Yellow borders on main screen- A new fix

[Ken7]

So I just got off the phone with my local SC regarding my yellow borders on the center screen. Many of us have had the issue and many have noticed this following a software update.

According to new information just released according to the SC, a new firmware update will be coming to address this. In light of many of us noticing this issue following a software update, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to me that a software update can fix it. This fix may be 3 updates or so down the road.

 

[A-Wimoweh]

Seems unrealistic to me. I guess I could see them darkening the edges of the screen to hide it, and "fixing" it that way, if you can call that a fix, at the expense of screen real estate.

 

[cynix]

They could also display everything but the edges with a yellow tint so you can't tell the difference

 

[MagicMagicD]

They could also display everything but the edges with a yellow tint so you can't tell the difference

New Blue-Light filter, coming soon (TM)

 

[whitex]

So I just got off the phone with my local SC regarding my yellow borders on the center screen. Many of us have had the issue and many have noticed this following a software update.

According to new information just released according to the SC, a new firmware update will be coming to address this. In light of many of us noticing this issue following a software update, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to me that a software update can fix it. This fix may be 3 updates or so down the road.

Having been a Tesla customer for a long time now, I have to tell you that "wait for new firmware as it will probably fix it" is a very common response from the service centers. Funny thing is, I think that is what they are told by corporate. The company really does hope that some firmware update will fix whatever problem you are experiencing - they don't actually have good enough bug tracking to be able to link a problem to a fix at the service center lever (or customer level), so it's all based on "cross our fingers and hope" as a strategy. It would be interesting to know how many of such issues are actually fixed by firmware. My wife is still hoping the screeching she sometimes hears from her MCU2 instead of the blinker sounds will get fixed in some future update - no reliable repro so no point going to service with it. She also had the unlucky 2017 MS which had a mirror which didn't unfold on delivery day, and was supposed to be fixed by a firmware update - it wasn't fixed by a firmware update. It took Tesla 4 months to figure out they screwed up the new mirror assembly design which screwed up their production yield, rendering a large percentage of them broken. The fix was to replace the mirror assembly with one manufactured after some date in April 2017.

 

[crmartin9]

I got the same bulls*** line from the SC about a firmware fix coming to fix the yellow border issue last spring when I took my MS in to get its screen replaced. It's a physical problem with the hardware; there is no software fix in the world that can make defective adhesive go back to its original color.

 

[Tam]

...software update...

I agree with everyone here that software is a cover-up and not a fix!

 

[CK_Stuggi]

Plus there's already a thread for this. Includes tons of SC statements regarding fixes etc. They just have crap screens and the OEM will probably replace them under warranty till kingdom come. Quite surprising Tesla cares so little and doesn't seem to be able to find a screen that doesn't have the problem.

 

[swegman]

It’s not a software issue, it’s a physical defect in the screen. A mobile tech replaced my screen last week. When he had my screen removed from the car, he showed me that you can clearly see the band around the perimeter of the screen when the sunlight would shine on it. According to the mobile tech, the problem is that the glue bonding the glass of the screen reacts with the air, causing a color change.

 

[mspohr]

Seems unrealistic to me. I guess I could see them darkening the edges of the screen to hide it, and "fixing" it that way, if you can call that a fix, at the expense of screen real estate.

So, do we know what causes the yellow border? Is it a physical defect causing staining? Something leaking into or out of the edge? Does it occur on all the edges equally?
Or, is it a software problem?
I could imagine software could fix even a hardware discoloration on the edge by adjusting the color balance at the edges by brightening the blue end of the spectrum. This wouldn't be hard to do. (You might be interested to know that most color image sensors in cameras have a similar mechanism to adjust the image for uniformity across the sensor to account for manufacturing differences. The CMOS sensors used in most color camera image sensors today are not very good without adjustment.)

Teslas are really simple hardware... electric motor, batteries, brakes and lots of computers. Lots of problems are caused by software and can be fixed by software. Besides new features, the regular software updates fix lots of stuff. Like most software, they don't tell you about everything they change or fix since the list likely goes to thousands of small changes and most of them are trivial adjustments.
As an example, I had a recurring intermittent problem with an indicator for my air suspension which would come up as a fault. I had it in several times and they told me the hardware was fine. Finally a software update fixed the problem.

 

[Tam]

...software problem?...

Please read the post just above what you just posted.

No, it is not software. When you remove the screen from the car, the discoloration around the border is still there as shown by Tesla's technician.

 

[bob_p]

Tesla has had problems with the touchscreen adhesive since the early Model S production cars.

The early Model S cars were susceptible to bubbles forming between the touchscreen and the display, requiring replacement. For our 2012 S P85, this happened after 50K miles, and was covered by our extended warranty.

Our 2017 S 100D (delivered March last year) has already had two screen replacements because of the yellow banding around the outside of the touchscreen - again caused by an adhesive problem between the touchscreen membrane and the glass.

Touchscreens have been in vehicles for many years, so the technology should be well understood by now. What's different with Tesla vehicles is the size of the displays - which could be why Tesla's part manufacturer is having difficulties in getting this right.

This problem can be hidden by the software - such as always displaying darker backgrounds around the outer edges of the displays, since the darker background hides the adhesive discoloration. The V9 display is close to doing that, if you always use satellites maps or the night mode maps, and the other windows are inset away from the left and right edges of the displays. But that doesn't fix the problem - only hides it.

So far, the displays on our 2017 S 100D and 2018 X 100D seem to be OK, though if we see this problem recur, hopefully the display manufacturer has found a permanent fix - and we'll only need one more replacement to get it fixed.

 

[mspohr]

Please read the post just above what you just posted.

No, it is not software. When you remove the screen from the car, the discoloration around the border is still there as shown by Tesla's technician.

I see that now... was posted while I was typing... slow, distracted typist.
Still could be fixed by software adjusting the colors on the edge of the screen.

 

[SeminoleFSU]

I got the same bulls*** line from the SC about a firmware fix coming to fix the yellow border issue last spring when I took my MS in to get its screen replaced. It's a physical problem with the hardware; there is no software fix in the world that can make defective adhesive go back to its original color.

As did I. Yea SC manager told me that a firmware fix is coming which made it sound like they were going to do some "color calibration" in the video driver settings. That's not a fix... that's lipstick on a pig. We know the problem is a PHYSICAL issue with the screen. Why? Because that same SC manager said "a day or so ago I would just swap it for you no questions asked and your problem would be gone. It may or may not come back but corporate told us to halt all yellow edge screen swaps because they're working on a firmware fix...."

Um, if swapping the screen fixes it this means it is HIGHLY unlikely it is a video driver setting folks. Similarly, I'm also getting the weird front suspension knocking I can hear from time to time in my brand new 100D and he dismissed that as so rare that it's highly unlikely I actually have that issue. Let me tell you something: I have this issue. It's faint, but I have it. Right now I'm just listening to see if it gets worse, then I will escalate. How do I know I have it? I've listened to several YT videos of it and I definitely have that sound driving at slow speed over rough pavement.. It happens every day in the parking deck at work. I can empty the car completely and it persists. So don't tell me I'm not hearing something. I'm a musician with an extremely good ear and it's there. I'm concerned that Tesla may be getting to the point where they're not going to bother with certain issues and just tell us "the fix is coming" or "we're within spec."

Kinda like the water intrusion on the rear hatch... hopefully my 2018 MS doesn't develop that... which I'm sure all that water pouring out of the handles and hatch open/close button was just my IMAGINATION. FFS

 

[Tam]

...Still could be fixed by software adjusting the colors on the edge of the screen.

Please read the post #12 . software can hide it but cannot fix the glue problem. As explained above, it's the adhesive problem since 2012. First the glue leaked out, created bubbles and had to be replaced. Now, it's still another kind of adhesive problem as it interacts with the air this time.

 

[Ken7]

Plus there's already a thread for this. Includes tons of SC statements regarding fixes etc. They just have crap screens and the OEM will probably replace them under warranty till kingdom come. Quite surprising Tesla cares so little and doesn't seem to be able to find a screen that doesn't have the problem.

I thought some were told that a 'new' screen was coming this spring that supposedly does away with yellow borders developing over time?

 

[mspohr]

Please read the post #12 . software can hide it but cannot fix the glue problem. As explained above, it's the adhesive problem since 2012. First the glue leaked out, created bubbles and had to be replaced. Now, it's still another kind of adhesive problem as it interacts with the air this time.

Yes, software could "fix" the problem so that you don't see it. However, the discoloration would still be there. Depends on how bad the yellowing is... fortunately, I don't have the problem so I can't see how bad the yellowing is and whether it would bother me so much that I would go on a whinging rant.

 

[SeminoleFSU]

I thought some were told that a 'new' screen was coming this spring that supposedly does away with yellow borders developing over time?

I think some were told that early when they were debating what to do but I was told they had a big teleconference with corporate engineering last week and the general theme was this will be fixed with software... Which I took to mean we're going to adjust the color around the edges in firmware rather than actually replace the faulty hardware.

 

[Tam]

...software could "fix" the problem...

Getting a frame or black tape on the monitor to hide the discoloration could accomplish the same cover-up.

 

[Vinc]

I think some were told that early when they were debating what to do but I was told they had a big teleconference with corporate engineering last week and the general theme was this will be fixed with software... Which I took to mean we're going to adjust the color around the edges in firmware rather than actually replace the faulty hardware.

I for one would be truly amazed if they fix via software. Mainly given that the issue is not on all screens and the degree of yellowing changes with time.

In any case, I was told by a SC manager that some issues that I was having with AP were probably related to the yellowing of the screen, so I would take what they say with a grain of salt.