Front vs Console Installation of The Commander
Every Tesla Model 3 and Y built between late 2020 and early 2024 comes with two OBD ports where you can daisy-chain your smart accessories, such as our Commander. The first port is located at the front right A-pillar, regardless of whether your car is LHD or RHD. The second one is inside the Center Console port, located under the rear vent, or at the left front seat’s footwell (if you own a Model Y built from June 2023 until late 2024).
There are pros and cons to each installation method, which we are going to break down in this article.
We also prepared a video presentation, if you are more of a visual learner:
Front vs Console Installation
As we already mentioned, the Console port is located either under the air vent or moved to the left of the console on some Model Ys. The main advantage of this installation method is that it’s quick and simple. There is not as much disassembling, and you can’t do it wrong. Simply remove the panel and daisy-chain our Commander. If your port is under the air vent, tuck it between the console and the passenger seat to keep it out of sight. If the port is at the driver’s footwell, you can hide all the wiring behind the panel.
However, if you are a tech geek like us, consider a front installation at the right A-pillar since it can access the second CAN bus, allowing more advanced information to be displayed on our Dashboard, and you also get to enjoy additional features.
And if you own a Model 3 Highland or the 2025 Model Y Juniper, you only have the front port available. The downside of this installation method is that it is slightly more complex and it takes a bit longer to do.
But don’t worry, we have done plenty of videos in which we walk you through both installation processes. You can check the entire playlist by clicking on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJFhUzy5e_cF6AC5bpz99PkNYNruHNnh6
Additional Features - Front Installation
All automations can be accessed through the Commander tab inside the S3XY App. Now, let’s go over the advanced features you get with the front installation:
- Muting the Intelligent Speed Assist
Every Tesla produced after September 2024 in the EU comes with Intelligent Speed Assist, a feature that produces a beeping sound every time you go past the speed limit, even if you go over by 3 km/h. You can see how this can become annoying after a while. If you have a front installation, you can enable the “Mute Speed Limit Sound” automation, which deactivates the beeping alert. As a bonus, you can also set an upper threshold above which the Intelligent Speed Assist will activate again.
- Autopilot Penalty Prevention
If you're using Autopilot and exceed the 140 km/h (85 mph) speed limit, you must manually turn it off - otherwise, you'll be penalized, and it will remain unavailable for the rest of your drive. To solve this, we developed an automation that disengages Autopilot when you exceed 140 km/h. Plus, you have the option to re-engage it once you drop back below that speed.
- Additional data on the S3XY Dash
As we already mentioned, the front installation of the Commander also gives you access to additional data that will be displayed on our Dash - like the Blind Spot Indication, Traffic Signs, and the Autopilot state.
