Car can't seem to differentiate key inside vs outside...

[patn]

So... twice now I've gotten in the Tesla and driven away without the key, presumably because the key in the house is close enough to the garage. The car did warn me eventually so I could go home and get it before I got too far.

I've never had this problem with my other car with key-less entry.

Does anyone know - Did Tesla build their own key system or buy an existing manufacturer's? This seems like pretty basic and important functionality... sensing the key inside vs outside to prevent things like accidental drive-away or locking the keys in the car. I know that they originally advertised key recognition for user preferences as well. I wonder if they are having general problems with the key system.

Hoping that this will get a fix someday.

 

[jerry33]

I believe they just ran out of development time so they did a quick and dirty with the intention to fix it later. I doubt that it's high on the priority list because there doesn't seem to be a lot of comments about the key.

A workaround is to put the fob in an RF bag or metal box so that the car won't open until you take it out. Also it shortens the life of the fob battery if it's close to the car.

No idea whether they used their own system or not. I suspect they bought the hardware and did the programming themselves but that's only a guess on my part.

I can't truthfully say that I've had a problem with Tesla's keyless entry system.

 

[NielsChr]

How is that posible ?, the keys should only work if closer than 1 meter to the car. If you leave the keys in house and the car will let yiu go, how close are the keys ?.
Mine will not let me drive unless one of the keys are pretty close.

 

[dave]

I drove off once without the key... Had it sitting on the ledge in the garage while I was rotating tires. I did not get a warning either, and had to get my wife to bring me the key several hours later.

i think they may have added the warning in a later firmware release.

 

[JerryNycom]

I actually have the opposite problem I get in with key in pocket and I get "key not inside car" error. I have to take it out of my pockets and hit the brake again and it works.

 

[jerry33]

I actually have the opposite problem I get in with key in pocket and I get "key not inside car" error. I have to take it out of my pockets and hit the brake again and it works.

That tends to happen depending upon what else you have in your pocket. A weak fob battery could also cause it.

 

[ausdma]

Does Tesla anywhere state the distance the car should detect or not detect the key fob? On my Infiniti it was explicitly stated in the documentation via a graphic.

 

[patn]

I've noticed that even if my key is out of range, when my body is between the key and the car it seems to detect it... So sometimes I'll walk out to the garage and approach the car and it wakes up even though the key is not in my pocket