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Retrofit CCS compatibility onto earlier (NA) Model 3 - DIY approach

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1619321 This one is for S/X (Plaid/LR likely) as far I know

1619321-00-A MX 2021
1619321-10-A MS 2021
Oh! WOW. That's huge. I just confirmed it's in the Tesla EPC for the new S as well:

1641581524874.png


I'm ... actually gonna go try that 😂 Crazy as though it may seem, there's a kernel of hope to this madness (it's not known to be incompatible with the older year 3, put it that way).

Off to go sell my 1537264 Gen4 and go bug Tesla for a 1619321...
 
OK, I stopped by Tesla Service today, to try picking up the Plaid S Gen4 ECU. No dice. Not in stock locally, but it could be special ordered -- if I had a matching VIN to associate with the order. I have a 3, so no love. However, even if I did, would it cost the $150 that the Gen4 ECU did? Haha! Hell no - they wanted $450 for it 🤣

So, can't get it / wouldn't want it. Hmm. Wouldn't call it a dead end, but I'd really wish someone to try it if they have easier access to that part. Some wild haired folk with a refresh S as well as an older 3, want to try swapping ECU from Plaid S into the 3 and see if it reflashes & works with no fault, for science? Then see if it shows CCS compatibility on the "Additional Vehicle Info" screen (it should).

Doubt anyone would try that, but hey. For now I guess I'm back into waiting for Tesla's CCS adapter.
 
OK, I stopped by Tesla Service today, to try picking up the Plaid S Gen4 ECU. No dice. Not in stock locally, but it could be special ordered -- if I had a matching VIN to associate with the order. I have a 3, so no love. However, even if I did, would it cost the $150 that the Gen4 ECU did? Haha! Hell no - they wanted $450 for it 🤣

So, can't get it / wouldn't want it. Hmm. Wouldn't call it a dead end, but I'd really wish someone to try it if they have easier access to that part. Some wild haired folk with a refresh S as well as an older 3, want to try swapping ECU from Plaid S into the 3 and see if it reflashes & works with no fault, for science? Then see if it shows CCS compatibility on the "Additional Vehicle Info" screen (it should).

Doubt anyone would try that, but hey. For now I guess I'm back into waiting for Tesla's CCS adapter.
Can you return the 1537264 Gen4 to Tesla? They must have a return policy. It didn't work, send it back.
 
Can you return the 1537264 Gen4 to Tesla? They must have a return policy. It didn't work, send it back.
Nah, don't want to bug 'em. They've already been more gracious than warranted. Plus, I think it's beneficial to the ecosystem to have it available on eBay, where someone out-of-reach of an SC can buy it, instead of being chained to Tesla where you can't order parts online (wtf is up with that?). So it's on eBay for $170 with free shipping - covers fees and shipping. I expect it'll sell in a day or two. haha
 
Lastly, an interesting peek at the experience across the pond. Stumbled across this while trying to square-up whether CHAdeMO adapter would still be compatible with the EU Gen3 ECU swap. It would appear not (because the CdM adapter with the EU plug uses Tesla's wacky non-standard DC pins arrangement - it doesn't use the 2 big DC lugs below the CCS port - so it would likely be locked out in software).

Behold, the user-experience for EU Model X CCS upgrades:

View attachment 752752

Quote:


Emphasis mine. Sounds like buying the CCS adapter also includes an ECU swap, gratis (possibly Gen<3 to Gen3 or some other variant?). Suggests how they might deploy this in the US (and thus... why it's taking so long after the adapter has already been seen -- there's lots of work to do in logistics of deploying a new upgradeable, backwards-compatible part and all the instructions/service info).
I'd be very (pleasantly) surprised if the adapter in the US included ECU swap / installation. In Europe, Tesla has an incentive to migrate any existing cars to CCS so they can phase out their old connector. Users without CCS are also stuck with a subpar v2 supercharger experience (shared power between stalls). Plus, many places in the EU have charging networks rivaling Tesla's supercharger network.

Meanwhile in the US, the Tesla plug shows no sign of disappearance and the supercharger network is lightyears better than the CCS infrastructure almost everywhere. CCS compatibility is far more of a luxury item that some subset of users would be willing to pay out of pocket for on older cars.
 
I have been reading up on CCS and I don't understand why there are so many issues with the chargers. For example,


I have never propped up a supercharger cable with a sleeping bag to make it work...

Are these issues with the CCS design which we will face too? Or something else?

I would love to retrofit for broader station access, but I am concerned about potential hassle it could bring.
 
Chalk that up to implementation. CCS is the same as J1772 for signalling, but ... that plug lock, I swear. What they're dealing with there is that the cable is so gigantic and heavy, the plug lock doesn't click into place. That's it. The latch doesn't click into place, or it's at an angle so the car's lock fails to slide into place. Nothing to do with connectivity.

1641665084945.png


I think that's a bit veering off-topic but I really think CCS is fundamentally "good".

Still, this is about adding the ability to use the CCS adapter.

1641663513673.png


The only "potential hassle" even possible here is the hassle of being able to use a CCS adapter you wouldn't otherwise be able to use. I call that a net benefit, even if you had to stand on your head and hold the cable with your feet while charging. It'd at least be possible 😂 Any other charging would still be unchanged...
 
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Chalk that up to implementation. CCS is the same as J1772 for signalling, but ... that plug lock, I swear. What they're dealing with there is that the cable is so gigantic and heavy, the plug lock doesn't click into place. That's it. The latch doesn't click into place, or it's at an angle so the car's lock fails to slide into place. Nothing to do with connectivity.

View attachment 753496

I think that's a bit veering off-topic but I really think CCS is fundamentally "good".

Still, this is about adding the ability to use the CCS adapter.

View attachment 753490

The only "potential hassle" even possible here is the hassle of being able to use a CCS adapter you wouldn't otherwise be able to use. I call that a net benefit, even if you had to stand on your head and hold the cable with your feet while charging. It'd at least be possible 😂 Any other charging would still be unchanged...
Keep use posted of your service visit :) I think it belongs in this thread too.
 
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Just order 00-B, if you have 80-B, and replace it by yourself, when update arrives, as video or topic owner describes.
What's the full PN you're thinking of? I started with a 1092755-99-D, tried upgrading to Gen4 with a 1537264-00-B, and had all these problems (thus the thread). That's the P/N that Tesla swears is compatible and correct for my car. Thus why I have a service appointment tomorrow to "have them do it" and share the results with me.

I really wish it were as easy as "just" anything, because that's what I assumed at first... and as they say about assuming things ;)

Oh, and I will definitely post back after the service visit tomorrow!
 
Welp, service has now come and gone, with a verdict as such: CHARGE PORT ITSELF is the problem.

(What follows is speculation based on what I was told - "the charge port needs to be replaced" - combined with what I know so far)
It would seem that, in typical Tesla fashion, there were silent design changes made to the port over the years. I would guess that the reason this doesn't normally come-up is that replacements are often done under warranty, and the charge port itself is often replaced in conjunction with the charge port ECU when a fault occurs. So, the $900 price tag of ECU+port replacement isn't normally seen by people.

IMG_1702.jpg


Blechk.

So, with no other options I can imagine, I'm going the route of replacing the charge port myself (which is the long bugger, including the thick orange cables). I'm having Tesla order the harness and ECU, and I'll install them myself - as the labor cost would double it, and it appears to be fairly straightforward (an hour of work - the hardest part being getting access to everywhere that orange cable runs). It's not likely possible to just retrofit the sensors, though of course I'll investigate that once I get the part in hand.

1643151110686.png

(via Google for the part number, 1449495-10-E)

So, that's where we are now. I'm getting the car back with the old parts, and I've ordered the charge port and (another) new Gen4 ECU. When they arrive, I'll update with comparisons!
 
Why did you order another Gen4 ECU?
Two reasons:
1) To schedule service, I had to agree to the estimate which meant Tesla providing the ECU (not installing a part I gave them), to ensure they can't blame my part (though I bought it from that exact SC).
2) I already sold the first Gen4 ECU on eBay prior to the appointment 😂

I didn't order a third - this is referring to the 2nd one (first: DIY, 2nd: their install attempt). Finalizing the service visit has been a bit floopy, without a solid resolution, and I wrote that post before everything was REALLY tied back together neatly. It sounds like they left me with the new Gen4 and an inoperable charge port (since I declined the charge port replacement at their cost). But I've not yet got the car back, so not 100% sure what the final outcome will look like - I just know that's the resolution they gave: replace the charge port AND the ECU. :/
 
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What's the full PN you're thinking of? I started with a1537264-00-B, tried upgrading to Gen4 with a 1537264-00-B, and had all these problems (thus the thread). That's the P/N that Tesla swears is compatible and correct for my car. Thus why I have a service appointment tomorrow to "have them do it" and share the results with me.

I really wish it were as easy as "just" anything, because that's what I assumed at first... and as they say about assuming things ;)

Oh, and I will definitely post back after the service visit tomorrow!
For GEN4 cars made in Jun-Sep2021 should be ok to replace from 1537264-80-B to 1537264-00-B
Previously we did replaced 1537264-00-B to 1537264-20-B(EU) to make CCS work on US cars

GEN3 1537264-00-B cannot be replaced with any GEN4 ECU, that will cause an error.
Likelly error related to charge port (gen4 has heating), but I didnt dig into that.
 
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For GEN4 cars made in Jun-Sep2021 should be ok to replace from 1537264-80-B to 1537264-00-B
Previously we did replaced 1537264-00-B to 1537264-20-B(EU) to make CCS work on US cars

GEN3 1537264-00-B cannot be replaced with any GEN4 ECU, that will cause an error.
Likelly error related to charge port (gen4 has heating), but I didnt dig into that.
Tesla (Palo Alto service center - handling countless cars a day) says that Gen3 (my car) should be able to work with Gen4 just fine, and they're genuinely confused as to why mine isn't working as they've done this swap before. Every step of the way, I suggest "maybe Gen4 isn't compatible?" and instantly, every person I talk to - no, no no. It's compatible, something else is wrong. That's coming from Tesla service folks.

Also, the Gen3 P/Ns aren't the same as Gen4. I posted this earlier, but it's useful to post again and include the new Plaid Gen4 ECU part numbers we now know:

Gen3 P/Ns:
1092755-82-B - EU spec (has PLC)
1092755-98-D - NA spec (older rev?)
1092755-99-D - NA spec (no PLC)

Gen4 P/Ns:
1537264-00-B - NA spec
1537264-??-? - NA spec (stripped of PLC)
1537264-20-B - EU spec
1619321-00-A MX 2021
1619321-10-A MS 2021

So, it's worth mentioning that the faults I'm seeing may be quite a bit more benign than it seems. The "thermistorIrrational" fault may actually be a "silent" error, something that happens on every Gen4 swap, but is hidden from the user/not affecting operation. The "coverOpen" fault, though, is not actually talking about the charge port door, but rather it's detecting one of the orange covers behind the charge port inside the car. Some ground line is missing/out of place, possibly in this revision of the charge port. That's interesting - and it's what's making this a no-charge fault. If I could solve that one, I'd solve it all - so they say.

I'm planning to dig into it a bit more in the coming days, but so far, all signs point to "this is still entirely possible".
 
1537264-??-? - NA spec (stripped of PLC)
80-B

Ufff made an error
GEN3 1537264-00-B cannot be replaced with any GEN4 ECU, that will cause an error.
Gen3 1092755-99-D cannot be replaced with any GEN4 ECU, which will cause an error, and the car will fail to drive. At least on My 2018 M3DM


@FalconFour If they can share how to upgrade GEN3 to GEN4 I think that would be extremely useful info.
We tried, but the best we found - upgrade to EU 1092755-82-B version
 
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If they can share how to upgrade GEN3 to GEN4 I think that would be extremely useful info.
Yep, that's my hope :) They honestly don't seem to be 100% sure themselves, but the path to upgrade I was given included a new charge port. So I've ordered that. My first goal is to compare the two and find the key difference. From what they've told me, the only real fault is related to that charge port cover -- specifically, a second orange cover behind the main large orange cover -- and related to how it closes a grounding loop. I wonder if that loop is the missing pin on the new ECU. If I find a pin difference, I'll try and cross-reference a matching crimp so you can DIY add the necessary pin. A whole hellova lot cheaper than replacing the whole charge port harness (about $320 USD).

No ETA yet on the replacement port, but I expect it can't be very long (heck, may be tomorrow). I only really have bulk free time on weekends, so I hope it arrives this weekend and I'll be able to dig into it.

Mine's also a 2018 RWD LR, built in June 2018 - so this is all likely related to cars around that build date.
 
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Well, isn't your car still under warranty? Why not wait for the real retrofit like the EU had? If they find anything wrong with any items during the retrofit, it would be taken care of under warranty? Maybe some items will need to be replaced regardless, but maybe Tesla will just charge a flat fee? I don't know enough about how everything played our across the pond.

Do we think a retrofit is not coming unlike the EU?
 
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