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Enabling Key Card Functionality on 2018 Model S with NFC Pillar Applique Upgrade
- Thread starter Amr Wahbi
- Start date
I’m interested in the answer as well. Do you have MCU2? Is that required? Any gateway configuration settings required for an NFC Key Card?
Also, is there a Bluetooth key retrofit option that would have antenna requirements? And while we’re dreaming, how about a UWB option?
I would have thought the UWB chip was on the MCU3, but looks like it’s in that B pillar hardware.
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Yes it is needed to install these P/N (parts 1496709-S0-B or 1496707-S0-B)
| APPLIQUE,MS,B PLR,LEFT HAND ASSY For vehicles manufactured on or after approximately August 21st, 2017. Must verify Vehicle Option Codes: APH3. | 1496707-S0-B |
While we are waiting for someone to weigh in, can you clarify a few things? I assume these are the 2021 refresh part. Do refresh cars use both left and right NFC pillars? Or just one on the driver’s side? And even if refresh cars ship with both, do have reason to believe it would work with just one?
And more importantly, are you just trying to unlock and are not concerned about starting the car? Because there is a separate internal NFC reader to start the car right?
As per the info I have , both pillars include NFC reader. I think (logically) one should be enough to open the car . Yes I was thinking of unlocking only beside upgrading the camera and I didn't know about other possible functions of the card. I thought it would work same as fobes to start the car without the need for any extra hardware such as internal NFC reader. The only dilema was how to configuer the card after installing the pillars , for that I had a hope that the software will download a new menu item (lock)
Please give my your view as no one in the local tesla service center seems informative. or care about reinovating an old car
they asked me to order and install , if I don't like the result they dismantle and charge me the labor charges twice (install/de-install) !!!!
I don’t know any more than you unfortunately. I’m waiting for someone more knowledgeable to join this discussion. Grin.…Please give my your view as no one in the local tesla service center seems informative. or care about reinovating an old car
It is possible. I group features like this…
1. Things that Tesla doesn’t want you to do and makes hard for you: like upgrading your MCU. I think to keep your car secure and to protect some software features, like FSD, the encrypted gateway is Tesla corporate overseen. Removing a software limited battery lock for example.
2. Things that Tesla builds modularly that it didn’t think you’d implement but surprisingly work. Stuff like having reverse fog lights self enable in the menu in the US when you retrofit new LED tail lights that have those European features. Or adding satellite radio to a model 3 or Y. Good coding simply recognizes that it can enable them.
3. Things that Tesla restricts in certain builds for hardware variations. You have FSD HW3 and MCU1? New FSD builds would run on HW3 but the visualization don’t on MCU1 so Tesla restricts FSD builds there.
4. Things that Tesla restricts in certain builds likely just because of legacy hardware space and processing limitations. Your hardware never shipped with some groups of hardware so Tesla pares those features from your build.
The latter is my big concern.
But as you imply, retrofitting old cars is not what Tesla service centers are paid to do. But sometimes you get lucky and find technicians and advisors who are curious and have discretionary time to help.
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Yesterady I discussed with a Tesla expert who advised that one pillar (1496707-S0-B) should suffice since NFC operates from the driver's side only. he believes that there is a workaround to potentially get the key card operational as they do with model 3 & X . However, upon proceeding with the Tesla services team to book a service, Tesla's response was:
"The B-pillar will cost 230$ excluding VAT and can be ordered and replaced during the upcoming mobile service visit. (Labor: 30$, part: 200$). Please approve the estimate on your Tesla App. Your Model S is not compatible with Key Cards and the system cannot be retrofitted."
Despite Tesla's confirmation on part compatibility, I'm inclined to take the risk and schedule a service to install the new part. The main hurdle remains configuring the card to unlock the car, which, if successful, leads to the next goal: using the card to start the engine. Considering the upgrades I've already made, adding the pillars+cameras would complete the APH3 setup on my vehicle, making this risk potentially worthwhile...Please let me know your thoughts
I don’t think you’re going to configure the car as the gateway configuration is encrypted. I suspect that either it configures itself and works, or more likely, if there isn’t an unchangable gateway setting, and it doesn’t work, that the code simply doesn’t exist in that software build. Like I’m sure that there is MCU3 code that simply doesn’t compile for MCU2 cars, just like there is code from MCU2 builds that doesn’t compile for MCU1.
If you do install it and it doesn’t work at first, I would do a hard reset and retest second, and then if it still didn’t work, I would do a software redeploy third and then retest. I believe some self configuration only happens on software deployment.
Also, if the NFC pillars did unlock your car, you’d still need an NFC point inside the car (on which to place the card) to start right? Would it work in an NFC enabled car to hold the card out the window over the NFC spot to start the car?
Anyway, I commend your willingness to spend time and money at the service center to explore. If only all service centers were so adventurous.
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You were spot on about the NFC —it turns out the necessary connection for the NFC reader was indeed not exist. The technician highlighted that my car is equipped with only a single cable for the camera, lacking the blue connector essential for the NFC reader.
To my surprise, the PILLAR APPLIQUE (parts 1496709-S0-B or 1496707-S0-B), which was supposed to include the NFC reader, arrived without one. I discovered this firsthand upon opening the package, but I didn't dwell on it much. Therefore, even if the pillar had arrived with the reader, it wouldn't have been operational.
After replacing the left pillar, I noticed an improvement in the Cam quality and Enhanced Autopilot's performance, particularly with varying street light reflections overnight. I'm now eagerly awaiting the arrival of the right pillar to complete the HW3 upgrade of all cameras.
If there's one more upgrade to come that would be my GPS antenna. Lately, I've been experiencing a "poor GPS signal" that interrupts the EAP/Cruise Control/and even the navigation map, a problem the Tesla service center acknowledged last week as affecting a segment of customers, promising a resolution in the coming days. Some old forum threads point to an antenna issue, suggesting a switch to a newer GPS antenna that communicates with 7 satellites instead of 3 could be the solution. Whether this applies to my situation remains to be seen. Time will tell.
