Trebek1762
Let's play jeopardy
Or just show up to your appt without an MCU. Would make the install job quicker.
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MCU1 S Owners: Logic FOR/AGAINST Tesla's $2,500 "Infotainment Upgrade"? (Not required for FSD)
- Thread starter houstonian
- Start date
I have MCU1, AP2.5 and have not upgraded to FSD. I really wish I knew exactly what FSD was and when it will be implemented. I do plan on upgrading to MCU2 but just cant talk myself into FSD. What will it give me now (or later) that I don't already have ? I frequently use AP on long interstate trips, but never felt the need or desire to use navigate on AP. Honestly, I would like a reason to do the FSD upgrade, but I need more motivation to pay $6500 as opposed to $2500. I prefer having best performing desktops, laptops and phones because I use them a lot, same with MCU, but FSD ... ?
I thought the gauge cluster functions on MCU2 were handled within the MCU but on MCU1 vehicles there was a separate processor. Not sure how that complicates the install, or how they work when MCU1 is removed, but it might be something to keep in mind before cracking the center console and starting to pull hardware.
My app says I can upgrade to FSD for $4000, so isn't $4000 + $2500 correct ?
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Depends when you bought and if you have regular autopilot or “enhanced” autopilot to start with.
whitex
Well-Known Member
Given what you said, it's in the best interest of Tesla not to provide you with the last 3 bullet points, since options 2 and 3 is what is best for Tesla. Heck, it's in their best interest to ensure that the MCU in the Cybertruck self destructs at 4.1 years too, give you a reason to buy another Tesla.
whitex
Well-Known Member
Tell them if fell out during acceleration
Or tell them that your "car stereo was stolen". Seriously though, I wouldn't be surprised if a bunch of people who have had their MCU die out of warranty wouldn't have tried to fix it themselves first, meaning that the trade-ins which are used for refurbs may be quiet abused, by people taking them apart without ESD protection for example, people de-soldering or reflowing the chips using heatguns, etc. Not sure what value such boards represent as refurb candidates.
Does the so-called "new working browser" also require access through the Tesla servers, as I understand the streaming services now do? if so, I'd want some assurance that Tesla will keep their servers running more reliably. At least every week or two, I experience several hours or a day when no streaming works, no traffic data, and no voice commands, presumably because the Tesla servers are down. This happened to me tonight, in fact. At 6 PM on my way to a meeting, I could get nothing except the FM radio, and it still was that way when i came home at 8:30 PM or so. Tesla's streaming services have been less reliable lately, in my impression. So losing FM radio would be adding insult to injury.
By selling FSD as a feature Tesla didn't expect to provide for several years, Tesla has created a unique situation, and in order to provide the purchased feature, Tesla is now providing free FSD computer upgrades and has to continue providing software updates as they move closer to providing the FSD features promised when the owners paid for FSD.
Other manufacturers don't sell features that won't be delivered years later - so they can avoid this situation, and usually use feature obsolescence to help drive future vehicle sales.
The curve ball Tesla is throwing at MCU1/FSD owners is that because Tesla has decided not to spend software resources on implementing all of the FSD functionality on the obsolete MCU1 processor, Tesla is now asking those owners to spend $2500 to get closer to the same configuration as current vehicles - if the owner is willing to accept losing radio.
If we don't buy the infotainment upgrade (because it lacks radio), I'm expecting that in the short term we won't get the improved visualizations - and as Tesla continues to add FSD functionality, we'll see a growing list of features not supported on our vehicle.
And since we're likely going to trade-in our 2017 S in 2022 (for a Cybertruck), there will be less and less motivation to spend any money to upgrade the vehicle...
Other manufacturers don't sell features that won't be delivered years later - so they can avoid this situation, and usually use feature obsolescence to help drive future vehicle sales.
The curve ball Tesla is throwing at MCU1/FSD owners is that because Tesla has decided not to spend software resources on implementing all of the FSD functionality on the obsolete MCU1 processor, Tesla is now asking those owners to spend $2500 to get closer to the same configuration as current vehicles - if the owner is willing to accept losing radio.
If we don't buy the infotainment upgrade (because it lacks radio), I'm expecting that in the short term we won't get the improved visualizations - and as Tesla continues to add FSD functionality, we'll see a growing list of features not supported on our vehicle.
And since we're likely going to trade-in our 2017 S in 2022 (for a Cybertruck), there will be less and less motivation to spend any money to upgrade the vehicle...
From a resell perspective, I wonder how much more a 2017 (for example) would sell with an upgraded MCU2 va stock MCU1 in a year or two? Would it be worth $1k more or so? I would think so.
They are also setting themselves up for a class-action lawsuit by going this route. They did not make any stipulations regarding limited functionality of FSD in older vehicles when they sold the product and if they don't deliver, I can't imagine they will have a good argument to justify it. My guess is that they will eventually be forced to make MCU1 fully compatible or provide the MCU2 upgrade to FSD vehicles without charge, and perhaps compensate MCU1 owners for lost functionality (AM/FM/SXM).
But Tesla never stated that FSD preview visualizations were a FSD feature that they were going to deliver when you bought your car. As long as they deliver the FSD features that they advertised they will be fine. (Which is the car driving itself, you won't need visualizations because you will be able to sleep in your car.)
Just like they never said Netflix would be a feature of your car so they have no requirement to make Netflix work in a MCU1 car.
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I agree, but we will have to see how "fully functional" FSD is in MCU1 cars when it is finally released. My hunch is that they are not being fully transparent about what's going on.
Well given that the MCU isn't involved in the driving, you can reboot it while AP continues to function, and they are installing the same HW3 AP computer I don't see how it would drive any differently. (Besides camera/radar differences.)
geoffmanley
Member
Or $125k with no AP, one motor, no parking sensors, passenger floor mat that flops down, no folding side mirrors...
SucreTease
Teslarian
You have made two false claims here:
- That you know something about Tesla's internal decisions.
- That "FSD functionality" is handled by the MCU.
Fancy "eye candy" visualizations are not part of "FSD functionality". They are simply virtual representations of what the APE is doing, and are solely there to give users warm fuzzy feelings about how well it is doing its job of seeing and interpreting the world around it. If you are watching these virtual representations while driving instead watching through the windshield, you are a hazard to everyone else.
