How do you leave your key when doing activities?

[incrediwoah]

Hi TMC,

When I go surf or workout, it would be great to leave my key in the car and have access to unlocking the Tesla via my Apple Watch. Or even leaving the physical key at home and allowing my phone / Apple Watch to do the work.

Is there a way to do this? How do you secure your car when doing activities where you can't necessarily hold the key in your pocket?

 

[jorobsand]

I'm new to Tesla ownership so I may not be quoting this correctly. But my understanding is that the Tesla app can allow for not only unlocking the vehicle, but also being used to start the car without the key present.

There is the "key" button right under the vehicle that sets a countdown for 2 minutes or something like that in which the car can be started without the actual FOB. While this would allow you to leave the FOB at home while working out, there is the security risk it carries for those couple minutes.

 

[Johann Koeber]

This is all good, but make sure you have a good internet connection to the car.

Once I couldn’t access the car because it wasn’t online. Fortunately the keyfob was only 10 minutes away.

 

[scottm]

.. it's easy to drive into a underground garage and find yourself there with no bars of reception.... so the App is not going to help you unlock or drive the car when you return to it

This is why model 3 has a bluetooth link from phone to car. Model S does not.

 

[jorobsand]

Hadn't considered that, but good to know about making sure the car has reception to be able to use this feature.

 

[mattack4000]

There is a dead spot inside the trunk for you to do that, you can leave the car in there and your doors won't unlock and you can lock the car with your phone. (if you can lock your car with your phone, you can unlock it from the same spot....)

 

[Chaserr]

Where's this "dead spot?" I've just been using an altoids tin.

 

[mattack4000]

It's in the trunk, I believe on the left side. I will test when I get my car back.

 

[Graffi]

If you somewhere with locked lockers, use them for the key fob. If you are at the beach surfing, just put the key fob in a waterproof zip-lock bag or other storage bag. Then put it in the pocket of your clothing/wet-suit.

 

[gjunky]

There is a dead spot inside the trunk for you to do that, you can leave the car in there and your doors won't unlock and you can lock the car with your phone. (if you can lock your car with your phone, you can unlock it from the same spot....)

Careful if you have walk away car locking enabled. If you put your fob in the trunk and close it, the car might lock and you might lock your phone in there or have it out without cell reception (phone AND car!).

 

[mattack4000]

I believe the dead spot is on the LR of the car, just beneath the shelf

 

[DIL]

Jaguar and Land Rover introduced an "activity key" for exactly this. Not sure how well it works, but looks like a cool implementation

 

[GaryREM]

If you somewhere with locked lockers, use them for the key fob. If you are at the beach surfing, just put the key fob in a waterproof zip-lock bag or other storage bag. Then put it in the pocket of your clothing/wet-suit.

This.

Anything else is a workaround and depends on a complicated transmission path that may or may not work when you need it. It's not like the key is such a gigantic device.

 

[scottreds2k]

I believe if you leave the key in the console and make sure you and the car have internet access, exit the car and before you close the door, lock the doors from the console. Close the door. It should be and stay locked, ignoring the key in the console. I was given this sequence by a service center guy. He said this is how they leave vehicles for after hours pickup when you're using the app.