What's inside a Tesla Model 3 / Y adaptive headlight?

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Hi Guys,
This is my teardown video of a Tesla Model 3 or Y adaptive headlight. Its a pretty cool piece of tech and i enjoyed tearing it to pieces and having a look around. The adaptive headlights were added in the 2021 Model 3 but the functionality is yet to be activated. As a standard headlight they are one of the best I've seen but once fully activated they will be one of the best headlights available. In this video you will see all of the internal and external components. I will do my best to explain how it all works. This is pretty much a live teardown so I am seeing most of these components for the first time during the video. I wanted to take you along for the ride!
Please comment if you have any questions.
The Mantis stereo microscope:
www.visioneng.us/products/ste...
0:00 Intro
5:47 External
9:25 Removing front lens
10:00 Quick look around the internal components
11:40 Daytime running lights
14:19 Indicator removal
15:13 Main headlight removal
16:55 Tilting support frame removal
17:20 Main control module
20:41 Actuator motor pull apart
22:58 Removing LED matrix board
23:20 LED matrix revealed
23:46 Mantis scope
24:20 Close ups of LEDs
25:12 Projector lens
26:41 Removing the fan & cooling duct
28:30 Light tube LEDs and heatsink
30:52 Component recap
32:04 Final words

[@maxgill5620]

Matt, This has got to be one of your best. This disassembly was outstanding noting that I have no knowledge of this type of line of work but the enjoyment it gave me was of great interest. Again thanks but you deserve a following of much greater number then you currently have

[@notinthemanual]

Cheers Max. I am happy with where I’m at and appreciate all of the loyal subscribers I have like yourself 👍. This has gone so much better than I thought it would when I started this channel. It would be nice to be reaching more people but I understand that these long format videos aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. I am making content that I like to watch. I started this channel to share as much knowledge as possible about everything I have learnt over the years and what I am currently learning about these cars. Thanks for the kind words and it pressuring me to get this video done haha 😂

[@debellate7167]

A fantastic video! Love tear down videos showing the inner workings of electronics. The matrix LED module is a Samsung PIXCELL unit and one of their selling points is how small it is compared to other systems! It looks absolutely tiny!

[@notinthemanual]

Thanks Debellate. I enjoyed pulling it apart. I was so surprised to see how tiny the LED matrix was.

[@blastar55m3]

Wow these really are a great design, thanks for taking it apart! Great to see the hella components too, they make reliable gear.

[@nettelplos]

I just got it on my TM3 here in Denmark last night - so impressed. And thx for explaining all the functions. GREAT video.

[@notinthemanual]

Unfortunately it’s just for Europe now 😔 My car didn’t get it with update 2024.8.7

[@ionutfilipoi2459]

Adaptive/Matrix headlights were activated after the last update and they work great on my model Y.

[@notinthemanual]

I can’t wait. I have a model Y now too. It’s a shame they made us wait for the US to approve the headlights. The rest of the world has had adaptive headlights for many years. My previous cars to owning a Tesla had adaptive lights. I’ve been madly checking each day hoping to get the update. Are you in Europe or Australia? I’ll be reviewing this improvement once my car updates.

[@oijhhytdirhrbru]

@@notinthemanual NHTSA has approved ADB headlight 2 years ago with the FMVSS 108 2022 amendment. However it takes time for the OEM to adapt to the new rule, which is quite a bit different from European's variant------the de facto world standard.

[@oijhhytdirhrbru]

@@notinthemanual There are actually guys in north America that hack Audi cars sold locally to force enable its ADB function.

[@notinthemanual]

@@oijhhytdirhrbru There seems to be a lot of hoops for OEMs to jump through in the US and Australia. Europe seems to have a streamlined approval process. The new Model 3 here in Australia already has the adaptive high beams activated so hopefully old 3 and Y aren’t far behind.

[@notinthemanual]

@@oijhhytdirhrbru Yes feature unlocking on Audis and VW cars is common here too.

[@Rabs73]

Amazing quality and design. And the matrix function works great (2024.14 on)!

[@notinthemanual]

I agree and so glad they are now active after so many years!

[@stevenlam4802]

29:27 I believe the extensive cooling for the DRL is due to three reasons. 1. There are over a dozen LED chips putting load on the driver; more cooling is simply required 2. It's always on whether it's during the day or at night (albeit dimmed). 3. Due to the fact that its always on, the heatsink not only it has to only cool the drivers, but cool the heat from the scorching hot sun beating down on the headlight. The beefed up cooling is especially important due to the top position of the DRL, where it's always exposed to the sun.

[@notinthemanual]

@@stevenlam4802 Thanks Steven. That makes sense.

[@sjokomelk]

The main reason for Tesla developing these headlight were to save money. Earlier they had three versions of the assembly. One for US light beam, one for ROW LHD, and one for ROW RHD. With these they can use the same part in all cars worldwide, and just change the beam pattern in software. It even changes automatically between LHD and RHD if you bring your car between UK and mainland Europe.

[@notinthemanual]

Yes that makes sense. Interesting about the lights automatically changing between LHD and RHD countries. Thanks.

[@martinballard2392]

Are you sure that is the case as im driving over to France soon and last year i was flashed on numerous occasions by angry french drivers! Does it automatically adjust?

[@RedChicow]

Thanks, great insights!

[@srenbechmann8352]

Great teardown. Yes, very interesting to see what new features waiting to be added these lamps! What about running indicators, would that be an option, was i 6leds used for that section?

[@notinthemanual]

Thanks Søren. Yes the LED strip at the bottom is used for indicators.

[@mikaelnielsen8148]

Great video Matt! Looking back, did you figure out how to take the glass off without cutting? Thanks

[@notinthemanual]

Thanks Mike. Haha. Yes I did. A hairdryer or heat gun would have melted the sealant like disassembling a mobile phone. I got a bit caveman on it. It was never going to be used again anyway.

[@johnzeigler2063]

Matt - the video is really magnificent! Great to know that someday the lights will move as the car turns. Would you help me please? I want to add a strip of LED Hood lights that runs between the headlights and draws very little current at 12 volts and the strip of lights has tape on it to "stick" to the inside of the hood frame and runs along the hood line to form a neat look. Where can I tap into the 12 volts I need that would come on and off with the regular head lights. I do not want the strip to light up unless the head lights are "on". Can I tap in just in front of the headlights?

[@notinthemanual]

Hi John. Thanks. Most new cars, not just Tesla use CAN-BUS network signals to control their headlight functions. They aren't just turned on and off with voltage from a switch in the dashboard. This makes it difficult when fitting accessories that you want to work in unison. The only way to do this is to fit an adapter for light control that reads the CAN-BUS signals and can give a voltage out to operate a relay when it senses the main lights or high beam signal. You can then use this relay to supply power to your accessory lights. I was able to find this one with a quick search that works for high beam and is for light bars. You would need something like this but for normal headlight or daytime running light signals. www.bilkomponenter.no/products/styrestrom-alc-ekstralys-tesla-model-3

[@PicoFluffDerg]

The LEDs on the light tube are just white but it looks possible that the other daytime runner ones could be rgb future lightshow update maybe?

[@notinthemanual]

Yes. I am going to try and make a custom light show and see what options there are for the lights. I think if coloured was an option someone would have done it by now. Ive tested a few light shows now and none of them use coloured lights.

[@Dan007LoveKhmerMusic]

Hi Matt many Thanks. What is a matrix headlight? I can see people keep calling Tesla headlights matrix. I saw the video teardown of each component now which is great. Some people don’t know what it is other than just a car headlight but am sure its more than that, the Tesla’s matrix headlight. Hope this contributes to your content.

[@notinthemanual]

Hi Daniel. Yes the LED matrix is the part of the headlight with the bank of LEDs focused by the glass lens. These LEDs can be activated in a pattern to create shapes with the light. This is how the lights can write TESLA on the wall during the lightshow. They can be used to have high beams on with a car in front of you and not blind the driver through the rear vision mirror. I had this feature in my old car and it was very useful.

[@ksmith660]

Great teardown! Now I know what's inside my headlights... Any idea of the replacement cost of one of these units? If, for example, the indicators fail then you will need to replace the whole unit...

[@notinthemanual]

Hi Kelvin. I don’t know how much they cost to replace but it’s definitely a whole unit replacement from what I’ve heard. I think it would be in the thousands. I wouldn’t want to find out the hard way. With LEDs it would be pretty reliable so I’d say it only needs to be replaced after it is damaged. Very good build and manufacturing quality.

[@ramoncalderon8449]

It cost $1,400.00 in California

[@hmoxh]

As a model Y owner intending to keep the car for quite a while I'm a bit worried about the complexity going on here. How well will all this work after 10 years? A lot of moving parts. On the other hand, I really enjoy the adaptive headligts.

[@notinthemanual]

It’s very well made so I expect most of them to work beyond 10yrs but I do agree the more parts you have the more chance some of them will fail. It’s a percentages game.

[@user--PM]

That's a lot of tech for a light bulb. 😁 They probably cost a bunch more than the old halogen 2 filament ones.

[@notinthemanual]

For sure 😂

[@worldtrav72]

Just a little

[@slodose]

Great video. If water is trapped is there any possibility of it evaporating? Think it could be a gore-tex membrane. Living in Norway and sometimes there are dew inside.

[@notinthemanual]

I don’t remember seeing one. It’s sealed up pretty tight. Moisture would have to get in to begin with they would have to be very careful where they assemble them and control the humidity. I’ll have another look and see if there was anything I missed.

[@notinthemanual]

Hi Franz. I checked today and found two places where there is a membrane to allow moisture to evaporate. You were right they look like gore-tex 👍

[@shaneturner4630]

hi Matt, great video. Quick query you might know as i cant find information anywhere about the matrix headlight for the modal 3.. I got a headlight replaced yesterday in my model 3 2023 model & i noticed the replacement headlight has a different color in the replacement to my original. i am wondering did tesla update the 2023 matrix headlight over the 2021/22 version as the 2023 version has a blue hue to the reflector and the lip under the daytime running light compared to my replacement which had a more silver color on both the reflector blade and lip?

[@notinthemanual]

I haven’t noticed a difference. I now have a 2023 Model Y I’ll have a look and let you know. I still have access to a 2021 Model 3 to compare as well.

[@shaneturner4630]

that be great if u don't mind.. i did notice yesterday at the service center the older models 2020 were a different color over the 23 version modal 3/y. @@notinthemanual

[@notinthemanual]

@@shaneturner4630 I finally got a chance to check this today and my 2023 MY lights are exactly the same as a 2021 M3. I can’t tell any difference with lights on or off.

[@chrisvilet7324]

Hey great vidéo thx for that. But do you think that on the TM 3 from 2019 I Can change the headlight with the adaptative headlight. Do you think the New hardware Can fit ? Thx

[@notinthemanual]

Hey Chris. Sorry. I’m not sure if it has the same mounts or plugs. When there was a shortage of parts Tesla were supplying some newer M3 and MY with older non-adaptive headlights so it could work. The other issue could be software. There may have to be a firmware change or setting to enable them. I don’t have an older car to check for you.

[@chrisvilet7324]

Thx for your answer...I think i'm gonna try💪🏾

[@notinthemanual]

@@chrisvilet7324 Good luck 🤞

[@garyqretrofit3444]

Can you power the LED projectors with 12v ?

[@notinthemanual]

There is a seperate board with the matrix array of leds on the back of the projector lens. It has a 10pin connector and a fair bit of electronics. Some of the pins are outputs to other leds. I haven’t tried working out which pins are the supply voltage to this board. I’d say it will need a communication signal to let it know which leds to turn on so powering it up could either have no LEDs light up or it could go into some sort of safety default that if the board loses communication. I haven’t had a reason to investigate this further.

[@adrian8967]

Is it possible to just swap the headlight clear plastic cover?

[@notinthemanual]

With a heat gun and a lot of patience it might be possible you wouldn’t be guaranteed of it sealing again. You would also need to be able to buy the clear cover separately or have a doner light with other issues.

[@stevem9307]

I recently had an issue where my headlights were full of large water droplets, it was running down the inside of the lenses leaving streaks. The Tesla mobile tech stated they were normal, he said they were designed to allow water to run in and out, the lenses were not sealed. He said the internal components were waterproof and the water would not cause corrosion and failure!!!

[@notinthemanual]

Doesn’t sound right to me. This headlight was sealed up tight. There are 2 gore-tex vents to allow moisture out but limit moisture ingress. I did a short on these vents as I forgot them in this video.

[@notinthemanual]

There are exposed solder joints and wires inside the headlight so the internal components are not waterproof.

[@MegaGyalis]

Tesla techs will see your door hanging off & tell you it’s normal! They’re the worst, they lie to your face & then get offended when you tell them they’re lying.

[@feistyfinn9365]

Strange how they have cornering and levelling hardware but chose not to utilize any of those expensive complex components.

[@notinthemanual]

I’m confused by it too! Especially when they remove ultrasonic sensors to save money.

[@warachito]

Doesnt look like and rgb led 😢

[@notinthemanual]

Unfortunately not

[@PigHumanoid]

Feeling robbed that my 2022 Model 3 came with the old headlights 😢

[@notinthemanual]

Oh no, that sucks. I heard they were doing that due to supply issues as well as leaving USB ports out to be fitted later. I hadn’t actually heard from anyone who received a car with them though. Will they update them for you later? To be honest Tesla seem to be focussed on FSD and I doubt they will get the adaptive function working anytime soon but who knows…….

[@ChipMIK]

Auto-dim is at best pseudo-random blinding almost everything you meet or flashing at cars overtaking you and your talking on activating adaptive lighting? Sorry but that is never ever gonna happend on at least HW3.0

[@notinthemanual]

I agree its proably a long way off but it has to be better than the crappy auto high beam the car currently has. It is not safe to use. I like to stay positve about it. We will definitely be used as guinea pigs for this system as per usual Tesla features and it will have a long teething period for sure. This system won't be too complex for earlier HW versions. I do think it will be difficult without radar but if VW can manage adaptive headlights with their less capable older systems then it won't be an issue for Tesla HW.

[@ChipMIK]

@@notinthemanual Thing is theres no sensors in the lamps. Im very sure Tesla...Should wonder if its Elon thats been using the usual greed-costsavingknife on this system too, in reality rendering it useless. My point on auto-dim is that its the cameras thats used for that random functionality. When you pass another car it takes approx. 3 seconds before it will go hi-beam again if no further cars are detected. Im sure this is due to the camera being saturated with light and it takes 2-3 secs before it is useable again and data has been processed. Such is not possible if your into adaptive light as your gonna blind all cars behind the first you pass then. Beside that, the cameras are so bad at night they cant detect a car 300 meters in front of you so this will still fail miserably too...Remember these systems has been in production for +5 years and Tesla has beeing telling stories about neural computing and so, but still 5 years later, wipers & auto-dim are still the, by far, absolutely worst automation of their kind in the entire autoindustry...Due to being camerabased as no onene else. So no miracle ahead, "Vision" is forever gonna give a "reduced speed due to limited visibility" and your forever gonna fight those wipers & auto-dim & that is why i have gone from loving my 30.000 Miles a year all weather tool to call it a toycar for sunny days and a stressmaker the remaining. Totally unheard of that a manufacturer can degrade your product in such a way and such actually can be legal as even the basic fruisecontrol cant keep a constant speed in medium rain. Sorry :-)

[@notinthemanual]

@@ChipMIK Cheers for giving your opinion ChipMIK. Everyone has a different perspective on this and that’s fine. There is a lot of truth to what your saying but I not at that low point yet. Even though Tesla have tested my positivity I still love the car overall. The only car I’ve had with good auto wipers was my Tiguan. Every other car I’ve had with auto wipers sucked worse than this car so my expectations were pretty low to begin with. Same goes with auto high beam. They have never impressed me in any car. Even the Tiguan would blind people for that couple of seconds for it to recognise what was happening. There is definitely a cost saving trend here in the background.