Tesla infotainment system upgradeable from MCU1 to MCU2

[CK_Stuggi]

Elon recently reconfirmed it's upgradeable, but kept screamingly shush about the how and when and what. So literally no news.

 

[zanary]

Elon recently reconfirmed it's upgradeable, but kept screamingly shush about the how and when and what. So literally no news.

Correct, he has confirmed I in two separate occasions, 18 months part.

Original Confirmation on March 27, 2018 : Elon Musk on Twitter

Latest Confirmation on July 27, 2019: TeslaARM on Twitter

Maybe it's related to the FSD computer upgrade that we are expecting by end of year...

 

[ahkahn]

Correct, he has confirmed I in two separate occasions, 18 months part.

Original Confirmation on March 27, 2018 : Elon Musk on Twitter

Latest Confirmation on July 27, 2019: TeslaARM on Twitter

Maybe it's related to the FSD computer upgrade that we are expecting by end of year...

Or maybe related to the yellow border issue.

 

[Tozz]

Maybe it's related to the FSD computer upgrade that we are expecting by end of year...

The FSD computer is fully separate from the MCU. FSD computer (AP hardware) for MCU1 and MCU2 is the same.

Or maybe related to the yellow border issue.

No, they can replace the screen without replacing the MCU. The screen is literally just bolted on the MCU with a datacable.

I believe Elon ment to say that technically it is possible. It is technically possible to upgrade almost anything.
But with Service Centers being so overly busy I don't see Tesla offering any kind of upgrade in the near future.

 

[Lex]

I just asked how much for the MCU2 + LTE upgrade. If it's not overly excessive a quote it seems like something someone like me is just supposed to try and get done so much easier than an entirely new car. Anyone who has built their own PCs back in the day (I'm assuming Elon himself included) should know that upgrading your computer "CPU" is something you just expect to do ("drop in replacement" using your old accessories, maybe with a new adapter cord or two) as computer tech is on a different progress curve than things like motors, tires, and bonded metal structures. Bottom line for me is the MCU is the in-car PC and there are now massive improvements. Of course there's an upgrade path possible one way or another, there's at least one member saying that it's been done, and another saying it was done by accident and worked except for VIN association. We shall soon see...

 

[selfbp]

I think it will be easily doable once they give the resources to do it and allow the service centers to schedule swaps. I'm going to assume it'll be some time after HW3 becomes available for retrofit.

 

[CK_Stuggi]

I just asked how much for the MCU2 + LTE upgrade. If it's not overly excessive a quote it seems like something someone like me is just supposed to try and get done so much easier than an entirely new car. Anyone who has built their own PCs back in the day (I'm assuming Elon himself included) should know that upgrading your computer "CPU" is something you just expect to do ("drop in replacement" using your old accessories, maybe with a new adapter cord or two) as computer tech is on a different progress curve than things like motors, tires, and bonded metal structures. Bottom line for me is the MCU is the in-car PC and there are now massive improvements. Of course there's an upgrade path possible one way or another, there's at least one member saying that it's been done, and another saying it was done by accident and worked except for VIN association. We shall soon see...

It's not quite as simple because the antenna setup in the mirror and the display solution for the IC have also changed. MCU1 uses a Tegra3 in the mcu itself, driving a Tegra2 in the IC and only has 2.4 GHz WiFi in the mirror, only internal BT. MCU2 directly drives the MCU and IC and uses 2.4, 5GHz WiFi and external BT in the mirror. It's NOT simple drop-in as the APE. Unfortunately. And given Teslas steep hour rates that would likely be a pricey upgrade, as most of the dash has to be removed for rewiring.
APE has the same pinout, remove glovebox, switch out APE, reattach glovebox, done.

 

[AaronP85D]

Hey all, my MCU has been diagnosed as failing. I spoke w/ the SC today about upgrading my late 2016 MS P100DI to MCU2 AP2.0. He said he is unable to sell me the part at this time (not that it can’t be done). I brought up that I heard it wasn’t available for sale because cars that use MCU2 aren’t likely to be out of warranty yet. He didn’t confirm that but he said he would be glad to set up an appointment to change the MCU when the MCU2 becomes available for sale (so he sorta did confirm it). I am holding off on a MCU1 swap and living with my crippled unit (it displays bogus warning messages and hassles me when I attempt voice commands) since it seems there may be some truth in Elon’s recent “you can” tweet about this. Hopefully this will be available in weeks, not months. If I have to spend 3K, it may as well be for the latest version. I’ll be watching here to see if anyone has any news.

My flash memory is also failing on my MCU in my 2015 P85DL. It really sucks that Tesla has a design flaw -- writing verbose logs to flash memory with duty cycle that will only support about 4 years -- and instead of just replacing the failed $20 chip you are forced to buy a new computer for $2800 with labor. And when I ask to keep the failed computer they say there is an extra $500 core charge.

I know they are going to replace the chip and resell that computer to someone else for a $2500 part charge.

I love my Tesla, (my family owns 5 Teslas) but dealing with the service center after warranty expires really sucks.

I can't get software updates anymore (failed MCC flash) and just recently it stopped allowing me to use NAV. Otherwise the MCU works fine. I hope it can hang on long enough for MCU2 upgrades to be an option, but I doubt this option will happen this year and I expect I will have a more serious failure long before the upgrade is available.

 

[MP3Mike]

And when I ask to keep the failed computer they say there is an extra $500 core charge.

So they have finally implemented core charges? I was wondering how long it would take them to do that... (Though you are the first person I have seen report that.)

 

[KyleDay]

My flash memory is also failing on my MCU in my 2015 P85DL. It really sucks that Tesla has a design flaw -- writing verbose logs to flash memory with duty cycle that will only support about 4 years -- and instead of just replacing the failed $20 chip you are forced to buy a new computer for $2800 with labor. And when I ask to keep the failed computer they say there is an extra $500 core charge.

I know they are going to replace the chip and resell that computer to someone else for a $2500 part charge.

I love my Tesla, (my family owns 5 Teslas) but dealing with the service center after warranty expires really sucks.

I can't get software updates anymore (failed MCC flash) and just recently it stopped allowing me to use NAV. Otherwise the MCU works fine. I hope it can hang on long enough for MCU2 upgrades to be an option, but I doubt this option will happen this year and I expect I will have a more serious failure long before the upgrade is available.

Contact @tedsk i believe he does emmc repairs

 

[Lex]

It's not quite as simple because the antenna setup in the mirror and the display solution for the IC have also changed. MCU1 uses a Tegra3 in the mcu itself, driving a Tegra2 in the IC and only has 2.4 GHz WiFi in the mirror, only internal BT. MCU2 directly drives the MCU and IC and uses 2.4, 5GHz WiFi and external BT in the mirror. It's NOT simple drop-in

Very detailed info, thanks. Seems Tesla Service agrees, response was that there's no documented procedure so they can't offer it at this time.

 

[darxsys]

I think people should come to terms with the fact that it will never happen. Tesla is in a situation where owners are forced to go to arbitration over obvious warranty items. Given that, who thinks they really give a damn about your slow MCU? Want a new one? Buy a newer car.

Elon’s words mean nothing, and that’s been proven time and time again.

 

[Pale_Rider]

I think people should come to terms with the fact that it will never happen. Tesla is in a situation where owners are forced to go to arbitration over obvious warranty items. Given that, who thinks they really give a damn about your slow MCU? Want a new one? Buy a newer car.

Elon’s words mean nothing, and that’s been proven time and time again.

Yeah, sadly I’ve grown to believe this as well and did just that. They really haven’t done retrofits since the early roadster and Model S days. Raven finally had enough new things to warrant an upgrade for me, but I have no doubt as soon as the 7 day return period ends after my delivery next week they will release an interior refresh. That’s been my history with Tesla lol.

 

[MarcusMaximus]

I think people should come to terms with the fact that it will never happen. Tesla is in a situation where owners are forced to go to arbitration over obvious warranty items. Given that, who thinks they really give a damn about your slow MCU? Want a new one? Buy a newer car.

Elon’s words mean nothing, and that’s been proven time and time again.

On the flip side, I thought much the same thing about activating Bioweapon Defense Mode for a car ordered without it. And yet, a couple years after I got my car, the option suddenly appeared one day.

 

[ucmndd]

On the flip side, I thought much the same thing about activating Bioweapon Defense Mode for a car ordered without it. And yet, a couple years after I got my car, the option suddenly appeared one day.

Yeah but that’s a binary switch in software and placing a $200 filter in a housing that the car already has.

The MCU2 upgrade is more analogous to retrofitting bioweapon defense mode to a pre-facelift nose cone car.

 

[Chaserr]

I think people should come to terms with the fact that it will never happen. Tesla is in a situation where owners are forced to go to arbitration over obvious warranty items. Given that, who thinks they really give a damn about your slow MCU? Want a new one? Buy a newer car.

Elon’s words mean nothing, and that’s been proven time and time again.

I agree with you but had to add Tesla is being so combative against its own customers lately they're willing to ignore their own CEO and decline making additional money just to spite more owners. It's getting ridiculous.

 

[KyleDay]

I agree with you but had to add Tesla is being so combative against its own customers lately they're willing to ignore their own CEO and decline making additional money just to spite more owners. It's getting ridiculous.

I have a theory about mcu2 upgrades. In recent tesla firmware, circa 2019.4 or so, tesla added an MCU backup/restore script that looks targeted to perform mcu1 to mcu2 (maybe) upgrades.

My theory is that due to the Yellowing lcd screen issue that Tesla continues to have, they've deferred offering mcu2 retrofits for existing fleet because of the complaints and warranty issues. I believe they've got a new lcd part that just hit production that may alleviate that constraint.

If so, perhaps they start offering mcu2 retrofits in the coming weeks.

 

[whitex]

IWant a new one? Buy a newer car.

Elon’s words mean nothing, and that’s been proven time and time again.

I think you just misunderstood Elon. It is absolutely upgradable today. The upgrade path is "trade-in old car, pay for new car", the price is the difference between the new car price and your trade-in value (to Tesla). Elon never said you'll be able to upgrade just the MCU with no other parts required, or give anyone a price. New MCU simply requires a whole lot of new parts (everything except for tires and floor mats)

 

[Skipdd]

I have a theory about mcu2 upgrades. In recent tesla firmware, circa 2019.4 or so, tesla added an MCU backup/restore script that looks targeted to perform mcu1 to mcu2 (maybe) upgrades.

My theory is that due to the Yellowing lcd screen issue that Tesla continues to have, they've deferred offering mcu2 retrofits for existing fleet because of the complaints and warranty issues. I believe they've got a new lcd part that just hit production that may alleviate that constraint.

If so, perhaps they start offering mcu2 retrofits in the coming weeks.

If wishes were horses..

 

[dgatwood]

It's not quite as simple because the antenna setup in the mirror and the display solution for the IC have also changed. MCU1 uses a Tegra3 in the mcu itself, driving a Tegra2 in the IC and only has 2.4 GHz WiFi in the mirror, only internal BT. MCU2 directly drives the MCU and IC and uses 2.4, 5GHz WiFi and external BT in the mirror. It's NOT simple drop-in as the APE. Unfortunately. And given Teslas steep hour rates that would likely be a pricey upgrade, as most of the dash has to be removed for rewiring.

I think you're overthinking this. As I understand it, the MCU2 harness is a superset of what is in MCU1:

• The MCU1 instrument cluster talks to MCU2 just fine.
• You would not have the extra external Bluetooth hardware, so you won't get the improved cell phone unlock behavior. If MCU1's antenna was part of the MCU itself, then they might have to add an adapter to connect to some extra antenna that doesn't exist in MCU2, but I doubt it.
• Unless they used a separate antenna cable and antenna (unlikely), the 5GHz radio should talk just fine over the existing 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi antenna, just with poorer SWR. You might not have quite the same range as a real MCU2 in the 5 GHz band, but it should at least work.

The fact that folks have, in fact, accidentally dropped in an MCU2 board into an MCU1 Model S means that it basically is just a drop-in replacement. If it requires any additional mods at all, they should be minimal, and at worst, those mods will be limited to attaching some external antenna hardware inside the dashboard using a custom break-out adapter.