Tesla infotainment system upgradeable from MCU1 to MCU2

[Krash]

…and then we'll have an MCU3, MCU4, etc…as they develop more and more for future hardware…

Some reading here won’t know there already is an MCU3, sometimes referred to as MCUZ. The new cars all use AMD Ryzen chips. The instruction set didn’t change like from MCU1 (ARM) to MCU2 (x64) but the Ryzen’s embedded GPU has instructions that are certainly in use. Anyway, Tesla isn’t developing for future hardware as much as for a currently growing installed base of MCUZ.

…Do you really anticipate newer MCU retrofits for the legacy cars?

It is a really big step to get the current, liquid cooled Ryzen in its different form factor into the legacy cars.

Also noteworthy is that the (self driving) HW3 is more physically integrated in MCUZ. So will Cybertruck and new roadster use the same CPU with HW4 and 4x resolution cameras in testing?

 

[viper2ko]

@hybridbear & @viper2ko - how long ago and mileage did you guys upgrade to MCU2? Have you brought this up with your local SC?

I had mine done almost 1.5 years ago. The last straw was it constantly crashing and navigation essentially useless on a road trip while trying to listen to music. I gave up raising concerns about MCU with Tesla. They don't care and never have. It could have been fixed with software imo

 

[viper2ko]

@viper2ko r2k, @hybridbear -

The issues you have mentioned must be due to the bad software updates I assume, and the MCU2 performance can't be worse than a sluggish old MCU1 with all widely reported side effects an owner is already struggling with. Am I not correct?

MCU1 was and is awful. MCU2 although getting worse is still highly capable. I think it's more poor software and bloating

 

[Amacharola]

MCU1 was and is awful. MCU2 although getting worse is still highly capable. I think it's more poor software and bloating

Agreed - I noticed it being a bit slower, perhaps since v11 software. It likely has nothing to do with age or mileage as some suggest, but instead is due to software development. It might work and pass QA, but it may not be snappy.

 

[viper2ko]

Agreed - I noticed it being a bit slower, perhaps since v11 software. It likely has nothing to do with age or mileage as some suggest, but instead is due to software development. It might work and pass QA, but it may not be snappy.

I think this is the case. Tesla is no longer optimizing for MCU2. Just the bare minimum. I've also wondered if the 3 and Y have higher FPS screen

 

[gearchruncher]

Tesla is no longer optimizing for MCU2. Just the bare minimum.

There are >1M cars with MCU2 given it's the same system used in the 3 and Y. There were only about 150K MCU1's, and it was a totally different architecture than MCU2, which MCU3 is not. I don't think Tesla has started to totally ignore MCU2.

 

[hybridbear]

@hybridbear & @viper2ko - how long ago and mileage did you guys upgrade to MCU2? Have you brought this up with your local SC?

Feb 2021 for our MCU2 install. We've put about 30k miles on the car since then.

 

[terranx]

There were only about 150K MCU1's, and it was a totally different architecture than MCU2, which MCU3 is not.

The instruction set being the same between MCU2 and 3 does not mean they have the same architectures. The atom and zen architectures are wildly different despite being able to execute the same code on a broad level. In any case, instruction set is hardly relevant to programmers these days, the compiler will take care of that stuff.

 

[Sean.]

Shock horror, within 24 hours of the service booking they confirmed that they didn’t have the parts to complete and so rescheduled the booking in 4 weeks time.

Upgrade done. All good according to the service tech. Slight delay getting a firmware update applied from the factory which meant the car was with them all day.

Collecting it in the morning

 

[gearchruncher]

The instruction set being the same between MCU2 and 3 does not mean they have the same architectures.

I was actually referring to the broader system architecture. Stuff like MCU1 having a completely different processor in the IC, whereas MCU2 drives both the center and IC display off the same processor. There's a lot more system level changes MCU1 to 2 than 2 to 3.

 

[mtycks]

Got my mcu2 upgrade today and now I have nav and trip planning on my non tech pkg car! Sweet!

I recently got the MCU2 upgrade on my non-tech package 2013 S and when I picked it up it didn't have turn-by-turn navigation. When I brought it up to the service advisor before I drove off, he didn't know if it was possible. Are you aware of any other hardware requirements for getting the navigation added to a non-tech car?

Thanks and congrats on getting your car upgraded!

 

[Tam]

I recently got the MCU2 upgrade on my non-tech package 2013 S and when I picked it up it didn't have turn-by-turn navigation. When I brought it up to the service advisor before I drove off, he didn't know if it was possible. Are you aware of any other hardware requirements for getting the navigation added to a non-tech car?

Thanks and congrats on getting your car upgraded!

In the early years, navigation was not free. If I remember, you got to pay $3,750 for a tech package in order to use the navigation system.

Someone made a mistake to let you use the navigation without paying almost $4,000 for the past 10 years.

Unlucky to you that you brought your car in for an MCU update that took your navigation away for nonpayment.

 

[mtycks]

In the early years, navigation was not free. If I remember, you got to pay $3,750 for a tech package in order to use the navigation system.

Someone made a mistake to let you use the navigation without paying almost $4,000 for the past 10 years.

Unlucky to you that you brought your car in for an MCU update that took your navigation away for nonpayment.

Oh sorry, I wasn't very clear in my original message. The car has never had navigation. I originally opted for the MCU2 upgrade because I was having issues with the MCU1 and wanted the infotainment stuff (theater, updated games, etc.). I assumed that the MCU2 upgrade would give my navigation (I didn't ask about it at drop-off, but wanted to know if it could be added).

I've been searching this forum to find out if anyone had experience with a non-tech package car getting turn-by-turn and found this thread.

 

[Tam]

Oh sorry, I wasn't very clear in my original message. The car has never had navigation. I originally opted for the MCU2 upgrade because I was having issues with the MCU1 and wanted the infotainment stuff (theater, updated games, etc.). I assumed that the MCU2 upgrade would give my navigation (I didn't ask about it at drop-off, but wanted to know if it could be added).

I've been searching this forum to find out if anyone had experience with a non-tech package car getting turn-by-turn and found this thread.

I don’t think of any technical reasons that you can't get navigation.

However, begging Tesla to allow you giving them money for navigation might be very difficult.

That's how Tesla works.

 

[Thomas Allen]

It’s a software thing, not reliant on any additional hardware. Tesla could turn it on for you, but they probably won’t. I don’t have the Tech Package either. The mirrors in my 2014 Model S don’t dim. I’ve asked Tesla multiple times to turn that functionality on, but they refuse. It’s pretty annoying, when even the cheapest cars on the road have rear view mirror dimming of some sort. I’m sure that it’s just a matter of them selecting On or Off from a menu that they only have access to.

 

[Droschke]

Oh sorry, I wasn't very clear in my original message. The car has never had navigation. I originally opted for the MCU2 upgrade because I was having issues with the MCU1 and wanted the infotainment stuff (theater, updated games, etc.). I assumed that the MCU2 upgrade would give my navigation (I didn't ask about it at drop-off, but wanted to know if it could be added).

I've been searching this forum to find out if anyone had experience with a non-tech package car getting turn-by-turn and found this thread.

When I purchased my car I paid $4,250 extra for option TP02, which was called "Tech pack with Autopilot". That option also included maps and turn-by-turn navigation.

 

[mtycks]

I don’t think of any technical reasons that you can't get navigation.

However, begging Tesla to allow you giving them money for navigation might be very difficult.

That's how Tesla works.

Yeah, that's kinda what I figured. The service advisor was willing to help me out at the time when I asked about it and seemed genuine about trying to get more information—he even gave me his email to follow up with him (obviously, he said he's still looking into it when I emailed).

 

[mtycks]

It’s a software thing, not reliant on any additional hardware. Tesla could turn it on for you, but they probably won’t. I don’t have the Tech Package either. The mirrors in my 2014 Model S don’t dim. I’ve asked Tesla multiple times to turn that functionality on, but they refuse. It’s pretty annoying, when even the cheapest cars on the road have rear view mirror dimming of some sort. I’m sure that it’s just a matter of them selecting On or Off from a menu that they only have access to.

Yeah, that is annoying.

 

[BrownOuttaSpec]

It blows my mind that they don't just enable all the original things for free by now. I mean if you car has the hardware for it then just allow it. It doesn't cost them anything and the new cars are 100x better than anything 2012-2015 so its like you wont upgrade because your 2013 now has turn by turn nav or auto-dimming mirrors.

They should just be like "Thanks for supporting Tesla Model S for the last 10 years! Surprise your car is now unlocked and you have [fog lights, accent lights, tinted mirrors, naivation, 70 kWh pack, etc]!"

 

[henderrj]

Do we know for a fact that it's only software? It would seem that you would need hardware like GPS antennas for the navigation, or a different mirror structure for the dimming. I might be wrong. They may have even left out the wiring needed to connect those things. It could be quite a project to add it.