Pre-heated seats

[whitex]

The ability to turn on wheel and seat heaters from the app are included in this release.

Finally, 5 years later. Now let's see how complete it is. Some questions:

1. Which release number is that?
2. Where is it in the app (climate screen?)? \
3. Does it enable control of all winter package features (back seats, wiper defrost)?
4. Does it enable control of all standard features like windshield defrost and heated mirrors+back defrost?
5. Does it all work on all cars only only some latest cars (MCU2?)?

I'm happy to trade in Atari games (never launched even once on either of our Teslas), santa mode, fart on demand, and other easter eggs for some useful features like this.

 

[DJP31]

I wonder if the steering wheel and the seats need the interior temperature to be at a certain level before they turn on when pre heating the car? It's been around 45-50 here lately and the steering wheel and the seats are cold when I get in the car 15 minutes later. The app shows defrosting and the wavy lines on the passenger seat are both on. Sometimes the battery heater icon comes on as well. I have tried both with the charging cable hooked up and without it. It has worked before the latest upgrade and I am wondering if it's dependant on the interior temperature. version 48.1

The wavy lines are showing the heating is on, easily confused with the seats as in the car that’s the graphic to show they’re on.

In my experience the seats, if already selected from the previous drive, and the steering wheel, even if not pre selected, will come on when the temp is 4 degrees Celsius, so near enough 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

From memory this was in an update towards the end of last winter.

 

[Kuhz]

I have seen screenshots of the Christmas Easter egg update that allows individual control of steering and seat heaters. Hopefully that can go wide soon.

Not sure if joking.....

 

[DJP31]

Finally, 5 years later. Now let's see how complete it is. Some questions:

1. Which release number is that?
2. Where is it in the app (climate screen?)? \
3. Does it enable control of all winter package features (back seats, wiper defrost)?
4. Does it enable control of all standard features like windshield defrost and heated mirrors+back defrost?
5. Does it all work on all cars only only some latest cars (MCU2?)?

I'm happy to trade in Atari games (never launched even once on either of our Teslas), santa mode, fart on demand, and other easter eggs for some useful features like this.

Release notes attached which answer some of your questions. I don’t have it yet, The version required is 2018.48.12.3a4e97c with the updated app version too of course. I don’t have either yet.

 

[whitex]

View attachment 361855

Release notes attached which answer some of your questions. I don’t have it yet, The version required is 2018.48.12.3a4e97c with the updated app version too of course. I don’t have either yet.

Well, I got the above firmware on both our Model S, however I just realized what the catch is - you need app version 3.8 which Tesla has not released to the Google Play store yet. From the release notes, it seems it's just seats and steering wheel, still no mirror or wiper defroster control. Good news is that both MCU1 and MCU2 car has the Mobile App release note, so it should work on both, but of course, like everything else Tesla, we won't know for sure until it all works.

 

[boaterva]

Been checking since two days ago when both our cars got 2018.48.12.1 (the public version of this) and 3.8 isn’t in the Apple store yet either.

Very weird because usually the app is out before the car firmware in cases like this. Wonder if there was an issue in development or what?

Note that mirrors aren’t separate, they are tied to the rear window defroster, so that would be something else to request (windshield heat and rear window heat).

However I have noted that when the car is cold (below 50 F?) and you precondition it, it turns on the front defrosters in the 3. Haven’t tried that recently in the X to see if it turns on the windshield heater also.

 

[whitex]

Been checking since two days ago when both our cars got 2018.48.12.1 (the public version of this) and 3.8 isn’t in the Apple store yet either.

Very weird because usually the app is out before the car firmware in cases like this. Wonder if there was an issue in development or what?

Note that mirrors aren’t separate, they are tied to the rear window defroster, so that would be something else to request (windshield heat and rear window heat).

However I have noted that when the car is cold (below 50 F?) and you precondition it, it turns on the front defrosters in the 3. Haven’t tried that recently in the X to see if it turns on the windshield heater also.

Elon found a new way to "release not not really" features - make them 100% dependent on some future version of the app.

As for mirrors, yes they are tied to rear-defroster, but I don't see it as a problem - if I need to defrost mirrors I probably need to defrost the rear windscreen too, so no problem if the app allowed it as one function. Wiper defrosters are separate, probably not available in the app (but of course we cannot confirm any of this because the feature is not released since it requires an app version which doesn't exist today).

All these features should have been available years ago. They are not hard to implement, but I guess they don't grab media attention as well as Santa mode or fart on demand.

 

[cab]

Isn't it interesting that Tesla has time to make the car play Atari games and "fart on demand", but things like allowing people to turn on defroster or heated seats/wheel which customers have been asking for for years don't make it in. It seems Tesla products target one customer and one customer only, who also happens to be the QA department - Elon. He lives in California, so cold weather features or rain sensing are way on the bottom of the priority list. Maybe fart on demand will defrost the mirrors.

Actually, it heats the seats...obviously.

 

[f8K37Sq31]

Does anyone know the endpoints for seat heater commands?

 

[appleguru]

Does anyone know the endpoints for seat heater commands?

api/1/vehicles/{vehicle_id}/command/remote_seat_heater_request
api/1/vehicles/{vehicle_id}/command/remote_steering_wheel_heater_request

 

[f8K37Sq31]

api/1/vehicles/{vehicle_id}/command/remote_seat_heater_request
api/1/vehicles/{vehicle_id}/command/remote_steering_wheel_heater_request

Thank you!
How did you find these endpoints?

 

[whitex]

Does the API actually works? The genuine Tesla app turns on the heated seats, wheel, and defrost (not controllable but show as on) but neither are actually on if you go to the car (even though the car's screen shows steering wheel and seats heat is on, they are not heating until you turn the them off and back on from inside of the car) on my 2015 MS. Haven't checked the 2018, but I won't since it's my wife's car and I won't even tell my wife this option is available as I don't want to hear another "we paid $100K for this technology and doesn't even work?!" as I've heard in the past about some other features.

 

[Ken7]

Elon found a new way to "release not not really" features - make them 100% dependent on some future version of the app.

If the last iteration of an app was brought out prior to a new feature being added to the car (in this case ability to preheat seats, steering wheel, etc.), it will obviously require a new version of the app. An app graphic for a heated seat, and the ability to turn it on, doesn’t magically appear without the app being rewritten. Not sure why you’d think this is unique to Tesla.

 

[Gjawhar]

Does the API actually works? The genuine Tesla app turns on the heated seats, wheel, and defrost (not controllable but show as on) but neither are actually on if you go to the car (even though the car's screen shows steering wheel and seats heat is on, they are not heating until you turn the them off and back on from inside of the car) on my 2015 MS. Haven't checked the 2018, but I won't since it's my wife's car and I won't even tell my wife this option is available as I don't want to hear another "we paid $100K for this technology and doesn't even work?!" as I've heard in the past about some other features.

Same thing here

 

[whitex]

If the last iteration of an app was brought out prior to a new feature being added to the car (in this case ability to preheat seats, steering wheel, etc.), it will obviously require a new version of the app. An app graphic for a heated seat, and the ability to turn it on, doesn’t magically appear without the app being rewritten. Not sure why you’d think this is unique to Tesla.

A proper software practice would be for a new app should work with old and new firmware on the car. Then the new firmware enables the new app functionality. Are you suggesting that the new app will not work with any earlier versions of the car firmware? Now, that would be a disaster as even some lucky people are still holding onto their 8.1 firmware.

 

[Ken7]

A proper software practice would be for a new app should work with old and new firmware on the car. Then the new firmware enables the new app functionality. Are you suggesting that the new app will not work with any earlier versions of the car firmware? Now, that would be a disaster as even some lucky people are still holding onto their 8.1 firmware.

To have a single version of an app have the ability to control every new feature of a car like the Tesla, that are developed in future years, would require the original version of the app to have been written with the awareness of every new feature that would ever be coming. Not sure how that’s possible. I see no issue with having to download a new version of an app to control new features.

 

[whitex]

To have a single version of an app have the ability to control every new feature of a car like the Tesla, that are developed in future years, would require the original version of the app to have been written with the awareness of every new feature that would ever be coming. Not sure how that’s possible. I see no issue with having to download a new version of an app to control new features.

No, it doesn't have to work with all future versions. The app needs to work with all older versions of the car. I the app detects a newer, incompatible version of car firmware, it should inform the user than an app update is required and the user can imply go to the app store/play store and update. Unlike the car, apps can be updated on-demand and in seconds.

All that said, I have the latest firmware Tesla deployed to my car. That firmware says I can use a feature as long as I have app version 3.8. First, there was no 3.8 available in the playstore. Then, it showed up, but the feature only pretends to control the heated seats/wheel - no obviously never tested in a real car, at least whatever hardware version they sold me 3 years ago.

 

[Ken7]

No, it doesn't have to work with all future versions. The app needs to work with all older versions of the car. I the app detects a newer, incompatible version of car firmware, it should inform the user than an app update is required and the user can imply go to the app store/play store and update. Unlike the car, apps can be updated on-demand and in seconds.

All that said, I have the latest firmware Tesla deployed to my car. That firmware says I can use a feature as long as I have app version 3.8. First, there was no 3.8 available in the playstore. Then, it showed up, but the feature only pretends to control the heated seats/wheel - no obviously never tested in a real car, at least whatever hardware version they sold me 3 years ago.

I think we have crossed lines of communication. You’re talking about future or past versions of the car or car’s firmware, and I’m talking about existing or future features controlled remotely that could be independent of the car’s firmware. For those a new version of the app would be necessary.

 

[MarkJ]

Just to add a bit of balance, the preheating of steering wheel and seats works perfectly for me.