FM Radio Solution for Upgraded MCU2 cars?

[bob_p]

While it may be possible to use a smartphone with streaming apps (or an FM tuner) to replace most of the content lost during the infotainment upgrade, using those apps requires interacting with the smartphone while the vehicle is in motion - which is illegal in many areas.

If Tesla supported Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, or another screen mirroring solution, the smarphone apps might be accessible through the console display.

Unless Tesla adds radio support for the MCU2 upgrade, or provides a way to interact with smartphone apps through the console, we likely won't spend $2500 to upgrade the MCU on a vehicle that is over 3 years old.

 

[Barry]

Then how is everyone using their cell phones inside the car?

Signals do get through the side and rear windows, as they are non-coated glass. There are cell towers in every direction. Radio/TV is typically transmitted from a single high spot in a metro area. If you're driving towards that location, reception will be minimal. If you are broadside or driving away from that location, then you should be OK.

 

[Cowbell]

Hi - I have tried to digest the hundreds of posts in the MCU2 upgrade threads but can’t quite find any solid answers here...

Has anyone found an FM tuner of any kind that can broadcast over Bluetooth to our car stereo? I assume it would need to pair with our car as a phone connection to play thru the built-in audio player?

I think a solution like this would be the answer for us :

3rd Party interface for MCU2 to Analogue AM/FM/XM Radio

 

[kmob07]

We had our first drive-in movie last night post-MCU2 upgrade for my ‘17 MS, so it was “do or die” time.

Can’t say it was the most acoustically perfect cinema experience, but it worked in a pinch:

 

[quickstrike12]

That thing is tiny and stealth it’s like it’s not even there.
Perfect

 

[P100D_Me]

When upgrading from MCU1 to MCU2 AM, FM, and XM radio are lost. The upgrade does not include the digital tuner that MCU2 needs to replace the analog tuner that MCU1 uses.

This can't be an engineering oversight, it's just a plain stupid decision.
If the USB media player and Spotify worked flawlessly then maybe this would be acceptable, but they don't and I often find myself just going back to FM radio rather than deal with the spinning circle of nothingness or "Loading Error"

 

[ucmndd]

This can't be an engineering oversight, it's just a plain stupid decision.

It’s a “we don’t want to dig in the dash and add an hour or two of labor to each retrofit to get at the tuner buried in the dash” decision.

Stupid or not, based on the demand it seems like there are plenty of takers.

 

[bob_p]

Whatever the cost, they should add an option for upgrading the tuner - and let the owners decide if they want to spend the extra $$$.j

Or, they should allow owners to order the radio part(s), arrange for the installation themselves, and then allow the radio to be activated by Tesla (what they aren't allowing right now).

We're not going to spend $$$ on upgrades to a 3+ year old vehicle and lose the radio.

 

[drklain]

We're not going to spend $$$ on upgrades to a 3+ year old vehicle and lose the radio.

You're not going to, but clearly thousands of Tesla owners have...and are quite satisfied with the upgrade despite the loss of the FM tuner...

 

[P100D_Me]

We're not going to spend $$$ on upgrades to a 3+ year old vehicle and lose the radio.

This mentality has been very successful for phone manufacturers, remove still useful legacy technology and charge people more for the privilege.

 

[BLW2]

do you all mean AM radio?
I was under the impression that they have FM but not AM.....

 

[ucmndd]

do you all mean AM radio?
I was under the impression that they have FM but not AM.....

Factory MCU2 cars have FM from an installed digital tuner module.

MCU1 cars have an analog tuner, which Tesla does NOT replace as part of the infotainment upgrade process, so cars receiving the infotainment upgrade no longer have ANY radio at all, AM or FM.

 

[BLW2]

ohhh, I see.... so the message is to stay away from older used ones if you like radio. Got it.

Suddenly having flashback to what were old cars even when I was a kid..... that had under dash mounted external radios or tape decks... jump back to the days of the 8-track...nice!

 

[bob_p]

MCU1 vehicles have AM, FM (with HD radio), XM

MCU2 vehicles have FM (with HD radio), XM - since many of the AM stations are rebroadcast in HD radio, losing AM isn't a huge loss

MCU1 vehicles upgraded to MCU2 have no radio - the TuneIn app is not a replacement for many of the lost AM, FM, XM stations, so a smartphone running streaming apps (requiring using the smartphone's display for control) is only replacement for the lost radio stations

Overall, Tesla has been pretty good about backwards compatibility - adding new functionality for older vehicles (such as releasing the new navigation software for all vehicles). The MCU1 to MCU2 upgrade is the first case where they're taking away functionality from existing vehicles in order to get access to new features.

They should provide a quote for the MCU2 radio to be added to the Infotainment upgrade and let owners decide if they want to do it, rather than ruling it out. Assuming that the cabling can be done between the radio and the upgraded MCU2, this isn't a technical restriction - just a business decision for Tesla not to offer this as an option.

And if Tesla isn't going to provide this as an option for their service, they should allow owners to upgrade the radio on their own or with a 3rd party, and then activate it for the owner once the radio has been installed.

 

[Krash]

...a smartphone running streaming apps (requiring using the smartphone's display for control) is only replacement for the lost radio stations...

There is no streaming replacement for lost radio stations for people who live without data coverage because you can't stream without data coverage.

The only replacement is a radio - whether or not it integrates with the MCU.

 

[plumazul]

It’s a “we don’t want to dig in the dash and add an hour or two of labor to each retrofit to get at the tuner buried in the dash” decision.

Stupid or not, based on the demand it seems like there are plenty of takers.

This is clearly false. I could install a new digital Tesla radio before I arrived for that upgrade and they STILL won't do it. This is pure Tesla arrogance and almost certainly (my car is still under full warranty) a court case.

 

[ucmndd]

This is pure Tesla arrogance and almost certainly (my car is still under full warranty) a court case.

You're going to sue Tesla for offering you a voluntary upgrade that doesn't meet your expectations for features?

lol, ok.

 

[plumazul]

You're going to sue Tesla for offering you a voluntary upgrade that doesn't meet your expectations for features?

lol, ok.

Try to keep up. The PROBLEM is that Tesla won't let you keep your radio even if you do it yourself using THEIR parts. There are laws in this country about that kind of behavior. My hope is that when and if this comes to attention of Tesla's general counsel, the policy will change.

 

[KyleDay]

Try to keep up. The PROBLEM is that Tesla won't let you keep your radio even if you do it yourself using THEIR parts. There are laws in this country about that kind of behavior. My hope is that when and if this comes to attention of Tesla's general counsel, the policy will change.

Yes they will. It’s an industry standard practice and Tesla charges a “core charge” of $1,000 to keep the old MCU. But that still isn’t the tuner that this thread is about. Mcu1 uses an external analog tuner to support radio, mcu2 uses a different external digital tuner box that does not get installed when retrofitting mcu1 to mcu2.

 

[ucmndd]

Try to keep up. The PROBLEM is that Tesla won't let you keep your radio even if you do it yourself using THEIR parts. There are laws in this country about that kind of behavior. My hope is that when and if this comes to attention of Tesla's general counsel, the policy will change.

What “laws in this country” lead you to believe that Tesla is under any obligation whatsoever to help you install and configure a part in your car that wasn’t there from the factory?