Like many high-tech companies Tesla runs a bug bounty program. But in the case of a car manufacturer, this means that you either already have one of their cars, are interested in buying one, or can gain access to its software-bits in another legal manner. Being a Tesla-less individual, yet with an interest in hunting bugs [David Schütz] thus decided to pursue the option of obtaining the required parts from crashed Tesla cars.
Specifically [David] was interested in the Tesla Model 3 and its combined Media Control Unit (MCU) and Autopilot computer (AAP) assembly. In addition to the main unit, it also requires – obviously – a power supply, and the proprietary display. These were all obtained fairly easily, but unfortunately the devices all had their cables cut off, leaving just a sad little stump of wiring with the still plugged-in connectors.
After trying his luck with an incompatible BMW LVDS cable from one of their headunit infotainment systems, he then proceeded to try and use the cable stumps with some creative patching. This briefly worked, but some debris fell onto the MCU board and blew a power rail IC.
Ultimately this IC got swapped after [David] had already purchased a whole new Model 3 computer, leaving him with two units and the easy way out of buying the Dashboard Wiring Harness cable loom that contained the Rosenberger connectors he needed to connect the display to the main unit.
Working on the brown gif?
That is, a graphic you could print on a sign, makes any Tesla computer shit itself.
Even better, it drives so the occupants shit themselves.
Use ‘AI’ to look for it…Get funded!
Brown out the grid, wasting power.
Full circle.
On topic.
Project needs way to feed data to the Tesla’s cameras.
Detect computer entering failsafe, e-stop mode (or hidden Stig mode).
Cool start.
…………And?
The title is incorrect, the original article ends (ish) with “The car booted, the touch screen started up, and I had a working car computer on my desk, running the car’s operating system!”, so the article is not at all about turning it into a desktop PC.
Some people would call this title a clickbait
Kind of reminds me that time in Knight Rider when KITT was being repaired and he was removed from the car
What a posch piece of jour nal ism.