Why Do Teslas Eat Flash Drives?

[gnuarm]

I've had the flash drive in my Tesla crap out on me several times. This has been with multiple brands and models. The error is always that the flash drive has become write protected. This last one is very persistent. Nothing I do solves the problem. The only choice left is to copy all the data, and format it.

What gives with the corruption of the write enable bit? People say that even if the drive is removed without pausing, it only corrupts files currently being written.

BTW, I had a larger flash that had to be formatted as exFAT to be able to hold larger files. It can't be read at the printing machines in Staples! I guess they require FAT32!!! I think the file size limit in FAT32 is 4GB. The volume limit was 32 GB originally, but was (somehow) bumped up to 2 TB. Still, the file size thing is a problem.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

I’ve had the tesla supplied usb-a drive for a year. No issues. It is a Samsung bar plus which costs $35 or so. It has a 3 or 5 year warranty . It is rated for extreme weather temperatures & one article I read claimed built for many read/writes & is suitable for video recording.

 

[gnuarm]

Hmmm... this error seems to transcend tools to fix it. I can't format the drive because it is write protected! Nothing works!

There's a fix that involves editing the registry, but that requires booting the laptop. I'll try that another day.

 

[smogne41]

Most USB thumb drives can't handle the constant write/erase for long. I never had one last more than a few months in my car. Endurance SD cards are designed for dashcam use and are not expensive. Mine has worked trouble-free for two years now.

 

[cwerdna]

I'm guessing the flash drive has worn out. When folks have done torture tests of SSDs (well beyond their rated endurance), sometimes they're still readable but have put themselves into read-only mode when they get worn out.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

Most USB thumb drives can't handle the constant write/erase for long. I never had one last more than a few months in my car. Endurance SD cards are designed for dashcam use and are not expensive. Mine has worked trouble-free for two years now.

I have had a usb thumb drive last for 1 year and still going strong. I have the thumb drive tesla included in my 2022 model y which is a 128GB Samsung bar plus . Not sure if tesla changed that or not. Costs $35 or so and has 3 or 5 year warranty. Rated for harsh temperatures & some articles mention rated for video recording, a stealth endurance.

 

[BitJam]

I've had the flash drive in my Tesla crap out on me several times. This has been with multiple brands and models. The error is always that the flash drive has become write protected. This last one is very persistent. Nothing I do solves the problem. The only choice left is to copy all the data, and format it.

What brands have you been using? Some, like the Sandisk UltraFit, are just dreadful and known to fail regularly due to overheating.

I spent 10 years developing a version of Linux that runs from flash drives so I've had a lot of experience with them both directly and from the user base. I've been using Samsung flash drives in my car for music and TeslaCam with very few issues.

That's a bummer about the machine at Staples not recognizing exFAT. I use GPT partitioning and exFAT (or ext4) filesystems for the flash drives I use in my car.

 

[gnuarm]

Most USB thumb drives can't handle the constant write/erase for long. I never had one last more than a few months in my car. Endurance SD cards are designed for dashcam use and are not expensive. Mine has worked trouble-free for two years now.

Many people aren't aware that flash drives wear out, just like a mechanical device. They also don't know that there are different technologies, with different wear characteristics. The more dense devices use many bits per flash cell and are the most subject to wear. There is also a mid grade and the original flash technology that wrote one bit pre cell and is the most robust. The lesser type will actually go bad just from sitting around, without being used.

So never rely on flash drives as backup! At least, not unless you have multiple backups.

 

[ATPMSD]

Make sure you are using a high-endurance, high speed SD card such as this one:

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-256GB-Extreme-microSD-Adapter/dp/B07FCR3316/ref=sr_1_11?crid=17DR7M39YL6E0&keywords=high%2Bendurance%2Bmicro%2Bsd%2Bcard%2B256gb&qid=1673181095&sprefix=high%2Bendurance%2Bmicro%2Bsd%2Bcard%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-11&th=1

Cars are a hostile environments for memory cards (temperature swings) hence the need for high-endurance cards and of course high-speed for recording video. I have had the above card in my MS for 2+ years without any issues,

Also, avoid Flash Cards, you should be using SD cards.

 

[Midnightsun]

The original Tesla thumb drive that came standard on my S when new, went bad after a couple of months. They replaced it with the same unit and has been good for the last 9 months. My Y did not come with any drive so I installed a 500gb Samsung T5 (console drive location) which has been flawless for almost 2 1/2 years now.

Oddly enough the original bad drive that Tesla exchanged, I use for other stuff on my computer which has no issues at all even though Tesla declared it defective.

 

[UncleCreepy]

I've been using an older 120 GB SSD that used to be buried in a drawer with a USB adapter for years now, never had an issue with it.
That's of course just anecdotal, ymmv.

 

[MY1stEV]

I had heard about issues with write speeds and longevity of traditional USB drives before I got my car. I didn't even bother trying the one that came from Tesla, I swapped it out for a USB 3 SD card adapter with a "high endurance" SD card. I've used this combo for almost 2 years without issue.

Rocketek USB 3.0 SD Card Adapter

SanDisk 256GB High Endurance Video microSDXC Card

 

[gnuarm]

Make sure you are using a high-endurance, high speed SD card such as this one:

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-256GB-Extreme-microSD-Adapter/dp/B07FCR3316/ref=sr_1_11?crid=17DR7M39YL6E0&keywords=high%2Bendurance%2Bmicro%2Bsd%2Bcard%2B256gb&qid=1673181095&sprefix=high%2Bendurance%2Bmicro%2Bsd%2Bcard%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-11&th=1

Cars are a hostile environments for memory cards (temperature swings) hence the need for high-endurance cards and of course high-speed for recording video. I have had the above card in my MS for 2+ years without any issues,

Also, avoid Flash Cards, you should be using SD cards.

Why do you think this card is any better than others?

BTW, the temperatures found inside a car are not remotely "extreme" for semiconductors. Nearly all are rated for 70°C operation if not 85°C, and all are rated for 125°C storage. Semiconductors are soldered to the board at temperatures of 250°C. Keeping one plugged into your USB socket in the car isn't going to harm it.

The problem is the nature of flash memory being self destructive. They shoot electrons through an insulator barrier to a "buried" gate. Erasing has to get them out again. Both of these damage the insulator.

The main disadvantages of flash memory are the wear-out mechanism and cell-to-cell interference as the dies get smaller. Bits can fail with excessively high numbers of program/erase cycles, which eventually break down the oxide layer that traps electrons. The deterioration can distort the manufacturer-set threshold value at which a charge is determined to be a zero or a one. Electrons may escape and get stuck in the oxide insulation layer, leading to errors and bit rot.

The differences in the flash chips are how many bits are stored in the cells. The lowest priced parts use 16 levels to provide 4 bits. It's nearly magic they can do this at all, much less after the cells start to wear.

There's a medium grade that stores 4 levels for 2 bits per cell. The longest lived parts store just 2 levels for 1 bit per cell. Obviously, this is going to cost the most.

I don't recall the specific language they use to distinguish the three quality levels. If they don't use that language, they are most likely using the lowest cost technology. It's not likely they would be selling one of the two more reliable devices without bragging about this specification. If all else fails, look for a spec on the number of write/erase cycles. 100k is good, 1 million is better.

 

[jjrandorin]

Most USB thumb drives can't handle the constant write/erase for long. I never had one last more than a few months in my car. Endurance SD cards are designed for dashcam use and are not expensive. Mine has worked trouble-free for two years now.

I have had a Samsung Endurance Pro SD card (with its adapter) in my model 3 since early 2019, and its worked fine. I re format it every so often in the car (since that became a thing you could do). I have been very happy with it, so I bought the same card for my wifes 2022 model Y.

 

[smogne41]

Here is the one I use (actually the previous version). Designed for dashcams and 2 flawless years of service so far for me:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09W9XYQCQ/

 

[ATPMSD]

Why do you think this card is any better than others?

This is just an example of the kind of card I recommend and happens to be the one I use.

 

[gnuarm]

This is just an example of the kind of card I recommend and happens to be the one I use.

I'm not following. What kind is it?

 

[ATPMSD]

I'm not following. What kind is it?

What you need to look for is any High-Endurance, High-speed SD card or SSD. You will also need a USB 3.0 microSD Card Reader adapter if you go with the SD solution.

​

 

[gnuarm]

What you need to look for is any High-Endurance, High-speed SD card or SSD. You will also need a USB 3.0 microSD Card Reader adapter if you go with the SD solution.

​

They can put any name on the flash. Unless they provide a spec, there's no reason to believe them. Half the stuff they sell on Amazon isn't even the size they advertise. I have a test program that verifies, but it takes bloody forever. I can test them myself by copying files to the card. But in Fat32 mode, the files have to be no larger than 4 GB, so it's still a bit of a PITA, even if faster than the test program. You only need to fill it 10% or 20% full. They aren't going to pull this trick with a card half the size. They will sell you a 16 GB card altered to report it is a 256 GB card. Anytime you buy a flash device, you should test it this way. Better that, than to find out when your routine usage crosses the size barrier, and you lose data.

 

[drtimhill]

Hmmm... this error seems to transcend tools to fix it. I can't format the drive because it is write protected! Nothing works!

There's a fix that involves editing the registry, but that requires booting the laptop. I'll try that another day.

Flash drives have limited write cycles, and some of the cheaper ones (particularly the USB stick variety) are much more limited than others. Basically the heavy write load of the car wears them out. Invest in a full SSD, or just accept that you will need a new drive every year or so, depending on how much you drive.