2022 model Y sets off radar detector

[GBMaryland]

So I have this really weird one:

I have a valentine one radar detector and the Tesla model Y I picked up this year tends to sit off the radar detectors laser detection all the time but only under certain circumstances that I’m still confused about.

Does anyone know why the Tesla model Y is setting off the laser part of the radar detector?

 

[Tha_Ape]

It's pointing behind you so it's the rear sensor. I'd suspect whatever wavelength of light it's looking for is coming through the roof(?). Maybe the glass filters out enough that it looks like a laser?
Could be some kind of internal reflection..

All speculation.. you can try covering the roof to see if it goes away. Can you reliably repeat it?

I think they sell a remote rear laser sensor for V1s, too, are you using one of those?

Sorry this is more questions than answers

 

[GBMaryland]

Yep:

- It's rear facing laser sensor on the V1
- The roof is covered, but the back window is not
- I can't imagine what internal reflection would be causing it... not really anything to reflect inside the car

It's odd in that it's not when I put my foot on the brakes, or that it's obviously when the lights turn on.

I'm wondering if the rear view mirror is giving off anything. (I have it a bit high...)

 

[Tha_Ape]

hmmm... I'd try covering up the sensor on the V1 and see if it still happens (obviously it shouldnt) If it happens, you may be able to get it replaced.
Moving it should be an easy test, too.

So are you saying it comes on when you put on the brakes, or that it doesnt alert when you put on the brakes?

Does it have anything to do with time of day? Like does it happen at night or only when the sun is low?

 

[GBMaryland]

Out of all of those questions to one thing that does seem to be true is it happens when the sun is low and when it’s dark out more.

For example: Drove home today and it didn’t happen ones from work all the way to home (32 miles)!

 

[Tha_Ape]

I'm hoping more people jump in on this, I'm going to start veering into the "BS" realm soon.

Does it happen only with the sun behind you? Do you have after market tint?

One thing I'd recommend is emailing Valentine or see if they have forums. Might not be unique. I think valentine let's you update the firmware of your detector.

Sadly, I'm in VA where they're illegal so I just don't have one or I might know more

 

[GBMaryland]

I had a chance to go out this morning and it was much more prominent whenever I stepped on the brakes.

Laser alert doesn’t go off like this in the other car that we have so it’s definitely related to the Tesla. (2022MYP)

The unit is mounted just below the mirror, makes me wonder if there’s some of IR emitter somewhere on the MYP.

I’m gonna lower the unit and see if it makes any difference. (funny enough I didn’t put it in the car most of the time because I was traveling out to Virginia near the airport daily for work.)

I assure you the issue is quite real_

 

[TwelveVoltMan]

I have a V1 gen 1 and a 2021 MYP. My car does not set off the laser detector, but an iPhone X or greater will.

 

[GBMaryland]

That’s an interesting idea that I never thought about.

When looking at the cell phone with a night vision goggles at it does constantly emit!

But the question is why would it happen only some of the time and not all of the time….

Specifically in low light versus daylight?

 

[L_Mont]

The iPhone facial recognition has an IR illuminator that is used in low light conditions:

"The Face ID hardware consists of a sensor with three modules; a dot projector that projects a grid of small infrared dots onto a user's face, a module called the flood illuminator that shines infrared light at the face, and an infrared camera which takes an infrared picture of the user, reads the resulting pattern and generates a 3D facial map"
from: Face ID - Wikipedia

 

[poodlemaster]

I have an escort redline ex. Picking up a 22 myp in Pittsburgh in a week and driving 3k miles. I’ll update. However, I’ve been using detectors (all high end) since 2001. Why don’t you just disable laser? You do realize they have your speed by the time your laser alerts don’t you? The only use for it is to exit freeway immediately and hope they didn’t see you so you get away with speeding. I don’t keep it on ever since e wry remote controlled garage door sets it off and it’s extremely rare for cops to use laser. I travel cross country multiple times a year.

 

[VT_EE]

Interesting. Has the Model Y started shipping with the IR LEDs imbedded in interior camera like the new S & X?

 

[GBMaryland]

I have an escort redline ex. Picking up a 22 myp in Pittsburgh in a week and driving 3k miles. I’ll update. However, I’ve been using detectors (all high end) since 2001. Why don’t you just disable laser? You do realize they have your speed by the time your laser alerts don’t you? The only use for it is to exit freeway immediately and hope they didn’t see you so you get away with speeding. I don’t keep it on ever since e wry remote controlled garage door sets it off and it’s extremely rare for cops to use laser. I travel cross country multiple times a year.

So the interesting thing about laser detection with a valentine one is that the laser from a police photo radar Will bounce off vehicles in front of you…

That means that you can actually get an alert that will be useful and allow you to slow down to the point where you won’t get a ticket where you all get a ticket for you were original speed prior to applying the brakes.

i’m still not positive if it’s the iPhone that’s causing this or if it’s some sort of internal IR sensor.

 

[GBMaryland]

Interesting. Has the Model Y started shipping with the IR LEDs imbedded in interior camera like the new S & X?

And that appears to be the extremely annoying truth…

Using a set of night vision goggles to take a look at what’s going on in the cab of the car we find that there are IR emitters:

And you can clearly see with them on it’s setting off the radar detector:

Very expensive NODs:

That’s pretty annoying.

 

[GBMaryland]

FWIW:

Covering those LEDs up so they don’t set off the radar detector actually turns out to be a little bit of a challenge.

One layer of electrical tape is not enough to actually keep the LEDs from not bleeding through!

(there is actually a strip of electrical tape across the LEDs but the focus is crap)

(two strips of black electrical tape over the entire front of the assembly. Much more obvious…)

Of course the camera bezel seems to be IR transparent so part of the issue is the massive amount of backsplash coming through the bezel…

At this point the radar detectors laser diode no longer goes off….

… and given how I already had the camera shuttered because I don’t want Tesla recording the interior of my vehicle, it’s sort of suits my purposes.

 

[giga66]

I’m currently renting a ‘22 MYLR from Hertz, sort of as an extended "test drive" before my order is ready.

I found the same issue with my V1Gen2. Almost constant laser alerting. However, it was suction mounted to the windshield right next to the rear view mirror. I moved it to the visor mount and the relentless laser alerts are not happening off the visor. I’m still getting regular Ka alerts on the visor so hopefully that’s a better spot.

 

[GBMaryland]

I don’t see alot of Ka alerts at all.

Have a road trip to Jersey tomorrow… so I’ll see how that goes.

 

[poodlemaster]

Jersey is the only state that uses X-band so don’t disable it. I haven’t been there in about 4 years but when I was it was all X-band and the electric road signs were constantly throwing k band

 

[GBMaryland]

Yeah, I think there are only a few states that still use X band with any significance.

 

[CJtezla]

With the recent software update. My Y is setting off the laser band on both of my radar detectors (Beltronics v300 and escort max 360). I have to turn off the laser band to make the radar detector usable. Anyone else have this problem?