2015 Model S - Trunk Won't Open When Approached From Behind

[d.c.palmer]

Yup - this is getting annoying...

Tesla still haven't fixed this bug - it's been over 6 months now, and counting!

Just to reiterate: this affects all facelift cars when "Energy Saving" is turned on. If you're affected, please don't suffer in silence - let your service center know that you're dissatisfied and want a fix sooner, rather than later (and that six months is too long for this kind of issue - frankly, it's an embarrassment).

The more noise we can collectively make, the more chance we'll get a fix.

 

[dragoljub]

I just gave this a try again on new 2017 S90D on FW 17.7.2 and it worked on the first try. I have the car set to power saving and always connected. I will have to keep trying after having the car parked and idle longer. Fingers crossed this is resolved for me.

 

[MS16]

Yup - this is getting annoying...

Tesla still haven't fixed this bug - it's been over 6 months now, and counting!

Just to reiterate: this affects all facelift cars when "Energy Saving" is turned on. If you're affected, please don't suffer in silence - let your service center know that you're dissatisfied and want a fix sooner, rather than later (and that six months is too long for this kind of issue - frankly, it's an embarrassment).

The more noise we can collectively make, the more chance we'll get a fix.

The spouse just tried to put something into the trunk of our unlocked car, and yep, the trunk is still broken.

The spouse is getting very angry at this car. Stuff like this is just so annoying.

I'm glad to see Tesla chose to have their software engineers work on the Model X Christmas Light Show instead of fixing this and other long-standing problems.

 

[d.c.palmer]

I just gave this a try again on new 2017 S90D on FW 17.7.2 and it worked on the first try. I have the car set to power saving and always connected. I will have to keep trying after having the car parked and idle longer. Fingers crossed this is resolved for me.

OK, there might be two explanations for this:-

1. You have "Always Connected" enabled. This does consume more energy (than having it turned off) and, in my experience, the car still takes a little while to respond in this mode - so I gave up using this and turned it OFF to try to reduce the amount of "vampire drain" (i.e., wasted energy).
2. The car doesn't go into its "deep sleep" (energy saving mode) right away. It can take 10-20 minutes.

I must reiterate: the pre-facelift cars all work as designed. You can simply walk up to your car, regardless of whether or not it is "always connected" or in "energy saving mode", and press this fantastic button built right into the trunk - and guess what, the trunk opens. Amazing! If only things were so simple after the facelift...

 

[dragoljub]

I tried walking up to the trunk in the mornings without pre heating or using the app. Turns out it did not work. So guess this is settled for facelift cars. Hope a fix comes soon.

OK, there might be two explanations for this:-

1. You have "Always Connected" enabled. This does consume more energy (than having it turned off) and, in my experience, the car still takes a little while to respond in this mode - so I gave up using this and turned it OFF to try to reduce the amount of "vampire drain" (i.e., wasted energy).
2. The car doesn't go into its "deep sleep" (energy saving mode) right away. It can take 10-20 minutes.

I must reiterate: the pre-facelift cars all work as designed. You can simply walk up to your car, regardless of whether or not it is "always connected" or in "energy saving mode", and press this fantastic button built right into the trunk - and guess what, the trunk opens. Amazing! If only things were so simple after the facelift...

 

[alloverx]

Someone has decided "does not meet the bug bar"

 

[d.c.palmer]

I tried walking up to the trunk in the mornings without pre heating or using the app. Turns out it did not work. So guess this is settled for facelift cars. Hope a fix comes soon.

Many thanks for the update. Yes, when you connect to the car with the app it wakes the systems up, so you're no longer in "Energy Saving Mode" (and the otherwise-comatose trunk sensor is prodded into action).

 

[Jonas_man]

This started to happen to me in the past month. Not sure if it is a sw related thing. Tesla 2016 facelift 90D from october AP1

 

[Jonas_man]

My understanding is that the proximity function of the fob doesn't work without battery power. I'm pretty sure a couple members here have tried completely removing the battery and it didn't work in either of the low battery positions (lower windshield / below cup holders). Those two spots are for when the battery gets extremely low, but still enough juice to power the transmitter. The range of the transmission of the fob would be greatly reduced, but still enough to be picked-up by the car if placed directly next to an antenna.

not sure. Prius has this feature and the key works like an RFID tag. that is why you need to put it up very close.
From what i read in the manual the principle is the same for a tesla

 

[The_Mike]

This happens to my facelift Model S every single day. I've learned to live with it and approach from the side (triggering the driver's or passenger's side unlock) prior to rounding to the trunk.

I would really want Tesla to fix this.

 

[JohnnyG]

not sure. Prius has this feature and the key works like an RFID tag. that is why you need to put it up very close.
From what i read in the manual the principle is the same for a tesla

Hi @Jonas_man , as previously stated, a few of the forum members have tried this with a completely dead or removed battery, and it simply does not work. That trick is for an almost dead battery. I just don't want anyone reading this thinking it's true and then getting stranded because of it. No one has ever found any documentation stating that our fobs act as an RFID. It was just a lot of speculation made by members making assumptions based on vague wording in the manual. I'd definitely welcome others to try to remove the battery from both of their fobs and further validate this.

That actually doesn't work. I tried it. You can try it too by taking out your battery and trying it. If your battery is weak, then it will work. But not if it's actually dead. .... .

That's not what I meant. If the fob battery is dead or missing, this will not work. The trick allows a fob with a weak fob battery to talk to the car by placing it near the receiver's antenna. There was early speculation that there was some sort of RFID chip in the fob, but this is not the case. I tried it myself by removing the fob battery completely, and placing it in the specified location does not work.

Yeah that.
I (was) unable to start it since it couldn't detect the fob per the screen shot.

 

[P100DHG.]

I thought it was only me. I'm far less embarrassed now that I know there is a community out there that has issues getting their lift gate up when approached from behind just like me

 

[Jonas_man]

Hi @Jonas_man , as previously stated, a few of the forum members have tried this with a completely dead or removed battery, and it simply does not work. That trick is for an almost dead battery. I just don't want anyone reading this thinking it's true and then getting stranded because of it. No one has ever found any documentation stating that our fobs act as an RFID. It was just a lot of speculation made by members making assumptions based on vague wording in the manual. I'd definitely welcome others to try to remove the battery from both of their fobs and further validate this.

RFID tags do require a battery, if you remove the fob's battery it probably won't work.
The RFID works by charging a small battery. Im assuming now that the fob's battery will receive enough power to act as a RFID.

Using this logic it makes more sense now.
What im not 100% sure is if the fob will charge the battery. And in that case i have no idea.

 

[JohnnyG]

RFID tags do require a battery, if you remove the fob's battery it probably won't work.
The RFID works by charging a small battery. Im assuming now that the fob's battery will receive enough power to act as a RFID.
Using this logic it makes more sense now.
What im not 100% sure is if the fob will charge the battery. And in that case i have no idea.

RFIDs do not require a battery. You are grossly misinterpreting how RFID works. My background is in electronic engineering. Trust me when I say that in no way does RFID charge a non-rechargeable Lithium cell. There's just so much wrong with that statement, I'm not even going to begin...
I would be more than happy to explain how RFID works, but I would encourage you to study the basic principles which can be found here in Texas Instruments' application report.

 

[Jonas_man]

RFIDs do not require a battery. You are grossly misinterpreting how RFID works. My background is in electronic engineering. Trust me when I say that in no way does RFID charge a non-rechargeable Lithium cell. There's just so much wrong with that statement, I'm not even going to begin...
I would be more than happy to explain how RFID works, but I would encourage you to study the basic principles which can be found here in Texas Instruments' application report.

Radio-frequency identification - Wikipedia
some do have. 2 out of 3 types of RFID.
The passive non battery needs some form of storing the energy to retransmit the data.

Even your article mentions the capacitor. In the end you always need a mean to store a small amount of energy to transmit the tag's data.

 

[JohnnyG]

Radio-frequency identification - Wikipedia
some do have. 2 out of 3 types of RFID.
The passive non battery needs some form of storing the energy to retransmit the data.

Even your article mentions the capacitor. In the end you always need a mean to store a small amount of energy to transmit the tag's data.

Oy vey.... I *knew* you were going to come back and try to compare a capacitor to a battery..... <SMH>
They are absolutely not the same thing, and NO ONE mentioned yanking capacitors out of their fobs!
We are obviously talking about the fob acting as a *passive* RFID here, not an active one. AND, if we *were* talking about it being an active RFID, then we'd be right back in the same boat again, which is that if the battery is dead, then it doesn't work!
The proof is in the pudding.... Go drive out into the middle of nowhere with no cellphone coverage, power down your car, get out and lock it, pull your battery out of the fob, and throw it in the nearest pond. Then try to get back in your car and drive home. If it works, I'll buy you a new pack of fob batteries ;-)
Otherwise, let's not argue for the sake of argument and trying to save face. Take the opportunity to learn, and most importantly, not continuing to spread false information that could get someone into trouble.

 

[cwave1]

OP here.

I previously reported that on my 2015 85D, Tesla fixed the problem by re-coding the keys to the car.

However, I have since been into service again (for a new 12V battery) and they updated my firmware to 17.8.16 while I was there. Now the trunk does not work (again).

I'm assuming from this that there is no difference between the face lift cars and mine but the version of the firmware may be the difference.

Has anyone heard from their SC about a fix for this in an upcoming firmware version or should I take my car back into service?