Dashcam doesn't work due to DAS 2.0?

[scrumpto]

Short Version TLDR
My Tesla has the dashcam equipment but Tesla says it won't work with DAS 2.0.

Questions:

1. Is this true (and how do I check)?
2. Is there a way to fix this, get it upgraded, etc?

Full Version
I have a December 2016 Model S 75D (was a 60D) and have been trying to get the dashcam feature to work. Sentry Mode seems to work but nothing I do gives me the Dashcam icon.

I went into the dealership and they told me (without looking at the car) that I don't have the cameras. So I went to the parking lot and took photos and showed them and one of the guys explained that indeed the late 2016 models did receive the equipment. When I contacted Tesla as to why I couldn't get the feature to work they told me they'd send out a tech to check it out. I just received a text from Tesla saying they'd canceled the appointment as Dashcam isn't supported on our car as we have DAS 2.0. I had to ask what hat was and he explained and said it only works with version 2.5 and 3.0.

So I have dumb cameras?

Can anyone help explain this situation and why I "might" be able to do about it?

 

[SO16]

I have HW 2.0 as well.

Sentry can turn on and “see” people. But it doesn’t record.

Dashcam doesn’t exist for ours either.

Our cameras are not full color cameras. Just grey and red. Color cameras came out with HW 2.5.

It is what it is. Maybe someday that will change for us but I’m not counting on it.

I was surprised I even got partial Sentry mode.
Sentry Mode: Guarding Your Tesla

“Sentry Mode must be enabled each time a driver wants to use the feature by going to Controls > Safety & Security > Sentry Mode. The feature will begin rolling out today to U.S. Model 3 vehicles, followed by Model S and Model X vehicles that were built after August 2017.”

I purchased regular dash cams when I first received my Jan 2017 built Tesla. Before Sentry and Tesla cam even existed. I still use my dashcams.

 

[croman]

HW2 was never given the binaries for recording. It doesn't have a redundant processor so Tesla never could get dashcam to work alongside AP. Initially they did but they never gave us the ability. Sentry would be easy AP is off while it's parked but still no dice.

 

[murphyS90D]

Your car has AP 2.0 hardware. It doesn't support the dash cam. There is nothing that you can do other than buy a newer car.

 

[grayguy]

Resurrecting an old thread here because I see some things stated that do not align with my experience. I posted in more depth about it in this thread, but in short the cameras on my MS with HW 2.0 (delivered end of March 2017) recorded Sentry and Dashcam footage onto my SD card when I tested it back in January 2020, but I only had a small SD card which filled up quickly, and then didn't mess with it again until much later when I discovered that my Sentry was not recording.

The recordings from that short period of time when I looked at them looked like full color to me.

I would like to find the actual software version update that released this to my car and then find the software version that removed it, and the look at the detailed notes of that release. I still have not found that out or found other owners with HW 2.0 that have recordings from that presumably short period with such a small number of cars that have that hardware package, before Tesla quickly "fixed the glitch" and updated the HW package.

I'm also wondering if there is a way to find out if my cameras might actually be the cameras that made it in HW 2.5, but they just register as 2.0 based on some other link in the chain of that hardware package. I'm guessing that's hard to diagnose and figure out without support from Tesla.

 

[vcor]

More info. I had MCU1 with FSD and HW2.0 and 3.0 AP processor (Dec-2016 S). Dashcam worked but was limited to Front and two sides (no rear) and the quality was awful. Lots of tearing in the video. Color is poor because of the HW2.0 cameras as others pointed out. I didn't notice if/when Tesla disabled video recording with MCU1. MCU1 just didn't have the power to process the video, so it makes sense they removed that feature.

I upgraded to MCU2, and it made a world of difference. All four cameras record properly without any issues. The color is still poor on the front and sides, but the rear looks great. Tesla announced plans to update the 7 HW2.0 cameras to HW2.5 cameras for free for those that bought FSD. This rollout is very slow, and you can't ask for it. Tesla will let you know when you can come in to have them replaced. Seems the rollout is in VIN order. Once that is done, the front and sides will have better color rendition.

 

[vcor]

By the way, what is DAS 2.0? Do you mean HW 2.0?

 

[scrumpto]

By the way, what is DAS 2.0? Do you mean HW 2.0?

Yes but that's what support called it back when I wrote this. Everything totally fixed now due to free upgrades (with new cameras coming in the near future).