Tesla Model Y does not show USB flash drive

[Indranil]

Hi,

I just got my Tesla Y 2023. I wanted to play music from my USB flash drive and I have tried to use it both with the port inside the glove box (using a USB hub so that the sentry/dahscam works) as well as with the port inside the side compartment (using a to c adapter). But, Tesla does not recognize anything it seems or I am not sure where to look. I do not see any USB option added to the various apps (like Dashcam, Bluetooth, Spotify, Radio, etc.) and I do not see any USB option in the dropdown in the Media Center (which shows Spotify, Tidal, Radio, etc.). I have even tried to reset my screen by pressing the brake and two buttons on the steering wheel (the USB flash drive was plugged into the port in the side compartment during that time). After the screen came up, it did not show the USB. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ctuna]

Cars earlier than a certain date will have active center console . It's
only after they moved the active port to the glove box that the other
ports became power only ports. The power only ports can be retrofitted
to be active with a pc board kit and cable sold on most of the aftermarket
sites.

 

[arvindm]

Cars earlier than a certain date will have active center console . It's
only after they moved the active port to the glove box that the other
ports became power only ports. The power only ports can be retrofitted
to be active with a pc board kit and cable sold on most of the aftermarket
sites.

The retrofit with the USB module has been removed in the 2024 MY. There is no USB port on the MCU to plug in the USB connection from the module anymore. Trust me, I have opened it up and looked for myself. The only solution for 2024 MY is a USB hub placed in the glove box or get a larger flash drive and partition it into 2 or 3 partitions using exFAT partition. Some of the sites that sell the USB module have started to say that module is not going to work for HW4.

 

[Ctuna]

I bought a Hub for 25 bucks for the glove box. Works fine.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ND8JLX5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

could be they have programmed the option out?
Some just partition there sentry usb stick or put a larger one in and do the
same.
The USB option did not appear in the main menu till I installed a another flash drive in the Hub with Music on it . Can't recall if I named the folder on the second stick. I would imagine you could put a Hub on the glovebox
active line and run it out to the Consoles usb's .

My Music Drive is volume is Music 2
then I have sub folders
exFat format.
Usb optiion disappears from ... menu when unplugged then is there when its
plugged in .
I have it in the lower command bar menu as favorites.

 

[Ctuna]

I would try partitioning the Sentry Drive first . If it doesn't work with that
there may be no software option for usb in Hardware 4.

 

[flai54]

If you are using the glovebox USB port and want to have Music and Dashcam/Sentry on the same USB drive you will have to create 2 partitions. One partition with Music and the other partition with the name "TESLADRIVE" and the folder structure.

 

[arvindm]

I bought a Hub for 25 bucks for the glove box. Works fine.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ND8JLX5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

could be they have programmed the option out?
Some just partition there sentry usb stick or put a larger one in and do the
same.
The USB option did not appear in the main menu till I installed a another flash drive in the Hub with Music on it . Can't recall if I named the folder on the second stick. I would imagine you could put a Hub on the glovebox
active line and run it out to the Consoles usb's .

My Music Drive is volume is Music 2
then I have sub folders
exFat format.
Usb optiion disappears from ... menu when unplugged then is there when its
plugged in .
I have it in the lower command bar menu as favorites.

The USB Hub works great. I got one on Amazon too or around $26 and found out the same hub is available on AliExpress for $3.96! But it has 4 ports and so far I have 3 USB flash drives all working flawlessly. BTW! I talked to Tesla tech guys and he confirmed that the only data port on 2024 MY is in the glovebox and there is no way to retrofit a data port in the center console.

 

[Ctuna]

yeah but you can have a hub in the glove and you should be able to run ports out from that .
Or put a hub on the point it connects to the main board .
There has be a point where the glove box port originates.

 

[arvindm]

yeah but you can have a hub in the glove and you should be able to run ports out from that .
Or put a hub on the point it connects to the main board .
There has be a point where the glove box port originates.

Well! That is probably ok with hard core DIYers like you. But for the rest of us, a simple USB hub in the glove box solves the problem. Its not the most convenient but for now it will do.

 

[Ctuna]

That is what I have and it's enough .
One thing is they where kind of saying that you could have to game consoles
as where . I wonder if those are using bluetooth.

 

[howardnj]

Hi,

I just got my Tesla Y 2023. I wanted to play music from my USB flash drive and I have tried to use it both with the port inside the glove box (using a USB hub so that the sentry/dahscam works) as well as with the port inside the side compartment (using a to c adapter). But, Tesla does not recognize anything it seems or I am not sure where to look. I do not see any USB option added to the various apps (like Dashcam, Bluetooth, Spotify, Radio, etc.) and I do not see any USB option in the dropdown in the Media Center (which shows Spotify, Tidal, Radio, etc.). I have even tried to reset my screen by pressing the brake and two buttons on the steering wheel (the USB flash drive was plugged into the port in the side compartment during that time). After the screen came up, it did not show the USB. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Order the data module on amazon as well as the glove box and center console hubs

TPARTS Center Console Data Transmission USB Recovery Fast Charging Module for Tesla Model 3/Y (2022-2023) (Upgraded). Tesla Adapter Accessories​

Klutchtech Tesla 2021 2022 2023 Model 3/Y Glove Box USB Hub, 4-in-1 USB Hub Glove Box Dash Cam Flash Drive Docking Station​

2023-2021 Model 3/Y Center Console Hub (Real-time Charging Data)​

​

 

[shakenbake85]

Resurrecting an old thread as I couldn't find anything more recent or relevant. I'm also having problems getting a USB with music to appear in the car but haven't found it as simple as others in this thread and wanted to share my experience.

I first used a Sandisk 128GB flash drive plugged directly into the glovebox USB port of my 2023MYLR, without a dongle. To rule out any potential file format issues I have a single mp3 on it and the drive is formatted to exFAT. It does not appear at all. I then tried formatting it within the car "safety option" for use with sentry, then deleted the files/folders and replaced with the mp3, hoping that the car would put the drive into the right format. Still nothing.

I then tried using a 128GB Nextbase microSD card + SD to USB adapter instead, formatted to exFAT, and it appears, hooray! I loaded different formats of audio file (WAV, FLAC, AAC, mp3) and all played perfectly. I sat there enjoying uncompressed audio in the car smiling. So far so good. Should have just left it there...

I then foolishly decided I wanted more than just USB music. I had been reading threads like this about partitioning a drive to play custom music for LightShow, and custom lock sounds with a LockChime.wav folder, etc... so I partitioned that same MicroSD card with a small FAT partition for LightShow and the remainder an exFAT partition with a folder called Music and one called BoomBox, as I had read to do.

The drive/music did not then show up in the car, bummer. Maybe I did something wrong, so I played around a bit but soon gave up on the idea of a custom lock sound and light show and decided to just get lossless music sorted, which was my priority.

I reformatted the drive back to exFAT and put the mp3 back on it but now it doesn't appear in the car. I tried various options within Disk Utility but nothing I try can get this drive to show up in the car as it did before. So now, like the previous flash drive, both are dead to the car. In fact, it now doesn't even let me format it for Sentry, the option is greyed out, it's like it's not recognised at all. I've killed them.

So I'm now seeking more expert advice, I am thinking it's the way I format it, using Disk Utility on MacOS Sonoma 14.4. There are different options depending on what you select in the View option of the Menu bar.

Options that display when you select "Show Only Volumes":

Options that display when you select "Show All Devices" from the view menu. You get an additional dropdown called "Scheme".

Needless to say, I've tried every combination of Scheme and exFAT but get the same result - the USB no longer appears in the car. Have I killed both of these drives by putting them into a format Tesla doesn't understand?!

What is everyone using to format their drives and, if on a Mac, which options are you choosing to do this? Sorry for such a long post!

 

[Ctuna]

Format the Drive in your Tesla it will add the Folder needed for Sentry I believe then add
a Music folder. You are aware that the only drive that has data support is the one in the
glovebox on the newer car I hope. The ones in the center console and for the back sear
are just power now.
I use one of those usb hubs so I can change or modify the Music Folder
on a separate usb drive.

 

[shakenbake85]

Yes I am aware, hence why I say I'm using it in the glovebox with no hub. I do have a hub and once I've got music to work on the drive I will be using one, but to keep troubleshooting simple, it's not in use right now. You'll see I already tried formatting the drive in the car but it no longer appears as an option with either of my drives. Thanks for the suggestions though

 

[Ctuna]

What is the year of the car . Can you take the drive and put in on a PC and
see the Cam Folder? Folder name = TeslaCam

I would get the TeslaCam folder going and use the Hub
it's where you want to end up. It allows you to take out the
music usb and add or edit it on your pc or even put in another
with a different set of tunes.