Likely MCU Failure (MCU1 eMMC)

[am_dmd]

Huh? So the first replacement is going to last 3 years but you are positive the second replacement is only going to last 1?

You might have to pay to replace the MCU every 4 years, but if it last 3 years like you say you only have to pay every 6 years. If it lasts 3.9 years you only have to pay to replace it every 7.8 years. (Of course if it lasts 4.01 years you would have to pay to replace it every 4.01 years.)

Or you could buy an extended warranty that costs about the same as the MCU, and it would cover lots of other things too. (Like the charger, DC-DC, AC, etc. that are all common failures.) (I'm not sure about the price on that, it could cost double the cost of a replacement MCU.)

So you are positive that replacement will last exactly 3 more years?
I don't know how you are getting 6 years?
Based on others quotes MCU is not $1800. Yes I could buy extended warranty or just buy a whole new car and get 4 more years

 

[brkaus]

Extended warranty is closer to $5k if I remember correctly so I skipped it.

I'd rather pay as I go. I'm hopeful that MCU2 upgrade will become available. I doubt extended warranty will automatically update to MCU2.

I am considering proactive replacement of the eMMC component but not sure about the risk and time car is out of service. Anyone know someone in Austin that does it?

 

[ucmndd]

So you are positive that replacement will last exactly 3 more years?
I don't know how you are getting 6 years?

He’s obviously based it on your baseless and ridiculous assertion that all MCUs fail after 3 years.

 

[am_dmd]

He’s obviously based it on your baseless and ridiculous assertion that all MCUs fail after 3 years.

So let's do 4 years. Now it's not ridiculous and baseless . Wow look our cars have such less moving parts but non moving parts last only 4 years

 

[ucmndd]

So let's do 4 years. Now it's not ridiculous and baseless . Wow look our cars have such less moving parts but non moving parts last only 4 years

show me a critical mass of 2015 cars with failed MCUs.

They don’t exist. You’re perpetuating full-fledged fantasy and misinformation.

 

[LuckyLuke]

My 2015 S emmc failed earlier this year (under 90.000 miles). Learned how to replace it myself and helping others since.

 

[am_dmd]

show me a critical mass of 2015 cars with failed MCUs.

They don’t exist. You’re perpetuating full-fledged fantasy and misinformation.

It's not so much about critical mass with problems but there is a known defect (excessing logging) and Tesla has not done anything which results in premature failure.
I guess we need mass failure just like yellow screen so they can invent something similar to UV light fix
By the way off topic but it's related and I am on my 3rd set of headlights due to drl dimming. Is it $1200 per light?

 

[Ludalicious]

Maybe someone should start a poll to see how many people have had their MCU1 replaced

 

[OrbiterTI4]

Have the limitations on the vehicle associated with an MCU1 failure been summarized? I believe the following are true...

No charging
No main display
No HVAC controls
No audio controls

And my specific question, similar to the loss of HVAC controls - does the battery cooling system still operate? During summer months, the vehicle cooling the battery in the afternoon is a common occurrence for my vehicle; losing that would presumably be not good.

 

[StarLog]

@FoxSTL2HOU

Does your handle have anything to do with St.Louis to Houston ?

 

[cucubits]

By the way off topic but it's related and I am on my 3rd set of headlights due to drl dimming. Is it $1200 per light?

This seems to be another whole barrel or worms waiting to explode. Can't believe how poor quality these otherwise nice looking headlights are...

Late 2016 / Early 2017 S Owners: How Are Your Daytime Running Lights Holding Up?

 

[TheFro]

This seems to be another whole barrel or worms waiting to explode. Can't believe how poor quality these otherwise nice looking headlights are...

Late 2016 / Early 2017 S Owners: How Are Your Daytime Running Lights Holding Up?

Wow. Makes me glad I have the old school headlights with replaceable bulbs. I also keep my DRLs off at all times...

 

[am_dmd]

Wow. Makes me glad I have the old school headlights with replaceable bulbs. I also keep my DRLs off at all times...

I think for refresh MS DRL is tied with range mode so you loose other things related to range mode on at all time. I am not sure if keeping range mode on has any long term effects on battery?

 

[David29]

Nothing I was smart enough to notice. The car seemed normal right up until the software install failed.
And, caveat -- at this moment, i do not know for sure that my car has had this exact failure. SC is looking into it.

Turns out to my surprise that they think my USB stick (used for music or recorded books) was the cause of the software loading failure my car experienced. Curious to me, because this same USB stick has been in the car for 3 years or so, and in that time countless software updates have been loaded with no previous difficulties or failures. Confusing to say the least....

 

[cucubits]

I think for refresh MS DRL is tied with range mode so you loose other things related to range mode on at all time. I am not sure if keeping range mode on has any long term effects on battery?

I don't think it's a good idea to run with range mode on all the time. Depending on the climate it may or may not impact the battery.

Range mode on:
- HVAC is limited to 3kW max
- battery heater is off
- for D models power is biased toward the front motor. Acts as FWD more.

 

[quickstrike12]

I don't think it's a good idea to run with range mode on all the time. Depending on the climate it may or may not impact the battery.

Range mode on:
- HVAC is limited to 3kW max
- battery heater is off
- for D models power is biased toward the front motor. Acts as FWD more.

If I recall it also changes the set point for the cooling of main battery. Allows it to become warmer than typical value I think.
Correct me if I’m off on this. I am getting a bit Forgetful these days.

 

[gac123]

with all due respect, a worn tire or brake pad is easily identified and services. Flash memory failure that causes an inability to operate essential systems on the car is not i any way the same (like starting it if you have PIN enabled).

It’s clearly a design flaw that should be addressed. It’s not a brake pad or tire issue.

you can start your car via app.. this overrides pin to drive, tried this to make sure i can still use this security feature as i too have a ms '13 with almost 200k km, though the mcu was replaced by the previous owner at some point

 

[LuckyLuke]

Except that when your emmc is failing the chances are you will loose connectivity (and thereby app access) sooner or later.
In my case the app worked for a few days while screen was black, but shorty after the app stopped working and I could not control temperature, charge level, etc anymore.
Tldr: when screen goes black (and stays black even after reboots etc): act quickly!

 

[Battpower]

the answer to this particular problem should be “never” because this is related to defective hardware plus bad coding, and the issue is well known.

I agree with your overall stance, but to say '.....should never fail......' is going a bit to far. You should never have a rusted steering bolt, tire blow-out, coolant leak or whatever.... but stuff does fail. In the case of the eMMC issue, there is a bit of poor design, a bit of 'incorrect use', and a lack of future-proofing. But every solid state hard drive in every computer device suffers from similar underlying issues, just as old mechanical hard drives suffer their own failure modes.

What I want is hard evidence that the excessive logging of data has been stopped and also that future data written to the eMMC will better take into account the loading and failure characteristics of the eMMC, as well as a fair policy with regards to replacement of effected units.

 

[David29]

Turns out to my surprise that they think my USB stick (used for music or recorded books) was the cause of the software loading failure my car experienced. Curious to me, because this same USB stick has been in the car for 3 years or so, and in that time countless software updates have been loaded with no previous difficulties or failures. Confusing to say the least....

And just to follow up -- When I plugged the USB memory stick into my desktop PC, it said the drive was damaged and asked if I wanted to repair it. I agreed, and Windows says it "fixed" it, in about one second. I do not know what exactly it did. So, do i trust this drive in my car again? Or would it be smarter to buy a new one and re-load my music to that? the latter would indeed be smarter, I think, if for no other reason than to be able to tell Tesla I did that in case some other issue arises and they point to the USB stick....
I know there are threads on corrupted USB drives, but I have not yet tried to find them.