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It's too late, my MCU1 Died....

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Never in a million years will Tesla replace MCUs out of warranty, for free, in perpetuity.

Nor will this ever get to “talk of an official recall”. Recalls are for safety defects. This is not a safety defect.

If the problem affects HVAC defogging (front), resistance defogging (rear), exterior lighting, or ADAS features the NHTSA might disagree about it not being safety related.
 
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If the problem affects HVAC defogging (front), resistance defogging (rear),
No. As I said before, even if your MCU fails on the most windshield-fog-prone day imaginable, while you're actively driving, there is no safety issue as you have ample time to safely stop operating the car.

exterior lighting
Only if you can demonstrate that the MCU completely failing while driving causes the lights to cut out without warning. (spoiler: it doesn't)

or ADAS features
Can't think of a single ADAS feature dependent on the MCU and whose sudden lack of availability would present an unacceptable safety risk.


Look. There's lots of room for reasonable debate as to whether or not Tesla should do something, at their expense, to address this issue. But there's NOT a lot of room for reasonable debate on whether or not this particular failure is the type of defect that would warrant a mandatory NHTSA safety recall under the currently understood rules and regulations that govern such things.

Automotive safety recalls are for things that can cause sudden and unavoidable danger or loss of life if not proactively remedied.

Defective tires.
Engines that catch on fire.
Airbags that explode with a mess of hot shrapnel.
Defective seat belts.

Not the inability to change the radio station or cabin temperature.
 
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No. As I said before, even if your MCU fails on the most windshield-fog-prone day imaginable, while you're actively driving, there is no safety issue as you have ample time to safely stop operating the car.


Only if you can demonstrate that the MCU completely failing while driving causes the lights to cut out without warning. (spoiler: it doesn't)


Can't think of a single ADAS feature dependent on the MCU and whose sudden lack of availability would present an unacceptable safety risk.


Look. There's lots of room for reasonable debate as to whether or not Tesla should do something, at their expense, to address this issue. But there's NOT a lot of room for reasonable debate on whether or not this particular failure is the type of defect that would warrant a mandatory NHTSA safety recall under the currently understood rules and regulations that govern such things.

Automotive safety recalls are for things that can cause sudden and unavoidable danger or loss of life if not proactively remedied.

Defective tires.
Engines that catch on fire.
Airbags that explode with a mess of hot shrapnel.
Defective seat belts.

Not the inability to change the radio station or cabin temperature.

Here are some recalls I picked at random from NHTSA’s website.

86E689BE-92EF-497F-9E6C-14F4DA7C1AE9.jpeg
10746D77-8809-4293-9E02-D182570B0730.jpeg
1B61F44B-6140-4621-BDE2-69F62166D0AA.jpeg
6C0FB433-053C-4495-9C08-2C7273A957AB.jpeg
 
Here are some recalls I picked at random from NHTSA’s website.

View attachment 468919 View attachment 468920 View attachment 468921 View attachment 468922

Exactly, I think those examples prove my point nicely. ALL of them relate to:

Missing or misleading documentation for critical safety functions that might lead to injury or death in a crash if the erroneous documentation is followed
Sudden reduced ability to control the propulsion or direction of the vehicle
Defective safety-related parts that don't operate as intended in the event of a crash
Malfunction of sensors that control the operation of critical safety functions


Not the ability to change the radio station or HVAC settings.
 
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I would argue why the MCU is failing.
Because Tesla is using the eMMC to log tons of data for THEIR use!
It is nothing the owner NEEDS.
In my opinion if Tesla is using OUR equipment extensively for THEIR use (to collect data) it shouldn’t be our responsibility to pay for it because it fails after just a few years.
At least offer a replacement of the chip for a reasonable price instead of replacing the entire MCU and have the customer pay for it...
Or offer us (finally) an upgrade to the MCU2 which shouldn’t have the same issue after a few years (again)!
 
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Exactly, I think those examples prove my point nicely. ALL of them relate to:

Missing or misleading documentation for critical safety functions that might lead to injury or death in a crash if the erroneous documentation is followed
Sudden reduced ability to control the propulsion or direction of the vehicle
Defective safety-related parts that don't operate as intended in the event of a crash
Malfunction of sensors that control the operation of critical safety functions


Not the ability to change the radio station or HVAC settings.
My owner's manual was on the screen that failed... ;)
 
Exactly, I think those examples prove my point nicely. ALL of them relate to:

Missing or misleading documentation for critical safety functions that might lead to injury or death in a crash if the erroneous documentation is followed
Sudden reduced ability to control the propulsion or direction of the vehicle
Defective safety-related parts that don't operate as intended in the event of a crash
Malfunction of sensors that control the operation of critical safety functions


Not the ability to change the radio station or HVAC settings.

How might a new driver to the car learn of preciously-enabled autopilot limitations without the MCU? TACC? AEB? Suspension height? How might one know the status of various ADAS features without the MCU? Where might they find the manual to learn these features in an unfamiliar car they borrowed from a friend?

While you obviously disagree, it seems apparent to me that a number of pretty significant functions reside solely within the MCU that would fall in line with NHTSA’s concept of safety concerns.

“Sole control point for ADAS, front and rear defog, mirror folding, seat and steering column memory positions, acceleration and top speed limiting devices, valet restrictions, wiper sensitivity, front trunk access, and all access to documentation for these features can fail without notice while driving and could increase the risk of a crash” does not seem far-fetched to me.

I once had my car recalled because the airbag warning sticker was on the wrong side of the visor.

This issue, in my opinion, is about more than tuning the radio. It doesn’t affect me, and I’m grateful, but at the very least Tesla needs to provide a fast and affordable method of remedying this issue.
 
My last post on this.

How might a new driver to the car learn of preciously-enabled autopilot limitations without the MCU? TACC? AEB? Suspension height? How might one know the status of various ADAS features without the MCU? Where might they find the manual to learn these features in an unfamiliar car they borrowed from a friend?

They could look up the owners manual online like anyone else.

Again. The failure of a vehicle component - any component - does not necessarily present an emergent safety risk. Someone continuing to operate a car with a failed component that limits access to settings and controls is stupid, and probably ill-advised, but not a recall-worthy safety risk.
 
An update to my 1st post:

The "used" MCU came. It came out of a car and "worked" when it was in the car. On his the dismantler's bench it did not come up. He grabbed another one same result.
I told him ship it to me anyway, I will risk it. The car won't take a charge at this point, so I need it fixed asap.

My "friend" came over with his laptop and confirmed again that my eMMC was bad. He took out my MCU, installed the used one. Screen was DEAD.
I said, why don't we swap tegra boards in cause we know mine is bad, and the used MCU might have something else wrong with it.
Nope, still doa.

So at this point dismantler has no more MCU 1's. and I'm stuck paying whatever tesla charges for a refurb. FML

I'm pretty salty over this.

I'm willing to bet MCU2 upgrades will come out within a month knowing my luck.

Anyone know how much they charge for this in the LA area?
 
For the past week I've had totally blank web browser and "What's New" dialog. Persisted through two updates. Is this another symptom of the same thing? I'm at the right time, one month past 4 years on a 2015 S 70D.
 
An update to my 1st post:

The "used" MCU came. It came out of a car and "worked" when it was in the car. On his the dismantler's bench it did not come up. He grabbed another one same result.
I told him ship it to me anyway, I will risk it. The car won't take a charge at this point, so I need it fixed asap.

My "friend" came over with his laptop and confirmed again that my eMMC was bad. He took out my MCU, installed the used one. Screen was DEAD.
I said, why don't we swap tegra boards in cause we know mine is bad, and the used MCU might have something else wrong with it.
Nope, still doa.

So at this point dismantler has no more MCU 1's. and I'm stuck paying whatever tesla charges for a refurb. FML

I'm pretty salty over this.

I'm willing to bet MCU2 upgrades will come out within a month knowing my luck.

Anyone know how much they charge for this in the LA area?

Check out our thread. I'm in LA/OC area and can help.

Preventive eMMC replacement on MCU1

Terga board can not be just swapped without modification. There are specific files on your terga that needs to be copied into the new one in order for the MCU to be able to work with your car. Repair may still be possible.
 
An update to my 1st post:

The "used" MCU came. It came out of a car and "worked" when it was in the car. On his the dismantler's bench it did not come up. He grabbed another one same result.
I told him ship it to me anyway, I will risk it. The car won't take a charge at this point, so I need it fixed asap.

My "friend" came over with his laptop and confirmed again that my eMMC was bad. He took out my MCU, installed the used one. Screen was DEAD.
I said, why don't we swap tegra boards in cause we know mine is bad, and the used MCU might have something else wrong with it.
Nope, still doa.

So at this point dismantler has no more MCU 1's. and I'm stuck paying whatever tesla charges for a refurb. FML

I'm pretty salty over this.

I'm willing to bet MCU2 upgrades will come out within a month knowing my luck.

Anyone know how much they charge for this in the LA area?

try pulling the gateway SD card from your “new” MCU.

What are the LEDs inside the MCU doing? Do you see any ethernet network traffic on the IC connection?

Also, note that your MCUs *might* have slightly different pinouts/connections depending on the year they were made/the car they came out of.Tesla makes an adapter harness, or you can re-pin the existing ones yourself.
 
My last post on this.



They could look up the owners manual online like anyone else.

Again. The failure of a vehicle component - any component - does not necessarily present an emergent safety risk. Someone continuing to operate a car with a failed component that limits access to settings and controls is stupid, and probably ill-advised, but not a recall-worthy safety risk.

Here’s a recall for a failed touchscreen that causes lack of defrost control. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RCLRPT-19V051-5247.PDF


Edit: found another. The NHTSA does consider lack of defrost to be a recall safety item:
9F012B88-C156-4607-B58D-769B3031960D.png
 
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Here’s a recall for a failed touchscreen that causes lack of defrost control. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RCLRPT-19V051-5247.PDF


Edit: found another. The NHTSA does consider lack of defrost to be a recall safety item:
View attachment 469097

Someone should contact nhtsa about this and see what they say. IMO losing control of all vehicle functions that the MCU controls is a safety issue. It's not even a chance anymore. We know MCU1 will die at some point
 
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Someone should contact nhtsa about this and see what they say. IMO losing control of all vehicle functions that the MCU controls is a safety issue. It's not even a chance anymore. We know MCU1 will die at some point


Anyone who had one fail can file a report online, it is really simple. However, considering the lack of action the NHTSA has put into the control arm issue (arguably a much scarier failure mode), I wonder how long it would take for them to look at it.
 
Anyone who had one fail can file a report online, it is really simple. However, considering the lack of action the NHTSA has put into the control arm issue (arguably a much scarier failure mode), I wonder how long it would take for them to look at it.

Well just saw an article about the model S door handles. A guy died because the fire department couldnt get the handles to retract. Wonder if theyll be looking at them
 
Well just saw an article about the model S door handles. A guy died because the fire department couldnt get the handles to retract. Wonder if theyll be looking at them

I wonder why no one broke the window to get the fellow out? Door handles fail all the time on many makes of cars after crashes, that is why fire departments have the jaws of life. If a regular car crashed with the doors locked and the driver was unconscious, I think bystanders wouldn’t be able to get in either.
 
Check out our thread. I'm in LA/OC area and can help.

Preventive eMMC replacement on MCU1

Tegra board can not be just swapped without modification. There are specific files on your terga that needs to be copied into the new one in order for the MCU to be able to work with your car. Repair may still be possible.
@TonyT Thanks for the info. My friend with toolbox made an attempt to clone my mcu and was unable, but he was ready generate new keys and a new profile on whatever tegra board ended up working. So I believe as far as software was concerned I would be ok because he has access to "official" methods of copying the data.
Im interested in your offer to help though! Are you able to board level repair the tegra board here in LA? I have a neighbor with 2 cars as well. We are both in the same boat.
 
try pulling the gateway SD card from your “new” MCU.

What are the LEDs inside the MCU doing? Do you see any ethernet network traffic on the IC connection?

Also, note that your MCUs *might* have slightly different pinouts/connections depending on the year they were made/the car they came out of.Tesla makes an adapter harness, or you can re-pin the existing ones yourself.

According to my friend, toolbox saw the gateway, but the MCU was not "turning on" even after sending commands with toolbox. So, both MCU's were bad eMMC. Both MCU's were manufactured literally within 10 days of each other and were the same revision.
 
Here’s a recall for a failed touchscreen that causes lack of defrost control. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RCLRPT-19V051-5247.PDF


Edit: found another. The NHTSA does consider lack of defrost to be a recall safety item:
View attachment 469097

I hate to sound like a broken record here, but.

The first one (Dodge) is for fifteen (yes, one-five) vehicles that left the factory with a combination of options that caused them to have NO defrost capability at all when brand new.

The second is to address an INTERMITTENT failure that causes the feature to occasionally malfunction with no warning, creating an emergent and ongoing safety issue.

Neither of these are related or similar to the one-time permanent failure of a part that controls this function.

I get that y’all really want to believe that the government is gonna step in and fix this for you, and I’m pissing in your Cheerios, but that doesn’t make me wrong. Let’s be realistic.
 
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