New headlights retrofit

[Durzel]

so the whole new harness required is irrelevant. Just install new headlights and beg tesla to set the "matrix headlight" setting to "on" on your car?

Not sure where you heard that a new harness is required.

As I understand it if you have a US car made before global lights were introduced, and you want to retrofit taillights with discreet amber indicators/blinkers, and twin reverse and foglights, then you do need to do some custom wiring. European cars don’t need to because they always had one of each on either side. Everyone who fits global taillights on older cars has to use either 2 (Euro) or 4 (US) 3-pin to 4-pin adapter cables. Maybe that’s where you heard about a harness?

As far as the headlights go, they are a straight swap physically and electrically. Only software (gateway configuration) changes required, as @terranx said.

Tesla almost certainly won’t entertain changing the headlights type for you, as it’s not an official retrofit. If you know a senior tech there, then maybe. The people doing this retrofit are using people who “have the means” to do the coding, remotely, using a physically connected laptop.

 

[Candleflame]

Not sure where you heard that a new harness is required.

As I understand it if you have a US car made before global lights were introduced, and you want to retrofit taillights with discreet amber indicators/blinkers, and twin reverse and foglights, then you do need to do some custom wiring. European cars don’t need to because they always had one of each on either side. Everyone who fits global taillights on older cars has to use either 2 (Euro) or 4 (US) 3-pin to 4-pin adapter cables. Maybe that’s where you heard about a harness?

As far as the headlights go, they are a straight swap physically and electrically. Only software (gateway configuration) changes required, as @terranx said.

Tesla almost certainly won’t entertain changing the headlights type for you, as it’s not an official retrofit. If you know a senior tech there, then maybe. The people doing this retrofit are using people who “have the means” to do the coding, remotely, using a physically connected laptop.

i just seem to recall that there were people fitting the lights and couldnt get them to work and tesla wasnt of much help saying the wireness harness wasnt compatible. but maybe im wrong. i just remember it wasnt straight forward. or maybe i confused it with the steering wheel retrofit.

 

[davidalindsey]

i just seem to recall that there were people fitting the lights and couldnt get them to work and tesla wasnt of much help saying the wireness harness wasnt compatible. but maybe im wrong. i just remember it wasnt straight forward. or maybe i confused it with the steering wheel retrofit.

Yes you are confused and blending the headlights with the steering wheel retrofit.

Matrix headlights only require a reconfig of the gateway.

Heated steering wheel requires an actual new hardware VC right,
The capacitors of the old VC right cannot take the higher amperage voltage for the heated steering wheel even if you software enabled it.

 

[terranx]

i just seem to recall that there were people fitting the lights and couldnt get them to work and tesla wasnt of much help saying the wireness harness wasnt compatible. but maybe im wrong. i just remember it wasnt straight forward. or maybe i confused it with the steering wheel retrofit.

You might be confusing it with the steering retrofit as mentioned above, but service techs are also known to be pretty clueless. I’m sure there’s at least one who claimed there’s a wiring harness issue, but that’s not actually the case.

 

[Candleflame]

You might be confusing it with the steering retrofit as mentioned above, but service techs are also known to be pretty clueless. I’m sure there’s at least one who claimed there’s a wiring harness issue, but that’s not actually the case.

when did tesla start using the matrix lights? gonna have a bit of a look on ebay and see if theres anything cheap to snatch. for <300usd i may be tempted.

 

[kodenco]

when did tesla start using the matrix lights? gonna have a bit of a look on ebay and see if theres anything cheap to snatch. for <300usd i may be tempted.

Early 2021.

 

[Avendit]

Just to check...

2019 p- in the UK should be ok to swap to the new headlights? Process looks something like:

1. Aquire new headlight pair from fleabay/local friendly breaker etc
2. Fit them, an afternoons work
3. Talk to someone, eg the US guys mentioned above, while having a laptop physically connected to the car
4. Experience smugness?

What kind of physical connection in needed? Odbii or cat5 or something else? Is it as simple as this? As matrix headlights would be a significant upgrade and step to parity with newer cars.

 

[dasn]

What kind of physical connection in needed? Odbii or cat5 or something else? Is it as simple as this? As matrix headlights would be a significant upgrade and step to parity with newer cars.

I’m looking to attempt the same thing in my 2019 RHD 3 in Australia. From my research you’ll need a special Ethernet cable. I bought this one off Amazon, it’s arrived but I haven’t tried it yet: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/aw/d/B0CGDQGL5H?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Based on what I’m seeing in the Tesla Parts Catalog there are different part numbers for RHD and LHD headlights (service.tesla.com) so I’m still trying to find a cheaper used pair.

I asked Tesla AU how much they’d sell me a new pair for and they quoted me $3400 AUD, ie. $1700 AUD for one. They even quoted $259.20 AUD to install .

The part numbers they had in the quote were:

- GLOBAL HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY - RIGHT HAND(1514953-10-D)
- GLOBAL HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY - LEFT HAND(1514952-10-D)

 

[Durzel]

Just to check...

2019 p- in the UK should be ok to swap to the new headlights? Process looks something like:

1. Aquire new headlight pair from fleabay/local friendly breaker etc
2. Fit them, an afternoons work
3. Talk to someone, eg the US guys mentioned above, while having a laptop physically connected to the car
4. Experience smugness?

What kind of physical connection in needed? Odbii or cat5 or something else? Is it as simple as this? As matrix headlights would be a significant upgrade and step to parity with newer cars.

Yup, that’s basically it.

This is the cable you need: https://amzn.eu/d/9BqLDLr

Apparently you can do the coding to global headlights (matrix) before you’ve replaced your headlights, but if you reboot the car or do an update they will stop working

The matrix lights won’t work at all without coding.

Keep us posted

 

[terranx]

I’m looking to attempt the same thing in my 2019 RHD 3 in Australia. From my research you’ll need a special Ethernet cable. I bought this one off Amazon, it’s arrived but I haven’t tried it yet: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/aw/d/B0CGDQGL5H?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Based on what I’m seeing in the Tesla Parts Catalog there are different part numbers for RHD and LHD headlights (service.tesla.com) so I’m still trying to find a cheaper used pair.

I asked Tesla AU how much they’d sell me a new pair for and they quoted me $3400 AUD, ie. $1700 AUD for one. They even quoted $259.20 AUD to install .

The part numbers they had in the quote were:

- GLOBAL HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY - RIGHT HAND(1514953-10-D)
- GLOBAL HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY - LEFT HAND(1514952-10-D)

Hmm, could have sworn there wasn’t supposed to be a difference between lhd and rhd for the global lamps

 

[dasn]

Hmm, could have sworn there wasn’t supposed to be a difference between lhd and rhd for the global lamps

Well I don’t know for sure, but if I look up the headlights for a US Model 3 on the Tesla Parts Catalog it’s a different part number to if I look up a AU Model 3:

US Model 3:
- Left: 1514952-00-E
- Right: 1514953-00-E

AU Model 3:
- Left: 1514952-10-E
- Right: 1514953-10-E

My understanding is that the letter at the end is the revision (they constantly tweak the parts). I’m not sure what the -00 and -10 refer to, so I’m assuming it’s LHD v RHD. If someone with more information can chime in that would be awesome.

Don’t get me wrong, I want them to be the same too, it would make my search for used headlights easier.

 

[Durzel]

Could it be as simple as Australia having different markings on the camera to show conformity? In Europe we have “E marks”. Maybe Australia needs something different by law?

The minor change in part number could reflect a different supplier too, perhaps.

To the best of my knowledge in terms of configuration there is a single setting “headlamps” (28) that applies to everyone - “GLOBAL” (2). There is no per country setting, this is handled by other configuration settings (whether LHD or RHD, localisation country, etc)

 

[terranx]

Could it be as simple as Australia having different markings on the camera to show conformity? In Europe we have “E marks”. Maybe Australia needs something different by law?

The minor change in part number could reflect a different supplier too, perhaps.

To the best of my knowledge in terms of configuration there is a single setting “headlamps” (28) that applies to everyone - “GLOBAL” (2). There is no per country setting, this is handled by other configuration settings (whether LHD or RHD, localisation country, etc)

So you might be onto something. US catalog shows only the 00 part number. European (LHD and RHD), Middle East, Chinese, and Australian catalogs show the -10 number. Curiously Canadian and Mexican catalogs shows both.

Also, looks like the retrofit might be officially sanctioned now, at least in the US. The catalog makes this notation, which to me suggests any early cars that need headlights replaced now have to have the global headlights installed

 

[Durzel]

So you might be onto something. US catalog shows only the 00 part number. European (LHD and RHD), Middle East, Chinese, and Australian catalogs show the -10 number. Curiously Canadian and Mexican catalogs shows both.

Also, looks like the retrofit might be officially sanctioned now, at least in the US. The catalog makes this notation, which to me suggests any early cars that need headlights replaced now have to have the global headlights installed

View attachment 1033851

Makes sense. Tesla stopped supplying the non-heated steering wheel a while ago so anyone with an pre-2021 car who gets a replacement under warranty will get a heated steering wheel, but without the heated functionality working (or being able to work). It would make sense to streamline logistics to only manufacture and supply the same part to all cars where compatibility allows.

With headlights this config change is required for them to work at all.

I probably wouldn't go as far as to say that this retrofit is "officially sanctioned", though, rather that Tesla techs have the ability to code global headlights, and need to instances where headlights are replaced. I still think they wouldn't entertain recoding a vehicle that didn't need it. If you turned up at a service centre with malfunctioning headlights and said that they "had just stopped working" or something, you might have more luck?

 

[terranx]

With headlights this config change is required for them to work at all.

Yep. But still a pretty big change to go from being "not supported" to "required"

Wonder if the capability will be added to non-internal toolbox then. Since you would think body shops would need to have the ability to replace headlights and such.

 

[Durzel]

Would make sense yeah, given they are a straight swap in all other respects.

 

[pontelaspilas]

who in socal does the coding to enable the headlights?

 

[WhiteM3P-]

Public toolbox can now code headlights to global. Just tested.

 

[gearchruncher]

Public toolbox can now code headlights to global. Just tested.

As in the Toolbox that you can subscribe to for $165 a day?

 

[terranx]

Public toolbox can now code headlights to global. Just tested.

What firmware are you on? @honeyfist301 tried on his X, but it gave him an unauthorized error.