Upgrading AP cameras

[MXFan]

I did finally figure out why the new color triple camera didn’t quite look as good as the side repeater cameras. It’s because on the Model X the cameras are above the AS1 line of the windshield and that area is tinted, hence the slightly greyer look.

 

[MXFan]

Could you share the part number that you used?

I used part # 1120520-00-B. Made for the newer S/X.

 

[Art VandeIay]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to share my experience with swapping my Model S cameras.
For context: I have a 2017 February built Model S with MCU1 and AP2.0 hardware.

As some of you may remember, I bought all the Autopilot cameras (except for the rearview camera) from a salvaged Raven Performance Model S on April 6th 2020.

... and the following items came off the car and they are on their way to my house:

1125106-00-E - MS/ MX LAMP ASY, SIDE REPEATER (LH)
1125107-00-E - MS/ MX LAMP ASY, SIDE REPEATER (RH)
1120520-00-B - INLINE TRIPLE CAM, S/X/3
1069104-00-D - MS,B PLR,CAM ASSY
1069104-00-D - MS,B PLR,CAM ASSY

But unfortunately for my Model S, a few weeks later my wife and I decided to quarantine the family abroad. Since my mother is italian and we have a small summer villa in Capri, we emptied the refrigerator, over-inflated the tires on both the Model S and Model X, plugged both vehicles, set the charging limit to 50%, unplugged all the smart bulbs, and hopped on a plane.

Long story short, we returned home just last week, so I decided to tackle the job of washing both Teslas, and since I was already in the garage, why not swap the Autopilot cameras on my car.

My Model S had 2020.24.6.11 since I decided I didn't want to update any of the vehicles without us being close to them, but I don't remember leaving my Model S on 2020.24.6.11 (and accrding to TeslaFi, it was released on July 22nd), so I guess Tesla forced the update on my car, but already had 2020.36.3.1 downloaded and ready to be installed. As some of you mentioned, I didn't update the car until all the cameras were swapped and ready.

Anyway, sorry I digress...

Since @Akikiki mentioned he didn't unplugged the 12v battery nor the fireman's loop to the high voltage battery, I decided to just give it a go using the Power Off button on the Safety and Security menu. So I fully lowered both front windows, closed all doors, moved the key fob away from the vehicle and through the open window, I touched the MCU display and hit Power Off. I waited 10 minutes and then proceeded to remove the passenger's side repeater camera. I installed the Raven passenger side camera and without pushing it back into its socket, I went to retrieve the key fob and hopped on the driver's seat... no errors!

Great, I put my foot on the brake, placed the car in Drive, no errors!
Drove forward a few inches, no errors, took the car for a drive around the block, no errors. The IC even showed the cars on both lanes. I saw a parking spot on the street, so I decided to engage Autopark, and everything worked perfectly, (aside from Autopark that sucks no matter what version of Autopilot computer and cameras you have ).

Returned home, pushed the passenger side camera in place and did the same whole process for the driver side camera. Same route, no errors. I was ecstatic!

Then, I thought to myself that the most likely camera to throw some type of error would probably be the inline triple front facing camera, so I went online looking for a video or tutorial on how to remove the b-pillar side cameras, but no luck. The closest thing I found was this YouTube video of a Model 3 that had a b pillar camera that was fogging up, but the video showed the Mobile Service guy with the trim piece and the camera already removed . Then I remembered that someone here on TMC linked a website that had a sort of Service Manual for Model S and X, and fortunately I found the right page with all the instructions on how to remove the b pillar glass trim here.

I swapped both b pillar cameras, no errors!
Awesome, I couldn't believe it.

Finally I watched the video posted on this thread on how to remove the rear view mirror on the Model S and proceeded to swap the inline triple camera. Very carefully I removed the metal camera mount plate (process not featured in such video) and only unplugged the two wires going to the camera assembly, swapped the camera, plugged everything back up and... nothing, no errors whatsoever!

Again, took the car for a spin, but now on the highway and everything worked perfectly. Returned home and proceeded to update the car to 2020.36.3.1. Update installed without a hitch, and no errors at all. Everything worked as it should, Autopilot, Smart Summon, Autopark, Sentry (non recording), AP2.0 Driving Visualisations, everything.

I think it's important to note that my Model S still has its Autopilot 2.0 computer installed at this point, since I had to cancel my Service appointment for the MCU2 Infotainment Upgrade. So as of this post, my car still has MCU1 and AP2.0 computer but the full AP2.5 camera suite!!!!

I still haven't rescheduled my Infotainment and FSD upgrade, as I still have to install the digital radio tuner and TeslaTap's cable, before I take my Model S in for its MCU2 upgrade.

I wonder what's going to happen with further software updates as my car's gateway config is still set to autopilotCameraType 1. I even wonder what's going to happen after my MCU2 and FSD upgrade?

Also, today I noticed that Tesla changed the part numbers for the Model S and Model X side repeater cameras on its EPC. Just a few weeks ago, the part numbers for the side repeaters were the same as the ones I bought from the wrecked Raven Performance Model S.

Now the side repeater cameras for S and X are 1495866-00-A and 1495867-00-A (with revision A?????? Maybe new better resolution cameras for new Autopilot 3.1 computer?????)

All the other cameras still have the same part numbers as the ones that came of the wrecked Model S.



Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to share my experience with you!

 

[drew.c]

I needed the right side for my '17 Model S. I wanted the 1125107-00-E to match the 1125106-00-E I have on the left side. The cheaper (~$79) new 00-E ones on ebay for the right side are no longer there. So I ordered 1125107-00-E from my service center. Afterwards I saw there is a new part # on the epc site that Art mentioned above. I asked my service rep to find out the difference and if it is full color like the rear camera. She is backed up today as the Tesla servers were down yesterday. I'll let you know what she says. If it is full color she will switch my order to 1495867-00-A.

 

[hmidha]

I needed the right side for my '17 Model S. I wanted the 1125107-00-E to match the 1125106-00-E I have on the left side. The cheaper (~$79) new 00-E ones on ebay for the right side are no longer there. So I ordered 1125107-00-E from my service center. Afterwards I saw there is a new part # on the epc site that Art mentioned above. I asked my service rep to find out the difference and if it is full color like the rear camera. She is backed up today as the Tesla servers were down yesterday. I'll let you know what she says. If it is full color she will switch my order to 1495867-00-A.

And I need the left one. I have 1125107-00-E installed already and saw the new part number and was thinking the same question that you have (Debating between 1495866-00-A or 1125106-00-E). Please do update based on what you hear back.

 

[drew.c]

I think I called about ten service centers and the five that answered I got five different answers. I also tried the 888-518-3752 Tesla support # and she told me to call my local service center. My local service center emailed me back saying 1495867-00-A was not compatible with my vehicle. I later discovered this may be because the Tesla system still thinks I have AP2.0 based off the VIN lookup, even though I was upgraded to AP3 7/3/20. Another service center said 14995867-00-A was the latest/newest replacing 1125108-00-E. Another said based off my VIN 1034344-99-A was the one I should order. That was my original camera part # and they don't even make that one any longer. Another said 1125107-00-A (not E) is what should be the replacement for my car. He happened to mention that was the latest for my car with AP2. I told him I was upgraded to AP3 (and MCU2) on July 3 and asked why wasn't that updated in the Tesla system. He was not sure. So he then said 1125108-00-E is the latest available for your car. I asked about 1495867-00-A and he thought it was an old part number and there were zero for availability. I think 1495867-00-A is the new part # but may not be in stock yet and is too new for anyone to have any information on it. No one could tell me if 1495867-00-A had a better color image and most didn't know it existed. I'll guess I'll see what part the mobile tech brings next Thursday. 1125108-00-E was the part ordered.

 

[Akikiki]

@drew.c, you might not know, but about 1495867-00-A not being compatible with your car, is the same thing we heard when we started talking about trying 1125107-00-E. No one was encouraging and all said it would not work. I'm hard headed. I bought one and tried and it worked. So, I for one, don't believe 1495867-00-A won't work.

There's any number of reasons a new part number has surfaced. One could be its a replacement that we could call a hybrid from what Tesla learned we are doing anyway. Maybe its going to work in both 2.0 and 3.0 cars. Hopefully it will be better than 2.0, really hopeful its closer to full color like rear. Time will tell. Someone will dare to try and will tell us what they learned.

 

[MXFan]

2016-2018 Tesla Model S 3 X Right Turn Signal Light Repeater 1125107-00-E OEM | eBay
2017 2018 2019 Tesla Model 3 Left Side LH Fender Marker Camera OEM 1125106-00-E | eBay

Both left and right side available on ebay for around $75

 

[Akikiki]

@drew.c, you might not know, but about 1495867-00-A not being compatible with your car, is the same thing we heard when we started talking about trying 1125107-00-E. No one was encouraging and all said it would not work. I'm hard headed. I bought one and tried and it worked. So, I for one, don't believe 1495867-00-A won't work.

There's any number of reasons a new part number has surfaced. One could be its a replacement that we could call a hybrid from what Tesla learned we are doing anyway. Maybe its going to work in both 2.0 and 3.0 cars. Hopefully it will be better than 2.0, really hopeful its closer to full color like rear. Time will tell. Someone will dare to try and will tell us what they learned.

And I should have added this. We should expect or not be surprised when Tesla says its not compatible. We heard this more than once. Back when we were mounting the rear camera on the front of the car and sending the fed into the center console we heard then that the newer rear camera that was released in Jul '15 would not work. But it did. It was a better resolution than the one we were using and many of us swapped both rear and front. And it would make sense that a Tesla rep would be saying - no - because the parts catalog doesn't say yes. So we just have to consider the source must report the company position. You know they don't like us replacing parts or messing with the car's configuration.

When I added the Model 3 FM Digital Tuner to my MCU2 upgraded '17 and even got it wired up like a factory MCU2, I was told No, Tesla would not make the gateway configuration change necessary to enable it. Even if I paid them to do work that I described. Answer - No. And it was not a local decision. It was not my SC Mgr. She said, corporate had been tracking my team progress in getting one installed and wired properly. We documented what we were doing along the way, and they knew every step we had reported. The SC Mgr said, "we won't support a change to the fleet that is unique to the fleet. I can understand that if it makes my request different than many others in the fleet. I argued that making the gateway change to mine that was needed would make it match factory MCU2 digital radio configurations. So down the road, it would work even after OTA updates. And while accurate, they still said no.

If anybody is reading this, there's info posted from Netherlands side of TMC that tells us that Tesla is offering the digital radio upgrade as an option with MCU2 starting in Oct in Europe with MCU2 upgrade installations. The source even has a text reply from his SC confirming. And he got a price in Euro's Converted to USD, the price will be about $495/$500. So, if you are a MCU2 fence-sitter and losing FM is a big deal, maybe this will help you. No idea when we will hear of it offered in USofA, but at least its news it may be coming.

If you doubt or want to read yourself, follow this link. MCU2 upgrade mogelijk, maar hoe? Read starting at post #132 and don't overlook #157 I recommend using Chrome to read it, because you can translate with it.

 

[drew.c]

2016-2018 Tesla Model S 3 X Right Turn Signal Light Repeater 1125107-00-E OEM | eBay
2017 2018 2019 Tesla Model 3 Left Side LH Fender Marker Camera OEM 1125106-00-E | eBay

Both left and right side available on ebay for around $75

The left one is used and has a broken tab. I only was looking for new ones. The right one says it's out of stock. I saw a gray colored one that said it was new and it had all kinds of scratches on it. You have to be careful and review them carefully.

 

[hmidha]

The left one is used and has a broken tab. I only was looking for new ones. The right one says it's out of stock. I saw a gray colored one that said it was new and it had all kinds of scratches on it. You have to be careful and review them carefully.

What drew.c said. I have seen the same listings, there was another one yesterday, but it had scratches, so I didn't buy. I am also only looking for new ones on ebay. I had found one left one (new) but it was 1125106-77-E, which was specific to Model 3 & I didn't buy.

It most probably would have worked, but I decided that if I am going to buy, I will either buy 11250106-00-E or 1495866-00-A

 

[hmidha]

@drew.c Please let us know what part did the Mobile Tech bring

 

[drew.c]

@drew.c Please let us know what part did the Mobile Tech bring

He was just here. The new part # he brought was 1125107-00-E. He was unaware of the 'Camera Recalibration' option under 'Service' on the MCU 2 touchscreen. He said that saved him a lot of time. I told him it came out with one of the recent software updates.

I also had the plastic protective film on my Instrument Panel screen (ICU) removed. I had read a lot of people had the protective screen still attached after their MCU upgrade. At first, I thought they had removed it during installation. Recently I noticed it was dark at night and also had a bubble. I think he removed the upper plastic bezel to remove the protective film. He said he would let the service center know to remove the protective screen on new installs.

 

[r0xx0r]

Hi all,

With the Vector-space bird’s eye view feature coming, I think it would use the B-Pillar cameras from now. We might have benefited from upgrading these cams.

 

[M0rpH3x]

Hi all,

With the Vector-space bird’s eye view feature coming, I think it would use the B-Pillar cameras from now. We might have benefited from upgrading these cams.

Well, I don't fully agree. It depends on what you're looking for.

A RGGB camera looks more beautiful to our eyes than a RCCC one, but the RCCC camera is way more sensitive. I have integrated the curves in the AR0132AT datasheet, and if we establish the RCCC as the baseline (100% efficient), the RCCB camera is 80% efficient and the RGGB one is 43% efficient. For more contrast, obstacle detection, better images in darkness, etc, you'll do better with RCCC cameras.

Said that, the difference in sensitivity between RCCC and RCCB is small, and indeed RCCB looks way better in the videos. I guess here the reasoning was "AP will perform more or less the same, but our customers will be happier to see those colorful videos".

 

[M0rpH3x]

I'm curious about the B-pillar cameras. The AP2 P/N is 1069104-00-B, but the AP2.5 P/N is 1069104-00-D. Only the letter changes, which usually means there has been a very small modification. In contrast, the side repeaters have a very different P/N. Are we sure the B-pillar cameras are RCCB??? Can someone confirm this????

Are there videos/screenshots from these cameras for an AP2 and an AP2.5 vehicle?

 

[M0rpH3x]

I'm curious about the B-pillar cameras. The AP2 P/N is 1069104-00-B, but the AP2.5 P/N is 1069104-00-D. Only the letter changes, which usually means there has been a very small modification. In contrast, the side repeaters have a very different P/N. Are we sure the B-pillar cameras are RCCB??? Can someone confirm this????

Are there videos/screenshots from these cameras for an AP2 and an AP2.5 vehicle?

@verygreen confirmed me that indeed the D version is RCCB, and the B version is RCCC. Just sharing, in case anybody else has the same question in mind.

 

[brook90]

Have an AP2.0 car now with HW3 retrofit. Have upgraded front tri-cam (1120520-00-B) repeater cams (1125107-00-E & 1125106-00-E), pillar cams (1069104-00-D) - basically all AP2.5 versions. However calibration won’t complete, it went to 99% (additional cameras calibrating) and after 150+ miles has gone back to 97% and crept back to 99% again. Tried town/city driving, motorway driving etc. but no joy. Any hints/tips?

 

[drew.c]

Have an AP2.0 car now with HW3 retrofit. Have upgraded front tri-cam (1120520-00-B) repeater cams (1125107-00-E & 1125106-00-E), pillar cams (1069104-00-D) - basically all AP2.5 versions. However calibration won’t complete, it went to 99% (additional cameras calibrating) and after 150+ miles has gone back to 97% and crept back to 99% again. Tried town/city driving, motorway driving etc. but no joy. Any hints/tips?

When replacing the front cam, if you go back to post #116 and #117, @MXFan stated you need to wait for a new software update to apply to resolve the issue. I don't think it matters which software update, just a newer one for your car.

Upgrading AP cameras

 

[brook90]

When replacing the front cam, if you go back to post #116 and #117, @MXFan stated you need to wait for a new software update to apply to resolve the issue. I don't think it matters which software update, just a newer one for your car.

Upgrading AP cameras

Thanks, but already done - 2020.36.11 update installed after swap, but no change. Dashcam and Sentry footage is a huge improvement and it chimes on green lights so pretty sure tricam is working.

Does anyone know whether it is the B pillars that are the “additional cameras” it mentions?