Key Fob To The Rescue?

[greenberger]

I can add a +1 to people for whom the phone option doesn't work. Like, ever. Only after I turn bluetooth off / on, or sometimes airplane mode, will the phone realize the car is 1 foot away and connect. I'm no tech dummy- it's not user error, it's a poorly-designed (or poorly tested) app. Yes, I'm on Android. So?

I don't know that I want a FOB. I'm good with the credit card / phone = key plan, I just want it to work. The FOB makes me think Tesla can't make it work, and so here's another option. Which should be free, since it's basically a replacement for your car key that never worked.

 

[TT97]

OK, so I have an iPhone X and in 5 months of ownership, I have had an issue opening the car less than half a dozen times (and it has always been that the car was deep asleep but as soon as I saw the screen turn on, I could open the door). I have yet to use the key card except for times I didn't have my phone.

Having said that - I want a fob as well with the caveat that they continue to support the key card. While I wouldn't use the fob myself, it would be nice to have if lending the car to someone or at the car wash (I plan on still using the card key with valet because I like watching them squirm). Using the card key is not the same experience and when I lend my car to someone, I want them to have the full experience (and maybe get a referral out of it).

I don't know what the percentage of people having issues but it doesn't matter if it is 50% or 10%. The primary method needs to work 100% of the time. As of now, Tesla is still being purchased heavily by early adopters and "techy" people (it's hard to be in Silicon Valley for one day without getting run over by a Tesla), these people are used to have technology with some glitches and learn to live with them (while griping about them on forums ). But if Tesla truly wants to sell to the mass market (and continue selling 20k+ per month well in to the future), they need to have a car that just works.

 

[JST]

+1 on something just working 100 percent of the time. For something like a car key, the proper tech paradigm is the old, pre-breakup phone system: 5 nines reliability.

Even if it works 95 percent of the time, that’s not good enough. How many single incidents of standing outside the car not being able to get it to open do you get before a customer loses faith in the tech? For a none tech person, I’m going to go with 2.

 

[diamond.g]

Like walk up unlock, it is possible Tesla will remove the option for a key card or phone BT unlock. V9 didn’t add phone BT unlock to the S or X which would have potentially cemented that feature. It would be easier for Tesla to remove that feature for everyone once the fobs are in circulation than support three/four different ways to open the car.

 

[SalisburySam]

Lots of great discussion here, but mostly on why a fob may/may not be needed. Given the thread title: “Key fob to the rescue?” has anyone seen anything at all from Tesla on the subject? I think this all started with a 3rd-party source, but not a thing seen from the manufacturer as yet. True?

 

[diamond.g]

Lots of great discussion here, but mostly on why a fob may/may not be needed. Given the thread title: “Key fob to the rescue?” has anyone seen anything at all from Tesla on the subject? I think this all started with a 3rd-party source, but not a thing seen from the manufacturer as yet. True?

My areas Mobile Tech said a few weeks ago that they were sending them out to employees for testing. Take with grain of salt?

 

[RTPEV]

Like walk up unlock, it is possible Tesla will remove the option for a key card or phone BT unlock. V9 didn’t add phone BT unlock to the S or X which would have potentially cemented that feature. It would be easier for Tesla to remove that feature for everyone once the fobs are in circulation than support three/four different ways to open the car.

I'm not sure I follow.

First, I can't imagine that Tesla would remove the option. In fact they are actually ADDING that capability to at least Model X that already uses BT for entry.

But I also don't understand why it would be easier for Tesla to remove that feature for everyone. Basically they wouldn't be removing anything. The key fob would basically be a miniature BT phone. And given that there would have to be some overlap between phones and fobs anyway, I think it would be easier for them to just leave the phone access alone.

 

[RTPEV]

Lots of great discussion here, but mostly on why a fob may/may not be needed. Given the thread title: “Key fob to the rescue?” has anyone seen anything at all from Tesla on the subject? I think this all started with a 3rd-party source, but not a thing seen from the manufacturer as yet. True?

Yes, news reports, FCC applications, and even pictures:

Tesla is working on a new key fob – potentially for keyless Model 3

Tesla Model 3 Key Fob Free To Current Owners, Included For New

 

[diamond.g]

I'm not sure I follow.

First, I can't imagine that Tesla would remove the option. In fact they are actually ADDING that capability to at least Model X that already uses BT for entry.

But I also don't understand why it would be easier for Tesla to remove that feature for everyone. Basically they wouldn't be removing anything. The key fob would basically be a miniature BT phone. And given that there would have to be some overlap between phones and fobs anyway, I think it would be easier for them to just leave the phone access alone.

They removed walk up unlock. Even though it would have been easier to just make it not the default. Due to user complaints. No reason for them to support phone key or key card since fob will work for everyone. I hope it stays but Tesla has taken away a perfectly good feature due to complaints before.

 

[sleepnclass]

Anyone hear anything new regarding the fob?

 

[tbonmd]

My iPhone X worked perfectly for the first two weeks I had the car, while I was on v32.3 - then when I updated to v36.2, it stopped working. Now it generally only works if I take my phone out of my pocket and wake the phone up (I don't necessarily have to unlock the phone, just activate the screen, which is odd). Hopefully v9 will get it back to where it was when it was working, but who knows.

 

[Knightshade]

FWIW I got the car delivered with 36.2 and it's worked flawlessly with my iphone X- though it's only been a week

 

[blecchus_rex]

My iPhone X worked perfectly for the first two weeks I had the car, while I was on v32.3 - then when I updated to v36.2, it stopped working. Now it generally only works if I take my phone out of my pocket and wake the phone up (I don't necessarily have to unlock the phone, just activate the screen, which is odd). Hopefully v9 will get it back to where it was when it was working, but who knows.

More or less the identical experience here (save for I've always been on 36.2 and it worked for ~2 weeks and now requires me to wake the phone's screen).

 

[sleepnclass]

Bump

 

[Deal]

Bump

I truly hope that the fob will be released shortly. My wife NEEDS to have a fob, so I wait, cash in hand if need be.....

 

[blackeducator]

Had to delete and reinstall my Tesla App for my iPhone X after I got the V9 update. Before I reinstalled the app, I could not summons the car out of the garage because it was first closing the garage door! Also, I had to use the key card to start the car. And the car was not auto locking.

Hence, the reinstallation of the app attempt. That worked.

I think what happened was that there were two separate major upgrades that happened around the same time that were not automatically synching: my iPhone upgrade to V12 and Tesla's V9 upgrade.

 

[sleepnclass]

So far the phone key works *okay*. I'm really glad my model x has a fob because phone key is amazing when it works but can be inconsistent .

As long as I don't force close the app it seems to be okay but even with the app running in the background sometimes I have issues .

 

[sleepnclass]

Tesla starts rolling out Model 3 key fob to lucky few owners

It's happening!

 

[Knightshade]

The other big news there is letting you manage your own key cards/fobs.

Up to now you need tesla service to add or remove anything but phones as keys on the model 3. (and the last Ranger who came out couldn't figure out howto remove a card even then)

 

[Pinot.Noir]

We have to buy the key fob? They are fixing a known issue with their product, and charging for the fix? I call BS!