Tesla brings a new camera visibility warning feature

Recently, Tesla has enabled an important feature to trigger a warning if the vehicle’s onboard camera visibility reduces due to external reasons.

X user @juztenough has shared a screenshot of the warning UI on the front screen. The interface shows a notification including a camera preview on the left side and a warning note “Camera Vibility Limited. Clean all dirt and debris from the camera.”

It can also help you diagnose which camera is working right and which one isn’t. The camera status screen for example indicates the car section, which is affected by the debris or dirt.

Tesla Camera Visibility Warning Diagnosis (Source – @juztenough/X)

Tesla cars come with different cameras including:

• A camera is mounted above the rear license plate.
• A camera is mounted on each door pillar.
• Three cameras are mounted to the windshield above the rearview mirror.
• A camera is mounted to each front fender.

These cameras record feed and send it to the in-car system for real-time processing for self-driving and visualization. Since Tesla relies on these cameras, any obstruction would cause a halt in advanced driving features.

How to clean the camera

You need to ensure that all cameras are clean and showing no sign of obstructions. You can try different ways to clean the camera. However, it depends on when your model was built. There are two ways suggested by Tesla including:

1. Models built prior to late May 2023 – You can use a spray bottle to clean the dirt or debris. Do not wipe an exposed lens with your hands or a cloth because the debris can damage the lens surface with external pressure.
2. Models built late May 2023 – You can use water spray into the camera lens and dry it with a microfiber cloth. Clean the camera lens every week during wet weather (snow, rain, sleet) and every month in dry weather.

Condensation could also form inside the camera enclosures if you park the vehicle outside in cold or wet conditions.

To get rid of this situation, you need to proactively dry the cabin with a precondition the cabin by setting it to a warm temperature, turning the windshield defroster on, and directing the front air vents toward the door pillars.

If the problem persists, visit your nearest Tesla service center to get a solution.

Rollout:

Teslascope noted that this new change is part of the 2024.33.5 software update and may also be packaged with later versions.