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New headlights retrofit
- Thread starter bomax
- Start date
Chris350
Member
Anyone with an update as to if these are backward compatible?
I have the LR/RWD from 2018.... I have a dead LED strip on the drivers side.... Figured I would just upgrade both of them as I am out of the warranty period...
I have the LR/RWD from 2018.... I have a dead LED strip on the drivers side.... Figured I would just upgrade both of them as I am out of the warranty period...
Last time I asked a month ago via service center. They told me no because connectors are different.
android04
Active Member
Just FYI, the signature light strip that commonly stopped working on earlier cars is not actually LEDs. It's just a strip of reflectors that comes unglued and starts to sag down (which is why part of the strip is visible on the ends). The reflectors are actually lit up by the DRL LED at the top part of the headlight. If you have time and know how to do it, you can open up the headlight assembly and re-attach the signature light strip reflectors. Then re-glue the housing with an adhesive made for headlights.
Edit: see this video
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I want to know what happens now with the older cars that need headlights to be replaced. Are they really keeping the old style headlights around just for warranty work? Seems like inefficiency to me.
Mrbrock
Active Member
They still use the “old” headlights for all LR MY being built in Fremont. Lots of inventory for repairs of older M3s
TomT
Technical Maven
I hate the xenon look! It reminds me of the cheap crappy "upgrade" that many do to their trucks, low-end cars, and the like.
OEMs typically require all auto parts suppliers to maintain enough inventory to supply service parts for 15 years after the start of production. I assume Tesla follows the same practice.
Yeah, but they could also just keep the new headlights in stock instead of the old and new ones in stock. The lights are physically the same size and shape, if they used the same connectors, the new headlights are just drop in replacements. Since every Tesla needs the software update whenever you replace a headlight anyway, it really doesn't make sense to continue to make the old headlights and the new headlights when the new headlights can work in all cars (Model 3 and Y).
TomT
Technical Maven
The manufacturer is obligated to have parts for 10 years after they discontinue a model.
TexasTezla
Member
Yeah, the old model 3 lights were SO bad I must have the new lights for my family's safety! Musk is to blame if we all die in a fireball because I couldn't see 2 miles down the road!
As far as I can find there is no such rule/law/obligation. Do you have a link to some official source to back up that claim?
TexasTezla
Member
That agrees with what I found. (And technically they don't even have to provide parts during the warranty, but if they don't they have to replace the vehicle to cover their warranty obligations.)
P-Lo801
Member
I agree. I hate those too. That's not the bi-xenons i'm referring to, though, and that's not what they're supposed to look like. This is what i'm referring to:
You're referring to HID bulbs that people put in their regular reflector housings without a proper projector retrofit to get that nice beam of light and cutoff, which results in glare to oncoming traffic. This is what I suspect you're referring to:
kodenco
Depreciation King
Just wanted to add to the conversation some knowledge that might be pertinent, my 2021 came with the new headlights, but the driver's side was broken from the factory...every time it would adjust, it'd make this loud cracking noise like some plastic gears were grinding against each other.
Tesla mobile service came out to replace it, but the new unit didn't light until he re-coded the car from Tesla toolbox.
Tesla mobile service came out to replace it, but the new unit didn't light until he re-coded the car from Tesla toolbox.
everydaychris
Active Member
Mrbrock
Active Member
Yes, 2021 Model 3s come with the matrix lights. This post is about retrofitting them to older cars. Or to non-p MYs.
kodenco
Depreciation King
Right, I was just confirming for those wanting to try the retrofit that some form of “coding” the headlight assembly to the car would be necessary
