Locked out with dog in the car

[hingus2000]

Just had a slightly concerning situation with my M3.

Charging on a public chargepoint while waiting for my wife, I ended the charge and as I have done hundreds of times, left my phone in the car, disconnected the charge cable and put the charge cable in the frunk.

The car always seems to lock when I walk round to the frunk, but I never have an issue getting back in. This time, I go to open the drivers door and its locked. Sentry warning flashes up on screen. I'm locked out, and our dog is locked in.

Then the alarm starts going off (either because the dog moved or because I'm trying all the handles) and the full blast music starts playing.

I'm genuinely considering how I'm going to smash a window, but thankfully an amenable passerby lets me use his phone, download the Tesla app, log-in and unlock the car.

Sure enough, once back in the car, it isn't recognising my iPhone as a key. The only difference this time I can think of is that the phone had been in hotspot mode as I was using my laptop in the car.

Not sure if there's a moral to the story, other than denting my trust in the phone key. Hopefully the dog hasn't sustained any long term hearing damage! It has made me wonder whether, given the relative likelihood of dogs and small children being accidentally locked in the car in the event of a phone key failure (perhaps more likely than a genuine alarm situation?), whether the full blast music is potentially more harmful than good.

 

[outdoors]

Sure there is a moral to the story. Don't leave phone in car and assume it will be open. I can't imagine leaving my keys in my car pre Tesla with dog. Could easily step on lock button. Same thing hear applies, but a bit different.

 

[browellm]

Sure there is a moral to the story. Don't leave phone in car and assume it will be open. I can't imagine leaving my keys in my car pre Tesla with dog. Could easily step on lock button. Same thing hear applies, but a bit different.

Haha, I will never fail to be amused by these "You're holding it wrong" type condescending responses.

To the OP: Must have been a real shock. Glad the pooch is OK.

 

[Mr_Dave]

This has always been one of my fears. I therefore always keep a key card in my wallet just for this kind of eventuality. The only issue with that is on long journeys, I have the habit of taking my wallet out of my back pocket, as it makes my bum numb, and putting it in the door bin and have on at least one occasion gone walkabout without it.
I guess no system is perfect…

 

[outdoors]

Haha, I will never fail to be amused by these "You're holding it wrong" type condescending responses.
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To the OP: Must have been a real shock. Glad the pooch is OK.

Sorry to disappoint you I was not being condescending nor was I telling him to hold it differently. When one assumes all technologies works exactly described in manual. Well then keep on assuming. Almost guaranteed a disappointment at least once or twice.

 

[Durzel]

Haha, I will never fail to be amused by these "You're holding it wrong" type condescending responses.
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To the OP: Must have been a real shock. Glad the pooch is OK.

Is it condescending though? The problem occurred because the phone ceased to be detected as a phone key, so in effect the only way for the OP to get into the car ceased to exist as well.

I have had the odd occasion, very rarely, where pulling a handle has resulted in the Sentry message, even if it’s resolved itself shortly afterwards.

Bottom line - I wouldn’t trust my phone to be the only way to get into (or operate) the car if I’m out and about. For that reason I keep one of the cards in my wallet.

 

[Adopado]

Bottom line - I wouldn’t trust my phone to be the only way to get into (or operate) the car if I’m out and about. For that reason I keep one of the cards in my wallet.

Ditto. Maybe I was lucky because I started out with a knackered old phone which had a flaky relationship with the Tesla ... I immediately understood the Tesla advice to always have a card with you! Even though my newer phone appears to be totally reliable I would never knowingly go out without a card.

 

[pgkevet]

..and I always check I have the phone in my pocket when i get out in case I’ve left the fob in the car and it's fallen somewhere shielded - stupid I know. since it's more likely I'm in a non coverage area

 

[browellm]

Sorry to disappoint you I was not being condescending nor was I telling him to hold it differently. When one assumes all technologies works exactly described in manual. Well then keep on assuming. Almost guaranteed a disappointment at least once or twice.

Fair enough - apologies. I guess my view is if it's in the manual there should be a reasonable expectation that things will behave as described. I just felt the response should have been more critical of Tesla than of the way the OP used the 'feature'.

 

[Adopado]

I'm genuinely considering how I'm going to smash a window, but thankfully an amenable passerby lets me use his phone, download the Tesla app, log-in and unlock the car.

I'm amazed that you had access to your login details to do that if your phone was in the car!

 

[hingus2000]

I hear what people are saying about not taking chances, and to be honest I generally haven't in 15 months owning the car. I tend not to fully shut the drivers door, for example, when removing the charge cable. I guess the OP is really just an anecdote - the one time you forget - you find out that the car does not necessarily act in the way you would expect (or hope!).

 

[outdoors]

Maybe the OP if inclined could try to replicate the situation. With a hotspot on etc. Might be something in the code that locks the door. Dog mode on as well. If so that would be a big high five from all the dog lovers that don't like to break windows or download the Tesla app from strangers phones.

 

[Durzel]

Fair enough - apologies. I guess my view is if it's in the manual there should be a reasonable expectation that things will behave as described. I just felt the response should have been more critical of Tesla than of the way the OP used the 'feature'.

That’s a fair point, but things can go wrong with phones. They can run out of battery, they can spontaneously fail for whatever reason. RFID cards are always going to work.

 

[Durzel]

I'm amazed that you had access to your login details to do that if your phone was in the car!

+1

I think I’d be screwed in that situation as I’d have to install the password manager app I use, and hope I can get into that without the master key, etc.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

The OP was lucky that they didn't have two factor authentication enabled or they wouldn't have been able to log into their account by using someone else's phone.

Another option would be to phone a friend who already has the Tesla app installed and request they unlock the car remotely. If necessary, they could even start the car remotely.

We don't always have the key card for local driving but when leaving town, we're sure to always bring it or one of the rings which has been programmed to open and start the car.

 

[Durzel]

If you have 2FA I think you’d basically have to use someone’s phone to call Tesla and give them the VIN and pertinent info about the car to get them to remotely unlock it.

 

[hingus2000]

The OP was lucky that they didn't have two factor authentication enabled or they wouldn't have been able to log into their account by using someone else's phone.

Another option would be to phone a friend who already has the Tesla app installed and request they unlock the car remotely. If necessary, they could even start the car remotely.

We don't always have the key card for local driving but when leaving town, we're sure to always bring it or one of the rings which has been programmed to open and start the car.

I could have rang my wife, except she was literally in the hospital that I was waiting outside in the middle of a maternity appointment and I don't know her current number off by heart (something I must change). I was considering ringing the maternity department and asking to be put through! What a palaver!

 

[Durzel]

All’s well that ends well, at least. No windows broken

It’s always going to be the case that things like this happen when you least expect or are best placed to deal with. I would definitely recommend having one of the key cards in your wallet, even if you never use it (I haven’t touched mine in a good 6 months)

 

[RedTesY]

My wife and I always carry a key card in our wallets/purse.

 

[Adopado]

Another option would be to phone a friend who already has the Tesla app installed and request they unlock the car remotely. If necessary, they could even start the car remotely.

Wives can be very handy in that situation ... except when I think about it, how would I phone her, even using someone else's phone I would be struggling because I've never memorised her number ... must revert to steam technology levels and write it down and keep it in my wallet!