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Root FAQ

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Hey guys,

Is there a document that outlines the benefits and pitfalls of rooting your car?

I’m looking at some salvaged Model S‘s (2015-2017) so I’m pretty sure I’ll need to get it rooted at some point but what does that mean exactly?

Will Tesla have remote access to the car or will it be isolated, or moved to another network?

Can you get updates? The fart app is critical here...but seriously, I’m referring to AP fixes/improvements and navigation updates. Oh and if Tesla can’t make the web browser work, can someone else?

Is there a mobile app for rooted cars?

I’m sure I’ll need diagnostic data. Will I be able to read codes or perform TToolbox functions via the MCU or will that require remote access?

I’ve read that some cars have had the battery and charging rates capped, can these be reset to factory
limits?

Thank everyone!
 
It's going to be hard for you to learn anything here as it's just not talked about.

Without Linux skillz rooting won't do you much good unless you pay enough to hire an open-sourcer service like ce2078 or TonyT. But don't lean on them too hard; it's not spoon-feeding time.

Salvages have nothing to lose and much to gain by rooting. Tesla excommunicates us and turns off all services which had been paid for at original purchase. We reserve the right to turn these services back on, but for ethical (and often technical) reasons will not turn on services which did not originally come with the car.

No open-sourcers have built a self-hosted app to my knowledge but it wouldn't be hard to do. I've thought about self-hosting myself but just haven't had time. Of course Tesla is the host for its app and we have no permission to access it. Any open-source app hoster would need to charge a monthly fee as bandwidth and system use is involved.
 
While I understand the need to keep this on a low profile, it is an interesting topic and I'd also like to find out more. Besides one of the more obvious reasons, to stop/lower eMMC writes, what other advantages are there to this? Is rooting beneficial only for cars out of warranty as Tesla won't touch one?
 
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I’m not looking for information on how to gain root access specifically, and after reading Rooters wiki article(s) I’m convinced that it’s going to be a service worth paying someone else to accomplish for me. I would rather pay someone to unlock my car then pay more money for a car that meets with Tesla’s approval.

As far as I can tell Tesla has written off the MCU 1 and with empty promises of an upgrade to the MCU2 in the future and I feel like it’s going to be up to these professionals to keep these cars going. Whether the cars be salvaged or just out of warranty.

For the folks in this situation or soon to be, what are the benefits and pit falls of rooting a car?

It looks like there are different types of root, software and hardware? I’ve read that version 10 closes a lot of the security holes that enable root. Would this affect all forms of root?

Can root give someone the ability to reverse the safety mandated nerfing of battery capacity and charging rates?

With focus on Netflix and YouTube on MCU 2. Can a rooted car with MCU 1 be updated with custom firmware to fix bugs and enable MCU 2 features?

Can the navigation maps receive updates? Can you get real-time supercharger availability?

I would gladly pay monthly for app access. Or would it be possible to be self hosted on a home or AWS server?

Can a rooted MCU display diagnostic information and trouble codes? Such as “ABS speed sensor fault” or “Battery temp sensor fault”? Can we have the ability to translate the “Please contact Tesla Service.” message?

Thanks to everyone for their contributions.
 
It's not to keep it on a low profile. Tesla is well aware of most everything and there's nothing they can do about it. It's what the forum en/discourages. I've been banned 4 times, for example.

I've summed up the use of rooting in my above post 4. Yes you can reduce eMMC writes, but personally I think it's important to preserve the system logs. This is not an issue when you upgrade to an industrial-grade eMMC like SwissBit.

Rooting can be done concurrent with Tesla access if the doer is talented. But most ppl who have warranty choose to not, reasonably so. Inevitably their eMMC will fail and the more MCUs they buy from Tesla, the more eMMCs they'll have fail. The only lasting solution is to upgrade that eMMC chip. And you might as well root it in the process. If no Linux skillz though, rooting won't do you much good until someone makes a self-hosted mobile app. But at least your chip will be upgraded.

If you hire a mercenary hacker like the whizkid or Ingineer (who may now be working at Wendy's), they will never ever give you access to the root account, and they watch you. This is the difference between them and we open-sourcers who will upgrade your chip, give you root, and won't track you, for a fee. Note: I don't provide this service.
 
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If they are taking access and not turning it over to you they're not trustworthy anyway. Don't use anyone like that for root, you're just hoping they don't mine bitcoins till your mcu dies ,a not getting root defeats the purpose of rooting.
 
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I’m not looking for information on how to gain root access specifically, and after reading Rooters wiki article(s) I’m convinced that it’s going to be a service worth paying someone else to accomplish for me. I would rather pay someone to unlock my car then pay more money for a car that meets with Tesla’s approval.

As far as I can tell Tesla has written off the MCU 1 and with empty promises of an upgrade to the MCU2 in the future and I feel like it’s going to be up to these professionals to keep these cars going. Whether the cars be salvaged or just out of warranty.
...
For the folks in this situation or soon to be, what are the benefits and pit falls of rooting a car?
Pls see my post 4, hereto.


It looks like there are different types of root, software and hardware? I’ve read that version 10 closes a lot of the security holes that enable root. Would this affect all forms of root?
The software methods are hard to come by as a mod on this forum is with the company. Every vuln that's been identified was promptly patched. Thus 99.99% of the population will never see an active one.

However my hardware method of removing & upgrading the chip should not be affected as anytime you have control of the hardware, you have control of everything. Admittedly, I remain on v8.1 and am not up on the latest changes. I've figured out my own sh1t and shared it, is about the size of it.


Can root give someone the ability to reverse the safety mandated nerfing of battery capacity and charging rates?
Probably. Although again my knowledge is not current with v10. I also do not know anything about HW2, 2.5, nor 3, but they should be similarly compromisable.


With focus on Netflix and YouTube on MCU 2. Can a rooted car with MCU 1 be updated with custom firmware to fix bugs and enable MCU 2 features?
WTF is Netflix?


Can the navigation maps receive updates? Can you get real-time supercharger availability?
Yes, and Idk.


I would gladly pay monthly for app access. Or would it be possible to be self hosted on a home or AWS server?
A custom app could be hosted by an open-sourcer for a fee, or by yourself at home, depending on how good you are with Linux. Can you set up LAMP?


Can a rooted MCU display diagnostic information and trouble codes? Such as “ABS speed sensor fault” or “Battery temp sensor fault”? Can we have the ability to translate the “Please contact Tesla Service.” message?
Certainly. Although there will be some interpretation as errors and warnings can be cryptic. But once you pick up the 'music' you can do pretty well at understanding.


And what happens when they get hacked? Or someone breaks into the business and steals their laptops? Is this a concern for those who have been rooted?
I proved long ago that I've gotten in to Ingineer's sh1t. Miserable opsec.


If they are taking access and not turning it over to you they're not trustworthy anyway. Don't use anyone like that for root, you're just hoping they don't mine bitcoins till your mcu dies ,a not getting root defeats the purpose of rooting.
Glad to see the consciousness raising.
 
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WTF is Netflix?

i heard it’s something M3 owners do while they’re supercharging... makes the car charge faster I guess.


A custom app could be hosted by an open-sourcer for a fee, or by yourself at home, depending on how good you are with Linux. Can you set up LAMP?

I’ve set up a desk and a table lamp before, is that what you mean?
Lol j/k
I’ve messed with MySQL/PHP (Ubiquity stuff) and some MSSQL DB several years ago, but I only learned enough to do what I needed too. Maybe I’ll get back on that bike one day...


Thanks for your input Rooter.
 
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The only way I could justify it was the free supercharging.

That's a strange reason to "pay top dollar for a salvage". Especially knowing that Tesla lately is cracking down on these and shutting off supercharging, that should be very low on the list of reasons to do this.

The single only proper way would be for you to contact Tesla and get them to inspect the car and have them turn supercharging back on, if they decide the car is safe. On the other hand, I don't know if they even do this at all.
 
If it had supercharging when he bought the car and he bought it for that feature it's a good reason, Tesla values it at $5000.

The proper way to get back what Tesla stole is to root the car and turn it back on. It's unethical and probably illegal to do it if it was removed before you owned the car, but it's also unethical and illegal for Tesla to take it away after you already owned the car.

If Tesla removed it with the previous owner's permission while still owned by the previous owner, the single only proper way to get it back (or for this owner, get it for the first time) is what you suggest. If Tesla broke the law and removed it without permission of the current owner there are many proper ways to get back what was stolen and the simplest is root.
 
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If it had supercharging when he bought the car and he bought it for that feature it's a good reason, Tesla values it at $5000.

The proper way to get back what Tesla stole is to root the car and turn it back on. It's unethical and probably illegal to do it if it was removed before you owned the car, but it's also unethical and illegal for Tesla to take it away after you already owned the car.

If Tesla removed it with the previous owner's permission while still owned by the previous owner, the single only proper way to get it back (or for this owner, get it for the first time) is what you suggest. If Tesla broke the law and removed it without permission of the current owner there are many proper ways to get back what was stolen and the simplest is root.
 
No open-sourcers have built a self-hosted app to my knowledge but it wouldn't be hard to do. I've thought about self-hosting myself but just haven't had time. Of course Tesla is the host for its app and we have no permission to access it. Any open-source app hoster would need to charge a monthly fee as bandwidth and system use is involved.


Have you seen what I am working on? I am building a interface for the API on a Pi. Then you can do what you want with the data on the Pi.
 
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I bought a T-CAN tool and thought I would find out how to rooted my tesla here,
Does anyone know where I can learn this?
I want to enter the factory mode in Tesla S, in Tesla X it is very simple, but in S you need to gain root access.

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