PSA: Resist the urge to do software updates away from home

[DCEV]

When I receive a software update notification, it's a bit like Christmas, and I'm always excited to install the update quickly to see what new features are available, and most importantly to see if they have fixed the USB music player so that music resumes when I get back in the car.

I received a notification as I arrived back at the car after shopping that a software update is available and I figured I can catch up with my emails until the software update completes in 20 minutes and I can then test to see if the music player is fixed.

Well, that 20 minutes turned into over 45 minutes and during that time, the MCU display seemed to freeze at one point and I saw a somewhat scary message: "Software Update Required: Contact Service." This scared me because if the software update fails for whatever reason, I'm in a multistory parking garage making any extraction a pain.

Soon after the message below the car just went completely dark with both displays off, so I wasn't sure what was going on and the previous notice about contacting Tesla Service worried me. I waited for quite awhile and still everything was dark but oddly enough at one point I could drive the car with both displays completely dark but I didn't feel comfortable driving the car like that, not knowing the status of the update.

That's when I began thinking that in the future, I will always perform my software updates at home or some other place where the car is easily accessible. This way I can let the car do what it needs to do and not worry about it because it's not worth the stress.

So I sat there for a while and still nothing but finally I was happy when the IC display rebooted and the car came back to life, so it took a while but the update sorted itself out and I'm now on 2019.32.2.2. Lesson learned. Future updates happen at home and I will initiate the update when I'm home and have plenty of time. It's just not worth potential issues or hassle when you are out and about.

Sadly, after all that, the latest software update did not fix the music player It still does not resume USB music and needlessly "loads" the music for a few minutes before it will play USB music

 

[murphyS90D]

Have you never sat in the car for an update before? All of what you described is normal. The car is having its "brains" reloaded.

 

[Vamken]

I had a similar experience sitting my car during an update at home in my garage. That is when I decided I will never stay in the car during a software update again.

 

[BPeter]

Apparently one of the changes in the V10 release notes is the screens will be more graceful during the update so that it doesn't scare the owners as much!

 

[jorobsand]

You can/should basically ignore all error messages that happen during a software update before you get the notification on your phone that the update is complete.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Have you never sat in the car for an update before? All of what you described is normal. The car is having its "brains" reloaded.

Agreed. This is how the updates go and there's no other way to go about it. I have also never had an update alert NOT tell me it would be 50 minutes to update & the car would be unusable for this time period. It specifically warns to do so at a time when it is convenient to not have the car functional for this length of time. It even warns everyone who has the app installed with a 2 minute cool down where they can cancel the update if they will need the car. Not sure why you chose to disregard this as it's pretty ominous for exactly this reason. To be fair to Tesla who has many shortcomings (well documented across this forum) updates and spelling out what exactly it means to the end-user isn't one of them as they pretty much remove all mystery as to what is about to go down when you agree to update. Occasionally the estimated time is a bit on the conservative as they can run quicker but planning for this to be the case is setting yourself up for failure.

 

[David29]

I have sat in the car once or twice during updates, which I found instructive, and found that the updates took much less time than the advance warning message indicates. I seem to recall it taking only 20 minutes or so, once at least. So I blithely assumed that would always be the case. Not so! My last update took much longer, probably close to 2 hours. Fortunately, I was not waiting in the car, but happened to go out to the car towards the end of the installation and was surprised to see it was still running. So, another good reason to be at home -- it can indeed take a long time!

 

[Ostrichsak]

I have sat in the car once or twice during updates, which I found instructive, and found that the updates took much less time than the advance warning message indicates. I seem to recall it taking only 20 minutes or so, once at least. So I blithely assumed that would always be the case. Not so! My last update took much longer, probably close to 2 hours. Fortunately, I was not waiting in the car, but happened to go out to the car towards the end of the installation and was surprised to see it was still running. So, another good reason to be at home -- it can indeed take a long time!

Personally, I wait until just before bed time to update and only update one car at a time just in case. While I agree that most of the time it's much less than the estimated time I wouldn't count on this.

 

[nativespinner]

When I receive a software update notification, it's a bit like Christmas, and I'm always excited to install the update quickly to see what new features are available, and most importantly to see if they have fixed the USB music player so that music resumes when I get back in the car.

I received a notification as I arrived back at the car after shopping that a software update is available and I figured I can catch up with my emails until the software update completes in 20 minutes and I can then test to see if the music player is fixed.

Well, that 20 minutes turned into over 45 minutes and during that time, the MCU display seemed to freeze at one point and I saw a somewhat scary message: "Software Update Required: Contact Service." This scared me because if the software update fails for whatever reason, I'm in a multistory parking garage making any extraction a pain.

Soon after the message below the car just went completely dark with both displays off, so I wasn't sure what was going on and the previous notice about contacting Tesla Service worried me. I waited for quite awhile and still everything was dark but oddly enough at one point I could drive the car with both displays completely dark but I didn't feel comfortable driving the car like that, not knowing the status of the update.

That's when I began thinking that in the future, I will always perform my software updates at home or some other place where the car is easily accessible. This way I can let the car do what it needs to do and not worry about it because it's not worth the stress.

So I sat there for a while and still nothing but finally I was happy when the IC display rebooted and the car came back to life, so it took a while but the update sorted itself out and I'm now on 2019.32.2.2. Lesson learned. Future updates happen at home and I will initiate the update when I'm home and have plenty of time. It's just not worth potential issues or hassle when you are out and about.

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Sadly, after all that, the latest software update did not fix the music player It still does not resume USB music and needlessly "loads" the music for a few minutes before it will play USB music

My music resumes from last position. I'm curious, can you try another USB with about 100 songs on it, mine has about that many and it works fine.

 

[PhilDavid]

My music resumes from last position. I'm curious, can you try another USB with about 100 songs on it, mine has about that many and it works fine.

That's like saying the navigation system works great as long as you are only going somewhere within 10 miles

Seriously though, the music resuming issues are not limited to just USB audio. The music player has several long standing issues that many of us have been waiting to be fixed for years.

I just hope they reach a point where they have added everything else possible to the software and the only thing left is to fix the music player I hope V10 brings Spotify support and they fix the longstanding issues and bugs with the music player.

 

[PhilDavid]

Personally, I wait until just before bed time to update and only update one car at a time just in case. While I agree that most of the time it's much less than the estimated time I wouldn't count on this.

I do the same! What the OP experienced is exactly why I do my updates at home and before I go to sleep so it has all the time needed to install the update in a safe place where I don't need to use the car for a while.

It's a good idea in general to avoid doing software updates in an underground parking garage, as that would preclude Tesla from even being able to connect to the car if something goes wrong.

 

[David29]

That's like saying the navigation system works great as long as you are only going somewhere within 10 miles

Seriously though, the music resuming issues are not limited to just USB audio. The music player has several long standing issues that many of us have been waiting to be fixed for years.

I just hope they reach a point where they have added everything else possible to the software and the only thing left is to fix the music player I hope V10 brings Spotify support and they fix the longstanding issues and bugs with the music player.

I share your (naive? tongue-in-cheek) hope that the music player will someday be fixed. But I fear that is likely in the same category of low (or non-existent) priorities to Tesla as my other favorite, making the screen fonts readable -- now there is too much text that is a shade of gray and too tiny to read from a normal seated position. Having had my car since 2015, I can remember when the screens were "colorful, crisp, bright, and easy to read" as Consumer Reports described them in their over-the-top review of Model S in July 2013. Sadly, Versions 7 and 8 of the screen software wiped away those characteristics long ago. Many folks complained mightily when it happened, but to no avail.....

 

[DCEV]

I share your (naive? tongue-in-cheek) hope that the music player will someday be fixed. But I fear that is likely in the same category of low (or non-existent) priorities to Tesla as my other favorite, making the screen fonts readable -- now there is too much text that is a shade of gray and too tiny to read from a normal seated position. Having had my car since 2015, I can remember when the screens were "colorful, crisp, bright, and easy to read" as Consumer Reports described them in their over-the-top review of Model S in July 2013. Sadly, Versions 7 and 8 of the screen software wiped away those characteristics long ago. Many folks complained mightily when it happened, but to no avail.....

No, don't take away hope. That's all we have left for the music player! I'll never give up hope that I'll be able to listen to my music in the car.

I have faith that they will fix the music player so we can all enjoy the simple joy and luxury of getting back in our cars with the music playing where it left off.

Never give up, Never surrender! I hereby activate "The Omega 13" to fix the music player

 

[Dithermaster]

My USB media player also goes blank when I park. I do pause before parking but I don't know if that has anything to do with it. It's quite annoying. 2019.32.2.2 but did it with prior versions as well.

 

[DCEV]

My USB media player also goes blank when I park. I do pause before parking but I don't know if that has anything to do with it. It's quite annoying. 2019.32.2.2 but did it with prior versions as well.

Yeah it's super annoying to get back in the car with no music

Especially sucks when you have a lot of 10-15 minute drives and there is no music for the first 3 minutes.

Can't believe they have yet to fix something so relatively easy to fix (just stop needlessly scanning/"loading" music for 3 minutes!) but makes things miserable for those affected.

Unfortunately pausing makes no difference. I've tried pausing and not pausing before I leave the car and it unfortunately makes no difference

 

[EVCarGUy]

Future updates happen at home and I will initiate the update when I'm home and have plenty of time.

I made this mistake in July while away from home on vacation. I received a software update available notification, and started it remotely via the app. Late that evening, I got a charging stopped notification. The app showed a range of three dashes. Trying to restart charging resulted in a charging stopped message. Dang. So I spent the next two weeks worrying if vampire drain would discharge the big battery and then discharge and ruin the 12v battery.

Fortunately when I got home, it actually had beeb recharging periodically to make up for vampire drain. I rebooted it, and tge range was correct in the app.

I'm away from home now. I got a software update available message last night. I'll wait until I'm home to start the update.