:

1. Do the infotainment upgrade (which is $2250 for cars with AP2.x; the upgrade includes HW3 according to the service quote). Then afterwards wonder if either FSD subscription would be already available (because maybe the FSD upgrade was just for HW3), or be at a reduced price (because maybe the FSD upgrade also included colored cameras?), But then maybe it would be the same $1000 price and then that's a bit of a loss for me.

2. Do the $1000 hardware upgrade that enables FSD, and then come back to do the infotainment upgrade and hope that it would now be $1750 because it's now presumably AP3.0, and infotainment upgrades are cheaper for AP3.0? But then maybe not, because maybe they meant for AP2.0 "cars"?

3. Request both upgrades at the same time but not sure what Tesla service would give me. (They are a bit slow and sometimes I wonder if they know what they are talking about...)

Anyone more knowledgeable about this? Thanks!!

 

[vcor]

I personally think #1 is the best option (and is what I did on my 2016 S). You'll get two new screens, the new MCU2, and I think they will give you the AP3 hardware (not sure, I had FSD, so they installed AP3 HW). As for cameras, those that buy FSD and have HW2.0 get in a queue to have the 7 cameras replaced. Maybe you would be lucky and they would replace them with the MCU2 retrofit. The camera upgrade is free, but I suspect you may have to have purchased FSD to qualify.

 

[ucmndd]

You want the infotainment upgrade. It includes the HW3 autopilot computer.

 

[realyc]

Thanks guys!! I'll go with the infotainment upgrade then. They did say in the quote that it will include HW3. As for the cameras, I don't care for it that much as long as it's not a requirement to subscribe to FSD (which from what it sounds like is not; since people who have FSD get into a queue anyway). Thanks!

 

[gaswalla]

OP - you need to better informed...
-FSD requires MCU2 and HW3. No one with MCU1 has received FSD or even is in queue. Thus, getting MCU2 (with 'free' HW3) is your only option if you want FSD
-your car has RCCC cameras. FSDb requires RCCB cameras. You can click the button to into FSDb queue, but you will not receive FSDb until the cameras are upgraded to RCCB.. The cameras are free for folks who purchased FSD - unclear about the pathway for folks like yourself.

Here's a thread with folks with similar builds: Wiki - FSD’s Earliest Adopters Still Waiting

 

[JimmyB]

Option 4 - upgrade to a 100D on which someone else has already paid for MCU2 and FSD (or EAP, since FSD isn't really worth having ) ... you may lose FUSC (if you have it) but you'll gain range and charging speed. Something to think about.

 

[ucmndd]

Option 5 - leave FSD for the birds because it’s hot garbage