Camera Window Doesn't De-ice

[Peter 224]

Center upper windscreen there is a panel that has a miniature "Heated Window" section, I presume to defrost the screen over the cameras.
This was the view this morning after pre-heating the car...

Still frozen.
Is this normal, or another fault to report?

Appreciate feedback...

 

[Irata]

This was discussed before.

Put sentry mode on as well as defrost and it will.

It likely should with defrost, but that it does not is a "feature" until they change it.

 

[Peter 224]

This was discussed before.

Put sentry mode on as well as defrost and it will.

It likely should with defrost, but that it does not is a "feature" until they change it.

Thanks... it happens at home and I don't normally have sentry on when the car is parked at home. I'll try next time a frost is forecast. But it doesn't seem to be going to happen for a week or so!

Peter

 

[MrBadger]

Big thread here Front Windscreen Camera Heating Elements Not Working?

lt was sorted around 2021.40.6 if you use defrost mode to preheat, but I guess regressions happen or some do not use defrost mode. Easiest way to tell is if you get a line around the outside top/left of the passenger side of the front windscreen.

 

[Peter 224]

Big thread here Front Windscreen Camera Heating Elements Not Working?

lt was sorted around 2021.40.6 if you use defrost mode to preheat, but I guess regressions happen or some do not use defrost mode. Easiest way to tell is if you get a line around the outside top/left of the passenger side of the front windscreen.

Many thanks, that thread explains exactly what is happening. I'll try leaving the Sentry Mode on overnight and see what happens, although the weather forecast suggests it will be a few days before we get another properly cold morning!

 

[Tigermad]

Big thread here Front Windscreen Camera Heating Elements Not Working?

lt was sorted around 2021.40.6 if you use defrost mode to preheat, but I guess regressions happen or some do not use defrost mode. Easiest way to tell is if you get a line around the outside top/left of the passenger side of the front windscreen.

Defrost mode doesn’t defrost the camera.

 

[Adopado]

Many thanks, that thread explains exactly what is happening. I'll try leaving the Sentry Mode on overnight and see what happens, although the weather forecast suggests it will be a few days before we get another properly cold morning!

Out of interest ... did you use the specific defrost function rather than just the HVAC being on ... I only mention it because it's quite common for people to miss it because for some reason you have to scroll the climate window in the app to see it.

 

[MrBadger]

Out of interest ... did you use the specific defrost function rather than just the HVAC being on ... I only mention it because it's quite common for people to miss it because for some reason you have to scroll the climate window in the app to see it.

Yep. You need to use the button on the left (red arrow) that is revealed after sliding up the lower panel (green arrow)

 

[Tigermad]

Out of interest ... did you use the specific defrost function rather than just the HVAC being on ... I only mention it because it's quite common for people to miss it because for some reason you have to scroll the climate window in the app to see it.

Defrost mode doesn’t defrost the camera. Only sentry does.

 

[Adopado]

Defrost mode doesn’t defrost the camera. Only sentry does.

This has changed according to the post above from @VanillaAir_UK

 

[Tigermad]

This has changed according to the post above from @VanillaAir_UK

It hasn’t though. Posts on other groups say the same, that it doesn’t work :-(

 

[Irata]

It hasn’t though. Posts on other groups say the same, that it doesn’t work :-(

I agree. This is my experience too.

I've tried different combinations to see what does and doesn't work.

The camera heating elements are on with the cameras, not on with defrost.

Turning on sentry does of course turn on the cameras, so turns on those heating elements.

Hence the easiest solution I found was to just turn on sentry mode via the app when I turn on defrost in the mornings.

 

[Peter 224]

Out of interest ... did you use the specific defrost function rather than just the HVAC being on ... I only mention it because it's quite common for people to miss it because for some reason you have to scroll the climate window in the app to see it.

I'd used the Schedule Pre-condition option, with 18C set for 09:00. The car is warm, but the screens are not properly cleared. I'll have to remember to switch on the defrost function when I get the "yout car has reached the desired temperature" message (or whatever it says.. )

 

[Adopado]

I'd used the Schedule Pre-condition option, with 18C set for 09:00. The car is warm, but the screens are not properly cleared. I'll have to remember to switch on the defrost function when I get the "yout car has reached the desired temperature" message (or whatever it says.. )

Yes, the cabin comes up to temp very rapidly just using normal pre-condition so it will back off on the thermostat leaving windows uncleared if very frosty. Defrost puts everything on high so as well as the electrically heated glass you get higher temps via the HVAC that clears the front screen more effectively. (As you will read in posts above it appears that the specific camera heated area on the front screen is not presently coming on with current software versions ... I would expect this to change so keep an eye out for it!)

 

[MrBadger]

lt was sorted around 2021.40.6 if you use defrost mode to preheat, but I guess regressions happen or some do not use defrost mode.

It hasn’t though. Posts on other groups say the same, that it doesn’t work :-(

As mentioned in previous posts/threads, it was fixed in 2021.40.6 (late Nov/early Dec) and is still fixed in 2021.44.6, the latest version prior to v11. If its not working under the conditions below on the current general release versions, its regressed (potentially since v11), the vehicle is behaving different (fault?), or its not being defrosted properly.

But, after reconfirming on my current version (which may not be as up to date as some), defrost of the cameras definitely is working for me as can be seen below from a test this morning. Additional note, the car is plugged in (at 10A) but I do not believe it was when I initially tested this so do not think this is a factor. [update]checking my logs it was plugged in on the day that I previously posted that it was fixed but I still do not believe that being plugged in is a factor as it has cleared on other occasions when it almost certainly would not have been.

This morning, the car was pretty frozen up.

Following settings used to defrost

And 8 minutes later, its nicely defrosted and the windscreen and camera swept area would clear after a single wipe of the windscreen wipers. The camera vision area was mildly warm to the touch. The top of the camera housing (non vision area) remained frozen - its outside of the swept area. This was not the case prior to 2021.40.6 where these settings would not have cleared the camera vision/swept area unless sentry was on or, some reports of the seat heater being on - which without going over my past posts, I cannot recall ever getting to work.

 

[Tigermad]

As mentioned in previous posts/threads, it was fixed in 2021.40.6 (late Nov/early Dec) and is still fixed in 2021.44.6, the latest version prior to v11. If its not working under the conditions below on the current general release versions, its regressed (potentially since v11), the vehicle is behaving different (fault?), or its not being defrosted properly.

But, after reconfirming on my current version (which may not be as up to date as some), defrost of the cameras definitely is working for me as can be seen below from a test this morning. Additional note, the car is plugged in (at 10A) but I do not believe it was when I initially tested this so do not think this is a factor. [update]checking my logs it was plugged in on the day that I previously posted that it was fixed but I still do not believe that being plugged in is a factor as it has cleared on other occasions when it almost certainly would not have been.

This morning, the car was pretty frozen up.
View attachment 762111

Following settings used to defrost
View attachment 762110

And 8 minutes later, its nicely defrosted and the windscreen and camera swept area would clear after a single wipe of the windscreen wipers. The camera vision area was mildly warm to the touch. The top of the camera housing (non vision area) remained frozen - its outside of the swept area. This was not the case prior to 2021.40.6 where these settings would not have cleared the camera vision/swept area unless sentry was on or, some reports of the seat heater being on - which without going over my past posts, I cannot recall ever getting to work.

View attachment 762112 View attachment 762113

Thanks for the info. It’s definately gone now in V11 software. It needs reporting to Tesla somehow.

 

[Peter 224]

Worked a treat this morning: why can't Tesla link the two functions?

 

[MrBadger]

Worked a treat this morning: why can't Tesla link the two functions?

So it is working for you? What did you do different, what firmware version?

 

[Peter 224]

Car is on 44.30.11 and the Apple app whatever the latest one is.
I pre-warmed the car and then when it was at the desired temperature turned on the defrost setting.
The car was like a sauna...
SO..it is perfectly possible that the screen glass was warm enough from the hot air for the window to defrost. I didn't see a stage where the element wires were hot, with ice between.

 

[MrBadger]

Had you used defrost setting before? The non defrost setting is just cabin heating/cooling, the same as you may set on a hot day when you wanted to cool the cabin. Its not a defrost so no reason why the defrost mechanisms such as the cabin camera housing would need to be operational. I can't remember about rear window heater if that gets triggered as tbh, except in hot temperature I don't use the cabin temperature controls remotely. The door mirrors are triggered by rear windscreen heating. Prior to 2021.40.6, even defrost setting wouldn't trigger the front camera element. Sentry will trigger front camera defrost and was the method needed prior to 2021.40.6 - some reports of seat heater also triggering it. The camera heater wires do not get hot, but mildly warm. Once on, that area will clear pretty quick. My test this morning was 8 minutes between turning on and checking, but in the past, even after 4 minutes I have seen the camera area be clear and I suspect its even quicker than that. No reason why front window would clear the camera area as the top of that area remains frozen, although does benefit from a little heat from the cameras themselves - the tell tell is usually the outside top/side of the passenger side windscreen which has the camera heater wire running along it so will often show a decidedly marked line if the camera element has been on - not so obvious in todays picture but very clear in the image in this post.

Anyway, looks like it hasn't regressed in v11 (yet) which is good news. It wouldn't have surprised me if it had.

As for car like a sauna, if you defrost first, then when cabin gets to temperature, if you turn off defrost at that point but keep cabin temperature on, then the cabin will have had a chance to cool (especially if passengers open other doors and leave them open) plus you can then let the car remain at normal setting as if you specifically turn it off in the app, it will also turn it off in the car. As the cabin temperature sensor is pretty much in the cabin heater air flow it vastly over reads the cabin ambient so even though cabin may say 29C, that's only the inbound air flow and pretty quickly cabin temperature will read much lower, possibly not even the temperature set point.