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New headlights retrofit
- Thread starter bomax
- Start date
Of course it is- the lights are fundamentally different in the way they work internally- that's why people want to swap them.
No way lights from 2017 had the controller in them for matrix and that the gateway would just be like "oh wow, those are matrix headlights now, let me get about controlling that...."
They canceled my service appointment due to a technician shortage and rescheduled a week out... Tesla Service has gotta be the shittiest I've ever experienced. Honestly not surprised. Also just a heads up to those who may encounter a partially failed headlight. If it partially fails like mine did at first where it would randomly light up certain light modules. The linbus half ass communicates back to the front bcm so that effectively blocks linbus communication to the wipers as they are along the same comm line. Which basically means you lose your left headlight and windshield wipers.
I wonder if at some point when they go all matrix all the time, and your non matrix car needs a headlight replacement (ex. accident) they will put in matrix and reconfig car sw or still have the old reflector just for replacements only. 
Access is not the same. Though there are some indy shops that have figured the hacked method out. Yet to find one.
Tech told me the other day that they are being watched closely.
Every Tesla tech I've interacted with seem like they barely have 2 brain cells to rub together
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
They have plenty of reflectors in stock, otherwise they wouldn't have kept putting them in brand new cars randomly. The matrix uses the LED chips that are much more likely to be affected by supply shortages. I think it will be a long time before Tesla go all matrix (maybe with the upcoming refresh, but then the refresh may use a completely different design).I wonder if at some point when they go all matrix all the time, and your non matrix car needs a headlight replacement (ex. accident) they will put in matrix and reconfig car sw or still have the old reflector just for replacements only.
For @JesseC, @Nighthawk26, and others who have done the retrofit, I presume your matrix is still going well and surviving software updates? I ask because of @Durzel 's comment that they will revert by the mothership. Just curious if they in fact did revert by the mothership.
Tesla never remotely reverts gateway configs on you. All sorts of changes require gateway updates, like HW2 to HW3. The whole point of the Tesla software update process is to read the gateway config and then apply the correct software to the car. That's how Tesla can ship one VIN with matrix and then the next without, and not need to send those cars different software packages.
Thank you. That makes sense. I know going from reflector to matrix requires a gateway update. Do you or anyone know that if a car is configured for matrix and someone bolt on a pair of reflector headlights, will the reflector headlights work? Or, will programming also be needed for the reflector lights to work in a matrix car?
A gateway change will be needed here too. If it wasn't, all cars would be programmed for matrix lights and then earlier lights would just work. The car must know what hardware is installed to send the right signals to it.
Thanks again. One more question while we are here--if a like-for-like replacement is made--swapping out matrix for matrix, is a program reload required? I do not mean a gateway change, I mean a software reload.
I ask because in this thread: Changed a 2022 Headlight Today the OP wrote, when he replaced a like-for-like headlight, "I got the replacement in and tried it before installing the update. It did not work at all, any function. I ran the update next and when it finished, fully functional headlight."
If this is true, then somehow the lights are uniquely serialized and the software has to be reloaded in order for the new light to work?
Yes, factory new devices have different serial numbers, but more importantly, different software than is on your car.
Teslas require all devices to be on the same version. So when you install a new device that is on a different version, it needs to be updated. The generic way to do this is a software update for the whole car, which synchronizes things. This is exactly what Tesla does if you take it in for service too.
(This is a simplified description, the software update process does have part of the process that also "learns" what things are on the car)
Great explaination! Thanks for the detailed information. I neglected to remember that these days, endpoint devices have their own firmware and an update doesn't just update the computer, but the modules too.
Thanks for the clarification.
The impression I had been given from more than one Tesla tech (who themselves might be misinformed, granted) is that they needed to communicate any change to the gateway to "the config team". I was told that if a change is just made locally to the gateway configuration then "it doesn't stick", and if the mothership doesn't agree that's what you paid for, it gets reverted at some point.
It sounded plausible, since otherwise people could turn on features they hadn't paid for, in theory at least.
I'm interested in retrofitting matrix lights to my 2020 M3P - how does one go about actually asking for a level 3 tech?
