Tesla infotainment system upgradeable from MCU1 to MCU2

[ekendahl]

I don't care that much about sentry mode and even less if my version is b&w. It's mostly idle speculation as I wait for Elon's invite.

 

[Akikiki]

Was wondering if You upgrade to MCU2, do you / can you ask to keep the MCU 1 as you paid for it and are paying for the MCU 2 so I assume you would be entitled to it?

Regardless of what somebody/we tell you whether you can keep the old MCU, you better ask for it and get them to commit to giving it to you before your work starts to insure you know what the outcome is for you. I'd recommend going so far as to have the service advisor put in writing on your service request to get an absolute guarantee your request is honored if you are serious. What can it harm to take those couple of extra steps to make sure you know what's coming?

 

[SucreTease]

I'm irritated. The more I read about this, the more frustration is rising within me. As an Oct 2016 model S owner who gave Tesla thousands of dollars 3 years ago for a promise, I now see nothing but the company telling me I need to spend even more money to bring my car to the full "FSD" experience that I was promised years ago. I understand they may be able to give me some sort of FSD experience with my MCU 1 by merely replacing the FSD computer, but I have watched them fail year after year to even bring anything other than highway autosteer as a reliable experience. Is it too much to expect some sort of acknowledgment from Tesla to those of us who invested early and eagerly in their vision? Some gratitude and willingness to upgrade whatever hardware is needed for the vision of FSD that the company now has. I invested in them. Couldn't they give a little back?

I think you are overreacting. There is no substantive reason to believe that MCU1 will have any less FSD capability than MCU2. MCU2 looks like it will provide fancier visualization (i.e. "eye candy"), but no promises were ever made as to what is shown on the display. Nor was any kind of "FSD experience" promised.

Yes, it has taken far longer than Elon promised, but we are all waiting for the software, no matter what MCU we have.

Tesla has already offered a free upgrade of the AP computer for anyone who has paid to get FSD. What other "acknowledgment" and "gratitude" are you seeking. A million Doge-coin? A public apology? Hara kiri?

 

[Akikiki]

It is difficult to access where the tuner is located. It should be possible to swap the analog tuner with a new digital tuner and run the wiring to the new MCU but it would add hours of installation time.

No one has explored the idea of simply not removing the existing tuner AND installing the new on some place else. What's it going to need? Longer wires? What about being creative and putting it with a couple of screws and plastic tie wraps in the corner of the glove box? This might be an acceptable alternative for those folks don't like losing radio. Giving up space in the glove box might be easier to swallow than no radio at all. I would and I don't even care about regular radio.

Using a different location makes it ready before the upgrade and allows the old tuner to still work until the upgrade.

Just need someone (hint, hint @verygreen) with some prior experience (@verygreen) doing this connection to the back of the MCU2 tell us, show us what we need to make up to be able to just plug in. Is the twisted pair just a 18" Cat 5/6 cable? Or what connectors?

If the glove box solution is acceptable, people could buy the tuner, connect cables and have it already in the glove box before they go in to the SC for their upgrade. Then simply inform the staff "its there, its ready, I bought it here, please just plug it in and configure it while you are doing the upgrade - Here have a donut". Leave the old one there where its already mounted.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

No one has explored the idea of simply not removing the existing tuner AND installing the new on some place else. What's it going to need? Longer wires? What about being creative and putting it with a couple of screws and plastic tie wraps in the corner of the glove box? This might be an acceptable alternative for those folks don't like losing radio. Giving up space in the glove box might be easier to swallow than no radio at all. I would and I don't even care about regular radio.

Just need someone (hint, hint @verygreen) with some prior experience (@verygreen) doing this connection to the back of the MCU2 tell us, show us what we need to make up to be able to just plug in. Is the twisted pair just a 18" Cat 5/6 cable? Or what connectors?

If the glove box solution is acceptable, people could buy the tuner, connect cables and have it already in the glove box before they go in to the SC for their upgrade. Then simply inform the staff "its there, its ready, I bought it here, please just plug it in and configure it while you are doing the upgrade - Here have a donut". Leave the old one there where its already mounted.

There's also the cubby right below the MCU...

 

[Akikiki]

There's also the cubby right below the MCU...

OH NO, not the CUBBY !! Its soooo sooo practical and valuable. Its perfect storage location. Can't give up the cubby, he said with sarcasm dripping from side of his mouth and puddling in a five gallon bucket at his feet.

 

[jrwaters1]

You don't have to upgrade your MCU to get HW3. They are now able to install hw3 on MCU1, you just won't get the fancy new visualizations.

I was told recently that this cannot be done.

 

[arcus]

This is about as close to getting a new car for just $2500+ tax opportunity as I have had all my life. And may be a little better than a new car 'cept for the new car smell. Newer cars Mar '18 also could get this upgrade. They will then be on par with the older cars that get this upgrade. However, they are paying for Premium Connectivity. We are not. YAY !!! Finally pay to be old(er). Made my day.

To add to that, 2500 would not buy me a new car. I can also keep my alcantara, leather seats, pano roof and RWD.

 

[jrwaters1]

I'm irritated. The more I read about this, the more frustration is rising within me. As an Oct 2016 model S owner who gave Tesla thousands of dollars 3 years ago for a promise, I now see nothing but the company telling me I need to spend even more money to bring my car to the full "FSD" experience that I was promised years ago. I understand they may be able to give me some sort of FSD experience with my MCU 1 by merely replacing the FSD computer, but I have watched them fail year after year to even bring anything other than highway autosteer as a reliable experience. Is it too much to expect some sort of acknowledgment from Tesla to those of us who invested early and eagerly in their vision? Some gratitude and willingness to upgrade whatever hardware is needed for the vision of FSD that the company now has. I invested in them. Couldn't they give a little back?

I think I see another arbitration on my horizon

 

[jrwaters1]

I think you are overreacting. There is no substantive reason to believe that MCU1 will have any less FSD capability than MCU2. MCU2 looks like it will provide fancier visualization (i.e. "eye candy"), but no promises were ever made as to what is shown on the display. Nor was any kind of "FSD experience" promised.

Yes, it has taken far longer than Elon promised, but we are all waiting for the software, no matter what MCU we have.

Tesla has already offered a free upgrade of the AP computer for anyone who has paid to get FSD. What other "acknowledgment" and "gratitude" are you seeking. A million Doge-coin? A public apology? Hara kiri?

Offering and getting are two different things.

 

[SucreTease]

I was told recently that this cannot be done.

Yeah, well I was told just the opposite, twice, by people with access to extraordinary information.

 

[MP3Mike]

Just need someone (hint, hint @verygreen) with some prior experience (@verygreen) doing this connection to the back of the MCU2 tell us, show us what we need to make up to be able to just plug in. Is the twisted pair just a 18" Cat 5/6 cable? Or what connectors?

You would also need to get the antenna wires/cables to the new tuner. (I assume there is both a FM and XM antenna.)

 

[arcus]

So now that the infotainment upgrade is confirmed, what are we going to b**ch about for another 140 pages?

 

[Shiro]

Are they taking back the old MCU? Or can I keep it and resell it?

 

[MP3Mike]

Are they taking back the old MCU? Or can I keep it and resell it?

We don't know because they haven't said and nobody has had it done yet. But my guess is that the $2,500 price hinges on them keeping the old MCU.

 

[Flyguy]

It does seem wrong, but clearly stated on the website in multiple places. This is just really bizarre. I have wanted to do this upgrade for some time. But, removing all basic radio functionality? . That may just be a dealbreaker.... It’s hard to imagine paying thousands of dollars and wind up with no radio in your car. I just don’t get it.

After thinking about it and re-reading my own whining post, I am left feeling quite surprised that Tesla even bothered creating this upgrade. The complexities involved in these cars are myriad, and they are willing to create even more technical issues to meet a customer desire. No other car company has ever done something like this.
I still haven’t decided to commit to it, but it is more likely than not when I get FSD upgrade

 

[Vegas]

I'd like to keep my MCU1, because I lost the anchor for my boat....

 

[sorka]

OH NO, not the CUBBY !! Its soooo sooo practical and valuable. Its perfect storage location. Can't give up the cubby, he said with sarcasm dripping from side of his mouth and puddling in a five gallon bucket at his feet.

Where's the DLC connector? My MCU1 cubby is not installed because I'm frequently logging CANBUS data.

 

[Shiro]

I'd like to keep my MCU1, because I lost the anchor for my boat....

Lol, I'd like to sell it to someone who needs a cheap replacement to recoup some of the upgrade cost. Especially since it's in perfect, non-yellowed shape. I'm sure someone would pay a few hundie for it.

 

[Amacharola]

What are the known issues that exist with MCU2? I haven’t seen much of anything yet...