How to access ECU / Autopilot computer / hardware on model 3?

[Three3]

Long time lurker first time poster.

I am waiting to buy a model 3 until it has hardware 3 / HW3 on it (days to months away, apparently), standard. If nothing else for a higher resale value when I eventually sell the car.

I’ve seen posts and videos on how to access the ECU / autopilot computer on the model S but not the model 3. Is there an easy(ish) way to access the ECU on the 3 just to take a quick peak at the autopilot computer, to confirm the hardware version, when I get the car? (I know about the APH3/4 codes but it also sounds like some folks got Model S’s with old hardware even after the point at which the new 2.5 hardware was supposed to be standard.)

Thanks.

 

[ewoodrick]

Why are you waiting, if you get autopilot, you will get a computer upgrade for free.

 

[Three3]

Thanks but actually you only get the “free” upgrade if you pony up an additional $3k for the FSD option, and I have no interest in doing that. So my original question stands.

 

[Knightshade]

There's no reason to wait.


If you get FSD you get HW3 regardless of if it came in the car.

If you don't get FSD then HW3 is of no value or benefit since just EAP doesn't need it.

No impact on resale either due to the above, since having HW3 on a car you didn't buy FSD on doesn't add anything (and if the new owner adds FSD later he gets the HW upgrade free so again no value add to your waiting).

Waiting does possibly cost you half the tax credit though if you don't take delivery before June 30.



All that said, it's supposedly about a 30 minute job to swap the computer, so I'd imagine it's accessed fairly easily taking some dash panels off if you insist on checking anyway.

 

[Three3]

Noted, thanks, though my original question still stands. Appreciate anyone who has the technical info who could post a how-to re accessing the ECU/autopilot computer on the 3.

 

[evannole]

How's this going to work, exactly? You're going to take delivery, take the car apart enough to verify the computer version, and then if you don't like what you see, return it? Or, alternatively, take it apart before you take delivery when you're giving it the cosmetic once-over, and, again, if you don't find what you want, refuse delivery of a car that you've partially disassembled? Yeah, I don't think either of those approaches is going to fly.

If you sign your car up for TeslaFi, you can see all of the option codes that represent the options your car has.. Apparently the current AP hardware is represented by the code APF0. I don't know what code the next-gen hardware will have.

Decoding Model 3 Option Codes

So, you can check the hardware version after you buy the car via TeslaFi, but I still don't think you'd be able to return the car if it doesn't have the updated hardware unless you paid for FSD. The point is moot. As others have said, HW3 is needed only for FSD, and if you or whoever buys your car pay for FSD somewhere down the line, you or they will get HW3 as part of the FSD package.

 

[Three3]

Indeed, if Elon Musk or Tesla announce that all new vehicles ordered after date x have hardware 3 and if I order after that date and discover it does not have hardware 3 then back it goes.

Return Policy

The codes seem somewhat infallible and that is why I am looking for a way to physically verify the hardware version.

 

[Three3]

Edit I mean the codes seem somewhat *fallible.

 

[SeBsZ]

Actually, the Tesla API returns the wrong option codes for all Model 3s, they all seem to be identical and wrong for all cars out there. For example, I'm getting a black car returned even though mine is blue.

 

[tgouverneur]

I order after that date and discover it does not have hardware 3 then back it goes.

That's some sound buying logic, right there.

 

[FoundLostDogs]

Long time lurker first time poster.

I am waiting to buy a model 3 until it has hardware 3 / HW3 on it (days to months away, apparently), standard. If nothing else for a higher resale value when I eventually sell the car.

I’ve seen posts and videos on how to access the ECU / autopilot computer on the model S but not the model 3. Is there an easy(ish) way to access the ECU on the 3 just to take a quick peak at the autopilot computer, to confirm the hardware version, when I get the car? (I know about the APH3/4 codes but it also sounds like some folks got Model S’s with old hardware even after the point at which the new 2.5 hardware was supposed to be standard.)

Thanks.

I did the same and made it a condition of purchase that my Model 3 must be fitted with HW3 but when I collected yesterday from London Heathrow and ran some tests the only video I could record was H.264 associated with HW2.5 and NOT H.265 (HEVC) associated with HW3.0. I made my purchasing decision based on Autonomy Day and now feel gutted I have not been supplied as ordered.

 

[Three3]

I wouldn’t despair, you well could have HW3 since I believe all the codecs are now the 264. There are threads on how to check the computer physically.

Since I was waiting to buy specifically until I could buy a HW3 vehicle, this was important to me. It was nice to confirm that I had HW3 physically once I got the vehicle.

 

[jjrandorin]

I did the same and made it a condition of purchase that my Model 3 must be fitted with HW3 but when I collected yesterday from London Heathrow and ran some tests the only video I could record was H.264 associated with HW2.5 and NOT H.265 (HEVC) associated with HW3.0. I made my purchasing decision based on Autonomy Day and now feel gutted I have not been supplied as ordered.

You can not tell by the codec anymore, since we believe they have HW3 emulating HW2.5 so you will need to physically look at it to check.

 

[Joe300@]

How's this going to work, exactly? You're going to take delivery, take the car apart enough to verify the computer version, and then if you don't like what you see, return it? Or, alternatively, take it apart before you take delivery when you're giving it the cosmetic once-over, and, again, if you don't find what you want, refuse delivery of a car that you've partially disassembled? Yeah, I don't think either of those approaches is going to fly.

If you sign your car up for TeslaFi, you can see all of the option codes that represent the options your car has.. Apparently the current AP hardware is represented by the code APF0. I don't know what code the next-gen hardware will have.

Decoding Model 3 Option Codes

So, you can check the hardware version after you buy the car via TeslaFi, but I still don't think you'd be able to return the car if it doesn't have the updated hardware unless you paid for FSD. The point is moot. As others have said, HW3 is needed only for FSD, and if you or whoever buys your car pay for FSD somewhere down the line, you or they will get HW3 as part of the FSD package.

I have a model 3 less than a month old. Built in Oct/19. I added the fsd option but the car was not a custom build. I think they were just shipping batches to Canada with common configurations. My dashcam is encoding in h264. According to some that means I have the Nvidia processor, not the new hardware 3 one? I have also heard they're not using the h265 encoding because it causes problems at this point. I don't see why we should have to guess about the existence in our car now of things we paid for especially since they bragged about it at their public meetings early last year. If its a big secret they should not ramble on about how much better it is and about its built in redundancy and so on and on. What's the harm in knowing if it's there now. At least if they never call you to update your hardware you can remind them.What's the problem with that? Without getting into ripping the car apart when you pick it up they should just tell you.

 

[jjrandorin]

I have a model 3 less than a month old. Built in Oct/19. I added the fsd option but the car was not a custom build. I think they were just shipping batches to Canada with common configurations. My dashcam is encoding in h264. According to some that means I have the Nvidia processor, not the new hardware 3 one? I have also heard they're not using the h265 encoding because it causes problems at this point. I don't see why we should have to guess about the existence in our car now of things we paid for especially since they bragged about it at their public meetings early last year. If its a big secret they should not ramble on about how much better it is and about its built in redundancy and so on and on. What's the harm in knowing if it's there now. At least if they never call you to update your hardware you can remind them.What's the problem with that? Without getting into ripping the car apart when you pick it up they should just tell you.

As I said earlier in this thread, the codec is not a way to check anymore. Also, you "paid for" FSD, so you either have HW3 now, or it will be retrofitted into your car. The fact that they had to change the codec back to the same one HW2.5 was using means to me they are using some sort of emulation.

Until there is an FSD feature released that you can not use with the car you have, you have what you "paid for" (just like I do, on my Hw2.5 car, waiting for retrofit because of my FSD purchase).

 

[meowsers]

Appreciate anyone who has the technical info who could post a how-to re accessing the ECU/autopilot computer on the 3

Just pull the panel behind the glovebox and it is there. As from another site " if you remove the panel above the passenger footwell that has the footwell light and small speaker installed you should be able to see the bottom of the computer assembly which is in a metal enclosure and it should have a visible part number and serial number sticker (see photos)."

 

[Joe300@]

As I said earlier in this thread, the codec is not a way to check anymore. Also, you "paid for" FSD, so you either have HW3 now, or it will be retrofitted into your car. The fact that they had to change the codec back to the same one HW2.5 was using means to me they are using some sort of emulation.

Until there is an FSD feature released that you can not use with the car you have, you have what you "paid for" (just like I do, on my Hw2.5 car, waiting for retrofit because of my FSD purchase).

Jj. I understand what you're saying. You seem to know what hardware you have. I'm not 100% sure. Not sure if this falls under the right of manufacturer to make unannounced configuration changes for improvements. I suppose I'll have to look at the board to satisfy my curiosity however mine was made early October 2019 so should have hardware 3. Also if they are emulating h264 in software with the new processor instead of using native hardware designed for h265, I'm not sure what to make of that. I think it shows the new processor has extra speed and power to take on that task it wasn't designed for.I don't really know enough about processors. They did spent a great deal of time bragging about how great their new board is!