Sonic Sensors and Seat Sensing Problems

[Cesare_Borgia]

I’ve been grappling with a couple of issues on my Model 3, and I figured I’d share my experience in case it helps anyone else, or if you’ve got advice for me!

First off, the sonic sensors. Tesla announced that these would eventually be phased out in favor of vision-based systems, but until then, I’ve had a failed sensor warning pop up for the last 3-4 software updates. This has meant no ‘Summon’ mode, which is kind of a bummer.

Tesla Service quoted me $220 to replace the sensor, which felt steep, so I ran the diagnostics myself. Turns out, there’s a rock-strike crease on the sensor, no surprise there. I found a replacement online for $40 and decided to tackle it myself. Fingers crossed that the day I finish the repair. Tesla doesn’t finally roll out an update that disable the sensors altogether.

The other issue is with the seat sensing system for the passenger airbag. It’s not detecting passenger weight properly, which affects how the airbag deploys. Luckily, on a recent trip with my aunt, it wasn’t a huge issue since we always wear seat belts. But it’s definitely something I need to fix sooner rather than later.

If anyone’s dealt with either of these problems, I’d love to hear your experience or tips. Especially curious if there are any DIYers out there who’ve replaced a sonic sensor, how tricky was it?

 

[Altair_Ibn_La_Ahad]

I’ve been grappling with a couple of issues on my Model 3, and I figured I’d share my experience in case it helps anyone else, or if you’ve got advice for me!

First off, the sonic sensors. Tesla announced that these would eventually be phased out in favor of vision-based systems, but until then, I’ve had a failed sensor warning pop up for the last 3-4 software updates. This has meant no ‘Summon’ mode, which is kind of a bummer.

Tesla Service quoted me $220 to replace the sensor, which felt steep, so I ran the diagnostics myself. Turns out, there’s a rock-strike crease on the sensor, no surprise there. I found a replacement online for $40 and decided to tackle it myself. Fingers crossed that the day I finish the repair. Tesla doesn’t finally roll out an update that disable the sensors altogether.

The other issue is with the seat sensing system for the passenger airbag. It’s not detecting passenger weight properly, which affects how the airbag deploys. Luckily, on a recent trip with my aunt, it wasn’t a huge issue since we always wear seat belts. But it’s definitely something I need to fix sooner rather than later.

If anyone’s dealt with either of these problems, I’d love to hear your experience or tips. Especially curious if there are any DIYers out there who’ve replaced a sonic sensor, how tricky was it?

That’s a double whammy of annoying issues! Kudos to you for tackling the sonic sensor yourself. I haven’t replaced one personally. I’ve seen threads saying patience is key when prying off the sensor housing to avoid scratches. Some of them needed to replace the covers since they damaged the covers. For the passenger seat sensing issue, you might want to check if anything under the seat is interfering with the sensor, like a misplaced mat or debris. Cleaning would be the easiest thing to do for now. I’ve heard that sometimes even small things can mess with the readings.

 

[Ador_]

The passenger seat sensor is definitely something you should fix. Check the seatbelt and sensor for anything weird.

 

[Tesla3Driver]

I just hope they never disable USS on the vehicles I have. One more evidence that vision is not as good as USS. Am I right?