I retrofit MCU2, IC2, Tuner2, and FSD Computer into my HW2.0 Car

Here's my story of my DIY HW2.0 retrofit for MCU2, IC2, TUNER2, and FSD Computer:

I want to begin this post by offering the most honest caveat I can: I do not encourage you to repeat anything I have done. In fact, now that Tesla is offering the MCU2 and FSD Computer retrofits officially, I highly recommend you go do that. MCU2 + FSD is wonderful. I am presenting this post to hopefully provide some guidance and entertainment to members of this great community – a place that I’ve found endlessly fun for the past several years during my Tesla ownership. I make no claims that the guidance offered below is correct or suited to your circumstances.

Towards the end of January, late one night while tinkering with my Tesla, I had a realization – I finally knew enough about the Model S/X hardware & software architecture to attempt one of the most involved retrofits I’ve ever done on a vehicle – an MCU2/IC2/Tuner2/APE3 retrofit into my HW2.0 MCU1 Model S. After a LOT of research, and with tons of help from others in this community (thank you to those that helped; you know who you are), I wanted to share my success story of retrofitting MCU2/IC2/Tuner2/APE3 to work in my car. All told – I have a fully working MCU2/IC2/Tuner2/APE3 with all the Theater, Arcade, Caraoke, FM Radio, Web Browser, Dashcam, Sentry, FSD visualizations and other goodies you would expect.

“But Tesla now offers an official MCU2/APE3 retrofit!” you say…” Why would you want to do a retrofit yourself?” Good question…there’s a couple reasons I chose to do this myself:

• I completed the retrofit a couple months before Tesla finally came out with a public announcement that MCU2 retrofits were officially official. I’d been waiting for Tesla to follow-through on Elon’s never-ending tweets promising a retrofit was coming and finally just decided I’d do it myself.
• Tesla charges $2,500 for the MCU2/IC2 retrofit and does not include the XM/FM Tuner2. I thought I’d try getting Tuner2 to work – which I did.
• I found a person with a wrecked 2018 Model S who was willing to sell me the MCU2, IC2, Tuner2, and wiring harness out of the car – everything I needed from a hardware perspective for a reasonable price. All in, I saved roughly $1,000 doing this myself compared to asking Tesla to do it. Honestly though, I probably put 100+ hours into this project and went from knowing nothing to knowing a lot. I didn’t really save time/money; quite the contrary. I did this because it was a ton of fun.
• I got the APE3 (FSD Computer) unit on loan from a friend. I did purchase FSD from Tesla and will have Tesla install my forthcoming APE3 unit whenever they actually do it.

Come along as I take you through my journey of retrofitting the MCU2/IC2/Tuner2/APE3 hardware into my HW2.0 car.

 

[KyleDay]

Thanks @Akikiki - Then you’ll like what I’m cooking up next. Might have more to share soon.

 

[kingpleb]

Please keep us posted! An MCU3 upgrade would be epic or MCU4

I did also get told if a batch of 1000 processors was ordered, intel can make custom ones... Wouldn't be cheap but a good way to get a heck of a lot more oomph from the units if they could be desoldered and solder on the new ones...

 

[pickleking]

Here you go. It’s been so long I remember CMD as being a tough pin. I also only used D0

I’ve wondered about going to mcu3. I know the voltage is different, but that can be stepped up.

 

[kingpleb]

mcu3 in an S or X or would be nice. extra speed bump.
would be even better if we can skip and go to 4. especially with the way ryzen can be rooted now

 

[lonertic]

mcu3 in an S or X or would be nice. extra speed bump.
would be even better if we can skip and go to 4. especially with the way ryzen can be rooted now

*Rubs a defibrillator together with glee*

Did someone say a voltage jump?

 

[kingpleb]

Seriously I think there is a market for this. With Ryzen so rootable now it's easier then mcu2 in some ways and you may as well skip to mcu4 as it looks like the same compromise will work across both as it's a Ryzen issue...

 

[Krash]

…may as well skip to mcu4…

I think the cooling and input current can be hacked. Hopefully the Ryzen builds either share the same code base as the x86 or they are modular enough to run the vertical screen even though all the Ryzen have horizontal screens.

 

[Daniel Mikhael]

@KyleDay sorry for being slightly off-topic, but I had a FSD HW3

 

[Daniel Mikhael]

@KyleDay I had an FSD HW3 computer fail on my 2016 S. The Service center is quoting me 2K to replace it. I was wondering if I could install a used one that I buy online into a software redeploy or are they vin locked? Should be plug and play as long as i buy the correct part. Thanks for the help!

 

[KyleDay]

Just curious - How did it fail? What are the symptoms?

I believe the answer is yes you can swap a standalone APE3 with ease (I haven’t done this in years so I’m assuming nothing has changed with Tesla’s process at mothership). You’ll need to install the replacement unit and then run a software full reinstall/redeploy from the service menu within the MCU (by typing ‘service’ into the password box). You‘ll want to do the software reinstall fairly soon after installing the replacement APE3 (FSD) unit because with a new foreign network device on the gateway (the new APE3) the car will not recharge your 12v battery until the successful adopotion via a successful software redeploy. Should be easy and quick.

 

[kingpleb]

Afraid a used one won't work.

You can get away with this within about 90-120days of the vehicle last being online, BUT the certs have a very short life in the units and when they expire, even a Tesla service centre can't renew them.

Warning to anyone who's car goes fully offline for a long period and is out of warranty, you could have a whole heap of pain to contend with.

 

[cloneguru]

Afraid a used one won't work.

You can get away with this within about 90-120days of the vehicle last being online, BUT the certs have a very short life in the units and when they expire, even a Tesla service centre can't renew them.

Warning to anyone who's car goes fully offline for a long period and is out of warranty, you could have a whole heap of pain to contend with.

FYI: the certs are good for 2 years from the renewal date.

 

[Daniel Mikhael]

Afraid a used one won't work.

You can get away with this within about 90-120days of the vehicle last being online, BUT the certs have a very short life in the units and when they expire, even a Tesla service centre can't renew them.

Warning to anyone who's car goes fully offline for a long period and is out of warranty, you could have a whole heap of pain to contend with.

Just curious - How did it fail? What are the symptoms?

I believe the answer is yes you can swap a standalone APE3 with ease (I haven’t done this in years so I’m assuming nothing has changed with Tesla’s process at mothership). You’ll need to install the replacement unit and then run a software full reinstall/redeploy from the service menu within the MCU (by typing ‘service’ into the password box). You‘ll want to do the software reinstall fairly soon after installing the replacement APE3 (FSD) unit because with a new foreign network device on the gateway (the new APE3) the car will not recharge your 12v battery until the successful adopotion via a successful software redeploy. Should be easy and quick.

Appreciate it, I ended up dropping itnoff at the service center its been there for a few days now sitting lol. Weird because smart summon worked, auto high beams and green light chime. But no visualizations or autopilot / cruise control would work.

 

[kingpleb]

FYI: the certs are good for 2 years from the renewal date.

They definitely expire a lot quicker than that.
I had a brand new Tesla provided unit.

Fitted it, was fine for a few weeks, swapped to another unit and put it on the shelf.
Tried the unit again a few months later and it wasn't playing.
Tesla refunded me for the unit and some other bits as they couldn't sort it either.
They did confirm the certs expire and are set for a short interval for this reason. Shame as it creates a lot of e-waste but then hey ho.

 

[Solar40]

Just curious - How did it fail? What are the symptoms?

I believe the answer is yes you can swap a standalone APE3 with ease (I haven’t done this in years so I’m assuming nothing has changed with Tesla’s process at mothership). You’ll need to install the replacement unit and then run a software full reinstall/redeploy from the service menu within the MCU (by typing ‘service’ into the password box). You‘ll want to do the software reinstall fairly soon after installing the replacement APE3 (FSD) unit because with a new foreign network device on the gateway (the new APE3) the car will not recharge your 12v battery until the successful adopotion via a successful software redeploy. Should be easy and quick.

Damn, I got a late 2016 hw3 mcu1 car as well. Got fsd and can’t get it without a mcu2 upgrade. I’d almost rather pay anyone else to upgrade it at this point. Is there anyone that can install a mcu2 upgrade beside tesla in the nyc, Hudson Valley area??

 

[MP3Mike]

Damn, I got a late 2016 hw3 mcu1 car as well. Got fsd and can’t get it without a mcu2 upgrade.

I thought FSD was available on MCU1 vehicles now, as long as they had the correct, RCCB, cameras. (And Tesla will replace the cameras if you have the older RCCC ones.)

 

[brainhouston]

They definitely expire a lot quicker than that.
I had a brand new Tesla provided unit.

Fitted it, was fine for a few weeks, swapped to another unit and put it on the shelf.
Tried the unit again a few months later and it wasn't playing.
Tesla refunded me for the unit and some other bits as they couldn't sort it either.
They did confirm the certs expire and are set for a short interval for this reason. Shame as it creates a lot of e-waste but then hey ho.

Is this for FSD computer or MCU?
Cause i bought the car from auction that was dead for 3 month and no certs issues after i powered it on...
Plenty of other salvage buyers out there and i haven't heard any cert issues...

 

[geordi]

Here's an offer for someone then - I had my MCU2 replaced b/c the screen suddenly failed (blank grey display) while the MCU was working perfectly underneath. The screen came back with bizarre colors once or twice before I got to the service center, but the MCU itself never had an issue.

I got the thing back from them, just to maybe mess with it. But if someone wants it for their frankenbuild, message me. I'll sell it. It was last powered up September 12th 2023.

 

[kingpleb]

Is this for FSD computer or MCU?
Cause i bought the car from auction that was dead for 3 month and no certs issues after i powered it on...
Plenty of other salvage buyers out there and i haven't heard any cert issues...

This is for the APE unit.
Also in Europe, maybe the hardware is slightly different, but I'm not the only one who's come across this. And even had it on a salvage unit that was shipped from Florida to me(not a flood damage car but collision)

 

[dibun]

Can it be done easily with Tesla Toolbox? Do we know how Tesla technicians will do if someone wants to do it from them?