Formatting micro SD card in the car

[Abrasha]

I am in the middle of a support issue with Tesla. This is the issue.

When the ability to format my 64GB SanDisk Ultra micro SD card via the Format USB Device button on the screen became available after a software update I did this regularly when the card became full or close to full. That was so much easier than having to delete videos clips one by one.

After a certain later update, I don't remember which one, this is now no longer possible. The USB Format button is still there, but it is greyed out.

Tesla tells me that I must use one of the only two USB drives they recommend in the user manual (page 166). I am sure many other people use different drives or cards than the ones recommended by Tesla.

My question to the group is: What USB drive or card are you using different from the Tesla's recommended ones, and are you able to format it in the car? It would be helpful to be able to present factual feedback to Tesla. Thanks in advance.

 

[P3dStealth]

Is your card formated to fat32? You might be using exfat or nfts.

Your sd card may have also locked from end of life. Try to connect it to your computer and see if you can delete or save anything new on it.

 

[Abrasha]

The card is properly formatted. I can save video, play back on the screen. I can also delete files on my computer. In short, I can do everything with the card except formatting it in the car.

As I mentioned in my post, I was able to do this with this card when this function became first available. After a certain software update this is no longer possible.

 

[P3dStealth]

Try deleting everything on the drive with your computer. Make it blank fat32. Then put it in the car and see if you can format.

I had something like this happen and this is what I did. I'm using an SSD though.

 

[jrweiss98020]

Why don't you just format it on your computer? There are plenty of free formatting tools that will format a large flash drive to FAT32.

 

[Abrasha]

Try deleting everything on the drive with your computer. Make it blank fat32. Then put it in the car and see if you can format.

I had something like this happen and this is what I did. I'm using an SSD though.

I have done that, multiple times. Doesn't work.

I was really looking for people using another USB drive other than the two suggested by Tesla in the user manual, or an SD card who are able to format them in the car.

 

[Abrasha]

Why don't you just format it on your computer? There are plenty of free formatting tools that will format a large flash drive to FAT32.

Thank you for the suggestion, and that does not answer my question. Obviously that is what I now have to do.

As I said in the OP, I was able to do this when the option became available after a software update. It is easy and convenient.

 

[swaltner]

I'm using a USB drive I pulled out of the "junk drawer" as my TeslaCam drive. I just used the on-screen method to reformat my drive last week while running the 2020.36.11 firmware. I reformatted the drive because I got an alert saying that the drive wasn't keeping up with the data flow. My drive is definitely not one of the specific SanDisk or Samsung models mentioned in the documentation. Whatever issue you are encountering is not a blanket ban by Tesla on formatting of "unsupported" drives.

Edit: Is your car in Park when you are trying to format the drive?

 

[lUtriaNt]

My question to the group is: What USB drive or card are you using different from the Tesla's recommended ones, and are you able to format it in the car? It would be helpful to be able to present factual feedback to Tesla. Thanks in advance.

MASTER THREAD: USB drives that work with Sentry and TeslaCam

 

[Abrasha]

Edit: Is your car in Park when you are trying to format the drive?

Yes.

 

[Abrasha]

MASTER THREAD: USB drives that work with Sentry and TeslaCam

My card works with Sentry and TeslaCam, as far as recording video clips. I can play them back on the screen, and I can save them on my computer or phone if I want to. The only thing I cannot do any longer as I could before is formatting the card in the car under Safety & Security > Format USB Device.

 

[lUtriaNt]

haven't read the thread fully, i apologie.

this is not rocket science..

if you are using two seperate cards - one for sentry and one for music - you should unmount one of the cards , leaving the one you want to format mounted.

if you are only using one card, its rare that the car will be broken, so try a different sd card to test if you can format.

if not, it may be a car issue and you should schedule service.

 

[Abrasha]

haven't read the thread fully, i apologie.

this is not rocket science..

if you are using two seperate cards - one for sentry and one for music - you should unmount one of the cards , leaving the one you want to format mounted.

if you are only using one card, its rare that the car will be broken, so try a different sd card to test if you can format.

if not, it may be a car issue and you should schedule service.

Thank you. This does not answer my question.

 

[Abrasha]

I have received several responses to my post. However well intentioned none actually responded to my question in the post. This was my question.

"What USB drive or card are you using different from the Tesla's recommended ones, and are you able to format it in the car? It would be helpful to be able to present factual feedback to Tesla. Thanks in advance."

Tesla only recommends two USB drives.
From user manual page 166:
SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive
Samsung MUF-64AB/AM FIT Plus – 200MB/s USB 3.1 Flash Drive

 

[lUtriaNt]

no disrespect, but are you just being obtuse on purpose?

i LINKED you to a STICKED thread that mentions what others use with NO ISSUE.

if you are too lazy or do not have time to read through thread, and to directly answer your question - I use this card:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084CJJRBW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i also use the same card for music. they are in two seperate usb hubs made by @Navak .

if one has two sd cards installed, the format option may be grayed out. unmounting one will allow the format option to work.

can not make this any clearer sir.

 

[Abrasha]

I use this card:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084CJJRBW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

With all due respect, I am not being obtuse. The link you provided shows a number of USB devices that people use. In those 39 pages I have not been able to find if anyone formats what they use in the car.

Thank you for telling me what card you use which is indeed a different one than the ones Tesla recommends. However, that still does not answer my question. Part of the question was: Are you able to format the card in the car? (Model 3)

 

[sduck]

I am reluctant to participate in this thread due to the limited form of acceptable responses. However, it was easy enough for me to test this for you.

I use a Sandisk Extreme portable ssd, 250 gb, and have for almost 2 years. Never had any problems with it. I unplugged my music ssd, and used the format button in the car for the first time. And then, it sat for a very long time. The dashcam icon disappeared, but didn't reappear. I let it sit for maybe 5 minutes, then gave up, unplugged it, took it to my computer to find out what was going on. It turns out the car had indeed formatted it, in exfat, labeled TESLADRIVE, but hadn't created the TeslaCam folder. Maybe there's an undocumented step to make that happen. Anyway, I created the folder, put it back in the car, it works fine now.

 

[Abrasha]

Strange that it was formatted in exFAT since Tesla says it must be formatted in FAT32

Is your card formated to fat32? You might be using exfat or nfts.

Your sd card may have also locked from end of life. Try to connect it to your computer and see if you can delete or save anything new on it.

The card can be formatted to exFAT or FAT32. It does not make a difference. It even says so in the Owners Manual, page 167. I have done that today using a SanDisk Cruser Glide stick as well as with my micro SD card.

When I put the card in question that I cannot format in the car in my computer I can delete and/or save anything from/to it. Everything works just fine, whether it is formatted exFAT or FAT32. I just can't format it in the car, ... like I used to be able to.

 

[Gasaraki]

Yes, I use an SSD drive that I built and I use the car to format it. The car automatically formats it to exFAT and puts the folder on the drive.

 

[lUtriaNt]

in my post i stated that i am able to format the card in model 3. both cards in fact. i have to remove one to allow the format option to show up (e.g. not be grayed out), so make sure you dont have anything plugged in to the usb posters other than the drive you are trying to format.

I also had a SSD that I pulled from a brand new laptop (512MB) that was successfully formatted.

before we could format in the car i was able to format fat32 and exfat on the computer. I used to have that SSD partitioned with one part for sentry and the other for music. i abandoned this idea when i picked up those hubs made from the chap i referenced to.

i forget if you have another thumb drive you can test but if you do, and it also can not format, you should schedule a service call.

i will assume you have already rebooted the screen with the two thumb salute as well as a deep sleep of the car (turning off the cars sentry and letting it idle and/or just shutting off the car whilst you are sitting in it for 5 minutes).