MCU2 worth it?

[CBPfromTN]

Just want people's opinions whether MCU2 is worth the $2,500 upgrade.

I've been begging for the MCU2 upgrade for months. SSDD. I've been told by the Nashville Service Center that everything has to be ordered for MY particular car. SO, OK...ORDER IT ALREADY.
So, I get a DUPLICATE email twice a week telling me that 2 small items have arrived and they're waiting on the other parts that haven't come in yet. This was all ordered in JUNE 2020 and now it's the middle of Sept. AND NO MCU2 YET. I am beyond frustrated, not to mentioned torqued.

 

[AustinP]

Like seemingly most people who have had it done, I love it and think it's totally worth it. The factors that weighed on my decision were:

1) The laggy MCU1 interface and unreliable voice control have been a real annoyance of mine over the last year or so
2) I'm often waiting for long periods in my car and could really take advantage of the new entertainment features like video streaming, games and Caraoke
3) My car is 3 years old and may experience the eMMC failure soon
4) I lucked out and bought the FSD software update when it was only $2600 CAD (now costs $10,600 CAD), so I feel like I'm still ahead after dropping $3500 on the MCU upgrade

If you're interested in a side-by-side comparison and overview of the improvements and added features going from MCU1 to MCU2 (on an AP2.5 car), check out my video here:

There are several reports complaining that the sound level has dramatically been reduced. Also that the backup camera at night is very dark.
Can you also make a comparison of those issues to evaluate how bad they actually are?

 

[Plasmid_Boy]

I believe that the level of improvement in speed of MCU2 over MCU1 might be car specific (or condition of the MCU). The difference in speed between MCU1 and MCU2 in my P85+ wasn’t as big as most people reported. But I have since been in a couple loaners with MCU1 and they we’re significantly slower than my car before the upgrade. The Backup camera in my car now with MCU2 is practically useless at night, but somewhat usable when I press the brake to turn on the taillights. Sound quality took a big hit, but after adjusting the equalizer by trial and error, it is okay and I am starting to forget how much better it used to be. So, No question that MCU2 is faster, but the degree might be different for different cars. Would be interesting to see a comparison using an MCU1 with a fresh eMMC or daughterboard.

 

[EvolutionTeʂla]

There are several reports complaining that the sound level has dramatically been reduced. Also that the backup camera at night is very dark.

I have noticed that the sound is different, but it's hard to evaluate for comparison without access to my old MCU. Some people have reported a substantial improvement in audio quality, some are saying it's worse. I've found that I needed to tweak my equalizer (looks more like a checkmark pattern instead of a "v" (as described in this thread: MCU2 Upgrade Audio EQ Balancing - Coming From MCU1 ).

I've also noticed the issue with the backup camera, but it's only really bad when there are no street lights. I find most night driving in the city and on major highways is fine, but out in the country without street lights, the increased contrast "crushes the blacks" and makes any dark shadow areas completely black. The increased contrast of the image looks nice during the day but Tesla should really apply different image processing when the car is in night mode, with lower contrast to retain the details in the shadows. The camera and sensor have not changed, so it I imagine this could be solved with a software update if enough people complain about it.

 

[Galinette]

I just had MCU2 retrofit in Europe.

Now voice commands really work great. With MCU1 they were super slow and totally unreliable.
Also, planning a cross country trip (800km) now takes about 5 seconds, versus 5 minutes before...
Just for this, it was worth it. Other features are icing on the cake.

 

[Tesomega]

Any one has any experience comparing the upgrade with sound quality, rear camera quality to MCU2 Native cars - any difference?

 

[MrTomP]

For those that have upgraded, how long did the upgrade take from MCU1 to MCU2? Was it same day and just a few hours where you wait in the lobby or is it a drop off and its overnight?

 

[2101Guy]

For those that have upgraded, how long did the upgrade take from MCU1 to MCU2? Was it same day and just a few hours where you wait in the lobby or is it a drop off and its overnight?

Had mine done 3 weeks ago. Dropped off at 8am was ready by 4pm

 

[f205v]

same day for me.
dropped car at 08.30, got it back at 14.00

 

[BrokerDon]

For those that have upgraded, how long did the upgrade take from MCU1 to MCU2? Was it same day and just a few hours where you wait in the lobby or is it a drop off and its overnight?

Next day. Dropped off at 9:30 AM appointment and picked up the next day. I probably could have gotten it sooner but didn't need it back fast... and preferred to give Tesla Service Center technicians time to do it RIGHT rather than FAST. They transferred all my MCU1 settings and tested every item on my checklist. VERY happy with their work... and the SO much faster MCU2 !!!

 

[MrTomP]

Thanks all for the feedback, have my upgrade scheduled for next Friday and was trying to figure out a plan on whether to stay there and wait it out or bug them for a loaner.