Front Camera Service?

[Fast Eddie 008]

What's up with this . . . . . I got a call from one of the Austin service centers telling me that they want to clean my front camera. I had received a couple of alerts lately about cleaning it, which cleared after I ran the windshiel washer. They told me the cleaning will take about 20 minutes and be done under warranty. My question is: Is this something I am going to have to have regularly done at a service center? My truck has 16k miles on it.

Sponsored

 

[mongo]

What's up with this . . . . . I got a call from one of the Austin service centers telling me that they want to clean my front camera. I had received a couple of alerts lately about cleaning it, which cleared after I ran the windshiel washer. They told me the cleaning will take about 20 minutes and be done under warranty. My question is: Is this something I am going to have to have regularly done at a service center? My truck has 16k miles on it.

It is more of an issue when the truck is new. Ours has been cleaned twice in 18 months or so.

 

[Mal]

Mine was cleaned once about 6 months in, for free. Last time I took it in, about a year in, they charged me for it. (~$90, IIRC). Now, 3 months later, it needs it again.

They really have to improve this. I know Elon tweeted they were looking in to the issue (on all cars, not just the CT, I believe), but this isn't sustainable if they want FSD to work for all people at all times.

I'm building up the courage to pop the camera cover and associated parts off to do the cleaning myself, but I'm not happy about it. I hate breaking those little tabs, and I know I'm prone to doing it...

 

[Fast Eddie 008]

It is more of an issue when the truck is new. Ours has been cleaned twice in 18 months or so.

I am curious about why it would be more of an issue when the truck is new. Please help me understand why that would be. Thanks.

 

[mongo]

I am curious about why it would be more of an issue when the truck is new. Please help me understand why that would be. Thanks.

The haze is due to the interior materials outgassing (new car smell).

 

[Fast Eddie 008]

The haze is due to the interior materials outgassing (new car smell).

Interesting! Thanks.

 

[hemiarch]

Wait, they called you? Was the car in for something
else?

 

[eswimm]

Mine was cleaned once about 6 months in, for free. Last time I took it in, about a year in, they charged me for it. (~$90, IIRC). Now, 3 months later, it needs it again.

They really have to improve this. I know Elon tweeted they were looking in to the issue (on all cars, not just the CT, I believe), but this isn't sustainable if they want FSD to work for all people at all times.

I'm building up the courage to pop the camera cover and associated parts off to do the cleaning myself, but I'm not happy about it. I hate breaking those little tabs, and I know I'm prone to doing it...

It's not all that bad, the clip design doesn't take a lot of pressure to separate and they seem pretty durable. I was more concerned about disconnecting the electronics and took extra care to make sure I didn't force any clips.

 

[Fast Eddie 008]

Wait, they called you? Was the car in for something
else?

Yes, they called me "out of the blue." And they had availability in the next couple of days. It's like they were looking for something to fill appointment slots.

 

[hemiarch]

Yes, they called me "out of the blue." And they had availability in the next couple of days. It's like they were looking for something to fill appointment slots.

That’s bizarre. Has never happened to me in 12 years of Tesla ownership.

 

[Mal]

It's not all that bad, the clip design doesn't take a lot of pressure to separate and they seem pretty durable. I was more concerned about disconnecting the electronics and took extra care to make sure I didn't force any clips.

Thanks. I appreciate the reassurance. I figure I have to learn to do it, so will give it a go.

 

[mongo]

It's not all that bad, the clip design doesn't take a lot of pressure to separate and they seem pretty durable. I was more concerned about disconnecting the electronics and took extra care to make sure I didn't force any clips.

It is possible to clean the windshield without disconnecting any wires. However, it trades connector cycling for dangling modules one needs to avoid.

 

[sys700]

What's up with this . . . . . I got a call from one of the Austin service centers telling me that they want to clean my front camera. I had received a couple of alerts lately about cleaning it, which cleared after I ran the windshiel washer. They told me the cleaning will take about 20 minutes and be done under warranty. My question is: Is this something I am going to have to have regularly done at a service center? My truck has 16k miles on it.

I assume you mean the front camera behind the windshield, not the front camera near the license plate?

 

[Fast Eddie 008]

I assume you mean the front camera behind the windshield, not the front camera near the license plate?

That would be my assumption. The service center representative didn't specify that.

 

[hemiarch]

They just added that as maintenance item to my upcoming service visit too. They must be asking them to do it at a certain interval now.
I of course put a comment there that I preferred they not because they did it the last time I was there and broke a temp sensor that took two weeks for Tesla mobile to come out and replace.
Currently not having any issues with it.

Sponsored