How is your rear camera after MCU1 to MCU2 upgade (dark?)

[Battpower]

Everybody, PLEASE open this as a bug report. This will bump it up in their queue. I was told to just wait until it was fixed with software, or I could pay $550 to have my camera swapped out with a different one. This sucks.

The underlying issue being discussed here does NOT relate to a camera Fault based on evidence so far.

Both brand new cars with MCU 2 and cars that have been upgraded to MCU 2 exhibit the same problem. The only common element is that MCU 1 cars do not have the problem.

I have seen nothing to suggest that there is a camera replacement that would fix the issue. Try and find anyone with MCU 2 who can post a decent low-light image from the rear camera.

Look at the combined feed from Teslacam viewer and you can see that the rear image contrast on MCU 2 cars is completely different from the other three, but only on MCU 2.

"I was told to just wait until it was fixed with software, or I could pay $550 to have my camera swapped out with a different one."

What they maybe didn't say is that you would be any better off with a different camera or that you could avoid waiting for a software fix.

'fixes' showing little or no longterm progress:

USB audio player bugs.
Reversing camera contrast / brightness.
Fogging of b-pillar cams in cold weather.
Phantom braking.
Condensation in light units (rear and driving).

(obviously not all software, but certainly been sat on my list for over a year with no progress and promise of 'fix' to come eventually.)

 

[AWDtsla]

Has anyone filed an NHSTA complaint? My car does this too, and it's not an upgrade. Service already replaced the rear camera 2 months after I picked it up, didn't make a bit of different.

 

[bob_p]

When we scheduled our MCU2 with radio upgrade, I asked our local Tesla service about dim rear view camera (this was 3 months ago).

At that time, they claimed it wasn't a problem.

So based on that, I'm going to be checking the rear view camera - before and after the upgrade - and if the rear view camera is too dim to be usable - will talk with the service manager about remedies before accepting the vehicle and paying for the upgrades.

Is this an issue only at night? Or is the camera also much dimmer in daylight?

 

[Battpower]

When we scheduled our MCU2 with radio upgrade, I asked our local Tesla service about dim rear view camera (this was 3 months ago).

At that time, they claimed it wasn't a problem.

So based on that, I'm going to be checking the rear view camera - before and after the upgrade - and if the rear view camera is too dim to be usable - will talk with the service manager about remedies before accepting the vehicle and paying for the upgrades.

Is this an issue only at night? Or is the camera also much dimmer in daylight?

If you look back through this thread, especially at teslacam viewer with mulitple camera images on the same display, it is very clear that wit MCU2 the dark areas are way blacker than with MCU1. That is visible in all light conditions and with good lighting gives the impression that the rear image is very sharp and clear.

In low light levels MCU 1 seems to have lower contrast but better visibility of darker areas of the image. A bright light source shining into the rear camera makes things worse almost as though exposure is adjusted to try and suit the point light source rather than give overall visibility.

The images in this post show the effect:

Like this?

View attachment 536813

This is the view from the MX 2017 MCU1 under similar conditions:

View attachment 536814

And a couple of images of all cams from the viewer at night under good street lighting that clearly shows how much darker the rear view is than the others:

View attachment 536823
View attachment 536825

 

[KyleDay]

When we scheduled our MCU2 with radio upgrade, I asked our local Tesla service about dim rear view camera (this was 3 months ago).

At that time, they claimed it wasn't a problem.

So based on that, I'm going to be checking the rear view camera - before and after the upgrade - and if the rear view camera is too dim to be usable - will talk with the service manager about remedies before accepting the vehicle and paying for the upgrades.

Is this an issue only at night? Or is the camera also much dimmer in daylight?

You’ll notice a darker contrast during the day, but won’t notice how unusable it is until night.

 

[BrokerDon]

You’ll notice a darker contrast during the day, but won’t notice how unusable it is until night.

This is much more noticeable when there is no ambient light... Just the light from your Tesla's backup and license plate lights.

The darkness is much less noticeable when there are streetlights.

 

[SucreTease]

The darkness is much less noticeable when there are streetlights.

Seems obvious to me, but wouldn't this be because there actually is less darkness when there are streetlights?

 

[AWDtsla]

Seems obvious to me, but wouldn't this be because there actually is less darkness when there are streetlights?

No. The camera/software are experiencing what's known as "black crush". This means video levels below a certain level go to full black, i.e. if it was working right 10% video input would show 10% video level on the screen, but just to make up numbers let's say any signal lower than 20% is shown at 0%.

You can clearly see the picture is defective by comparing in real time to the side repeaters and front camera.

What are "crushed" blacks? (and why are they bad?) - The Solid Signal Blog

 

[Battpower]

No. The camera/software are experiencing what's known as "black crush". This means video levels below a certain level go to full black, i.e. if it was working right 10% video input would show 10% video level on the screen, but just to make up numbers let's say any signal lower than 20% is shown at 0%.

You can clearly see the picture is defective by comparing in real time to the side repeaters and front camera.

What are "crushed" blacks? (and why are they bad?) - The Solid Signal Blog

^^^^^^^^^ Exactly THIS! Yes.

 

[Hank42]

When we scheduled our MCU2 with radio upgrade, I asked our local Tesla service about dim rear view camera (this was 3 months ago).

At that time, they claimed it wasn't a problem.

So based on that, I'm going to be checking the rear view camera - before and after the upgrade - and if the rear view camera is too dim to be usable - will talk with the service manager about remedies before accepting the vehicle and paying for the upgrades.

Is this an issue only at night? Or is the camera also much dimmer in daylight?

Take photos of the display under similar lighting conditions - same time of night, and same external l ight sources.. Also, make sure the camera you are taking the photos with(your phone?) is set to manual mode - set the fstop,white balance, and exposure are identical between the "bnefore" and "after" so that you have accurate "evidence" that there is an issue.

 

[AWDtsla]

Take photos of the display under similar lighting conditions - same time of night, and same external l ight sources.. Also, make sure the camera you are taking the photos with(your phone?) is set to manual mode - set the fstop,white balance, and exposure are identical between the "bnefore" and "after" so that you have accurate "evidence" that there is an issue.

Don't do any of this. Plug in a USB and take a sentry mode/dashcam capture. Playback the video files on a computer, observe clearly it's recording garbage from the rear camera only, side/front and just fine.

 

[Cheburashka]

Take photos of the display under similar lighting conditions - same time of night, and same external l ight sources.. Also, make sure the camera you are taking the photos with(your phone?) is set to manual mode - set the fstop,white balance, and exposure are identical between the "bnefore" and "after" so that you have accurate "evidence" that there is an issue.

But what's the actual point?

Tesla hasn't addressed this issue since 2018, doubt it's on their mind now.

 

[Zuikkis]

How do you like it so far now that you have it?
Would you recommend it? I'm considering doing the same as the night view is horrible.

I'm not sure. The rear camera is reasonably good at the moment, but it might be simply because we have a lot of snow so everything is white. So it's a bit hard to say how much these added lights are contributing..

At the moment much bigger problem is that Model S seems to have such aerodynamics that when driving, snow will cover the entire rear end of the car, blocking all lights and camera. So most of the time camera really IS dark, unless you get out to wipe it clean..

 

[Battpower]

aerodynamics that when driving, snow will cover the entire rear end of the car,

OT, but I've also noticed similar but on salted roads. Even at steady, slow speeds for maybe 50 miles, the whole car remains clean except for the wheels and all over the rear end which get a uniform and pretty heavy coating!

I suspect it's not really much different from other cars, but it did make me stop and wonder....

 

[AWDtsla]

But what's the actual point?

Tesla hasn't addressed this issue since 2018, doubt it's on their mind now.

Legal and regulatory avenues are available.

 

[Akikiki]

Thanks.

I realize my post was slightly ambiguous in that I did not state that my car is a 2019 MS Raven, so has MCU2 from factory.

I drove an MCU1 MX 2017 loaner a while back, and the rear view camera was fine. Obviously a slightly darker image during daylight is no big deal, but at night when reversing even with reasonable street lights the darker image is much harder to see and in darker surroundings it's useless.

If they left your original camera installed when the MCU was updated then clearly it is not the camera causing the problem.

Good to hear from someone who has seen the change when the MCU was swapped.

Actually, I can respond here because I have the latest rear camera revision, AND I swapped from mcu1 to mcu2 using the same rear camera. Mcu2 displays rear camera as darker. It’s harder to discern detail at night. It’s like the turned the contrast up or something.

@Battpower, @kdday,

kdday, when you say you have the latest rear camera, is that 1061269-00-D? That's the one in the current catalog. I found one on eBay and bought it. I disconnected my "B" in my post-MCU2 upgraded '17 S and connected "D". I went thru some different view, i.e., parked with camera view on screen, in reverse with foot on brake, in reverse with foot on brake and headlights turned off, and in reverse without foot on brake. The view/image was unchanged. Bottom line, I don't think a new camera makes any difference to resolving a lower light image on the cars with upgraded MCU2.

 

[KyleDay]

@Battpower, @kdday,

kdday, when you say you have the latest rear camera, is that 1061269-00-D? That's the one in the current catalog. I found one on eBay and bought it. I disconnected my "B" in my post-MCU2 upgraded '17 S and connected "D". I went thru some different view, i.e., parked with camera view on screen, in reverse with foot on brake, in reverse with foot on brake and headlights turned off, and in reverse without foot on brake. The view/image was unchanged. Bottom line, I don't think a new camera makes any difference to resolving a lower light image on the cars with upgraded MCU2.

I have a C revision, but yes I agree with you.

 

[appleguru]

Add me to the list. Finally upgraded to MCU2; backup camera that used to work fine is now useless at night. Thought dashcam was broken because all of the rear videos from being parked in my driveway were just all black. Brought clips into VLC and boosted brightness / contrast and can just make out a few shapes, so there is something there.

 

[Akikiki]

Hey apple, nice to see you here. Been a while, huh?

 

[appleguru]

Hey apple, nice to see you here. Been a while, huh?

Indeed... Has been a busy few months (!)