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smorgasbord
Active Member
A few dozen trips and over 1000 miles on our Model 3, and both our iPhones (6S+ and an X) have locked/unlocked flawlessly.
What's taking longer is getting used to not having a bulge in my front pocket when walking about away from home.
What's taking longer is getting used to not having a bulge in my front pocket when walking about away from home.
mattcrowley
Member
We have had the Model 3 for a month. I love it (my phone works), but my wife is annoyed with her phone not getting recognized and the car not responding to her phone to unlock the car. I have tried to debug her phone, but the best I can do is reboot her phone for the car to see it. I have tried repairing the phone with the keycard, clearing her phone's cache, clearing her BT settings, but after a while the phone isn't recognized.
When Her Phone Isn't Recognized:
1) Car doesn't respond as she walks up
2) Dig out her phone from her purse
3) Unlock phone
4) Find and open Tesla app
5) Wait for Tesla app to connect to car
6) Press the unlock button in app
7) Press the remote drive button in app
or
1) Car doesn't respond as she walks up
2) Search for key card in her purse
3) Tap card against B pillar
4) Put key card in cupholder to start the car
I would pay extra for a key fob (also easily open the front trunk). I know it will never happen, but the phone issue is big enough for my wife to not want to drive the Model 3 anymore. :-/ She feels unsafe in a parking lot, she gets rained on longer than needed, and it is just annoying. I get her frustration.
Ideally the phone Bluetooth issues get resolved with a SW update, but for now...it is a real problem that needs to get addressed. She just wants to easily get in the car and drive away. That isn't too much to ask. Hopefully this gets resolved soon.
When Her Phone Isn't Recognized:
1) Car doesn't respond as she walks up
2) Dig out her phone from her purse
3) Unlock phone
4) Find and open Tesla app
5) Wait for Tesla app to connect to car
6) Press the unlock button in app
7) Press the remote drive button in app
or
1) Car doesn't respond as she walks up
2) Search for key card in her purse
3) Tap card against B pillar
4) Put key card in cupholder to start the car
I would pay extra for a key fob (also easily open the front trunk). I know it will never happen, but the phone issue is big enough for my wife to not want to drive the Model 3 anymore. :-/ She feels unsafe in a parking lot, she gets rained on longer than needed, and it is just annoying. I get her frustration.
Ideally the phone Bluetooth issues get resolved with a SW update, but for now...it is a real problem that needs to get addressed. She just wants to easily get in the car and drive away. That isn't too much to ask. Hopefully this gets resolved soon.
Are you letting Tesla know this? Maybe through the escalation process... (My preference is for them to offer an option fob.)
mattcrowley
Member
I have a separate issue with a fan noise that I still haven't received a response in a few days from [email protected]. I will bring this BT phone issue up with them as soon as I hear back on the external fan noise issue.
Fan noise video.
If when you launch the app on your wife’s phone it connects and works, the problem probably is that it isn’t running in the background prior to that. Apps will get quit due to memory pressure and if it isn’t running when you approach the car it won’t unlock. Or does the app not show it’s connecting as a key when you run it (you have to do remote unlock)?
dhanson865
Well-Known Member
Belt and suspenders.
It'd be nice to have the Phone as the primary method, a keyfob as a quick backup / alternate, and the card as the fail safe if the fob battery and phone are dead.
My wife won't drive it anymore either. She doesn't care for the key card (who does?) and the phone as key is too sketchy for her. Oh well. It's a pain but overall still a fun car to drive once it lets you in.
Hot iron the Model S fob or melt the key card into a shape of Model 3. Bet they are close to the same bulk.
Btw, I'm with you on loving the car - great to hear you are loving it as well - It is a great vehicle no doubt about it. But the waiting to unlock issue is a headache.
⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️
Village Idiot
I’m sure Tesla is well aware that this is a problem. They pay attention to this forum. Maybe they will surprise us with a fob, but I doubt it.
mattcrowley
Member
I have the Google Pixel 2 XL (8.1.0 - build: OPM1.171019.018)
She has the Google Pixel (8.1.0 - build: OPM1.171019.012)
mattcrowley
Member
Some additional data points:
- Her phone is successfully paired to the car via Bluetooth. She can play music from her phone on the car audio. Her phone is "Connected" in the Bluetooth settings on the car...so the car sees her BT connection.
- The Tesla app will successfully connect to the backend and unlock the car
- The Tesla app shows "Disconnected" under the "PHONE KEY" feature...and this seems to be the main problem, since this should show "Connected" when you get in range of BT and the car will unlock when you get even closer.
- "Force Stop" the app and re-launching the Tesla App didn't fix the problem
- "Clear Data" and "Clear Cache" from the Tesla App and re-entering login information didn't fix the problem
- Rebooting the Model 3 car didn't fix the problem
- Rebooting my wife's phone has currently resolved the problem, but this doesn't permanently fix the problem.
I say this as an Android user who would never own an iOS device if I can help it, but I fear that while the phone key functionality might turn out to be fairly reliable on iOS devices (if for no other reason than there are so very few variations to test / support), that Android functionality is likely to be patchy and rough and not even in a predictable way (fail to work consistently on cheapo phone? expected. fail to work on a Google Pixel? NOT expected!).
The more cars they deliver, the more they deliver which are more affordable, the more pushback and heat they're going to get from people frustrated with this. We shouldn't have to buy new phones (no bets on whether it works well on my older HTC One m9 if the Pixel - which isn't that old - doesn't work well!) to use the car.
The more cars they deliver, the more they deliver which are more affordable, the more pushback and heat they're going to get from people frustrated with this. We shouldn't have to buy new phones (no bets on whether it works well on my older HTC One m9 if the Pixel - which isn't that old - doesn't work well!) to use the car.
iwannam3
Active Member
Am I correct that you have to pull the card out and touch it to the B pillar and set in a certain spot and you can't leave it in your butt pocket and enter and operate the car?
Zaphod
Galaxy President (former)
It should work through your wallet, but it still needs to be touched (or very close) to the B-pillar. Once inside, it needs to be touched to the center console behind the cupholders. Again, it should work through your wallet, but won't work with it still in your pocket.
Actually, that second part isn't true. If you've just unlocked the car with the card and get in and press the brake pedal right away you don't need to touch the card to the center console.
C141medic
Active Member
I love the idea that you can do it all with a smartphone. However, a key fob should be included or at least offered as an option for various reasons as stated in earlier posts.
T34ME
Active Member
That is my understanding too. In my opinion, this is the biggest fail on the part of Tesla - bigger than ride quality, Al Cantara, size of rear view mirror, etc. Tesla better get this fixed and fast. Toyota has had the SKS fob system for years. Small fob never leaves your pocket, purse, or hanging as a nose ring. Touch the door handle when leaving and it locks. Touch the door handle as you walk up and it unlocks (trunk too).
