Connectivity when driving in Mexico

[Saguarojoe]

Well, yes and no. GPS itself doesn’t use cellular. It’s picking up signals from a constellation of satellites to determine your location. That should work almost anywhere on Earth, except underground. But the maps come over cellular, so giving you a meaningful display of your GPS-determined location does need cellular service.

We live in Arizona and there are plenty of places where there is no cell service. My M3 GPS does not function in those areas. I can use the GPS satellite signals on my iPhone but not the car.

 

[Saguarojoe]

Well, yes and no. GPS itself doesn’t use cellular. It’s picking up signals from a constellation of satellites to determine your location. That should work almost anywhere on Earth, except underground. But the maps come over cellular, so giving you a meaningful display of your GPS-determined location does need cellular service.

Well, yes and no. GPS itself doesn’t use cellular. It’s picking up signals from a constellation of satellites to determine your location. That should work almost anywhere on Earth, except underground. But the maps come over cellular, so giving you a meaningful display of your GPS-determined location does need cellular service.

Thanks for the GPS clarification. I was thinking that the maps were tied to the signal.

 

[Saguarojoe]

AAA also sells Mexican policies

Right and every border town on this side has places that sell Mexican insurance. I think the prices are pretty standard. You can buy short term for a weekend for example or 6 months or I'm pretty sure a year.

 

[CharleyBC]

Thanks for the GPS clarification. I was thinking that the maps were tied to the signal.

We've driven places where there is no cell service, and so the maps become nothing but a sheet of graph paper. But if you are navigating a route, then it has already plotted it out, so you have a blue path curving its way across the graph paper, with the little red arrow moving happily along to track your progress. So the GPS is working. And it's able to continue counting down the time and miles to the next step in your journey. You just have no maps to see where you are!

 

[Bighorn]

I found insurance online that was underwritten by Chubb for a bit over $40/day. They weren’t sure that I’d get approved for a brand new Performance 3.

 

[Saguarojoe]

We've driven places where there is no cell service, and so the maps become nothing but a sheet of graph paper. But if you are navigating a route, then it has already plotted it out, so you have a blue path curving its way across the graph paper, with the little red arrow moving happily along to track your progress. So the GPS is working. And it's able to continue counting down the time and miles to the next step in your journey. You just have no maps to see where you are!

In Arizona there are probably many more square miles without cell service than with. I have just forgotten about the blue line. At least with the blue line you can follow the "bread crumbs". I can also switch my iPhone over to Sat coverage.

 

[CharleyBC]

I can also switch my iPhone over to Sat coverage.

I didn't know that was a thing!

 

[Don TLR]

BajaBound.com is what I use for regular travel to Baja.. I haven't taken a Tesla down as we're typically going off road and camping on beaches.

 

[Saguarojoe]

I found insurance online that was underwritten by Chubb for a bit over $40/day. They weren’t sure that I’d get approved for a brand new Performance 3.

I'm familiar with Chubb as an American company but unless they are Incorporated as a Mexican insurance company you are not covered for liability in Mexico. They may pay you for a injury you sustain for example but by Mexican law they can not cover you for third party liability for Mexicans. If you are involved in an accident and can not prove Mexican coverage you will be immediately taken to jail and will not be released until the liability claim is paid in cash. The claim can not be successfully disputed. The Mexicans hold all the cards.

 

[Saguarojoe]

I didn't know that was a thing!

Sure. There are navigation apps that you can restrict to the satellite signal. Apple has had satellite GPS I believe since the iPhone 3. Why they don't push it I have no idea.

 

[CharleyBC]

Sure. There are navigation apps that you can restrict to the satellite signal. Apple has had satellite GPS I believe since the iPhone 3. Why they don't push it I have no idea.

Oh! Sat GPS I knew. I thought earlier you meant satellite for phone service. My mistake.

 

[Bighorn]

I'm familiar with Chubb as an American company but unless they are Incorporated as a Mexican insurance company you are not covered for liability in Mexico. They may pay you for a injury you sustain for example but by Mexican law they can not cover you for third party liability for Mexicans. If you are involved in an accident and can not prove Mexican coverage you will be immediately taken to jail and will not be released until the liability claim is paid in cash. The claim can not be successfully disputed. The Mexicans hold all the cards.

It was sold by a CA firm that exclusively insures Americans driving in Mexico. It wasn’t this company, but Chubb is in Mexico:
CHUBB Platinum Mexican Car Insurance - Broadest Mexican Auto Insurance Coverage

Add: found the email-
Chubb Platinum Assist

 

[MapGuy]

Hello everybody, long time lurker. I’m moving to Hermosillo, Mexico, and would like to bring a US spec model 3 or Y with me. I prefer not to buy one in Mexico (I don’t have to pay any tax or duties so that’s not an issue). Will the connectivity still work? If not, will everything work like normal if I use my phone as a hotspot?

It also seems that I would need to return to the USA for warranty work. That isn’t much of an issue because I’ll be close to the border, assuming the car is drivable when the issue comes up. Has anybody had any success having Tesla work on a car in warranty while in Mexico?

Hi there, Just checking in to see if you can update this thread with any recent experiences. I took my Model 3 down to Mexico last winter and had zero connectivity from a point about two hours south of Phoenix. Spent five months in Mexico and unable to connect the entire time. Any info you can share would be much appreciated !!

 

[DipStick]

Hi there, Just checking in to see if you can update this thread with any recent experiences. I took my Model 3 down to Mexico last winter and had zero connectivity from a point about two hours south of Phoenix. Spent five months in Mexico and unable to connect the entire time. Any info you can share would be much appreciated !!

Bad news for me! I bought the car but won't be in mexico for a while. Hopefully it works.

 

[Bighorn]

Hi there, Just checking in to see if you can update this thread with any recent experiences. I took my Model 3 down to Mexico last winter and had zero connectivity from a point about two hours south of Phoenix. Spent five months in Mexico and unable to connect the entire time. Any info you can share would be much appreciated !!

It might be a Canadian thing. My 2018 Model 3 gets connectivity in Mexico and Canada. My 2013 Model S loses connectivity in Canada, and presumably Mexico, as soon as I cross the border.

 

[MapGuy]

Bad news for me! I bought the car but won't be in mexico for a while. Hopefully it works.

Fingers crossed for ya!! Hope it works the same for you as it has for Bighorn. Cheers!

 

[MapGuy]

It might be a Canadian thing. My 2018 Model 3 gets connectivity in Mexico and Canada. My 2013 Model S loses connectivity in Canada, and presumably Mexico, as soon as I cross the border.

Thanks, I wondered if it might be a Canadian thing. Will update if I learn anything from the local service centre. Cheers!

 

[VT_EE]

We live in Arizona and there are plenty of places where there is no cell service. My M3 GPS does not function in those areas. I can use the GPS satellite signals on my iPhone but not the car.

This is odd and sounds like a crappy design. The M3 has maps loaded locally on the MCU. You shouldn't need cellular to access them. GPS works anywhere. I'm not sure shy Tesla's Nav doesn't work in cellular dead zones.

 

[chdavis]

It was sold by a CA firm that exclusively insures Americans driving in Mexico. It wasn’t this company, but Chubb is in Mexico:
CHUBB Platinum Mexican Car Insurance - Broadest Mexican Auto Insurance Coverage

Add: found the email-
Chubb Platinum Assist

This policy is underwritten by Chubb's Mexican subsidiary, Chubb Seguros México, S.A., so you both are actually in agreement.

 

[electricar]

Thanks for the heads up.

My Model 3 had connectivity in Mexico where there was a signal. My early Model S presumably would not as it does not in Canada. I count 3 service centers in Mexico, so returning to the US for service work is not a forgone conclusion, though South Tucson is much closer. Under Tesla roadside assistance you have a 500 mile tow radius for warranty items and 50 miles for tire repair(4 yr/50k miles). Longer for battery and drive units.

Getting warranty and service work in Tucson would be problematic right now due the reductions in staffing and additional protocols at the border. The current wait to drive through can be many hours. I know BMW owners from Sonora who used to bring their new cars up here to pay for work that would be warranty in Hermosillo because the quality of work at the dealer in Hermosillo was laughable. I expect that they have no choice but to have their cars serviced there now that the border is closed to non-essential travel.

I would not bank on US service crossing the border. Very unlikely in my opinion. I felt very vulnerable traveling in those areas where you are not allowed. I did have a 4 day Mexican insurance policy through Chubb, so I think I had a $1000 towing benefit, but that doesn’t help much if you’re in a dead zone and a non-Spanish speaker or the tow is several hundred miles. I quickly pass out of Tesla roadside coverage since I’m driving 80k+ miles a year, so I get a rider for towing coverage through my State Farm policy. I think it’s about $5-10/year. I’d suggest finding coverage that would include towing across the border.

I agree that US service crossing the border is very unlikely. Does anyone here have any experience with towing a car across the border at the moment?