I was referring to new car purchased going forward. I'm sure people that already own their cars will have to purchase them. But it sounds like, once they're available, they will be included as one of the key options with all new cars. When that starts? Is anyone's guess.
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Anyone else getting Fobs with late number VIN?
- Thread starter Mod3forMe
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I was referring to new car purchased going forward. I'm sure people that already own their cars will have to purchase them. But it sounds like, once they're available, they will be included as one of the key options with all new cars. When that starts? Is anyone's guess.
fluxemag
Member
The whole door handle, phone key, key card situation is laughable. How do you screw up door handles and entry/exit functionality on a car? Every single time I take someone new in my car I have to explain how to use the door handles, both inside and out, and they still have a low success rate.
"Push with you thumb and pull with your fingers like a claw."
"Just push the button."
"You really have to slam it."
"Push the button and then slam the door."
"The window is supposed to go down a little."
"Use this card and place it on the B pillar right below the camera, then you can get to the trunk."
"No, you have to use the app or the screen to open the frunk."
"Hold on I'm waiting for the app to wake the car up, sorry it's raining on us."
"I don't know why it's not unlocking, let me get the card out."
"I have to open the door before it lets me unplug."
"Push with you thumb and pull with your fingers like a claw."
"Just push the button."
"You really have to slam it."
"Push the button and then slam the door."
"The window is supposed to go down a little."
"Use this card and place it on the B pillar right below the camera, then you can get to the trunk."
"No, you have to use the app or the screen to open the frunk."
"Hold on I'm waiting for the app to wake the car up, sorry it's raining on us."
"I don't know why it's not unlocking, let me get the card out."
"I have to open the door before it lets me unplug."
Me.
My phone has *never* worked unless I put it into airplane mode and back out while within Bluetooth range of the car.
The phone key will stay connected while I'm driving, and the walk-away lock works great. But as soon as it locks that car, the phone key disconnects and won't connect again unless I do the airplane mode dance again.
Frustrating as heck!
It's an Android phone, and there are many Android variants - it's pretty clear that Tesla is doing things in a way that works on some phones most of the time, but in my case - it's broken.
My wife's phone: same story - different brand, but also Android.
Sandiegodoug
Active Member
My i phone works every time. I just got an update and it stated that car will connect to a
Key fob, which are available for purchase.
Wonder what those cost?
Key fob, which are available for purchase.
Wonder what those cost?
So many people have this problem, both Android and iPhone, that Tesla is coming out with a key fob. Something they specifically tried to avoid doing when designing this car. You can just do a search on this site, but the fact that they're coming out with a key fob should tell you what a miserable failure the phone as key thing is. I love the concept. I'd love not to have a key fob. But the execution has been crap.
It's not just the key fob. I'd say a good 20% of the time when I get into the car in the morning, it doesn't wake up. Screen is just black. However, I just push the lever up into R and back out of my driveway. The only problem is, the stupid remote for the garage is screen based so I then have to sit there for a minute or two until the screen turns on before I can close my garage. It's not as much of an issue when I'm outside somewhere. I'm old enough where I learned on cars without backup cameras and all this fancy tech. I use my eyeballs and rearview mirror when backing up. I can get 1/4 of a mile down the road usually before the screen finally wakes up. Since I can drive, even with the screen not on, I just live with it. Especially as it's intermittent and only happens if the car has been in deep sleep.
I feel you on this one!! M work around.....I velcroed my garage remote to the back of my screen, right in the middle. Hidden out of sight, but I can just reach under the screen, press the button and viola!. My reason was more because auto open/close is so hit and miss and I hate having to fumble through the screen to bring it up to close the door when I leave. Or when it inadvertently works when it's not supposed to. Just a nice backup to have that's always one touch away and hidden out of sight.
Come to think of it, would be nice if they used the lower back of the screen to sneak in a few buttons for the glove box, garage door, etc...
Opening the glove box is a pain in the rear when you're just going in the car to get something out of the box. Have to wait for the car to wake up, then hit the menu and the glove box button. Pain in the rear for something that should be so simple.
Have the same issues with the phone key too. The key card as your only key is simply ridiculous.
You are very lucky.
There are numerous multiple page threads here documenting the very common issues people have with cell phone connectivity to the car.
My personal phone, an S8, has about an 80% success rate. The other 20% of the time, I have to dig the phone out of my purse and mess with the app to get the phone recognized by the car. My husband doesn't even bother with his iPhone X and just uses the key card exclusively since that always works.
wbhokie
Member
Well I for one don't use the phone-as-key because if I want to lock my phone in my car, I can't unless I want to put it into a radio proof bag or something each time. As for the keycard, although convenient in a wallet, is annoying with things like the trunk. I'd prefer a fob personally.
RayK
Active Member
I thought that they were $5 each! No matter... $40 for two more ways to drive the car is certainly better than the $100+ for ONE Nissan or BMW fob.
#1) because the phone doesn't work reliably for everyone.
#2) because I don't want to carry a phone every time I leave the house (guess I'm not a "forward thinker")
#3) because my running clothes don't have pockets large enough for a phone, sometimes not even large enough for the key card, but they all have a pocket that a fob fits in.
#4) I want to open the frunk without fishing out my phone, opening the app, and waiting for it to connect to the car.
#5) When I'm not carrying my phone, I want to be able to unlock the car without having to hold a key card up to the car
Can we put this to rest? I am so tired of people saying no-one needs the fob, because, for them, the phone works perfectly.
fluxemag
Member
Garlan Garner
Banned
Garlan Garner
Banned
Garlan Garner
Banned
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smatthew
Active Member
Co-Worker of mine has MDL3 and more often than not when we go out to swap parking to charge he has to pull out his phone and unlock via the app. We have noticed that if he is connected to our WIFI when he approaches the car it will not unlock but when on LTE or 3G no issues arise. Seems weird as the car uses Bluetooth to communicate with the phone but that is what we have noticed.
Do you have stats from somewhere that says everyone carries a cell phone with them every time they leave the house? Or that everyone has a phone glued to them 24/7? Despite a large majority of people being addicted to their phones, not everyone likes carrying around a bulky phone with them every step of their day.
Key fobs are much smaller and mostly go unnoticed in your pocket. Most of today's smart phones are bulky and uncomfortable to sit with in your pocket. Most people just want simplicity and user friendliness. With so many complaints about the current key phone and key card set up with the Model 3, it's quite obvious that just those two options don't work flawlessly as they should, for everyone. Entering and exiting your car should be one of the easiest things you do, so easy that you never even give it a second thought. That's not the case with the Model 3 for a lot of people, clearly. The key fob option is GREAT for those that don't like the other two options. The best thing about it, for those that argue till their blue in the face that the key card or phone key is the best thing since sliced bread and they don't need no stinking key fob......they don't have to get one!! Just Genius!! Lookie there, Tesla offers multiple "OPTIONS" and more people are happy! Since when is that a bad thing??
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