Background
Possible reasons for failure of the 2 TB SSD include:
* Note #1: These were spare 256 GB and 2TB SSDs; I did not purchase them specifically for this purpose.
--Note #2: The 32FAT-formatted Samsung 2TB SSD functions perfectly when plugged into my Windows 8.1 desktop computer. For example, I can examine its contents using
------------- Desktop Explorer.
--Note #2: Unfortunately, I had to return the Model 3 rental, so my investigations must be delayed.
** Recall that volts x amps = watts.
- Recently drove a(n Enterprise rental) 2018 Tesla Model S 75D for ~10 days.
- There’s much online about choosing the best USB device to store Tesla dashcam/Sentry Mode videos (e.g., adequate size; "endurance"-type micro SD devices; etc.). Some argue for a “bigger-is-better” approach saying that drive longevity is extended (fewer rewrites necessary over time).
- I tested two new Samsung Solid State Drives (SSDs):
1. Samsung V-Nand 850 Pro 256 GB SSD (Model MZ-7KE256
2. Samsung 850 Pro 2 TB SSD (Model MZ-7KE2T0B W)
housed in Sabrent non-powered, external drive enclosures:
1. Sabrent (plastic) enclosure Model EC-UASP
2. Sabrent (metal) enclosure Model EC-UK30 - Each SSD was tested in both enclosures.
- Power to the drives came exclusively from the car’s USB port (~4.8 volts).
- As required, both SSDs were formatted with FAT32 file systems (single partition) by EaseUS Partition Master (v. 12.10) software with empty “TeslaCam” directories.
- The Samsung 256 GB SSD worked. Tesla video files were stored on the drive.
- The Samsung 2 TB SSD did not work.
- Icon dot (top of the screen) remained gray, indicating no compatible USB storage device was available.
- No Tesla video files could be stored on the (larger) drive.
Possible reasons for failure of the 2 TB SSD include:
- Some sort of size limitation built into Tesla hardware/software.
- Power consumption exceeded what is available through the car’s USB circuitry.
- The 2TB SSD was not prepared properly.
Reason #1: Others (e.g., on Reddit) have reported difficulties using a 2 TB SSD as a storage device. It may be partition- (and not total drive-) size that is a problem. Anecdotally, a 1.6 TB or smaller partition (on a 2 TB drive) may work.
Reason #2: TeslaTap (Recommendations – Tesla Dashcam Advice, Recommendations and more!) suggests that SSDs must require 2 watts** or less to work in Models S and X. (Model 3 apparently has 6-watt USB circuitry.)
Various online sources report that read/write power requirements for those two Samsung SSDs are about 2.5 (256GB) and 3.4 (2TB) watts. So it is possible that the Model S USB circuit just couldn’t handle the larger Samsung SSD.
Reason #3: Possible, but less likely. (But as noted, preparation with a smaller partition size could be important—see response to Reason #1, above.)
- Why didn’t the Samsung 2TB SSD work?
Possibly because the (single) partition size was too large. Creating a 1.6 TB or smaller partition on the 2 TB SSD might have solved the problem. (And See #2, below.)
- Was power consumption a problem?
Possibly. Additional power consumption required by the larger SSD may prevent its use in a Model S or X (but perhaps not in a Model 3).
- Is there a maximum SSD size for Tesla USB storage?
Unknown. But if power consumption is not a problem then partition size, not drive size, may be the limiting factor.
- For long-term, trouble-free, set-it-and-forget-it dash cam and Sentry Mode operation, how large should a USB storage device be?
Online recommendations vary widely and depend on the type of device (e.g., micro SD flash drive or SSD) used, on the model and age of the car, and on changing Tesla Sentry Mode software protocols (for overwriting old files). Tesla originally recommended a 32 GB or larger device. As larger electronic data-storage devices become cheaper, it may now make sense to have a 256GB or larger device (for digital-storage drive longevity, if not for video and music storage).
* Note #1: These were spare 256 GB and 2TB SSDs; I did not purchase them specifically for this purpose.
--Note #2: The 32FAT-formatted Samsung 2TB SSD functions perfectly when plugged into my Windows 8.1 desktop computer. For example, I can examine its contents using
------------- Desktop Explorer.
--Note #2: Unfortunately, I had to return the Model 3 rental, so my investigations must be delayed.
** Recall that volts x amps = watts.
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