September 2023 - 24

p Figure 8 - Tesla HD radar
Photo courtesy of FCC FOIA
In 2021, Tesla announced that they were
no longer installing radar sensors on their
vehicles. Here's a quote from their website:
" Safety is at the core of our design and
engineering decisions. In 2021, we began
our transition to Tesla Vision by removing
radar from Model 3 and Model Y, followed
by Model S and Model X in 2022. Today,
in most regions around the globe, these
vehicles now rely on Tesla Vision, our
camera-based autopilot system. "
However, as of the first of the year in
2023, Tesla began installing their new
Hardware 4 packages on the Model S and
X vehicles which includes a new highdefinition
radar sensor. I received wind of
this in 2022 and when the FCC ID became
available (2AEIM-1541584), I shot on over
to the FCC to have a look at the internals
and this is what I found (Figure 8).
From what I understand, the Tesla
vehicles built with radar sensors prior to
the move to Tesla Vision no longer use
those sensors as part of their perception
systems. Looking at the vehicle configuration
options, it appears that if you had
one of these vehicles needing a new sensor
due to sensor failure or collision, I would
assume that the sensor could be decommissioned
from the vehicle using Toolbox
and the vehicle configuration editor. In our
shop, we service several Tesla vehicles, and
I have seen Model 3's that are not equipped
with a radar sensor; however, the wiring
harness is in place. Additionally, Tesla has
also removed the ultrasonic sensors from
their vehicles. I recently rented a Model 3
with this setup and noticed that the parking
assistance wasn't as robust as my vehicle,
which is equipped with 12 ultrasonic sensors.
During one instance, I was prompted
to wait for the parking system to activate
(Figure 9).
RADAR DIAGNOSTICS
Radar sensors are delicate devices, and
their mounting locations subject them
to harsh environments. Typically, if the
radar sensor has been in a situation or an
event that would equate to dropping the
component, it should be replaced. Most
radar sensors I have worked with say in
24 PTEN SEPTEMBER 2023 www.VehicleServicePros.com
bold letters, " SCRAP IF DROPPED. " A
capable scan tool, DVOM, lab scope, and
accurate service information should be able
to help you conquer any diagnostic challenges.
And here's a tip that helped me with
a recent encounter on a late-model Toyota.
If you're looking at a Toyota with a
radar sensor on a 2018 - 2023 Tacoma
and have a DTC U0235 stating that the
sensor will not communicate, it may
have been induced by previous interactions
with a scan tool. Toyota's service
information displays a " HINT " in green
stating the following:
Do not exit Test Mode (Signal Check)
within 5 seconds of entering Test Mode
(Signal Check). If Test Mode (Signal Check)
is exited within 5 seconds of entering Test
Mode (Signal Check), DTC U0235 may be
stored. If DTC U0235 is output after exiting
Test Mode (Signal Check), enter Test
Mode (Signal Check) again, wait at least 5
seconds, then recheck for DTCs.
Why this happens has to do with the
system taking inventory of the ADASrelated
systems when entering test mode.
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
September 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2023
