Tesla's Old Hardware Hits Limits: HW3 Computers Overheat and Freeze Under New Autopilot

In 2016, Elon Musk promised that all Teslas produced then could achieve full autonomy via software updates within years, but the old hardware now struggles even with a lighter FSD version. Over the past two weeks, Tesla has been rolling out FSD v14 Lite, designed for HW3 computers, which have eight times lower memory bandwidth and only 8GB of RAM compared to HW4. The new software causes overheating and malfunctions in the driver-assist systems, despite optimizations. Before this, HW3 cars only had version 12.6 for over a year, while HW4 cars got regular updates. When HW3 temperature sensors exceed 90 degrees Celsius, the system enters a protective service mode, disabling all electronic assistants and requiring the driver to take over; re-enabling is impossible until the computer cools down. Some owners see notifications of a malfunction and need for replacement at Tesla service. Users experiencing FSD v14 Lite on HW3 report sudden braking or delays in moving off, indicating processing lag. Tesla has acknowledged that HW3 cannot support full autonomous driving and would need replacement with at least HW4, which Tesla may have to fund. The overheating issue exacerbates the situation, though HW3 components had overheated before due to cooling system failures.