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Don’t rush to retrofit 16” screen on model 3 highland

Ebarron0125 | 2026-02-23 22:42 | 300 views

Every influencer and their mom was saying model y 16” screen is plug and play with highland model 3. While it is plug and play it’s not all unicorns and rainbows. 2 issues I’ve found is the air control screen is not aligned correctly. And the rear camera view is broken and not working. I’m sure they will fix them in future updates since the screen should officially come to the model 3 eventually. Just a little fyi in the mean time.

Comments (180)
MICHAELSD01 2026-02-23 22:46

I’m incredibly satisfied with the color and contrast of the 15.4” display that came with my Model 3 Highland. I wouldn’t tempt that for a marginally larger display.

Fragrant-Ice-5921 2026-02-23 22:46

Probably due to a firmware mismatch. Perform a complete software reinstall from service menu. May fix the issue.

gummaumma 2026-02-23 22:47

Wait, people are seriously replacing their screens over .6 inches? wtf

analyticsboi 2026-02-23 22:47

I need a 36 inch or else im not upgrading

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 22:47

I did try that, no luck. Wiaring for the 2026.2 update to try slapping it on again

MICHAELSD01 2026-02-23 22:49

People will do a lot over .6 inches. Thankfully I don’t have that insecurity.

Onyxam 2026-02-23 22:52

0.6 inches is a lot says my girlfriend and I should be proud of it. It’s how u use it.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 22:52

You should have been there when the iPhone went form a 3.5” screen to a 4” screen. Millions upgraded

ysfex3 2026-02-23 22:54

size is negligible, but is the rez upgrade noticeable?

Tsurfer4 2026-02-23 22:56

Madness...

ntpphong 2026-02-23 22:57

Me chilling with my 17” in the X. I’ll let myself out.

Enginerd8418 2026-02-23 22:57

Going from 3.5 to 4” on a phone screen is a much more impactful change. 14% more screen vs 3.8% going from 15.4 to 16.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 22:58

Yeah I missed the 18.5” in the Cybertruck. This got me a hair closer to that

WilliamG007 2026-02-23 22:58

There’s quite a significant difference between 3.5 and 4 vs 15.4 and 16.

ObeseSnake 2026-02-23 22:58

I'm rooting for you. You are probably correct. A future software update will fix it.

OptimalTime5339 2026-02-23 22:58

Motion of the ocean, as they say

TissueAndLube 2026-02-23 22:59

I would pay for an extra 0.6 inch :).

PrestigiousShift134 2026-02-23 23:00

Nope, its 100pixels more

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 23:01

Thanks! Otherwise this things just gonna sit in a box in the garage 😂

Joatboy 2026-02-23 23:01

Yeah, but there were also huge upgrades along with screen size like a much faster processor and 4G LTE support. Plus going from 3.5" to 4" screen is a 12% increase in size, not insubstantial

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 23:02

True but people like My grandma only upgraded for the extra screen size. She couldn’t care less about processor or antenna

Matterbox 2026-02-23 23:03

I love the spirit here.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 23:04

People big mad cus I wanted an extra .6”

Sandwich83 2026-02-23 23:07

It's far more than 14% as area is L x W. The actual screen size increase was roughly 33% - a massive increase. The 0.6" increase equates to \~5%.

juanitospat 2026-02-23 23:08

“Every influencer and their mom” 😂

Squish_Cat_1 2026-02-23 23:10

lol this is the dumbest shit

Enginerd8418 2026-02-23 23:10

You’re correct. I thought about that right after I posted

Educational-Goal7900 2026-02-23 23:13

I already did this in my model 3. The new screen that is coming to the model 3 soon is the exact same screen. There are no different connectors and there’s nothing in ToolBox that needs to be changed. I confirmed this with service also. I do not have either of those issues and already made a post about doing this: https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaModel3/s/Ju80jftqSR

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 23:13

What firmware are you running? I tried sending you a message a while back to try to troubleshoot

Educational-Goal7900 2026-02-23 23:15

2025.45.10 now. But I did this a while ago, all I had to do was a scroll wheel reset. I took it to service and I had a technician look at it and asked if anything needed to be changed in toolbox or software and he told me no. But I have had no issues since anyway.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 23:16

Hmm strange, I’ve tried 6 scroll wheel resets since then and no dice. You got a picture of your ac/control screen by any chance?

AnnOnnamis 2026-02-23 23:21

yep. If it ain’t broke….

EatMeerkats 2026-02-23 23:22

Nope, it goes from 1920x1200 to 2560x1600, which is 78% more pixels.

MurkyTomatillo192 2026-02-23 23:27

I agree it’s ridiculous lol. If it came with additional features I’d understand. But literally a marginal display difference, in a car screen is insane to me

SirAxlerod 2026-02-23 23:32

Username checks out.

Next-Bag643 2026-02-23 23:36

0.6”? Why you so blessed? I got half that on a good day!

gummaumma 2026-02-23 23:39

I just round up.

[deleted] 2026-02-23 23:39

[deleted]

PremiumUsername69420 2026-02-23 23:40

People can’t help but buy stuff they don’t need and consume.

Subpilot688 2026-02-23 23:42

What that model S black or white?

gummaumma 2026-02-23 23:43

The American economy in a nutshell.

raghavr_7 2026-02-23 23:44

Worked well for me without issues

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 23:45

Also a performance model 3?

NBK_Shikogi 2026-02-23 23:46

This is what FOMO does to people. They make stupid decisions and then wonder what happened.

WindyNightmare 2026-02-23 23:48

Why would somebody do this

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 23:48

I was bored

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 23:48

Ehh it’ll be alright. Just money, it comes and goes

qpiqp 2026-02-23 23:50

That's probably because your grandma wanted bigger letters so she could read the screen. What do you really get when upgrading from 15.4" to 16"? As others mentioned, 3.5" to 4" is a massively bigger increase than 15.4" to 16".

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 23:51

I get a bigger crispier screen

namestom 2026-02-23 23:52

PMNG

rattler843 2026-02-23 23:52

Absolutely insane to me that people are wasting their money and time on such an insignificant “upgrade”

Turtlesaur 2026-02-23 23:52

I already bang my knee on it occasionally.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-23 23:53

It only takes 20 minutes to do lol

Syborg721 2026-02-23 23:58

When I start listening to Tesla influencers it's time to jump off a bridge.

qpiqp 2026-02-23 23:59

Ahh... this thread had me thinking the only upgrade was size. I didn't realize that it's sharper as well. Seems negligible for a car screen but you do you.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 00:01

You’d be surprised. Definitely a want not a need tho, your right https://preview.redd.it/gbobdysd2clg1.jpeg?width=1146&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=469d0fa14766383cf3e97e594b8dad022864cc5c

IRACEMYCOPCAR 2026-02-24 00:02

Did you do a software reset?

SchlongCopter69 2026-02-24 00:04

60% more pixels too I’d read. Whether that translates to meaningful quality is a question tho. Esp for two kilobucks

MrAnonymous__ 2026-02-24 00:05

A very important detail missing (before this pic) is that it's not just a slightly larger screen, but it's 1440p instead of 1920×1200.

Glum_Falcon4113 2026-02-24 00:16

Is it plug and play with MY Juniper 15.4"?

BuddyBing 2026-02-24 00:17

Step 1. Stop listening to "influencers". Step 2. Repeat step 1.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 00:17

It is. Softwares optimized for it already

Glum_Falcon4113 2026-02-24 00:18

Thx for the quick reply. How much is the 16"?

drknight09 2026-02-24 00:19

💯💯😀😀😂😂😂😂

dantodd 2026-02-24 00:24

https://preview.redd.it/7o1n7pvn6clg1.jpeg?width=602&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b3b848390fd2e4aea09788d16a448fcfa0bfa66

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 00:26

I got spending problems

manuel0000 2026-02-24 00:29

It’s 1440p

thegreatpotatogod 2026-02-24 00:33

Really, people have figured out a screen retrofit to upgrade the highland models but there's still no upgrade path for those with MCU2? That's disappointing. Like cool for those with newer vehicles I guess but it'd be nice for someone to figure out more substantial retrofits for older vehicles.

massparanoia82 2026-02-24 00:34

Yes

Mediocre_Paramedic22 2026-02-24 00:37

Oooo. Let us know if you get those issues fixed. I’ve been debating on swapping screens for the higher resolution one. How much did it cost and did Tesla give you any issues getting it?

bobaballs 2026-02-24 00:42

1440p vs 1080p

ScaredPatience2478 2026-02-24 00:45

Yea no need to be hostile.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 00:45

It was pricey. About $1350 or so. Nah no trouble ordered directly from parts.tesla.com and showed up within a week

ScaredPatience2478 2026-02-24 00:45

So you’re saying this would work on a legacy model y perfectly?

cspankid 2026-02-24 00:46

Where did you get the part?

ydw1988913 2026-02-24 00:46

0.6" sometimes means a lot, for a woman especially

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 00:47

Parts.tesla.com

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 00:47

1350ish

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 00:47

Been there done that, it was fun

Glum_Falcon4113 2026-02-24 00:57

Too steep. Would consider it for $400ish max

Ok-Screen-1160 2026-02-24 01:00

Worked fine for me, 2024 perf. Followed the service manual for screen replacement including disconnecting 12v battery.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 01:03

Odd. I’ll try again

STATSISBAE 2026-02-24 01:03

Black plaid

Actual-Squirrel5486 2026-02-24 01:06

try turning the car fully off, not the scroll wheel reset. it's in the settings.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 01:09

Odd. I’ll try again. Thinking again I think having the front camera throws off the layout of the camera view screen which is why the backup cam won’t show

4kVHS 2026-02-24 01:09

1600p

iJeff 2026-02-24 01:11

2560x1440 vs 1920x1200 as well.

spruceeffects 2026-02-24 01:13

Also so tired of “highland” and “juniper” posts. We get it. You have the newest version of the thing. Just call it a fucking car.

Ok_Jacket_2391 2026-02-24 01:15

My wife always said size doesn’t matter. After seeing this, perhaps it does.

jrc1325 2026-02-24 01:17

Yes because your grandma was a low information consumer. That’s fair enough for an elderly person with a new technology. I just wouldn’t want to justify my decision by comparing myself to that.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 01:18

Agreed. Wait for someone to wreck their new model y and put their screen on eBay then buy it for around 400 would be a good plan

Glum_Falcon4113 2026-02-24 01:19

The mod I really want is a sprayer for all cameras not just front bumper like cybercab

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 01:20

Ah, yeah bad financial decision for sure wouldn’t recommend it for the brokies. Buy some better tires instead or upgrade the suspension for the money

soggy_mattress 2026-02-24 01:28

It'll be fine. Tesla will almost certainly fix those bugs and OP will have a nicer screen than before and feel better about their car in the long run, which isn't hurting anyone.

soggy_mattress 2026-02-24 01:30

I'd hold on to the screen. Once they ship these larger screens for Model 3, those bugs will likely be fixed.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 01:32

That’s the plan. Got the Magbak chargers ready to go for it as well

Syborg721 2026-02-24 01:34

I use FSD so I'm going with a 65".

mk24mod0 2026-02-24 01:41

Posts to help others. Gets destroyed in comments. Yes we have fun here.

JaniceRossi_in_2R 2026-02-24 01:42

Crazy. Nothing wrong with the 15.4

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 01:43

Man no kidding lol I hope their cars start rattling in a new spot and they never find it

AdditionalLead7265 2026-02-24 01:45

I hate seeing My MYJ

lamgineer 2026-02-24 01:46

15.4 to 16 is actually 8% bigger = area increase of 8 sq in. 3.5” to 4” only increase the area by 1.6 sq in. So going from 15.4 to 16 increase the area 5x more than 3.5 to 4

Rickietee10 2026-02-24 01:47

People really need an extra half an inch and a few more pixels to better experience a map and 3d model of the car? I’ve never looked at the display in my Y and thought “too small this chaps”

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 01:48

I mean I use YouTube quite a bit so yeah, it comes in handy 🤷‍♂️

DammatBeevis666 2026-02-24 01:54

LOL I just went from 20” wheels to 18”. Bigger not necessarily better!

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 01:55

My boy wanted more meat on his wheels

B1A23 2026-02-24 01:58

My 2026 HW4 Model Y Long Range All Wheel Drive White Interior Quicksilver 20” Austin build on a Friday. /s

Rickietee10 2026-02-24 02:03

Riiiiiggggght. Same. But half an inch really isn’t changing that. It’s like going from a 75inch TV to a 77inch TV.

icy1007 2026-02-24 02:07

Why would we? It’s barely any difference vs the 15.4” screen.

icy1007 2026-02-24 02:07

The color and contrast are fine on the 15.4” screen. It’ll be the same on the 16” screen.

icy1007 2026-02-24 02:08

Yes, and wasting a lot of money doing it.

icy1007 2026-02-24 02:08

It’s nearly imperceptible. Tesla isn’t making use of the extra pixels.

icy1007 2026-02-24 02:10

That is the tiny car icon at the bottom left. The difference isn’t all that noticeable.

refraxion 2026-02-24 02:11

Really wish we had the chance to modify older teslas to upgrade the processor / screens haha

APHILLYATED111 2026-02-24 02:13

I would use a esr 25w MagSafe car charger over the magback because it has a fan keeps phone cool and charges much faster

Justman1020 2026-02-24 02:25

The bridge or listening to influencers? LoL. If it was a bridge it clearly wasn’t high enough…

analyticsboi 2026-02-24 02:28

Holy fk send me the link

Decox653 2026-02-24 02:58

Everyone is missing how nice OLEDs are… kinda tempting if it wasn’t for burn in

Dry-Engineering4454 2026-02-24 03:05

takes 7

mazsive 2026-02-24 03:06

Just why? lol

royalewcheeze 2026-02-24 03:14

What about the new seats in the Chinese model y long. I would love to get some extra leg support are they compatible with the y or 3

sparkyblaster 2026-02-24 03:22

Who says we dont?

refraxion 2026-02-24 03:23

2018 model 3 can be upgraded to amd etc? News to me, and I would gladly do it

gtg465x2 2026-02-24 03:31

Does it work with pre-highland with AMD Ryzen, or only Highland?

CptUnderpants- 2026-02-24 03:40

Especially now that things like dashcam playback on the Atom-based screens are extremely slow and almost unusable.

refraxion 2026-02-24 03:46

Agreed. It’s brutal.

kadhtobi 2026-02-24 03:48

With hw4!

PrestigiousShift134 2026-02-24 03:52

lol

CptUnderpants- 2026-02-24 03:57

I never use the built in media either. Netflix is effectively unusable.

gre-0021 2026-02-24 03:58

Oh same, I’ve got a 22 M3LR and I still wouldn’t touch it. If I was made of money and free time maybe, but I’ve already got a 1080p 15” bright, sharp display. What the hell do I need another inch and a little more brightness and contrast for?? It’s not OLED, 4K, mini-LED, or anything groundbreaking.

ForeverMinute7479 2026-02-24 04:02

Why this foolery????

Presence_Academic 2026-02-24 04:12

Of course not. Just like I’m not worried about my HVAC not being powerful enough for our future of scorching hot summers since it’s not working at all.

imouthere786 2026-02-24 04:22

😂😂

calvin42hobbes 2026-02-24 04:42

0.6 inches length isn't much. However, whoa baby 0.6 inches width!

sparkyblaster 2026-02-24 04:49

Who says everything is upgraded? The truth is in the middle.

sparkyblaster 2026-02-24 04:50

Netflix is effectively unusable on everything.

word-dragon 2026-02-24 04:58

Another image for the dictionary under “first world problems”.

Excellent-Ad-9224 2026-02-24 04:59

Nothing tool box 3 cant fix, most likely have to change the screen type in the infotainment dashboard config.

MisterBigTasty 2026-02-24 06:41

Why would you do all this for just that .6"? Nobody cares, the 15.4" is seriously perfect. It i so smooth, high res, bright, large, responsive, it is the best touch display I've ever used.

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 06:44

I’ll find a higher one next time

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 06:45

Only downside of esr is that it wobbles when on rough roads while the Magbak is rock solid

JuiceAdditional23 2026-02-24 06:47

My wife😆

Napolyon07 2026-02-24 06:58

Sorry mate but why is that struggle only for couple of inches? Current screen already rocks i think

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 06:59

More of a why not. I liked the thinner bezels and sharper resolution

Napolyon07 2026-02-24 07:04

Yes ofc its personal opinion but all of this hustle. I think i would not be spending my time with it so much 😬

Terron1965 2026-02-24 07:08

Im not messing with that. The car drives itself. I dont need a larger screen for that. I am hoping they let Grok handle all of that in the near future.

SpikeyTwitch20 2026-02-24 07:15

[ Removed by Reddit ]

refraxion 2026-02-24 08:04

Okay, I know about the ghost upgrade and all the other unlocks. Is there a way to actually upgrade the processor, knowing they’re completely different platforms (intel, amd) and placements? Computers are my hobby, if there was an actual way to modify and upgrade I would. Enlighten me, if you’re saying it’s possible. If it ain’t upgrading the actual processor/hardware to speed up the UI/OS, I’m not interested. FSD computer doesn’t handle the day to day use of the UI and overall system.

Acceptable_Ad_6382 2026-02-24 09:16

And if that doesn’t work, it takes 8

SocraticBruin 2026-02-24 09:40

Neeeeedddddd

Worth_Ad_5308 2026-02-24 10:07

Yeah I would prefer to spend the money on retrofitting the new black color interior.

PotatoCooks 2026-02-24 10:23

Dude why. Not just a waste of money but also time lmao

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 11:42

Will also be ordering that black interior when it becomes available! Excited for that one

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 11:42

Waste of money yes, as for time it only takes 20 minutes, no biggie

Flashy-Bandicoot889 2026-02-24 12:58

Didn't realize this was a thing. Anyone who follows wanna-be influencers who post this tripe for likes and clicks should think twice. It's all content farming. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 13:21

My boy can’t handle an extra .6”

JS2-Fin 2026-02-24 14:09

In theory, the higher res screen demands more from the system and uses more battery power. Also heavier games may get lower fps, if they’re both ran at native resolutions. To give perspective, on computer monitors, these days 2560x1440 is the common resolution on 27” screens. Most interesting part is the aspect ratio. Is it good or bad to have the new screen vertically narrower?

Skeets5977 2026-02-24 14:47

Hard to get the ocean moving in a row boat.

sparkyblaster 2026-02-24 14:49

Clearly you dont know how to read so I'm done.

refraxion 2026-02-24 15:14

Lmao, you added nothing to the conversation. Peace out, I won’t miss ya.

Schnitzhole 2026-02-24 15:59

Swivel screen is a far superior mod to a bigger screen I actually like the manual swivel better than the slow automatic one in the model x

Separate-Primary2949 2026-02-24 16:12

Might be the difference between a Oooo or a Aahhh

potmakesmefeelnormal 2026-02-24 16:12

LOL... all that for an extra half inch? WHY?!

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 16:13

And higher resolution. Why not?

Ebarron0125 2026-02-24 16:16

Why not both

potmakesmefeelnormal 2026-02-24 16:18

Not mad, just mystified.

Lemon-pai 2026-02-24 16:45

I wish Tesla started making much smaller screens tbh. These large screens just look so tacked on nothing really stylish about them. Folks switching to a marginally larger screen is ridiculous 🤣

gummaumma 2026-02-24 17:00

I will not rest until a 65 inch OLED completely covers my front windshield. This isn't a road trip, we will be playing GTA in real life.

BromoGT 2026-02-24 17:09

I would rather add motion/swivel features

kumarbi_knasher 2026-02-24 18:26

She kept saying she would stay if I had .6 inches more.🥺

lvgsxr1 2026-02-25 00:02

Funny you mention covering the windshield. I was thinking about if I could use a projector to project a movie on the windshield. That way the camera will see you looking forward. Probably only work at night. Who wants to see what they're about to run over anyway?

gummaumma 2026-02-25 00:19

It’s a brilliant idea really—gives your plausible deniability.

Kilo_Juliett 2026-02-25 02:05

It's also 1440p. I think that's the main benefit. I personally don't mind the old one. And I am typing this using a 4k 240hz oled.

Cheeko914 2026-02-25 07:49

The rear camera view wasn’t fixed when you did a firmware redeploy/reset DAS?

Ebarron0125 2026-02-25 13:28

It was not. I think everyone else doing the retrofit doesn’t have a front camera, im assuming the interface with the front camera is slightly different than without

HealthyAd3271 2026-02-25 17:41

My wife says I’m a grower not a shower.

SchlongCopter69 2026-02-25 20:10

I mean… if they’re stretching the image 0.6 inches rather than shrinking to match the old/native resolution, they’re using them by definition. Guess it really comes down to how good your vision is, and whether or not you’ll play media that takes advantage of the added res.

spruceeffects 2026-02-25 22:21

Hahahahhaha

Schnitzhole 2026-02-26 04:55

If it’s supported go for it!

dryayo7816 2026-03-01 22:06

Damn and some people say it’s not much of a difference at all maybe a little

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