Tesla has added more health checks to its Service Mode
Not a Tesla App
On the heels of the previous updates Service Mode, Tesla is back with more features in update 2023.26.
Thanks to reader NinerByNature, we have a look at some new Service Mode health checks. The additions to service mode include tests for the steering wheel stalks, the low-voltage battery, airbags and other vehicle diagnostics.
Airbags Diagnostics
The new 'Airbags Screen' is the first upgrade. Here, users can check the status and availability of all vehicle airbags. This includes Tesla's newer far-side airbag, which helps prevent front passengers from colliding against each other. The diagnostic screen will display the location of each airbag and state whether it's operational or if there are known faults.
Tesla has added more health checks to its Service Mode
Not a Tesla App
Steering Wheel and Stalks Checks
The new 'Steering Wheel and Stalks' service is particularly useful for troubleshooting. With it you can verify the functionality of various key components like stalks, scroll wheels, steering wheel, parking brake, and horn, ensuring smooth operations and minimizing the chance of unexpected issues on the road.
Low-Voltage Battery
The low-voltage battery reading feature offers detailed data, including voltage, charge level, and current. These details let you check on the health of your low-voltage battery and potentially replace it preemptively before it becomes an issue. Most of the vehicle's electronics are run off of the low voltage battery, and a non-working battery could leave you stranded.
Camera Pitch Verification
Tesla has added more health checks to its Service Mode
Not a Tesla App
Last but not least, this update appears to allow you to verify the pitch of each of the vehicle's cameras. This is presumably used to verify whether the camera pitch needs to be adjusted, either physically or through Tesla's automated camera calibration feature.
Earlier today we reported on some 2023 vehicle models being recalled due to the front cameras being misaligned, and this feature likely helps diagnose those issues. The cameras play a critical role in the vehicle's functions, so it's paramount that they're aimed and functioning properly.
Building on Previous Service Mode Improvements
These updates build on the momentum set by the previously released service mode updates. Looking back at our June report, we noted Tesla's significant strides in refining its Service Mode. The update introduced diagnostic screens for seat belts, the HVAC system, and a unique feature for calibrating auto-appearing door handles on the Model S. The seat belt service menu provided a detailed visual of the safety equipment's interaction with the restraint control module (RCM), creating an additional safety-check tool for owners.
The HVAC system visualization offered an immersive understanding of the vehicle's climate control. Additionally, door handle calibration, specific to the Model S, allowed individual calibrations for these handles. Even though Service Mode was designed primarily for technicians, the detailed insights provided were a boon for owners who sought to troubleshoot and calibrate their vehicles effectively, provided they understood the implications of their adjustments. These features marked another incremental step in improving Tesla's Service Mode, setting the stage for the even more impressive updates in their latest release.
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Tesla’s been on a roll with Supercharger improvements lately, from the 325kW charging update for the Cybertruck, to 500kW with V4 Superchargers coming next year. While those improvements have been limited to the Cybertruck, Tesla didn’t put all their focus on their new flagship vehicle, but looked at their more affordable vehicles as well.
LFP Battery Heating
Tesla’s Superchargers can now heat LFP Batteries - those that are in the Model 3 and Model Y Rear Wheel Drive variants. This applies to Long Range and Standard Range models, which saw a limited run. This is another update included as part of the 2024 Tesla Holiday Update - which really arrived with a lot of unannounced new features and capabilities.
The change is pretty interesting - Superchargers of the V3 and V4 variety can now pre-heat batteries for Model 3 and Model Y vehicles equipped with LFP battery packs. That means those vehicles are able to get back on the road faster when it's extremely cold. Of course, Tesla still advises you to precondition before you arrive, saving drivers time and money.
Max de Zegher, Tesla’s Director of Charging, also commented on the new feature. Essentially, Tesla is inducing an AC (alternating) ripple current through the battery to warm it up. Keep in mind that Superchargers are DC charging. That means it is possible to get a cold-soaked LFP vehicle on the road 4x faster than before, assuming that it didn’t precondition at all and that it is in the worst-case scenario (below 0ºF).
In essence, Tesla is using some engineering magic to turn the circuits inside the LFP battery into an electric heater - and powering that heater through the Supercharger. An AC ripple current is a small oscillation in the DC charging current that generates heat through electrical resistance, warming up the battery. Those ripples are a byproduct of converting AC to DC and back - so Tesla is using the onboard charger to induce those ripples to warm up the battery. Definitely an innovative technique that’s really only possible with the versatility of the NACS connector.
We’re hoping Tesla can implement this across their full lineup of vehicles, but we’ll have to wait and see how it is trialed across LFP vehicles first and if it is even possible on vehicles with 2170 or 4680 battery packs.
Tesla launched two FSD updates simultaneously on Saturday night, and what’s most interesting is that they arrived on the same software version. We’ll dig into that a little later, but for now, there’s good news for everyone. For Hardware 3 owners, FSD V12.6.1 is launching to all vehicles, including the Model 3 and Model Y. For AI4 owners, FSD V13.2.4 is launching, starting with the Cybertruck.
FSD V13.2.4
A new V13 build is now rolling out to the Cybertruck and is expected to arrive for the rest of the AI4 fleet soon. However, this build seems to be focused on bug fixes. There are no changes to the release notes for the Cybertruck with this release, and it’s unlikely to feature any changes when it arrives on other vehicles.
FSD V12.6.1 builds upon V12.6, which is the latest FSD version for HW3 vehicles. While FSD V12.6 was only released for the redesigned Model S and Model X with HW3, FSD V12.6.1 is adding support for the Model 3 and Model Y.
While this is only a bug-fix release for users coming from FSD V12.6, it includes massive improvements for anyone coming from an older FSD version. Two of the biggest changes are the new end-to-end highway stack that now utilizes FSD V12 for highway driving and a redesigned controller that allows FSD to drive “V13” smooth.
It also adds speed profiles, earlier lane changes, and more. You can read our in-depth look at all the changes in FSD V12.6.
Same Update, Multiple FSD Builds
What’s interesting about this software version is that it “includes" two FSD updates, V12.6.1 for HW3 and V13.2.4 for HW4 vehicles. While this is interesting, it’s less special when you understand what’s happening under the hood.
The vehicle’s firmware and Autopilot firmware are actually completely separate. While a vehicle downloading a firmware update may look like a singular process, it’s actually performing several functions during this period. First, it downloads the vehicle’s firmware. Upon unpacking the update, it’s instructed which Autopilot/FSD firmware should be downloaded.
While the FSD firmware is separate, the vehicle can’t download any FSD update. The FSD version is hard-coded in the vehicle’s firmware that was just downloaded. This helps Tesla keep the infotainment and Autopilot firmware tightly coupled, leading to fewer issues.
What we’re seeing here is that HW3 vehicles are being told to download one FSD version, while HW4 vehicles are being told to download a different version.
While this is the first time Tesla has had two FSD versions tied to the same vehicle software version, the process hasn’t actually changed, and what we’re seeing won’t lead to faster FSD updates or the ability to download FSD separately. What we’re seeing is the direct result of the divergence of HW3 and HW4.
While HW3/4 remained basically on the same FSD version until recently, it is now necessary to deploy different versions for the two platforms. We expect this to be the norm going forward, where HW3 will be on a much different version of FSD than HW4. While each update may not include two different FSD versions going forward, we may see it occasionally, depending on which features Autopilot is dependent on.
Thanks to Greentheonly for helping us understand what happened with this release and for the insight into Tesla’s processes.
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