PDC (parking sensors) upgrade

I'm in the process of getting a PDC (parking sensors) upgrade to my May 2013 60 MS.

Has anyone else gone for this? It would be good to get more intelligence on it: how much, how long it takes, where the "VIN breakpoint" is, and how much additional functionality is added compared with newer models. I believe that the newest models have 12 (?) parking sensors (4 front, 4 back, two on front/back driver's side, two on front/back passenger's side), plus the forward-facing sonar (?) in the middle of the grille.

PDC Upgrade Info Thus Far

santana338 said:

Is Tesla doing the upgrade? I thought they said parking sensors were not a retrofit item.

I'm curious because I am also a May 2013 VIN.

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Yes, Tesla is doing the upgrade, in combination with a certified Tesla auto body shop Avio Coach Craft.

I have spoken with Tesla Service Centers as well as Avio; here is what I have found thus far:

The estimate is around $7K-$8K. The specifics depend on the specific car; contributing factors to a higher price tag include metallic or multi-coat paint, and clear bra (paint armor). Due to an accident, I am getting my front fascia (bumper) replaced anyway so insurance is covering that part, thus bringing the overall cost down.

(Note: I believe PDC = Park Distance Control. It's synonymous with parking sensors.)

There are three configurations: no PDC, basic PDC (4-sensor), and PDC (6-sensor) + forward collision warning sensor (on grille) with autopilot/driver assist (also known as TACC, Traffic Aware Cruise Control). As of now, Tesla ships all new vehicles with the latter.

Basic PDC has 4 sensors on the front and 4 on the back. The front includes two sensors on the nose cone and two on the front fascia (bumper). The back includes all four sensors on the back bumper.

Advanced PDC/TACC/autopilot includes 6 sensors on the front and 6 on the back. The two additional sensors are on the sides right next to the wheels. They mainly help with lane changing. They do not provide much help at all (so I am told) for parking purposes.

I heard conflicting reports about whether particular cars can be upgraded. The latest that I heard is that all cars without PDC can be upgraded to basic PDC (4-sensor); there may be VIN-specific exclusions that depend more on the configuration of the car than the production run. Specifically, if the car lacks the Tech Package or possibly some other things, a PDC upgrade may be difficult or impossible. In the service center's experience, it's only a possible snag if it is a signature car; however, they have been able to upgrade some signature cars.

There is no way to upgrade to TACC/autopilot (I think this is public knowledge), or to the advanced 6-sensor PDC independently.

The PDC upgrade is good for parallel parking, which is its main use. It is not going to sense a curb hitting the car or the wheels. It's mainly about things directly in front or directly behind.

FreeOfPge said:

Do we have confirmation that this will never be a retrofit option?

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Never is a long time. They told me that there is not a retrofit option to TACC/autopilot, and either there won't be or there probably won't be.

Tesla's plans could always change but having bit the bullet on the PDC upgrade, I am loathe to do it again (it would require adding more sensors on the sides of the car near the wheels, which, in turn, would probably require changing the bumpers).