Fob missing somewhere inside Model X - any guesses?

[MikeC]

Ladies and gentlemen, the mystery has been solved. We did one final search today and my wife found it in the little latch compartment part of the trunk (see pics below).

I have no idea how it ended up there, but I must have left the key on top of the little trap door and then loaded something on top that pushed it down and dropped it into the compartment.

Thanks to everyone who pitched in with ideas and the jokes, too.

 

[Akikiki]

Wow. That's wonderful ! I'm quite impressed that you folks finally found it. That was a really good hiding place. (Darn, I guess that means I didn't win your X in the pool.) This has been fun and sleepless. I've not been able to sleep since you lost it. Three weeks, no sleep. With all the anxiety behind us, maybe now I can doze offfff, zzzzzz,,z, ZZZZZZZZz,,
...............zzzzzzzzz .,,,, (snore) ,,,zzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[aesculus]

I don't think anyone would have ever guessed this place. Miracle you found it. Now you (and everyone else) can sleep again.

May I suggest one of the bright colored key fob covers?

 

[NikeWings]

Our CIDs should have a FOB tracker. The car is already sensing it's location, just map it.
Glad you found it!!!!

 

[BerTX]

Hurrah! Obviously, as a Model S owner, I would never have guessed that spot, since I didn't know it existed.

 

[FarmerDave]

A good spot for hiding other things you might not want to be found by other people...

 

[ecarfan]

Hurrah! Obviously, as a Model S owner, I would never have guessed that spot, since I didn't know it existed.

I also did not realize that the X trunk latch receiver worked that way, never noticed!

Glad the mystery has been solved.

 

[Redmiata98]

Mike, sorry you were not able to lock your X from the app with the other key in the car. It works oir me. Maybe you are not on the latest version or it works differently on non-Iphone?
My Iphone app version is 2.7.8.

 

[MikeC]

Mike, sorry you were not able to lock your X from the app with the other key in the car. It works oir me. Maybe you are not on the latest version or it works differently on non-Iphone?
My Iphone app version is 2.7.8.

It will appear to be locked on the app, but if anyone presses a door handle on the car, it will unlock again.

 

[ModelX]

Mike, might I suggest one of the glow in the dark fob covers from abstract ocean.

 

[Redmiata98]

Mike, thanks. I would not have known that if you had not told me. Guess I need to follow up with a note to Tesla asking them to correct this or explain why it is this way. I was falsely feeling secure when my car was not. (Just sent the note and will update with reply.)

 

[vandacca]

@MikeC, I think you're now qualified to write a big post on "Key-fob Hiding Spots in the Model-X". It might help others.

 

[AudubonB]

That was my guess! I was gonna guess that! Tomorrow!

 

[AudubonB]

Serious: Now that you know where it is, could you re-insert it and then determine if your FLIR can scan that successfully?

I also think you should consider deleting your pix and location comments, and PM those who are trusted forum members but hadn't read this of the answer, for security reasons. It really is a great hidey-hole.

 

[Scmbug]

So glad you found it!!! I would have never guessed in there!

 

[MikeC]

Serious: Now that you know where it is, could you re-insert it and then determine if your FLIR can scan that successfully?

Good idea.

So it looks like it would have helped, with the caveat that it's not quite as easy to see when you're actually searching as these pictures make it appear.

No fob:

Fob:

Even more interesting is when I initially used it on my Model S fob, I didn't see much signal so I thought I was doing something wrong. But side-by-side, there is a huge difference between my 2013 S and 2016 X. The S recently had annual service and presumably has a fresh battery, so it must be the underlying technology making the difference.

X fob on left, S fob on right.

 

[Redmiata98]

Mike, I just got off the phone with Mark @tesla tech and we discussed this anomaly. Bottom line is that the app will show locked if you either "lock" it from the app or from the second fob when the first fob is in the car. Either way of "locking" it does NOT actually lock it because the car senses the first fob inside the car and then ANYONE can open the car door by pressing on the handle as you noted above. The app showing that the car is "locked" (and therefore the driver would think that the car is locked and secure) is misleading.
He said that it was designed this way so you could not lock yourself out of the car and that the app showing it "locked" was an anomaly that probably needed to be addressed in the owner's guide with a sentence or two. He is kicking it to his supervisor for action with the recommendation that a sentence or two be included in the owner's guide. (He did not think any changes would be made to the app.) Another entry for the Model X Quirkbook!
Thanks again for highlighting this because I would not have known about it if you had not said something!

 

[gearchruncher]

Glad you found it!

There is something funny about those FLIR images. There's no way FLIR can see through metal, or most opaque plastics.

It's also a bit weird to think FLIR can find a key fob at all. The battery in a FOB is a CR2032. This has about .7 Wh of capacity. Let's say it lasts 3 years.

If it was always heating the key, that would be 25 millionths of a watt (25 micro watts). This is going to heat up a key with 4 square inches of surface area approximately zero.

If you see a key on FLIR, it's either due to the fact that it was heated by something else (being in your hand or pocket), or because it's a glossy plastic that can actually reflect other heat sources. That's where those hot spots are coming from in your pictures, they are reflections of other things around that are warm.

But, just to prove it to myself, I have my key on my desk and will leave it for a few hours (it will take that long to cool off) and hit it with my FLIR here. Be right back...

 

[MikeC]

Glad you found it!

There is something funny about those FLIR images. There's no way FLIR can see through metal, or most opaque plastics.

It's also a bit weird to think FLIR can find a key fob at all. The battery in a FOB is a CR2032. This has about .7 Wh of capacity. Let's say it lasts 3 years.

If it was always heating the key, that would be 25 millionths of a watt (25 micro watts). This is going to heat up a key with 4 square inches of surface area approximately zero.

If you see a key on FLIR, it's either due to the fact that it was heated by something else (being in your hand or pocket), or because it's a glossy plastic that can actually reflect other heat sources. That's where those hot spots are coming from in your pictures, they are reflections of other things around that are warm.

But, just to prove it to myself, I have my key on my desk and will leave it for a few hours (it will take that long to cool off) and hit it with my FLIR here. Be right back...

Ok, this makes sense. I went back and the X fob doesn't show up well anymore - it was in my pocket before the X vs. S picture and the S fob had been sitting there untouched.

I think the reason the key showed up in the latch compartment is because it was in my pocket immediate prior and there's an air gap in the trapdoor cover around the latch that the signal can come through.

So I guess Flir might only be helpful for a recently lost key that still has some residual heat on it.

 

[Ormond]

I put me keys in silicone key fob pockets. I've got my main key wrapped in white. I didn't want to search for a black key on black carpets.