goRt
Active Member
Tesla has a tool that performs gateway configuration changes, it restricts access, so no access for the first line techs
Tesla just wants to sell new product
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New headlights retrofit
- Thread starter bomax
- Start date
Tesla just wants to sell new product
During my first visit at the SC I was told specifically that a retrofit kit was planned. No timeframe provided. It was January 2021
Since the new headlights are “programmable” and the old ones are not it will be very difficult to “drop in” the new ones electrically and work. There is probably a data line (some sort of communication bus like CANBUS) going to the new headlights to instruct them on what to do vs a few on/off 12V lines.
A third party could do an emulation adapter board. But they wouldn’t natively do what Tesla does and may do in the future.
Is it possible they did trickery and they are Bluetooth or send data over power lines and can sense them automatically? Yes, but highly doubtful. Since the headlight is not a consumer product and it’s not worth that type of R/D to make them backward compatible. They have way to much other higher priority work than worry about the 0.1% that would upgrade.
There is a slight chance they planned for this years ago and already have a data line going to them and the interface is identical. But highly doubtful.
A third party could do an emulation adapter board. But they wouldn’t natively do what Tesla does and may do in the future.
Is it possible they did trickery and they are Bluetooth or send data over power lines and can sense them automatically? Yes, but highly doubtful. Since the headlight is not a consumer product and it’s not worth that type of R/D to make them backward compatible. They have way to much other higher priority work than worry about the 0.1% that would upgrade.
There is a slight chance they planned for this years ago and already have a data line going to them and the interface is identical. But highly doubtful.
goRt
Active Member
The lights (old and new) have 3 connections - ground, live a LIN - LIN being the control signal, so plug compatible the packets are just not transmitted as they will be (when the matrix function works) a bit for each of the matrix LEDs (78 bits) and the bits for the blinkers, mains etc.
I'd guess there'll be quite a processing overhead in working out where the lights are pointing, what's coming and then which LED to switch on/off left/right
I don't see any need for third-party involvement (other than to change the gateway configuration if Tesla resists)
People thought that about the heated steering wheel when it came out, but in actuality while the physical connections to the wheel are the same, other parts in the car aren’t specced for it.
Tesla has form for even changing harnesses on a whim. Dimming wing mirrors went away in early 2020 only to come back in late 2020, and the cabling on those changed in that period. Dimming mirrors aren’t a straight retrofit (and like everything else unless you can get Tesla to make the gateway config change you’re not going to get anywhere)
It’s possible Tesla planned for it back in 2017 or whatever, but it’s equally possible they only started shipping the full hardware suite (lights, harnesses, body controllers) that support it at some point last year.
goRt
Active Member
Could you clarify "harnesses" and "body controllers" in relation to the matrix headlights
Apologies for stating the obvious, but at the moment Matrix headlights are behaving as dumb headlights in Europe, where adaptive lights are legal.
The hardware is all there: VW and BMW have been sporting adaptive headlights for years with far less powerful processors.
About controlling the lights: that’s where the canbus comes handy. Recent vehicles have been dispensing with direct connections in the last few years. All devices are connected to a single bus and the car’s CPU sends commands through it. Each command contains the ID of the device it is intended for. All other devices disregard it. It is more or less how IP works. The wiring does not need to have hundreds of specific cables.
That’s why I am convinced that Tesla could definitely release a retrofit kit. The point is, would they?
The only problem, as my service technician saw it, is that at the moment Tesla is prioritizing parts for new cars to spares.
We have pretty good headlights, and right now the only difference with Matrix is projecting the word “Tesla” on a wall during light shows.
The hardware is all there: VW and BMW have been sporting adaptive headlights for years with far less powerful processors.
About controlling the lights: that’s where the canbus comes handy. Recent vehicles have been dispensing with direct connections in the last few years. All devices are connected to a single bus and the car’s CPU sends commands through it. Each command contains the ID of the device it is intended for. All other devices disregard it. It is more or less how IP works. The wiring does not need to have hundreds of specific cables.
That’s why I am convinced that Tesla could definitely release a retrofit kit. The point is, would they?
The only problem, as my service technician saw it, is that at the moment Tesla is prioritizing parts for new cars to spares.
We have pretty good headlights, and right now the only difference with Matrix is projecting the word “Tesla” on a wall during light shows.
goRt
Active Member
Agreed apart from in Europe LED headlights require washers OR the brightness is limited to 2000 whereas in the USA it is 4000, so our lights aren't pretty good and we're used to active matrix.
So if you say the headlights don't work and take the csr back, they will push a software update. This software update is just the known configuration of the car. So new lights will not be enabled. Trust me I've tried. They need to make a gateway change and let the configuration know the matrix headlights are there. This process is involved and likely requires a script from Tesla.
This reminds me of someone sometime back hacking the Software to make Non Performance Model Tesla quicker..
I wonder if they can figure out a way to enable to digital matrix headlight or maybe someone can convince greentheonly on twitter
Yeah but the hack stops working after every update. I could see it getting old super quick to constantly update the hack.
Yes agree, but seems like right now there is no other way apart from trying thru some back doors to try to get it to work ...
LOL or maybe someone with enough twitter following can bug Elon with this request
also shout out to everyone in this thread. a lot of good information from yall. appreciate it! cheers to retrofit someday
One of the main reasons for doing this retrofit, i hope tesla will allow that
I contacted greentheonly on Twitter and he confirmed the headlights are plug-n-play and that it is possible to change the headlight type in the car configuration that persists across software updates. Here’s the screenshot. Gateway Config ID 28 needs to be updated to value 2
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Mrbrock
Active Member
Which apparently people have asked service techs to do and they won’t or can’t. Great information but pretty useless without full control access to a Tesla programming computer hooked up to your vehicle.
Maybe Green The only can figure out how to change Gateway config id 28 to 2 ? since tesla tech seem to have no way as of yet or wont
You’d need root on the car.
Service centres can only do what the configuration team have provided scripts for them to do, for cars arriving with missing but expected options.
I don’t think service centre techs have the ability to change gateway configuration settings manually, and even if they could alter a setting with Toolbox in situ the mothership would revert the change after a period of time.
Frustratingly it quite possibly is just a single configuration setting - there are a number of them that define the type or region of fitted equipment. With low level access (root) you could probably make this change, but I fear you’ll hit a brick wall with service centres who simply can’t make this change.
Service centres can only do what the configuration team have provided scripts for them to do, for cars arriving with missing but expected options.
I don’t think service centre techs have the ability to change gateway configuration settings manually, and even if they could alter a setting with Toolbox in situ the mothership would revert the change after a period of time.
Frustratingly it quite possibly is just a single configuration setting - there are a number of them that define the type or region of fitted equipment. With low level access (root) you could probably make this change, but I fear you’ll hit a brick wall with service centres who simply can’t make this change.
