How to Calibrate Your Tesla Cameras for Autopilot

By Lennon Cihak
How to calibrate your Tesla's cameras
How to calibrate your Tesla's cameras
Not a Tesla App

If your Tesla is not recognizing objects correctly, if it appears to be performing abnormally, or if you're receiving errors related to your cameras or Autopilot, you may want to calibrate your vehicle's cameras.

The process may take a while to complete, but it's quick and easy to begin.

How Many Cameras Does a Tesla Have?

Teslas with Autopilot 2 or higher have eight cameras around the vehicle, excluding the cabin camera. The cabin camera was initially added with the Model 3 in 2017, and Tesla later enabled its use via a software update.

The cabin camera does not directly impact Autopilot’s performance while engaged. Instead, it’s solely used to help monitor the driver and confirm that they're paying attention while Autopilot is engaged.

Tesla initially equipped its vehicles with ultrasonic sensors, but the Austin-based automotive company is transitioning its vehicles to leverage Tesla Vision exclusively. In 2022 Tesla begin to omit ultrasonic sensors entirely and now uses the vehicle’s cameras exclusively.

How to Calibrate Your Tesla’s Cameras

To calibrate your vehicle's cameras, follow the steps below. Keep in mind that although you can drive your vehicle immediately after performing these steps, some features that depend on the vehicle's cameras will not be available until after calibration is completed.

  • Go to “Controls” (the car icon)
  • Tap “Service”
  • Tap “Camera Calibration”

Once you’ve tapped “Camera Calibration,” a warning message will pop up with the following text:

“Clearing the Autopilot camera calibration will reset the calibrated camera positions and angles stored on the Autopilot computer. This procedure should only be performed if the cameras have been moved due to a windshield or camera replacement. Clearing calibration will result in no Autopilot features until the system recalibrates, which may take up to 100 miles of driving on roads with highly-visible lane lines.”

When you’re ready, tap “Clear Calibration.”

Note: If possible, drive on a long straight road with multiple lanes (like a controlled-access highway) with easily visible lane markings for quicker and more accurate calibration. According to Tesla, “Clear Calibration may not resolve all camera and sensor concerns.”

How Long Does It Take to Calibrate the Cameras?

The blue ring around the Autopilot icon will show you the progress of your camera calibration
The blue ring around the Autopilot icon will show you the progress of your camera calibration
Not a Tesla App

First, you will not be able to use Full Self-Driving, Enhanced Autopilot, or Basic Autopilot. These will all be disabled while the cameras are recalibrated.

The steering wheel icon that previously showed whether Autopilot was engaged will now show a blue ring. As the vehicle gathers data and the software adjusts, the ring will adjust to show the calibration progress. Although it may take up to 100 miles of driving to calibrate your cameras, it's usually much quicker. To be safe, you should plan for the calibration process to take 2-3 hours of driving to complete.

Camera Calibration Stuck at 99%

The ring may get to 99% complete and then get 'stuck.' This is normal. Be patient and allow the car to complete the process. It will resolve itself and the vehicle will notify you when calibration is complete.

If after a few drives and more than 100 miles the recalibration is still stuck, contact Tesla to set up a service appointment. They’ll be able to determine whether the issue is software or hardware-related. Tesla may be able to diagnose your vehicle remotely and push an update to help fix any issues.

Why Do Cameras Need to be Calibrated?

The cameras placed strategically around the vehicle need to be aligned perfectly in order to function properly. Each video feed from the cameras is joined together to form a 360-degree view of the vehicle’s environment. If there's a gap between cameras or an extension overlap, it could cause the vehicle to not see certain areas or see "double." It’s like taking multiple pictures with your phone and then stitching them together. It’s how astronomers edit and stitch pictures together from the James Webb Space Telescope.

The calibration process doesn't actually move the cameras, but instead, it crops and adjusts each camera's feed so that the vehicle sees a single unified image. That’s why the slightest millimeter of miscalibration could cause issues.

What Does Recalibrating Tesla’s Cameras Fix?

Recalibrating the cameras in your Tesla may fix a number of things, including phantom braking, inability to properly detect surrounding objects, Autopilot faults, and various error messages.

Tesla states in their Model 3 instruction manual that a few limitations may cause Autopilot’s functionality to be limited. They include:

  • Poor visibility (due to heavy rain, snow, fog, etc.).
  • Bright light (due to oncoming headlights, direct sunlight, etc.).
  • Damage or obstructions caused by mud, ice, snow, etc.
  • Interference or obstruction by object(s) mounted onto the vehicle (such as a bike rack).
  • Obstruction caused by applying excessive paint or adhesive products (such as wraps, stickers, rubber coating, etc.) onto the vehicle.
  • Narrow or winding roads.
  • A damaged or misaligned body panel.
  • Use of gray or aftermarket glass.
  • Interference from other equipment that generates ultrasonic waves.
  • Extremely hot or cold temperatures.

If you've just received delivery of your Tesla, your vehicle may still be calibrating its cameras. Look for the blue ring around the Autopilot icon to see if your vehicle is still calibrating its cameras.

Hopefully, after recalibrating your cameras, the issues you were experiencing are fixed. Although recalibrating your cameras does not fix all issues, it's usually a good first step to try.

As always, if you continue to experience issues, you should schedule an appointment with Tesla service through the Tesla app.

Tesla Software Update 2023.38 Adds Two New Privacy-Focused Options

By Eva Fox
Tesla has added two new privacy options in update 2023.38.6
Tesla has added two new privacy options in update 2023.38.6
Not a Tesla App

In Tesla software update 2023.38.6 Tesla is quietly adding two new options that gives owners better control over their privacy. In this update, Tesla is adding the ability to disable remote commands and the option to turn off remote debugging.

The move improves privacy and allows Tesla owners to gain greater control over who can access their vehicles and when.

Limit Remote Commands

Last week, we reported that a user was seeing a new option in FSD Beta 11.4.7.3 that allowed him to disable remote commands. This change allowed him to prevent Tesla from executing commands remotely, such as unlocking or starting the vehicle.

The change appears to have been added through a server-side configuration update, although most users with FSD Beta 11.4.7.3 still lack the new option.

Although giving Tesla the ability to execute commands remotely can be beneficial, such as if you're locked out of your vehicle, this new option gives more privacy conscious owners the ability to limit Tesla's access to their vehicle.

This new option is now also a part of Tesla's latest update, version 2023.38.6. However, it's important to note that this new option only limits Tesla's access to execute commands, and not any other third-parties that may have access to the vehicle through their own services.

Disable Remote Debugging

Owners are now noticing that Tesla has added another privacy-focused option in the 2023.38 update. In this update owners now have access to disable or enable remote debugging of their vehicle. Although it's not completely clear what Tesla considers "debugging," it seems that this new option will limit Tesla's ability to connect to the vehicle remotely to run specific commands or look at vehicle logs.

Privacy Comes First

Both of these new privacy options are enabled by default, but they can be changed by navigating to Controls > Service and looking for the new 'Allow Tesla to Remote Start' and 'Allow Remote Debugging' options at the bottom.

While these new options increase Tesla's transparency and privacy, they can limit Tesla's ability to help owners in certain situations. In most cases, the owners will have access to their vehicle and the ability to temporarily enable these options if they need Tesla's help to start their vehicle or help debug any potential issues.

Tesla vehicles are some of the most advanced vehicles on the market in terms of software and connectivity and this is an important step towards achieving a healthy balance between ensuring customer trust and maintaining the necessary access to deliver the exceptional and cutting-edge experience for which the brand is known.

Tesla China Opens Superchargers for SAIC General Motors

By Eva Fox
SAIC-GM electric vehicles at Tesla Supercharger
SAIC-GM electric vehicles at Tesla Supercharger
SAIC-GM

Tesla China is opening select Superchargers in the country for electric vehicles manufactured by SAIC General Motors. This was the company's first such collaboration in China with the local manufacturer.

Tesla opens its Supercharger to SAIC-GM in China

SAIC General Motors announced Friday that it is entering into an agreement with Tesla China. As part of it, electric vehicles produced by SAIC-GM will have access to the largest and highest quality network of charging stations in the world, the Tesla Supercharger network. The goal of the collaboration is to combine charging networks to jointly create efficient and convenient sharing services.

The agreement will come into force this year

Under the terms, starting in late 2023, owners of fully electric Cadillac and Buick models based on GM's Ultium platform in China will have access to Tesla Superchargers and Destination Chargers. They will be able to log into the brand's apps and use the charge map feature to access Superchargers open to select electric vehicles. Using the app, owners of SAIC-GM electric vehicles will also be able to easily pay for charging.

Superchargers are already open to non-Tesla EVs in China

According to a press release from SAIC-GM, Tesla has already opened its charging network in mainland China. There are currently 10 Supercharger sites and more than 200 Destination Chargers open to drivers of select non-Tesla electric vehicles. As the US manufacturer gradually expands the scope of opening its network of charging stations in mainland China, there will be more in the future.

With this powerful alliance, SAIC-GM also became the first domestic company to enter into a charging network collaboration with Tesla China. The agreement comes after Tesla had already opened its Superchargers to electric vehicles from other manufacturers in Europe and in the United States. In addition, almost all companies that manufacture electric vehicles and sell them in the US have already entered into an agreement with Tesla to open up Superchargers for their EVs. Those manufacturers are ready to equip their EVs with North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports.

SAIC-GM expands its charging network

To date, SAIC-GM has built 52 charging stations under its own brand. They offer access to a total of 246 charging stalls. In addition to this and its collaboration with Tesla China, SAIC-GM is currently working with six other major charger operators to provide 500,000 charger stalls to its customers in more than 320 cities nationwide.

Latest Tesla Update

Confirmed by Elon

Take a look at features that Elon Musk has said will be coming soon.

Subscribe

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Sponsors

Find out how to become a sponsor and have your site listed here.

Although we share official Tesla release notes, we are not affiliated with Tesla Motors. We are Tesla fans and supporters.

Latest Tesla Update

Confirmed by Elon

Take a look at features that Elon Musk has said will be coming soon.

Subscribe

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.