11 ms·

A Single Component Can Brick Older Teslas

150 points by pfortuny 7y ago

wil421 7y ago
Any other examples of the big 3 US, German, or Japanese car makers having a similar issue? Where a media center issue causes the car to not run and the manufacturer refuses to fix the issue or even provide a part for it?
- stcredzero 7y ago
  The late 90's security systems electronics for Mercedes were pretty temperamental. Bricking the car is what it was designed to do. I know firsthand that it's capable of bricking the car for the wrong reason. EDIT: Also, I don't know how it was for dealers, but 3rd party repair shops just throw their hands up for those systems.
- vajrabum 7y ago
  The article is misleading. The manufacturer does fix this. They just don't fix the bad chip. The replace the card instead.
  - rizwank 7y ago
    Thank you. What a willful ridiculous article from the author.
    - icelancer 7y ago
      No, it isn't. When the board is out of warranty they make you replace the entire media unit, which can cost up to $5000. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525
  - starshadowx2 7y ago
    Except they don't if the car is out of warranty, which (at least in Canada) is 4 years or 80,000 km. I don't think this is just me but I believe cars should be able to last longer than 4 years and not get bricked by fault of the manufacturer and then not at least easily give me the ability to fix it myself if they won't.
    - slg 7y ago
      Do they not replace it out of warranty or simply don't pay for it out of warranty? There is a huge difference between those two options. If it is the former, I would imagine it is just a matter of time before a lawsuit. If it is the latter, then isn't this functionally the same as a particular model of car having a bad transmission or similarly critical ICE component that regularly fails much earlier than expected?
      - lutorm 7y ago
        Powertrain components are required by EPA to have a 10yr/100k miles warranty, I thought? So it's not exactly the same situation because fundamental parts of the powertrain are covered by a longer warranty.
        slg 7y ago
        That doesn't appear to be true [1]. It seems like a majority of powertrain warranties are in the 4-6 year and 50k-70k mile range. Tesla's 4 year and 50k warranty on this part would therefore be on the low end, but it matches the powertrain warranties for Audi, BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, and several other manufacturers. [1] - https://www.motor1.com/features/253277/comparing-new-vehicle-warranties/ https://www.motor1.com/features/253277/comparing-new-vehicle...
  - wil421 7y ago
    Wait. Do they have a fix but the fix is replacing the board and not the bad chip? Is Telsa not fixing things or did they just use something that had a short life span? Not sure why I read this article.
    - zrobotics 7y ago
      Tesla screwed up by using eMMC memory (flash memory with an integrated controller) and not disabling system logging. The additional writes cause the flash memory to wear rapidly, which should have been mitigated as this is not a new issue in embedded devices. As the chip is soldered and not socketed, the solution is to swap the entire (expensive) board, and Tesla won't do this for out-of-warranty vehicles and hasn't extended warranty support. What makes this somewhat egregious is the lack of foresight, as well as the fact that Tesla uses standard socketed SD cards in other modules in the vehicle.
      - zaroth 7y ago
        Tesla won’t do this for free for out-of-warranty vehicles. Replacement cost of the entire board is unfortunately high at around $2,700. [1] - https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/2700-to-fix-mcu-might-diy-but-how-much-to-reprogram-new-unit.94391/ https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/2700-to-fix-mcu-migh...
        atonse 7y ago
        Ok but why not fix the engineering flaw so so it isn't a $2,700 fix? This seems like doing a software fix, where you add buffering to your logging writes, would go a long way to fixing this.
        wil421 7y ago
        From your link: >I think we are on drivetrain #5 and it is now that one clunking intermittently, so maybe we take that one back in. We are on battery charger #2 and battery rebuild #3. We had most of the upgrades (wind noise on the door windows, etc). We had a left rear door handle start to go bad, took it to the shop and they fiddled with it and wanted to replace it, but afterwards no problems so we did not replace it. Drivetrain #5, charger #2, and battery #3. All under 125k miles. Wow I’m not so sure I’ll be buying a Tesla for my wife.
  - mannykannot 7y ago
    According to [1], Tesla will not replace the minimum removable unit, but only the entire assembly, at a cost of around $2.7k. And, as with other parts replacement issues at Tesla, it is apparently not a quick turnaround. The article is wrong to say these cars are bricked, but it is not a small issue, either. [1] https://youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525 https://youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525
BinaryResult 7y ago
I have a 2013 model S with 55k miles. Hoping not to encounter this.
stefan_ 7y ago
This is rather disingenuous. Of course Tesla doesn't replace the eMMC; that's a soldered on chip. No car manufacturer in the world does chip level electronics repairs. Instead you replace the entire board, and I have no doubt you can get this repair from Tesla. That's not to entirely excuse Tesla. If you have a modern operating system running from flash that needs to work for 20+ years as people expect from a car, it needs to be very carefully designed - all logging and runtime data written only to a RAM disk, system and user data on entirely separate partitions, etc.
- pfortuny 7y ago
  You are right but at the same time one does not expect a component of the dashboard to actually brick a car. I guess.
  - zrobotics 7y ago
    While counter-intuitive, I have actually encountered this issue with other cars as well, specifically a Ford f150 where an internal problem in the APIM module (accessory protocol interface module, essentially the dash touchscreen controller) essentially bricked the truck by spamming the canbus with erroneous signals. Remember that modern automobiles are rolling networks with multiple interconnected controllers, some of which are required for the vehicle to function. Note that this doesn't excuse Tesla here, since the situation I discussed is very rare, normally if that module fails the vehicle will still start and run. Tesla engineers should absolutely have been aware of this issue, as pointed out up thread there are multiple tutorials for ras-pi SD memory preservation, and I have trouble believing a competent EE shouldn't be aware of life issues due to eMMC. It also shouldn't brick the car, normally automotive electronics are designed very carefully to avoid single points if failure, with fallback routines and safety "limp-home" modes in case of problems.
    - pvg 7y ago
      bricked the truck by spamming the canbus with erroneous signals. Wasn't preventing this one of the design goals/selling points of CAN?
vfclists 7y ago
Rich Rebuilds zonks Tesla, again - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q
BluSyn 7y ago
This issue is best explained on Rich Rebuilds' recent video here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525 https://youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525 This has been a known issue for some time, and it's amazing Tesla hasn't fixed it yet. As explained in the video, the issue is simply the base linux OS has full syslog's still enabled, which over time burn own the eMMC chip used for storage. Currently Tesla just replaces the entire media unit when this happens, which is extremely expensive for them. In reality they only need to replace a tiny part instead of tossing entire boards. The GOOD news is this issue is almost fully solvable through a software update. They just need to disable base syslogs, or at least only store logs in RAM while car is running (if they need those logs for debugging purposes, which I doubt). Long term, they should replace this eMMC with a proper SSD, or removable SD card that's easily serviced when it goes bad (as is the case in other parts of the car). I think this must be an issue of visibility in the company, and the right engineer just isn't aware of this issue yet. I hope this gets more visibility and gets patched in a future software update.
- pfortuny 7y ago
  It is a bit baffling that a company which enables “autopilot” OTA does not do this as well...
  - nm2259 7y ago
    If this anonymous coward's characterization of Tesla is true and accurate, it's not surprising https://www.reddit.com/r/EnoughMuskSpam/comments/99sbwa/former_tesla_programmers_anecdotes_about_problems/ https://www.reddit.com/r/EnoughMuskSpam/comments/99sbwa/form...
    - arkades 7y ago
      Why did your choice of words include “anonymous coward”?
      - function_seven 7y ago
        On Slashdot, "anonymous coward" was the default username for anyone posting without being logged in. The linked reddit post is from a user who claims to have worked for Tesla in the past, and is (presumably) not using their "real" reddit account to post it. I don't read it as an insult.
vajrabum 7y ago
As is so often the case with articles about Tesla the headline is completely misleading. No cars are getting bricked. Tesla fixes that problem by replacing the bad board but they won't replace the bad chip on the board and they won't sell the chip separately. Other manufacturers don't generally do that either.
- trsohmers 7y ago
  Except this is exacerbated by a very dumb software oversight that is corrected for by virtually everyone in the Tesla software modding community, and in many cases Tesla has not covered the board replacement after the initial warranty expires (which happens just before the estimated failure time).
- whamlastxmas 7y ago
  And as always anyone defending them is flagged like you despite this being pretty clear
- vfclists 7y ago
  > they won't replace the bad chip on the board There is no bad chip on the board. A full chip is not a bad chip, and there is no reason why the board should stop working on account of a full memory chip which contains a syslog that is not used for anything. Hacker News is riddled with shills and apologists for atrocious corporate behaviour.
  - ricardobeat 7y ago
    Apparently the issue is the eMMC storage wearing out and failing, not simply getting full. Since it’s soldered on it is not a feasible repair at the shop.
  - silversconfused 7y ago
    You misunderstand both the functional properties of flash storage and telsa's blunder. Tesla's mistake was sending too much data to the chip, yes, but it exceeded the WRITE ENDURANCE, not the capacity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory#Memory_wear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory#Memory_wear (Incidentally, not a shill or shareholder, but rooting for tesla due the fact GM pushed for leaded gasoline and ford would rather litigate than fix dangerous vehicles. We're rooting for the underdog here hoping for global positive change.)
wcunning 7y ago
The orphan car problem is a serious issue with non-Teslas, too, but I will personally stick to repairable vehicles. You know what you'll never, ever have trouble finding parts for? A Mustang or an F150. Corvettes. Carollas. All of the ubiquitous cars will have parts produced for a seriously long time.
- jdpedrie 7y ago
  The corner auto parts shop stocked almost every part I needed to work on a 1982 F-150.
- silversconfused 7y ago
  XJ cherokees here. Love em. Room for elbows whereever you need to wrench, and highly reliable heavy parts. The electronics are meh, and rubber degrades with time, but you can replace all that stuff with a simple screwdriver.
- gjs278 7y ago
  have fun with that. enjoy your breakdowns.
- cheez 7y ago
  Isn't this more of a network effect than something inherent to Teslas?
  - whenchamenia 7y ago
    Nope, tesla will not allow you to order parts, or even look at a service manual as a mere owner. Its crazy that people on HN of all places defend their customer-antagonistic practices.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
nemosaltat 7y ago
Model 3 owner here. Having same issue as back in March. No AP, no FSD and most frustratingly, no cruise control. Multiple TS steps over phone with no resolution. The earliest appointment was months out so I drove into a service center. A frazzled, yet personable, tech assured me that the issue was NOT from the recent FW update but rather a hardware malfunction with the left repeater. I pressed for details- is it wiring, hardware, physical damage? He couldn’t tell me, but insisted that it had nothing to do with the previous FW update and that another FW update wouldn’t resolve it Tech scheduled a service appointment for 4-13, much better than I could find in the app. On 4-4 Tesla pushed a FW update, which I guess is pretty common before a service appointment. On 4-5, a Tesla rep reached out and said the issue WAS in fact, with the original FW update and that the more recent FW update had resolved: “Hello Sam, We have reviewed your vehicle logs and alerts. At this time we do not see any issues with the Autopilot system as well as you confirming that the system is operating as designed. Since this is the case there will be no need for you to come in for your scheduled appointment. While there is no way to say that you will never have an issue again, at this time there is no issue that needs correction. If you do have an issue in the future you are always welcome to create another appointment with your concerns.” I responded: “Ok- I’d still like to understand what happened. It is generally acceptable that the universe is getting more disorderly. It is perfectly acceptable that something goes wrong and we don’t know why. It’s significantly less understandable, that the issue mysteriously resolves it self. Does that make sense?” Tesla Response: “Hi Sam, It was found to be a software bug in the last update that was performed causing your cruise control not to function. That was resolved in the last update you performed.” The rep then canceled the 4-13 appointment without further explanation or communication. The issue returned yesterday (5-13) and now the earliest appointment is mid June. Cruise control existed in 1958. I get that Tesla has “tight integration” but the lack of a fall back/degraded performance mode seems ridiculous. This is before considering the lack of NoAP and FSD, which adds insult to injury- Those features represented nearly 15% of the vehicle cost in my case ($8,000 upfront). Convenience in LA traffic was a primary consideration when purchasing the Tesla. The lack access to purchased features is irritating, but I knew they were bleeding edge. The further loss of a ubiquitous feature like cruise control is even more irritating. Tesla’s handling of the situation feels ridiculous.
- 7y ago
CalChris 7y ago
This affects pre-facelift MCU1 car, which is before about April 2016. So I suppose a solution now is to upgrade the MCU to MCU2. Elon says that will be possible. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1105549053696327680?s=12 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1105549053696327680?s=12
double0jimb0 7y ago
Another anti-Tesla article from thedrive.com on the front page of HN. The turfers have upped their game.
TazeTSchnitzel 7y ago
I'm sure the Model 3 having a single multifunction screen that does everything (combining entertainment with critical driving features) will go great.
- m463 7y ago
  Actually, every control in the model 3 is used for multiple functions (for example drive selector also controls autopilot, scroll wheel controls many functions, etc) I guess you'll just have to drive with your phone.
arcticbull 7y ago
The first half of the video is pretty cool, they're converting a Sprinter van into a "Model 3"
RickJWagner 7y ago
Bummer. The value of a used Model S (they are becoming attractive) has just dropped a few notches in my eyes.

150 points by pfortuny 7y ago

Any other examples of the big 3 US, German, or Japanese car makers having a similar issue? Where a media center issue causes the car to not run and the manufacturer refuses to fix the issue or even provide a part for it?

stcredzero 7y ago
The late 90's security systems electronics for Mercedes were pretty temperamental. Bricking the car is what it was designed to do. I know firsthand that it's capable of bricking the car for the wrong reason. EDIT: Also, I don't know how it was for dealers, but 3rd party repair shops just throw their hands up for those systems.
vajrabum 7y ago
The article is misleading. The manufacturer does fix this. They just don't fix the bad chip. The replace the card instead.
- rizwank 7y ago
  Thank you. What a willful ridiculous article from the author.
  - icelancer 7y ago
    No, it isn't. When the board is out of warranty they make you replace the entire media unit, which can cost up to $5000. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525
- starshadowx2 7y ago
  Except they don't if the car is out of warranty, which (at least in Canada) is 4 years or 80,000 km. I don't think this is just me but I believe cars should be able to last longer than 4 years and not get bricked by fault of the manufacturer and then not at least easily give me the ability to fix it myself if they won't.
  - slg 7y ago
    Do they not replace it out of warranty or simply don't pay for it out of warranty? There is a huge difference between those two options. If it is the former, I would imagine it is just a matter of time before a lawsuit. If it is the latter, then isn't this functionally the same as a particular model of car having a bad transmission or similarly critical ICE component that regularly fails much earlier than expected?
    - lutorm 7y ago
      Powertrain components are required by EPA to have a 10yr/100k miles warranty, I thought? So it's not exactly the same situation because fundamental parts of the powertrain are covered by a longer warranty.
      - slg 7y ago
        That doesn't appear to be true [1]. It seems like a majority of powertrain warranties are in the 4-6 year and 50k-70k mile range. Tesla's 4 year and 50k warranty on this part would therefore be on the low end, but it matches the powertrain warranties for Audi, BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, and several other manufacturers. [1] - https://www.motor1.com/features/253277/comparing-new-vehicle-warranties/ https://www.motor1.com/features/253277/comparing-new-vehicle...
- wil421 7y ago
  Wait. Do they have a fix but the fix is replacing the board and not the bad chip? Is Telsa not fixing things or did they just use something that had a short life span? Not sure why I read this article.
  - zrobotics 7y ago
    Tesla screwed up by using eMMC memory (flash memory with an integrated controller) and not disabling system logging. The additional writes cause the flash memory to wear rapidly, which should have been mitigated as this is not a new issue in embedded devices. As the chip is soldered and not socketed, the solution is to swap the entire (expensive) board, and Tesla won't do this for out-of-warranty vehicles and hasn't extended warranty support. What makes this somewhat egregious is the lack of foresight, as well as the fact that Tesla uses standard socketed SD cards in other modules in the vehicle.
    - zaroth 7y ago
      Tesla won’t do this for free for out-of-warranty vehicles. Replacement cost of the entire board is unfortunately high at around $2,700. [1] - https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/2700-to-fix-mcu-might-diy-but-how-much-to-reprogram-new-unit.94391/ https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/2700-to-fix-mcu-migh...
      - atonse 7y ago
        Ok but why not fix the engineering flaw so so it isn't a $2,700 fix? This seems like doing a software fix, where you add buffering to your logging writes, would go a long way to fixing this.
      - wil421 7y ago
        From your link: >I think we are on drivetrain #5 and it is now that one clunking intermittently, so maybe we take that one back in. We are on battery charger #2 and battery rebuild #3. We had most of the upgrades (wind noise on the door windows, etc). We had a left rear door handle start to go bad, took it to the shop and they fiddled with it and wanted to replace it, but afterwards no problems so we did not replace it. Drivetrain #5, charger #2, and battery #3. All under 125k miles. Wow I’m not so sure I’ll be buying a Tesla for my wife.
- mannykannot 7y ago
  According to [1], Tesla will not replace the minimum removable unit, but only the entire assembly, at a cost of around $2.7k. And, as with other parts replacement issues at Tesla, it is apparently not a quick turnaround. The article is wrong to say these cars are bricked, but it is not a small issue, either. [1] https://youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525 https://youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525

BinaryResult 7y ago

I have a 2013 model S with 55k miles. Hoping not to encounter this.

stefan_ 7y ago

This is rather disingenuous. Of course Tesla doesn't replace the eMMC; that's a soldered on chip. No car manufacturer in the world does chip level electronics repairs. Instead you replace the entire board, and I have no doubt you can get this repair from Tesla. That's not to entirely excuse Tesla. If you have a modern operating system running from flash that needs to work for 20+ years as people expect from a car, it needs to be very carefully designed - all logging and runtime data written only to a RAM disk, system and user data on entirely separate partitions, etc.

pfortuny 7y ago
You are right but at the same time one does not expect a component of the dashboard to actually brick a car. I guess.
- zrobotics 7y ago
  While counter-intuitive, I have actually encountered this issue with other cars as well, specifically a Ford f150 where an internal problem in the APIM module (accessory protocol interface module, essentially the dash touchscreen controller) essentially bricked the truck by spamming the canbus with erroneous signals. Remember that modern automobiles are rolling networks with multiple interconnected controllers, some of which are required for the vehicle to function. Note that this doesn't excuse Tesla here, since the situation I discussed is very rare, normally if that module fails the vehicle will still start and run. Tesla engineers should absolutely have been aware of this issue, as pointed out up thread there are multiple tutorials for ras-pi SD memory preservation, and I have trouble believing a competent EE shouldn't be aware of life issues due to eMMC. It also shouldn't brick the car, normally automotive electronics are designed very carefully to avoid single points if failure, with fallback routines and safety "limp-home" modes in case of problems.
  - pvg 7y ago
    bricked the truck by spamming the canbus with erroneous signals. Wasn't preventing this one of the design goals/selling points of CAN?

vfclists 7y ago

Rich Rebuilds zonks Tesla, again - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q

BluSyn 7y ago

This issue is best explained on Rich Rebuilds' recent video here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525 https://youtube.com/watch?v=o-7b1waoj9Q&t=525 This has been a known issue for some time, and it's amazing Tesla hasn't fixed it yet. As explained in the video, the issue is simply the base linux OS has full syslog's still enabled, which over time burn own the eMMC chip used for storage. Currently Tesla just replaces the entire media unit when this happens, which is extremely expensive for them. In reality they only need to replace a tiny part instead of tossing entire boards. The GOOD news is this issue is almost fully solvable through a software update. They just need to disable base syslogs, or at least only store logs in RAM while car is running (if they need those logs for debugging purposes, which I doubt). Long term, they should replace this eMMC with a proper SSD, or removable SD card that's easily serviced when it goes bad (as is the case in other parts of the car). I think this must be an issue of visibility in the company, and the right engineer just isn't aware of this issue yet. I hope this gets more visibility and gets patched in a future software update.

pfortuny 7y ago
It is a bit baffling that a company which enables “autopilot” OTA does not do this as well...
- nm2259 7y ago
  If this anonymous coward's characterization of Tesla is true and accurate, it's not surprising https://www.reddit.com/r/EnoughMuskSpam/comments/99sbwa/former_tesla_programmers_anecdotes_about_problems/ https://www.reddit.com/r/EnoughMuskSpam/comments/99sbwa/form...
  - arkades 7y ago
    Why did your choice of words include “anonymous coward”?
    - function_seven 7y ago
      On Slashdot, "anonymous coward" was the default username for anyone posting without being logged in. The linked reddit post is from a user who claims to have worked for Tesla in the past, and is (presumably) not using their "real" reddit account to post it. I don't read it as an insult.

vajrabum 7y ago

As is so often the case with articles about Tesla the headline is completely misleading. No cars are getting bricked. Tesla fixes that problem by replacing the bad board but they won't replace the bad chip on the board and they won't sell the chip separately. Other manufacturers don't generally do that either.

trsohmers 7y ago
Except this is exacerbated by a very dumb software oversight that is corrected for by virtually everyone in the Tesla software modding community, and in many cases Tesla has not covered the board replacement after the initial warranty expires (which happens just before the estimated failure time).
whamlastxmas 7y ago
And as always anyone defending them is flagged like you despite this being pretty clear
vfclists 7y ago
> they won't replace the bad chip on the board There is no bad chip on the board. A full chip is not a bad chip, and there is no reason why the board should stop working on account of a full memory chip which contains a syslog that is not used for anything. Hacker News is riddled with shills and apologists for atrocious corporate behaviour.
- ricardobeat 7y ago
  Apparently the issue is the eMMC storage wearing out and failing, not simply getting full. Since it’s soldered on it is not a feasible repair at the shop.
- silversconfused 7y ago
  You misunderstand both the functional properties of flash storage and telsa's blunder. Tesla's mistake was sending too much data to the chip, yes, but it exceeded the WRITE ENDURANCE, not the capacity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory#Memory_wear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory#Memory_wear (Incidentally, not a shill or shareholder, but rooting for tesla due the fact GM pushed for leaded gasoline and ford would rather litigate than fix dangerous vehicles. We're rooting for the underdog here hoping for global positive change.)

wcunning 7y ago

The orphan car problem is a serious issue with non-Teslas, too, but I will personally stick to repairable vehicles. You know what you'll never, ever have trouble finding parts for? A Mustang or an F150. Corvettes. Carollas. All of the ubiquitous cars will have parts produced for a seriously long time.

jdpedrie 7y ago
The corner auto parts shop stocked almost every part I needed to work on a 1982 F-150.
silversconfused 7y ago
XJ cherokees here. Love em. Room for elbows whereever you need to wrench, and highly reliable heavy parts. The electronics are meh, and rubber degrades with time, but you can replace all that stuff with a simple screwdriver.
gjs278 7y ago
have fun with that. enjoy your breakdowns.
cheez 7y ago
Isn't this more of a network effect than something inherent to Teslas?
- whenchamenia 7y ago
  Nope, tesla will not allow you to order parts, or even look at a service manual as a mere owner. Its crazy that people on HN of all places defend their customer-antagonistic practices.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]

nemosaltat 7y ago

Model 3 owner here. Having same issue as back in March. No AP, no FSD and most frustratingly, no cruise control. Multiple TS steps over phone with no resolution. The earliest appointment was months out so I drove into a service center. A frazzled, yet personable, tech assured me that the issue was NOT from the recent FW update but rather a hardware malfunction with the left repeater. I pressed for details- is it wiring, hardware, physical damage? He couldn’t tell me, but insisted that it had nothing to do with the previous FW update and that another FW update wouldn’t resolve it Tech scheduled a service appointment for 4-13, much better than I could find in the app. On 4-4 Tesla pushed a FW update, which I guess is pretty common before a service appointment. On 4-5, a Tesla rep reached out and said the issue WAS in fact, with the original FW update and that the more recent FW update had resolved: “Hello Sam, We have reviewed your vehicle logs and alerts. At this time we do not see any issues with the Autopilot system as well as you confirming that the system is operating as designed. Since this is the case there will be no need for you to come in for your scheduled appointment. While there is no way to say that you will never have an issue again, at this time there is no issue that needs correction. If you do have an issue in the future you are always welcome to create another appointment with your concerns.” I responded: “Ok- I’d still like to understand what happened. It is generally acceptable that the universe is getting more disorderly. It is perfectly acceptable that something goes wrong and we don’t know why. It’s significantly less understandable, that the issue mysteriously resolves it self. Does that make sense?” Tesla Response: “Hi Sam, It was found to be a software bug in the last update that was performed causing your cruise control not to function. That was resolved in the last update you performed.” The rep then canceled the 4-13 appointment without further explanation or communication. The issue returned yesterday (5-13) and now the earliest appointment is mid June. Cruise control existed in 1958. I get that Tesla has “tight integration” but the lack of a fall back/degraded performance mode seems ridiculous. This is before considering the lack of NoAP and FSD, which adds insult to injury- Those features represented nearly 15% of the vehicle cost in my case ($8,000 upfront). Convenience in LA traffic was a primary consideration when purchasing the Tesla. The lack access to purchased features is irritating, but I knew they were bleeding edge. The further loss of a ubiquitous feature like cruise control is even more irritating. Tesla’s handling of the situation feels ridiculous.

7y ago

CalChris 7y ago

This affects pre-facelift MCU1 car, which is before about April 2016. So I suppose a solution now is to upgrade the MCU to MCU2. Elon says that will be possible. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1105549053696327680?s=12 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1105549053696327680?s=12

double0jimb0 7y ago

Another anti-Tesla article from thedrive.com on the front page of HN. The turfers have upped their game.

TazeTSchnitzel 7y ago

I'm sure the Model 3 having a single multifunction screen that does everything (combining entertainment with critical driving features) will go great.

m463 7y ago
Actually, every control in the model 3 is used for multiple functions (for example drive selector also controls autopilot, scroll wheel controls many functions, etc) I guess you'll just have to drive with your phone.

arcticbull 7y ago

The first half of the video is pretty cool, they're converting a Sprinter van into a "Model 3"

RickJWagner 7y ago

Bummer. The value of a used Model S (they are becoming attractive) has just dropped a few notches in my eyes.