Locked out of my M3P

[timcking]

This am after the recent update, I went out and got locked out of my M3P. I'm used to the random getting locked out of the driver's door, having to open a rear door first, or even the trunk. But today I got totally locked out. After trying all the doors and the trunk about half-a-dozen times I called my wife to rescue me. While I was on the phone, I tried the driver's door again (about 15 mins later), and it opened. Go figure. It's so tiring to have these continuing software bugs.

You know, for some people, this could be a real safety concern.

Several months ago, I was similarly locked out. It turned out that my key fob needed a new battery. I hadn't seen a warning that it needed to be replaced. Fortunately, I 1) figured it out, and 2) I was somewhere I could buy a new one.

 

[RTPEV]

Did the key card not work either?

What did your wife do that you could not have done yourself?

 

[Benito1283]

What did your wife do that you could not have done yourself?

I’m guessing transport him somewhere since he didn’t have a functioning car.

 

[E90alex]

What year is your car? Likely 12V battery needs replacing

 

[ewoodrick]

How are you getting locked out? As long as you have your phone, there's multiple ways to unlock the car.
1) Phone as a key
2) Hit the unlock button in the app.

Wait a second Key fob? Why are you using a key fob? In a Model 3???

 

[E90alex]

Wait a second Key fob? Why are you using a key fob? In a Model 3???

Yes? Why not. I have one

 

[Kimmi]

I am still waiting for Tesla to let my Apple Watch function as a key. Elon said!

 

[ewoodrick]

Yes? Why not. I have one

It's not a common method.

What about your phone?

 

[Kimmi]

I am still waiting for Tesla to let my Apple Watch function as a key. Elon said

 

[E90alex]

It's not a common method.

What about your phone?

What about it? It’s in my pocket. It too much of a hassle to use if I want to do something other than simply open a door or trunk when standing next to it.

I can reach into my pocket and unlock, lock, pop the frunk, or pop the trunk if needed with the key fob without looking. And be able to do it 10-20 feet from the car.

 

[ewoodrick]

What about it? It’s in my pocket. It too much of a hassle to use if I want to do something other than simply open a door or trunk when standing next to it.

I can reach into my pocket and unlock, lock, pop the frunk, or pop the trunk if needed with the key fob without looking. And be able to do it 10-20 feet from the car.

You popped into the middle of a conversation. Are you having problems with getting into your car?

My response was directed to OP @timcking.

With a phone and a fob, it's pretty hard to get locked out, but yet they've done it multiple times.

 

[petercc9]

You know, for some people, this could be a real safety concern.

Several months ago, I was similarly locked out. It turned out that my key fob needed a new battery. I hadn't seen a warning that it needed to be replaced. Fortunately, I 1) figured it out, and 2) I was somewhere I could buy a new one.

Well they discontinued giving out fobs as part of the standard equipment and tell people to download the Tesla app when you pickup your car.
The doors open automatically when you are nearby using bluetooth when it auto-detects your phone in your pocket.

 

[RTPEV]

The doors open automatically when you are nearby using bluetooth when it auto-detects your phone in your pocket.

In theory that's what should happen, but it's not perfect. For whatever reason, certain software revs tend to be worse than others and the phone as key seems not to work so seamlessly (there are mega-threads covering this topic). Why they can get it to work pretty well only to re-break it again a few software revs later I'll never know.

At any rate, usually all that's required is actually taking your phone out of your pocket and maybe even opening the app to "wake things up". I've never seen it any worse than that though, certainly not being completely locked out as the OP said they were, which is why I asked whether the key card also didn't work, or whether they were not able to unlock the doors using the unlock command in the app.

Getting completely locked out of the car doesn't sound like a bug to me, but rather a possible hardware failure. For sure the phone as key not working well is a bug, but it shouldn't prevent you from being able to eventually open the door. I'm really curious as to what exactly the OP tried.

 

[mswlogo]

This am after the recent update, I went out and got locked out of my M3P. I'm used to the random getting locked out of the driver's door, having to open a rear door first, or even the trunk. But today I got totally locked out. After trying all the doors and the trunk about half-a-dozen times I called my wife to rescue me. While I was on the phone, I tried the driver's door again (about 15 mins later), and it opened. Go figure. It's so tiring to have these continuing software bugs.

You know, for some people, this could be a real safety concern.

Several months ago, I was similarly locked out. It turned out that my key fob needed a new battery. I hadn't seen a warning that it needed to be replaced. Fortunately, I 1) figured it out, and 2) I was somewhere I could buy a new one.

You do realize if your Key Fob battery is dead you can use it like a key card (with no battery). Almost all cars with Fobs have a backup scheme for a dead battery in the Fob.

Tesla Manual Keys

 

[zoomer0056]

At any rate, usually all that's required is actually taking your phone out of your pocket and maybe even opening the app to "wake things up".

I've just discovered that treating the phone as a key card works every time. Put the phone by the B pillar camera when the car does not detect it in your pocket. My 2022 MSLR on 2024.3.25 presents every time when the phone is brought near the B pillar.

 

[ewoodrick]

Well they discontinued giving out fobs as part of the standard equipment and tell people to download the Tesla app when you pickup your car.
The doors open automatically when you are nearby using bluetooth when it auto-detects your phone in your pocket.

They never gave out key fobs with the Model 3P. They had to be ordered extra. Originally that only had the passive and then they added the active entry.

 

[ewoodrick]

I've just discovered that treating the phone as a key card works every time. Put the phone by the B pillar camera when the car does not detect it in your pocket. My 2022 MSLR on 2024.3.25 presents every time when the phone is brought near the B pillar.

Try it near the mirror. That's where the Bluetooth antenna is at.

 

[zoomer0056]

Try it near the mirror. That's where the Bluetooth antenna is at.

No need to, the B pillar works 100%. Plus, I'm right handed, reaching over to the mirror might cause me to pull a muscle.

 

[E90alex]

Android can act as NFC key (like the key card does). iPhone doesn’t have that function so holding an iPhone at the pillar does nothing.

 

[jjrandorin]

Well they discontinued giving out fobs as part of the standard equipment

They never gave out key fobs with the Model 3P. They had to be ordered extra. Originally that only had the passive and then they added the active entry.

I was just going to say this but you beat me to it. @petercc9 , a keyfob has never (ever) been "standard equipment" on ANY model 3 or Y delivery. Since this thread is in the model 3 subforum, and we are discussing model 3s, its not appropriate to say "discontinued", because you cant discontinue something that was never there in the first place.

I am still trying to figure out why some people dont carry keycards. If you can carry a drivers license with you, the keycard has the same footprint. I have carried my keycard in my wallet for the entirety of my Tesla ownership. I have only needed it 2-3 times, but.. I HAVE needed it 2-3 times. If someone carries the fob, then I get it, but I would never carry just the phone for a key without a backup. Phones can be dropped and broken, stolen, etc.