Tesla infotainment system upgradeable from MCU1 to MCU2

[cybergates]

Could it easier for them to spend time and $$ on getting coders to write a native Netflix/Hulu/YouTube app? Rather than changing thousands of mcu1’s and the hardware expense?

I have a 2011 low end no name tablet that can play Netflix fine- I think this is just bad programming as the browser was fine when we first got the cars and now it’s completely unusable. I cant believe the processor is that bad...

 

[viper2ko]

Could it easier for them to spend time and $$ on getting coders to write a native Netflix/Hulu/YouTube app? Rather than changing thousands of mcu1’s and the hardware expense?

I have a 2011 low end no name tablet that can play Netflix fine- I think this is just bad programming as the browser was fine when we first got the cars and now it’s completely unusable. I cant believe the processor is that bad...

Who said anything about changing MCU. They aren't going to provide any upgrade. MCU1 is legacy and no longer supported

 

[Alysashley79]

Who said anything about changing MCU. They aren't going to provide any upgrade. MCU1 is legacy and no longer supported

I agree mcu1 is legacy. However it’s a computer. And I think they will in fact allow upgrades. Just like we’d upgrade parts inside our computers to make the run faster. My opinion on why it’s hot being offered yet is that the service centers have cars in them being repaired so there really isn’t the space to potentially upgrade 150k cars. When MS came out it took a few years to get the kinks out. It’ll be the same with the 3. Give it another year. Kinks will be worked out. Things will be changed and less cars in the centers.

 

[ahkahn]

1) Welcome to emerging technology.

2) Guess that depends how you define “shelf life”. My car does everything it did 3 years ago and quite a bit more. Do I get all the new features that weren’t even conceived when I bought? No, but that seems to be a somewhat unreasonable expectation to me.

Toyota released a new version of their infotainment system the year after we bought our Highlander that supports Apple CarPlay. I would have REALLY liked that. Do you think Toyota will rip out the radio and install one from the next model year? With other auto makers it’s such an absurd question few if any would even bother asking.

The difference between your Toyota and our Teslas is that if you REALLY wanted the newer infotainment system you could go to the parts department, buy the unit, and swap it out. All OEM units are interchangeable (you may require a harness adapter, at most). Hell, you could even swap it out for an aftermarket receiver.

You cannot do that with Tesla. I think that's the big gripe. I'd pay to swap my MCU if I could. The car itself is great, but I shudder at the idea of having to purchase a whole new car to replace what amounts to a small (albeit major) component that could be easily upgraded.

 

[BozieBeMe2]

Any update on this?

Off hand, judging by these posts, MCU1 / AP1 are plain SOL

 

[BozieBeMe2]

I agree, the gap has widened greatly and it’s painfully obvious how truly inferior MCU1 has become. Owners will be pushing for an upgrade path much harder now. Hopefully the pressure will make Tesla finally act, and not just tweet about it.

I know it has been discussed ad-nauseam, but when I purchased the 2015, I was given assurances that my car would be upgradeable.
From a larger battery, when available to a newer MCU.
Well, it seems that the upgrades have followed the path of many of the stated safety features,
No, the avoidance system does not work as described and the lane change feature is chancy at best. The AP1 will not 'see' everything in the road. My media center was pricey and should be Top Dog!, yet it still has issues.
But you know what? in all of these shortcomings, I still am proud of my car and what it represents, for the period of time in which it was designed.
(just wished many of it's virtues hadn't been so over stated)

 

[CraigE1965]

Well if you have a 2017/2018 MCU1, you have 2 to 3 years left of warranty. Some MCU's will die. Regardless of if Elon makes good on his upgrade promise, in 2 or 3 years Tesla will NOT have MCU1 parts, Nvidia has discontinued the 8 year old Tegra processor. So Tesla will either HAVE to install a MCU2 when your MCU1 dies, or find a way to put a newer (and faster) Nvidia Tegra chip into the MCU1, which would solve the problem, though retroactively and making a lot of people pissed off in the process. They should just offer the upgrade already, like they did for buying FSD will get free HW3.0 by end of year, oh wait, it is almost end of year and I haven't got it yet, lol.

 

[MP3Mike]

They can continue to refurbish them as long as there are dead ones available. (The CPU isn't what dies.)

 

[BozieBeMe2]

Well if you have a 2017/2018 MCU1, you have 2 to 3 years left of warranty. Some MCU's will die. Regardless of if Elon makes good on his upgrade promise, in 2 or 3 years Tesla will NOT have MCU1 parts, Nvidia has discontinued the 8 year old Tegra processor. So Tesla will either HAVE to install a MCU2 when your MCU1 dies, or find a way to put a newer (and faster) Nvidia Tegra chip into the MCU1, which would solve the problem, though retroactively and making a lot of people pissed off in the process. They should just offer the upgrade already, like they did for buying FSD will get free HW3.0 by end of year, oh wait, it is almost end of year and I haven't got it yet, lol.

Well then,,
I have a 8 year warranty and this may get very interesting

 

[Chaserr]

Could it easier for them to spend time and $$ on getting coders to write a native Netflix/Hulu/YouTube app? Rather than changing thousands of mcu1’s and the hardware expense?

I have a 2011 low end no name tablet that can play Netflix fine- I think this is just bad programming as the browser was fine when we first got the cars and now it’s completely unusable. I cant believe the processor is that bad...

This is all it is. MCU1 is running phone hardware on Ubuntu Linux. They don't even have to code anything; Netflix and Chromium browsers are already written - Tesla is just too lazy to care. "Buy a new car every few months!"

I have a feeling they will eventually release updates / upgrades, but if they don't 3rd party firmwares that do more will be released eventually like you see on phones. Apple didn't want to allow their billion dollar app store until after hackers made Installer a reality and Tesla will probably start selling car apps as soon as 3rd party app stores are hacked onto cars.

 

[billy76]

I watch all of the Tesla YouTube channels, and when the v10 reviews came out, no one mentioned the plight of the MCU 1 owners and the caveat that we would miss out on most of the major features. Now I know that most of them drive Model 3’s and 2019 S and X’s, but they claim to be giving news and info to the Tesla community and this is a major sticking point for a fair amount of the Tesla fleet. I just find that odd.

But speaking of You Tubers, if there’s one guy that can help, I’d think it would be Rich Rebuilds. He’s got the electrified garage, former Tesla techs, and the ability to order parts, and of course the know how.

Remember the episode where he talks to the guy who fixes the MCU’s for people who are out of warranty?

 

[MP3Mike]

I watch all of the Tesla YouTube channels, and when the v10 reviews came out, no one mentioned the plight of the MCU 1 owners and the caveat that we would miss out on most of the major features.

I'm pretty sure that @islandbayy mentioned it in his YouTube video about V10...

 

[tyson]

I didn't think he (Rich) could get restricted parts. Anybody can order body parts or trim components for their own vehicle. It's a PITA since you can't hardly get a hold of service centers by phone now but you can do it.

 

[tyson]

Oh and yes, I asked and the MCU is a restricted part.

 

[billy76]

Oh and yes, I asked and the MCU is a restricted part.

How about from a salvaged Tesla?

 

[billy76]

I just wanna see the process of what it would look like to upgrade the MCU, the wire harness, the antennas etc. on video. I think it would get a lot of views.

 

[tyson]

How about from a salvaged Tesla?

Lol, well you don't buy that from Tesla so....
But then you have to have root on your current and new MCU to facilitate the swap.

 

[billy76]

Lol, well you don't buy that from Tesla so....
But then you have to have root on your current and new MCU to facilitate the swap.

Yeah that’s the real issue

 

[SucreTease]

I wanted to post a consolidated list of all of the tweets Elon has made confirming the availability of an upgrade from MCU1 to MCU2. This is really intended to be an informational post to make them all available from a single point without having to hunt them down.

• Yes, you can upgrade hardware
• Yes
• You can

This is not intended to invite arguments of whether or not it will actually happen. If you feel a need to express your personal opinion again, please refrain.

 

[BPeter]

I just wanna see the process of what it would look like to upgrade the MCU, the wire harness, the antennas etc. on video. I think it would get a lot of views.

According to verygreen you'd just need to swap the MCU and the IC and then do some software configuration on the MCU. Seems very simple, something could be done in 1-2 hours by a trained professional.