Tesla infotainment system upgradeable from MCU1 to MCU2

[Akikiki]

They haven't been available there for almost two weeks. (Sold out and they say that aren't going to make more.)

@MP3Mile:

He sent me an email that he had request that amounted to 10 more, so he's ordered parts for 10 more.
Anyone wanting one - I encourage you to talk it up here to generate enough request to make it worthwhile and email him that you want one. I know that he's not doing it for the money. Its not worth it. He's doing it to help.

 

[Akikiki]

The thought occurred to me that I don't know why Tesla doesn't offer a small discount for people that want to do the MCU2 and HW3 at that same time. Seems like it would same them a little bit of labor since they have to do the hw3 for free anyway.

How do we know that they are not already doing that? I guess there are people that would be happier if Tesla announced that they MCU2 Upgrade was $3,000 but immediately marked down to $2,500.

Like tires at the tire store. No one every pays retail or MSRP. They are always on sale.

 

[Akikiki]

Has Tesla come around to programming the MCU to allow it?

No, they have not. I was the first person to ask while I stood there with my car ready to accept the activation. The explanation was not entirely unreasonable. The explanation was; Tesla doesn't want a variety of different configurations in the fleet that are unlike the configuration that the car was sold as.

I can predict what people are going to say to me - here - now. "How its that different than a one year older version of the car that came from the factory with MCU2 and with digital tuner FM radio". Well, that's what I told the SC Manager that was standing in front of me. And the next reply was, it's a corporate decision.

************
We have seen the rewards several times from using social media to reach out to Elon when Tesla does something that's not quite right and could make more sense. I am surprised that there's been no complaints to Elon's Twitter account talking about this and asking him to provide a radio restore path.
You don't like losing the FM Radio with MCU2 Upgrade - then let Elon know.

Does anyone have a better idea for getting Tesla's attention to put the radio back? I've not even seen a story in the EV e-zines where owners are complaining.

What say you to a Twitter campaign asking for a Restore FM Radio path for those that want it?
There's now enough of you with the MCU2 Upgrade completed and no FM Radio to honestly be affected by the decision.

 

[Warbird]

This just a simple heads up warning - for your consideration. We are still learning what causes the premature death of the eMMC in MCU1 cars. Tesla gives us bits and pieces of information. MCU2 is the same tech, no reason to believe this does not apply to MCU2. An owner shared with me the "tips" a SC Manager sent him that adversely impacts the eMMC. Here's the exact wording reference Music.

"Refrain from using large thumb drives with excessive amount of music/ data (MCU has to parse all that data for indexing)."

Indexing a large music collection is going to stress my memory chip?!
Sorry, I don't believe that.
Besides, I have a warranty.

 

[Akikiki]

I always thought the HW3 upgrade took 30 minutes and mobile could do it, the computer replacement needed only removing the glove compartment, etc. Not so?

The MCU replacement is, of course, much more complex (and includes replacement the IC also).

You are partly correct that the upgrade can be done by mobile service. To install the Hardware for FSD AP3 it is simply removing the glove box, unplugging the AP2 or AP2.5 module and replacing it with AP3 engine/module. The cables for it are on the wrong side for a couple of the Fraka ports so they add some 12"-ish male/female extensions to connect the existing cable to the other side. Otherwise, its simply a swap.

Considering the dash teardown, and MCU swaps, I would not want mobile service to try to perform my MCU2 upgrade for a long time. Since mobile service techs are in the field vice the SC, where would they have received the same first hand experience that SC techs would get working in the shop and talking to others when they get stuck.

We might as well explain this a little better. Not that most people will bother to change the way they describe it anyway.

We buy FSD software/functions and Tesla enables it or disables it. FSD uses the hardware, but adding or swapping hardware is not adding or removing FSD.

Its not a MCU2 Upgrade with FSD. FSD is the Software side of the complete package.
What we are getting is MCU2 Upgrade with AP3. We are upgrading the HW2.0/AP2 and HW2.5/AP2.5 cars to AP3.

The AP2.5/HW2.5 cars have the same cameras that are 2020 cars that we are calling HW3.0
(Only worth saying this in hopes it helps with the understanding.) 2020 HW3.0 cars are HW2.5 cars that have only always went directly to AP3 module.

HW2.0/AP2.0 cars will not be HW3.0 cars because Tesla is not swapping out the cameras.
HW25.AP2.5 cars become HW3.0/AP3.0 cars because the AP3 or APE3.0 module is swapped in.

 

[Akikiki]

Indexing a large music collection is going to stress my memory chip?!
Sorry, I don't believe that.
Besides, I have a warranty.

It's certainly okay with me if you don't believe it. No offense. I was simply sharing and used your 10K of songs.

 

[Akikiki]

What’s the value of the MCU2 Upgrade - to me. All these questions and discussion if its worth it. So I thought I could put a value on each part. The value you place on it maybe be different.
Now, I think I got a bargain at $2500

Cost to replace/repair MCU failed-----------$1,500

(2 each Blackvue DR900-2CH= $400)
Tesla Dash Cam-----------------------------------$ 800
Sentry Mode
Upgrade on WiFi to include 5 GHz------------$ 100
Functioning Browser------------------------------$ 100
Quicker Response to Maps----------------------$ 200
Sound is better Like an aftermarket radio)---$ 400
BT now displays media album art--------------$ 50
Driving Visualizations------------------------------$100
Tesla Theater (Equal to Tablet/iPad)----------$500
Netflix
Hulu
Youtube
Tesla Arcade
---------------------------------------------Total----$3,750

If I had to pay for a MCU1 replacement, the cost would be $1,500 at least.

I have two 2channel Blackvue dash cams in my car. 360 degree view.
Tesla Dash Cam & Sentry gives me the same 360 degree view both driving and parked.
The two DR 988-2CH's cost about $400 each.

Tesla Theater and Arcade is like the added an iPad with cell service to the screen.

These items I just put down a $$ number of what I would pay to get if I had seen them and wanted to keep them.
Wifi upgrade, working browser, fast map response and bluetooth media album art, driving visualizations, and better sound without a radio is like an aftermarket radio upgrade.

Did I miss anything?

 

[boaterva]

I'm one of the many who never received any email from Tesla regarding the ability to upgrade my infotainment (the announcement nor the invitation). Had the work done this past Tuesday. I have a small group of 4 owner friends. Two of the four of us got the email.

Oh, quite so. Didn’t mean to imply the email was universal. We’ve seen here it wasn’t. I meant that some of us did get it (as I did). It was how I first found out about it!

As always, Tesla comms are inscrutable.

 

[MIT_S60]

[...]
As always, Tesla comms are inscrutable.

This is an understatement. Exactly one month after I submitted my service request for the Infotainment Upgrade (MCU1 AP2.0), I finally got an email saying the parts have been ordered. I'm trying to decipher if that means the parts were on backorder and finally shipped, or if it literally means they finally got around to ordering the parts after a month (and two times pushing back my service request, the second time conveniently I didn't get a text about it but happened to check the night before that my appointment got pushed out another 6 weeks).

 

[tranzndance]

The thought occurred to me that I don't know why Tesla doesn't offer a small discount for people that want to do the MCU2 and HW3 at that same time. Seems like it would same them a little bit of labor since they have to do the hw3 for free anyway.

The discount that Tesla offered was in the time spent waiting to be eligible for the HW3 upgrade. If you pay for MCU 2 upgrade, get the HW3 upgrade sooner than if you did not get the MCU upgrade.

 

[mspohr]

Indexing a large music collection is going to stress my memory chip?!
Sorry, I don't believe that.
Besides, I have a warranty.

Indexing writes a large index file on the memory chip every time. This causes wear on the chip.
You can believe what you want.
The memory chip problem has been attributed to excessive logging writes. This was supposedly fixed a while ago. Other processes still write to the chip.

 

[MXFan]

Indexing writes a large index file on the memory chip every time. This causes wear on the chip.
You can believe what you want.
The memory chip problem has been attributed to excessive logging writes. This was supposedly fixed a while ago. Other processes still write to the chip.

Would the dashcam clips from sentry mode and while driving also do a lot of indexing?

 

[Silicon Desert]

The discount that Tesla offered was in the time spent waiting to be eligible for the HW3 upgrade. If you pay for MCU 2 upgrade, get the HW3 upgrade sooner than if you did not get the MCU upgrade.

I'm having a really dense day I guess. I read this 3 times, and having trouble understanding.

 

[Silicon Desert]

How do we know that they are not already doing that? I guess there are people that would be happier if Tesla announced that they MCU2 Upgrade was $3,000 but immediately marked down to $2,500.

Like tires at the tire store. No one every pays retail or MSRP. They are always on sale.

Good thought. Since they are charging the same price to install MCU 2 whether you get HW3 or not, then it occurred to me that they are not offering a discount. Maybe a wrong assumption, but just a thought.

 

[eJonny]

How do we know that they are not already doing that? I guess there are people that would be happier if Tesla announced that they MCU2 Upgrade was $3,000 but immediately marked down to $2,500.

They aren’t. When I was told the MCU upgrade for HW2 car wasn’t available I asked for the HW3 FSD upgrade be completed separately and the SC did that.

 

[eJonny]

Exactly one month after I submitted my service request for the Infotainment Upgrade (MCU1 AP2.0), I finally got an email saying the parts have been ordered. I'm trying to decipher if that means the parts were on backorder and finally shipped, or if it literally means they finally got around to ordering the parts after a month (and two times pushing back my service request, the second time conveniently I didn't get a text about it but happened to check the night before that my appointment got pushed out another 6 weeks).

what does that email look like? Does it contain part numbers and ETA?

 

[mspohr]

Would the dashcam clips from sentry mode and while driving also do a lot of indexing?

Not indexing. The clips are written to the memory stick, not the internal memory but there probably is some logging to the internal memory.

 

[mspohr]

Here you go, guys... An alternative MCU

This Revolutionary Tesla-Like Interface Brings Any EV Swap Into the 21st Century

Polykup specifically designed its MCU to be the central hub of an EV-converted vehicle. That means each and every piece of the vehicle that can be controlled over a standard CAN network can be worked into the modular user interface, as can the controls for the electric motor and batteries

Speaking of creature comforts, Polykup's setup is also an infotainment OS. It can play media, take phone calls, and even launch a web browser. Connect the optional LTE dongle and you can even do all of this on the road—that includes over-the-air updates.

Polykup's base unit starts at $999 and can be outfitted with various options and sizes for additional costs.

 

[boaterva]

I'm having a really dense day I guess. I read this 3 times, and having trouble understanding.

When I got mine done (March), they weren't doing HW3 installs for the S and X. So, I (also) got the HW3 computer installed (which they owned me for free) as part of the infotainment upgrade. Now (June), people have gotten the HW3 computer installed standalone. But then, it wasn't being done. So, count that as you will.

 

[Akikiki]

Typo's in my own post about "What's the value of MCU2 Upgrade - to me"

(2 each Blackvue DR900-2CH @ $400) (not = $400)
The two DR 900-2CH's cost about $400 each. (not DR 988's)

For those keeping score, sorry about the typo's.