What "radio" from MCU2 upgrade w/o new radio or premium connectivity?

[TigerNinety]

Hello,

I'm thinking about doing the MCU2 upgrade for my 2016.5 MS 75D, but I don't know if I want to do the radio, too (especially knowing that there's no difference in cost whether I do it at the same time or later). If I don't have the Premium Connectivity package, and I don't get the radio upgrade, do I have "basic" streaming radio of any kind?

Thanks,

Todd

 

[Tesomega]

My understanding is that if you upgrade to MCU2 from MCU1, you loose AM, FM, XM. You would be limited to streaming radio. Not sure how this plays with Premium connectivity. Are you sure you don't have premium connectivity ?

 

[brkaus]

Personally I have a hard time accepting a car without FM radio. Local sports. Areas with minimal data coverage (west Texas).

The local stations that the kids listen to are all iHeartRadio and not available in the car.

I'm considering the cost of the upgrade is $2k and I have to make a decision based on that.

 

[TigerNinety]

My understanding is that if you upgrade to MCU2 from MCU1, you loose AM, FM, XM. You would be limited to streaming radio. Not sure how this plays with Premium connectivity. Are you sure you don't have premium connectivity ?

Let's assume that I don't or that I don't want to pay for it. Does anyone know if you get any kind of radio (streaming, of course), aside from whatever you can pull over your bluetooth connection and your phone?

 

[domodan]

I’m upgrading Wednesday and going to try going without the FM radio. I had a hard time with my truck not having a CD player too, then I realized I’d not used it in years and never missed it once. I’m guessing the radio will be the same. Hoping anyways.

 

[brkaus]

Let's assume that I don't or that I don't want to pay for it. Does anyone know if you get any kind of radio (streaming, of course), aside from whatever you can pull over your bluetooth connection and your phone?

No. There is no over the air radio in the car if you do not upgrade the tuner. The old tuner cannot talk to the new mcu2.

you can get stations through tunin assuming you have premium connectivity. Look at tunin.com for the stations.

 

[Adri]

MCU2 with the tuner and no premium connectivity means you will have NO radio or streaming.
You will only have music from a USB stick.

 

[David_Cary]

MCU2 with the tuner and no premium connectivity means you will have NO radio or streaming.
You will only have music from a USB stick.

No, you will also have phone bluetooth streaming.

I did not think there was an option to not have premium connectivity in 2016. OP - can you stream now? Did it expire? I have a 2015 and have lifetime premium connectivity. It was included. I thought the cheap out only came in 2018.

I have premium connectivity but I chose mostly to stream from my phone. The main difference is that I am using my own data plan which isn't usually an issue. I have Pandora premium and that is why I do it. For those that haven't tried, it displays song titles and has controls from the steering wheel just like built-in streaming. Pandora has voice controls also. In my phone, it connects instantly and without issue when I enter the car. If I don't have the app open, a quick "hey google" gets it going.

I see no need for FM. There is tune-in and websites for radio stations. Is there really a situation where sports aren't available on a website? I get that there isn't data everywhere and for some that is a big issue. Website could be a little clunky but I never found listening to sports worth much effort anyway.

 

[brkaus]

I did not think there was an option to not have premium connectivity in 2016. OP - can you stream now? Did it expire? I have a 2015 and have lifetime premium connectivity. It was included. I thought the cheap out only came in 2018.

I believe a used purchase of an older car from Tesla will not have lifetime premium connectivity.

 

[chingwodapigu]

I believe a used purchase of an older car from Tesla will not have lifetime premium connectivity.

My 2016 that I bought from Tesla last year came with lifetime premium connectivity.

 

[chingwodapigu]

I've heard folks get no charged for the digital tuner upgrade when they did the MCU2 upgrade if they had the Premium Audio option. Anyone confirm this is true? I definitely still want OTA radio, and would love to save $500.

 

[domodan]

I've heard folks get no charged for the digital tuner upgrade when they did the MCU2 upgrade if they had the Premium Audio option. Anyone confirm this is true? I definitely still want OTA radio, and would love to save $500.

I have Premium Audio, and I'm getting the MCU2 upgrade done tomorrow. They told me $500 extra for the radio.

 

[bktiger86]

I have a 2017 Model S which came with Premium Connectivity for life. I think I will opt out on the $500 radio upgrade for now, especially everyone says that you can technically stream it via bluetooth phone or TuneIn. My MCU2 upgrade is on Feb. 11th.

 

[boaterva]

We don’t know what the story is with Premium. Several of us got proforma invoices with the expected $500 charges and then a final one for $0.

No idea if this was (as some suggested) because we paid $2500 originally and now it’s $1500, but you’d think that would be stated. I still think it’s because of Premium but again no one can get Tesla to confirm or state a policy.

 

[airborne spoon]

No, you will also have phone bluetooth streaming.
....I see no need for FM. There is tune-in and websites for radio stations. Is there really a situation where sports aren't available on a website? I get that there isn't data everywhere and for some that is a big issue. Website could be a little clunky but I never found listening to sports worth much effort anyway.

If he doesn't have the premium audio package then there is no tunein radio either.

I just got my MCU2 yesterday with the radio. I got the radio for when i go to the drive in movies, they play the audio off a pirate radio so if you don't have a radio in the car your only option would be to have a boombox in the car and well that's just stupid to have to do that. And yes we have drive-in's still, i live 30 min from one.

Below is my invoice from getting it installed in case there are any questions on prices.