Still no front USB / wireless charging

[Advocate]

So I collected my beautiful M3LR on the 23rd December from Newcastle SC and they told me that I would be contacted in the new year to have the missing front USB ports installed and wireless charge pads enabled.

So far I’ve yet to hear anything.

I’ve read that some people have been having some luck booking a service appointment but I’ve held off doing that as I’m worried that’s when they’ll fit the “charge only” USB ports and I really want charge and data.

What does the collective mind of TMC think? Should I try booking a service or keep waiting?

 

[Taff18]

I placed in a service request and they were fitted on Thursday. They are power only and not data seemingly after a certain cut off date (picked up mine 20th Dec) but glad for the wireless charging at least

 

[Roy B]

The opinion elsewhere seems to be that Tesla have already decided which VINs get charge-only ports and which get data-enabled ports, and there is nothing you can do that will influence that outcome.

 

[morrishey]

Picked up a couple days before you. First service booking was cancelled after a phone call saying they didn’t have the parts and they’d be in touch ”late January”. Hadn’t heard anything by mid January, made my own service appointment which never got cancelled and the job was done.

I’d suggest going ahead and making the appointment, worst that’ll happen is they’ll cancel it and you’ll be no worse off than you are now.

 

[Durzel]

If you want charge+data you’ll probably have to buy the hub yourself, and hope that a ranger or the service centre will update the config on your car to enable it.

Left up to Tesla they will install whatever the VIN says you should have, and point you at the manual that says that “cars after Nov 1 may be charge only”, even though that was likely added after you ordered the car.

I’d say you might have more luck with that if you buy the part direct from Tesla, rather than eBay or something.

 

[M1tch]

I collected a week or so before yiu too and no ports either. Booked a service appointment, they have been in touch and said they will order the parts and fit them. Had to cancel as I’m deploying overseas for a month but rescheduled it for march when I’m due back.

 

[Advocate]

thanks for the advice guys, service is booked for Friday, hopefully it won’t be cancelled.

 

[Roy B]

If you want charge+data you’ll probably have to buy the hub yourself, and hope that a ranger or the service centre will update the config on your car to enable it.

Is there any evidence that Tesla are willing to do this? People who have purchased the PWS speaker themselves and fitted it seem to have had zero success in persuading Tesla to code the car to say the speaker is present. I don't expect them to be any more forthcoming with the data-enabled hub. Love to be proved wrong, but sounds like wishful thinking to me...

 

[Advocate]

So if I end up having power only USB C ports fitted is my only option for data / game controllers etc the USB port in the glovebox?

 

[Durzel]

So if I end up having power only USB C ports fitted is my only option for data / game controllers etc the USB port in the glovebox?

For the moment, yes, until such time as Tesla enable wireless controllers etc.

I think it’s a bit lame to only have one data enabled port myself, particularly when - as I suspect - the only reason is because of the chip shortage.

 

[Advocate]

Despite being booked for this coming Friday I received a call from a very nice Tesla Ranger today saying he was in the area if the car was free to have the work done. He arrived 10 minutes later and the job was done in under 3 minutes.
Unfortunately the ports are power only so I’m now looking at USB hubs for the glovebox, any suggestions?

 

[Durzel]

Tesla recommend against using a USB hub. The glovebox USB port, being USB-A, has limited amps/volts. There has been talk - although I can't find first hand accounts right now - that plugging in a USB hub into this port has caused black screen issues, etc.

edit: Found this post

 

[Adopado]

Tesla recommend against using a USB hub. The glovebox USB port, being USB-A, has limited amps/volts. There has been talk - although I can't find first hand accounts right now - that plugging in a USB hub into this port has caused black screen issues, etc.

edit: Found this post

Though there may be an issue using a hub it can't be related to it just being a USB-A specification ... my 2019 car only has USB-A and it can charge 2 phones simultaneously and also has a hub attached to the very same ports.

 

[Durzel]

You're probably right, I was just speculating as to why people might have been having problems with this port specifically.

 

[Advocate]

My other option would be to replace the Tesla USB stick with a 1TB SSD split for dash cam recordings and music.

also seems a shame that I'm missing out on some of the games due to power only ports - I probably wouldn't play them but you know what FOMO is like!

 

[Fox86]

What service option did you pick when booking? Something else?

 

[plisken]

So if I end up having power only USB C ports fitted is my only option for data / game controllers etc the USB port in the glovebox?

Are the ones above your head, next to the lights power only?

 

[Durzel]

Are the ones above your head, next to the lights power only?

u wot m8

(Joking aside, I know what you mean.. I thought they could be ports as well, but they're just holes that sortof look like USB-C ports. I presume it's for removing the light)

 

[karliebuk]

What service option did you pick when booking? Something else?

Yes that's what I chose when I booked mine in. Just added an entry to say that I wanted the wireless charging/USB Hub installing.

They've just been to do it today an it took him less than 10 minutes.

 

[Durzel]

The standard power-only hub does wireless charging, so explicitly requesting "the one that does wireless charging" won't help you, just FYI.

If what I've read in a couple of places is correct Tesla are essentially saying they will only supply the power-only hub now, regardless of when your car was built, if you don't have it installed.