Any issues with the car unlocking if you are in the house?

[Mrklaw]

Sitting in my ‘home office’ (spare room) which is at the front of the house and I realised my current car is parked maybe 1-2m away from where I am. My incoming Tesla would be in that same spot so I was wondering if you ever have issues with the car thinking you’re approaching and unlocking?

I’ve never had a ‘comfort access’ feature on a car before, always pressed a button so I don’t know how this works in practice

 

[Cardo]

For the unlocking to work, my phone needs to be right by the car. Even trying to open a rear door when the car is locked sometimes fails. People who keep their phones in their back pockets will sometimes struggle to unlock the car.

If I were you, I would test it, once you’ve got the car. And if unsure, enable pin to drive.

 

[Durzel]

I think (not tested) you have to be closer than simply “phone key connected“ range. There have been times I’ve had the Tesla app open in the house and it’s told me the phone key is connected, and I’ve wondered if that means it can be opened.

 

[Mrklaw]

Does it wake up the car?

 

[Cardo]

Does it wake up the car?

Only if you open the app or try the doors. My phone can connect to the car from inside my house, however I can’t unlock the car if I leave the phone in the house. It also doesn’t stop the car from going to sleep.

 

[MadScientist]

In my experience, once I get in doors and the phone is >5m from the car, it’s no longer active as a key.

Just to be in the safe side, I‘ve programmed Tasker to turn off bluetooth during the night.

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

Locking the car doesn't seem to be dependent on distance. We can be loitering by the car for a few seconds (about the time that it takes to get the charge plug and walk to the back of the car) and the car will have locked. Sometimes scares the life out of you if you are bending down beside the car.

Being in bluetooth range doesn't mean that the car can be unlocked at the car. You can check if car is in bluetooth range as some of the controls in the app are active, which allows you to unlock the car manually from the app. To be able to open the car in a keyless manner, ie by pressing the handles, you need to be much closer - I don't have a distance, but its quite close, to the point that for some people having a phone in their back pocket is enough for the car not to open.

When the phone comes within keyless range, the car does not react or wake so the car being ready to open is totally stealth. You need to physically open the car for it to wake, and sometimes even that takes time to trigger.

TBH, the only real way to know is to physically try different situations and phone/car placement. I did this on several occasions and confirmed that its not even remotely a problem for us.

 

[Irata]

Connected doesn't mean it's close enough to unlock, only that it's close enough to be connected. You do need to be pretty close for it to unlock.

However, if I leave my phone in my kitchen next to the window then I can go outside and open the car. So I don't leave my phone there anymore.

 

[Neilman]

I haven't programmed my phone as a 'key', so I don't have to worry about 'unintended proximity', but I do have a Tesla Fob and always keep my Fob in one of those Faraday boxes just to be sure.

I thought I read somewhere that the Fob has motion detection - left alone on a shelf it can't be interrogated as it 'goes to sleep'.
Picking it up also wakes it up and becomes usable again.
Or did I dream that one?

 

[MadScientist]

I did a quick test. If place my phone within 7 metres of the car (unobstructed by walls), I can unlock it.

 

[init6]

For the unlocking to work, my phone needs to be right by the car. Even trying to open a rear door when the car is locked sometimes fails. People who keep their phones in their back pockets will sometimes struggle to unlock the car.

If I were you, I would test it, once you’ve got the car. And if unsure, enable pin to drive.

That's me!

I'd always recommend PIN to drive. Just in case you leave your phone in the car.

I did a quick test. If place my phone within 7 metres of the car (unobstructed by walls), I can unlock it.

OP said he lived in a house, so not sure the point of this test?

 

[Jason71]

That's me!

I'd always recommend PIN to drive. Just in case you leave your phone in the car.


OP said he lived in a house, so not sure the point of this test?

you beat me to it I was going to say the same thing. I would ALWAYS enable pin to drive whether the phone is near enough to accidently unlock or not.

 

[Mrklaw]

I’d the car is always unlocked does that mean someone can drive away or they need to detect the phone inside? Don’t fancy pin to drive unless it’ll be insecure otherwise - but might activate for my wife’s profile

 

[init6]

I’d the car is always unlocked does that mean someone can drive away or they need to detect the phone inside? Don’t fancy pin to drive unless it’ll be insecure otherwise - but might activate for my wife’s profile

No. The phone or the key needs to be in the car to drive.

PIN to drive adds only a few seconds to your startup procedure and will stop anyone taking the car away - even if they have your key or your phone. Well worth it for the peace of mind IMHO.

 

[BushtrimmmerJr]

Not sure if anyone else does this but I fully close the app whenever I come home (swipe up on an iPhone and then up again). If the app isn’t running in the background it won’t open even if me and the phone are at the car door.
If I’m going out I generally turn the air-con on before leaving the house so the car then does unlock once I’m next to the door as the app is on.
Also, pin to drive is always on just in case.

 

[MadScientist]

That's me!

I'd always recommend PIN to drive. Just in case you leave your phone in the car.


OP said he lived in a house, so not sure the point of this test?

Because, it had been suggested above that you had to be very close to the car for a phone to unlock which is not my experience.

A further test showed the distance to be reduced to 4 metres behind my front door

 

[init6]

As noted above if I have my phone in my back pocket I can't open the car. I know I've put on weight during lockdown...

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

Because, it had been suggested above that you had to be very close to the car for a phone to unlock which is not my experience.

A further test showed the distance to be reduced to 4 metres behind my front door

Is this definitely unlocking the car with the handles and the phone 4m away and not being able to use the controls in the app to unlock?

 

[Dilly]

I’d the car is always unlocked does that mean someone can drive away or they need to detect the phone inside? Don’t fancy pin to drive unless it’ll be insecure otherwise - but might activate for my wife’s profile

I do a community paper round and have to enter pin to drive at each stop. It takes a few seconds. No problem at all

 

[MadScientist]

Is this definitely unlocking the car with the handles and the phone 4m away and not being able to use the controls in the app to unlock?

Yes, I can open the both the boot and driver‘s door. However, at that distance I can’t start the car.