Homelink: backing into the garage, driving forward out of the garage

[hulk2k17]

As the title suggests, this is typically how I park at home. I have homelink set to auto open @ 70 feet and it works when it wants to. Closer distances seem to never work. Auto close has never worked and manually pressing the icon works when it wants to. Currently neither seem to be working. I'm on v9.

Instead I tried setting the open distance to 10 feet and drive into the garage and back out of it and auto open and close work perfectly (sample size: 1.5 days). I called Tesla support, explained this observation, and they confirmed my theory that homelink on their cars was designed for this type of parking. Mainly because the transmitter is in the front bumper.

That being said, are there owners out there that prefer to back into their garage and use homelink? If so what has your user experience been with it? Any tips/tricks to make it more reliable?

Thanks

 

[PhatCat]

My situation is similar to yours. I prefer to back in for easier access to charging. When coming down the drive it opens the door fine from quite a distance. When pulling out, the close almost never works. I have a three car garage with the Tesla S in the middle, so when i pull out i make a tight loop and close it manually. This usually takes several attempts, even though i am closer than when the preset fires. Go figure.

Mine also works reliably when pulling head-in.

Yeah, I know, first world problems.

 

[Tam]

...prefer to back into their garage and use homelink...

I've done that (back in garage, head out of garage) for years and continued to do that when Tesla started to grant that feature to my former classic 2012 Model S, then now Model X with default settings.

It has failed rarely when I head out of the garage so I always have my rearview mirror on the top half of the 17" screen ready and intervene as needed.

The success rate is closer to 100%. It could be because my garage opener got good signals because it is relatively new.

 

[SpudLime]

I back in also. I’ve worked a habit of doing a sweeping curve aiming at the garage for it to open and then continue the arc so I can reverse up the driveway. Works every time.

Pulling out it’s hit or miss like you said. I’ve had the best luck pulling out slowly to then stop when I hear the bing sound. Ymmv

 

[.jg.]

I back up a narrow lane to my garage, which avoids the problem of backing out onto to a busy road.

As the car won't trigger Homelink to open the garage whilst in Reverse, I flick the gear selector from Reverse to Drive as I arrive at the garage. I have found that open and close work best if the garage location is set when the car is just in front the garage, as opposed to inside it.

As the Homelink sender is in the nose of the Tesla, the signal is sometimes too weak for the Homelink receiver in the garage. I plan to try a different antenna with the Homelink receiver and to move it closer to the garage door.

 

[ewoodrick]

As the title suggests, this is typically how I park at home. I have homelink set to auto open @ 70 feet and it works when it wants to. Closer distances seem to never work. Auto close has never worked and manually pressing the icon works when it wants to. Currently neither seem to be working. I'm on v9.

Instead I tried setting the open distance to 10 feet and drive into the garage and back out of it and auto open and close work perfectly (sample size: 1.5 days). I called Tesla support, explained this observation, and they confirmed my theory that homelink on their cars was designed for this type of parking. Mainly because the transmitter is in the front bumper.

That being said, are there owners out there that prefer to back into their garage and use homelink? If so what has your user experience been with it? Any tips/tricks to make it more reliable?

Thanks

My question is when you say work, do you mean that it sends the signal and the open/close command fails, or does it never send the signal? That's big difference in what to troubleshoot.

If it is sending the signal, then that would be an indication that it is not being heard. What about the standard garage door control. Does it work at the different locations? It is very possible that the antenna on the garage door opener isn't there, or is coiled up and hidden so that it doesn't work.

If it isn't sending the signal, then that's a positional/GPS thing.

 

[hulk2k17]

The UI chimes and I see the transmit indicator appear. So my guess is that it's a transmitter power/receiver antenna strength issue.

Pulling into the garage and having out with auto open and close has consistently worked the past 2 days that I've tried it.

 

[Akikiki]

I back up a narrow lane to my garage, which avoids the problem of backing out onto to a busy road.

As the car won't trigger Homelink to open the garage whilst in Reverse, I flick the gear selector from Reverse to Drive as I arrive at the garage. I have found that open and close work best if the garage location is set when the car is just in front the garage, as opposed to inside it.

As the Homelink sender is in the nose of the Tesla, the signal is sometimes too weak for the Homelink receiver in the garage. I plan to try a different antenna with the Homelink receiver and to move it closer to the garage door.

If you are thinking you have a weak signal problem, maybe this will help. I am thinking of getting it since its relatively cheap. $25.00
HomeLink Compatibility Bridge Kit

 

[Frieda’s Boss]

Is the Homelink transmitter inside the Model 3 directional?

I have the same problem because I back into the garage where my wall connector is.

When I am approaching the garage, it automatically opens 100% of the time with 70ft setting and I think it’s because I drive toward the garage, then past it, then reverse in.

However, when I pull forward out of the garage, it automatically closes ZERO % of the time. The icon is definitely showing the green transmitting waves, but no response from the garage door opener.

I just looked at the Homelink Bridge, but the description is very sparse

For now, I just keep the ‘clicker’ in the center console so I can shut the garage when I leave

 

[Akikiki]

I follow the same path you do for arriving and leaving. My works 98% of the time. Once in a while I need to cancel the closing, so I press the white cancel button. When I do this, I interrupt the cycle. So because its been interrupt, its a trick to get it to begin again (auto-close).
I've tried various things, but two seem to work. (1) I need to start fresh and right in side my garage perform the reset location. I know, I know, it should already know from last time. I don't know why, sometimes this helps. (2) In settings, turn Auto-close off for a couple of days. Then once, before you put the car in gear, turn Auto-Close back on. Be sure to save these changes to your driver profile each time, so the car knows a change has occurred.

For me, most of the time, #2 works best and most often.

 

[hulk2k17]

Is the Homelink transmitter inside the Model 3 directional?

I have the same problem because I back into the garage where my wall connector is.

When I am approaching the garage, it automatically opens 100% of the time with 70ft setting and I think it’s because I drive toward the garage, then past it, then reverse in.

However, when I pull forward out of the garage, it automatically closes ZERO % of the time. The icon is definitely showing the green transmitting waves, but no response from the garage door opener.

I just looked at the Homelink Bridge, but the description is very sparse

For now, I just keep the ‘clicker’ in the center console so I can shut the garage when I leave

This is exactly what happens to me / what I do. Auto open at 70 feet seems to work best for me as well.