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Tesla infotainment system upgradeable from MCU1 to MCU2
- Thread starter MurrayJimW
- Start date
To me it’s a no brainer. It’s bred life back into the car. There is value in having entertainment when charging, have gps, maps, etc. It is so much faster than MCU1.
Akikiki
A'-Lo-HA ! y'all
I would say, I don't know. I have not seen a report back from anyone in your situation (no nav, no trip planning) gain either or both after MCU2 upgrade. You must not have Free Premium Connectivity to not have those, correct? I doubt Free Premium Connectivity is going to "be turned on" for you. It's been too long now for me to remember if Tech Package include Free Premium Connectivity. But I doubt you are going to get nav/trip planning unless you have Free Premium Connectivity. (Wish someone would come up with a site-wide abbreviation for Free Premium Connectivity so that I don't have to type out Free Premium Connectivity. I am surely getting bored with typing Free Premium Connectivity. (whew).
But if you get MCU2 and then they give you Free Premium Connectivity, I hope you graces us with returning and telling us that you got Free Premium Connectivity, since we were not expecting you to get Free Premium Connectivity.
But if you get MCU2 and then they give you Free Premium Connectivity, I hope you graces us with returning and telling us that you got Free Premium Connectivity, since we were not expecting you to get Free Premium Connectivity.
I cannot comment if you will get nav & trip planning. Would be good for you, but not quite fair to those who paid for it.
Like you, my decision to upgrade to MCU2 followed my decision to keep the car a few more years.
It was not a no brainer. My MCU1, except for the slowness, was still working fine. But it would now and then frustrate me (or embarrass me).
It was also my second MCU1, paid outside warranty. But then Tesla refunded it last year, as part of the eMMC recall/refund.
All of the above triggered my decision to go for it.
It was a good decision, as I gained the new features, and the speed.
But not all is pink: MCU2 does not allow control on energy & connectivity anymore, LTE/Wifi connection has regressed (always connected with MCU1, need about 2 min about one out of three trips), and backup camera is way darker than MCU1, making it in poor lit areas useless at night. (yes, before others jump and say it improved last year, it did, but still not on par with MCU1).
All in all, I don't regret it, and as those issues above are software related, I keep the hope they get addressed some day.
As for it getting cheaper, it's anyone's guess. It already went thru price decreases last year.
The LTE upgrade, which became almost mandatory with 3G phasing out, is available for MCU1 and decreased price too. Tesla is known to reduce such prices (CCS upgrade in EU went from 500 to 300 and now 250€).
hingisfan
hingisfan_Mark_V
What do you mean it doesn't allow control on energy and connectivity?
I do have free lifetime premium connectivity already.
Adding nav and trip planning are the biggest reasons I'm thinking to upgrade. Road trips are tricky sometimes, especially in winter without trip planning. My mcu1 had the free EMMC recall upgrade already and works pretty well, altho I have to reboot once in a while.
The earlier cars had an option switch -
Save energy or always connected
When always connected was selected, the car stayed up all the time waiting for remote command. It also took more energy and kept the computer on all the time (more wear?). At one point service told me I should select always connected to avoid some computer crashes on wake up.
Thanks @brkaus
@hingisfan , it's this control:
If adding the nav & trip planning is your main reason, and someone at the SeC told you it will be part of the MCU2 upgrade, I hope it's true. I'd suggest to ask to have Tesla put it in writing.
Tesla people are of good faith, but can be wrong and if their management says "no", Tesla might not easily accommodate what you were told.
@hingisfan , it's this control:
If adding the nav & trip planning is your main reason, and someone at the SeC told you it will be part of the MCU2 upgrade, I hope it's true. I'd suggest to ask to have Tesla put it in writing.
Tesla people are of good faith, but can be wrong and if their management says "no", Tesla might not easily accommodate what you were told.
hingisfan
hingisfan_Mark_V
I have it on text from a senior tech, and on appt chat with my service centre. I booked it. 2k cdn and I'll get snappier computer, trip planning, nav, LTE, Netflix, YouTube, games. I've had the car for 7 years, 230,000kms, and hope to maybe go another 5 to 7 years. I've recently done the PTC heater, 12V battery, a headlight, and the charge port, so hopefully I'll be good for a while. Main pack failing would be a catastrophie, but I just gotta hope I avoid it. Selling and buying a new Model Y I'd have to put out about 50k cdn, and I just can't justify it.
hingisfan
hingisfan_Mark_V
Got my mcu2 upgrade today and now I have nav and trip planning on my non tech pkg car! Sweet!
Thanks for the update! I'm glad that it actually worked, as I know people that wanted to upgrade non-tech package cars in the past were told that it couldn't be done.
tmoz
S85D, Y LR, ex Prius PiP
Mine is a 2015 with AP. I bought all I could at the time. I forget what tech package is for that model year ... Still haven't bit the bullet to upgrade - I was hoping that my dash screen would show more bubbles, but it is holding steady.
Redmiata98
Member
Had mine upgraded and difference is very noticeable. Speed is faster, no freezes AND you can actually use the browser again. Worth the cost in reducing frustration alone
xAgyex
Member
Only time this upgrade is worth it is if you have bubbles. Besides that you can do everything else needed on an IPAD...I am living with MCU1 until maybe bubbles. It can navigate me to super chargers so it works for my needs
On the flip side. You lose FM and XM radio. When rebooting the MCU, it reboots the driver console at the same time. It takes longer to reboot.
You get a faster screen responses. Entertainment with YouTube and games. Browsers still suck.
You get a faster screen responses. Entertainment with YouTube and games. Browsers still suck.
And you did those klm in Canada… you are doin double the miles per year I am. So that plus being in California bodes well for my 5 year old Model S. I paid for the MCU upgrade when it first came out. Never regretted it. And yes, my car is better than when I bought it thanks to the SW upgrades. I read the 12V battery generally needs replacing at 5 years… you managed 7. What is the loss in capacity of your main battery?
FlatSix911
Porsche 918 Hybrid
The browser works fine with MCU2... including Teslawaze.On the flip side. You lose FM and XM radio. When rebooting the MCU, it reboots the driver console at the same time. It takes longer to reboot.
You get a faster screen responses. Entertainment with YouTube and games. Browsers still suck.
Redmiata98
Member
…and there is a radio card that brings back FM that can be installed at the same time, which I had done. Thought that XM was not effected by the swap only FM but I have access to both because I added the “Radio” card ($500) during the infotainment ($1500) upgrade. Both are working again vice the numerous freezes and numerous reboots required before installation.
The MCU upgrade by itself does not include FM or XM radio. The $500 radio upgrade adds back FM and XM. AM radio is not available on MCU2 at all due to the MCU no longer having an analog tuner in it.
