OMG, how the heck is remote charge port unlock supposed to work?!

[wattsup]

At my workplace, we have several HPWC stations in our employee lot and many employees who drive Teslas and share the stations on a daily basis.

Since there are more cars than stations, the employees must often coordinate with each other to share the stations, and it is pretty common for one Tesla owner to ping another over chat while standing at a Tesla that has finished charging and ask the owner to remote unlock their charge port in order to switch the cable.

However, whenever I have tried this, it always goes something like this:

1) I walk out to the car that has finished charging (usually parked next to my car).
2) I ping the owner of the finished car to remote unlock their charge port.
3) They do so (using the Tesla app on their phone) and I watch for the charge ring to glow white... it does, but only for a split second! -- I try to pull out the handle, but I'm invariably too slow and the port is locked again.
4) We repeat steps 2-3 several times until, miraculously, I manage to snag the handle while the charge ring is glowing white (for a split second).

In short, it seems nearly impossible to remove the handle when the owner has remote unlocked the charge port, since the port only stays "unlocked" for a minuscule length of time.

Is this how it is supposed to work? Am I missing some trick?

My fellow Tesla owners at work have complained about experiencing the same thing. Nobody at work seems to know how the heck we are supposed to be able to remote unlock for each other easily.

 

[boaterva]

I’ve never tried this and my car is off getting wrapped so I can’t test and may be stupid idea... can you hold the button down, like Summon? Like you hold the button down on the charging wand itself?

Of course they could just unlock the car and relock it...

 

[gaswalla]

You can't solely unlock the charge port. If you unlock the car, the net effect is the same though

 

[boaterva]

You can't solely unlock the charge port. If you unlock the car, the net effect is the same though

Can you remotely stop charging? I still agree unlocking is the best bet. You all trust each other to some extent or you'd just walk down there together.

 

[Az_Rael]

If they unlock the car, even if you miss the color ring window, you just push the button on the charge handle and you can unplug. They can remotely re-lock the car after it’s unplugged.

 

[Ulmo]

What happens if you hold the plug button down while they unlock? It could save the unlock state longer while you pull out. This is on HPWC plugs with that release button thing.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Can you remotely stop charging?

Right, that's what I would suggest.. do it in two steps. "Stop Charging" first, then unlock the car. That should prevent the car from immediately restarting charging again.

The other crazy idea I had was when the car is unlocked, first pop open the rear door, then try to remove the charging handle. Maybe that will keep the car and charge port unlocked long enough to remove.

 

[brkaus]

OP - just a suggestion. You can leave your key fob in the office and go down and use your car with phone in hand and see if you can find any tricks.


Here is what I just tried that appeared to work ok -

1. Stop charging from app (you have to do this to see the unlock charge port button anyway)
2. Hold the button on the charger plug after it turns blue
3. Unlock charge port from the app

If I didn't hold the button while unlocking the charge port, it flashed white very briefly. Seams like a errata to me.

 

[BLKTSLA]

@wattsup try waiting to hear the click for the unlocked charge port and just pulling the charger out (dont press the button on the handle). If you press the button and pull, that will trigger the lock the opposite way and leave it stuck in there.

 

[Ande]

if you install Teslas "wall connector" - there is a button that releases the plug/open charge port right on the handle ... that should solve it just fine, once a car is unlocked, it's just about pressing the button..

 

[Rocky_H]

Couple of things. I didn't think there was any kind of button in the app to unlock the charge port.
First, make sure to stop charging so the port isn't continually trying to be active.
Unlock the car.
Pressing and holding the button on the charging handle is what will MAKE the charge port stay unlocked. You can pull it out that way, while you are holding the button.

 

[brkaus]

At my workplace, we have several HPWC stations in our employee lot and many employees who drive Teslas and share the stations on a daily basis.

if you install Teslas "wall connector" - there is a button that releases the plug/open charge port right on the handle ... that should solve it just fine, once a car is unlocked, it's just about pressing the button..

The OP does have a wall connecter (HPWC) installed. They are trying to remote unlock the charge port of other peoples cars and it isn't being very friendly. Ideally, they could do this without unlocking the doors. "Hi, I'm in the parking lot at this hotel and need a charge. Can you please unlock your doors so I can steal your stuff"

@wattsup see my post above for what worked for me. Granted I wasn't using the HPWC, but the Tesla EVSE that comes with the car. But I think they act the same w/ regard to the button press.

 

[animorph]

OP - just a suggestion. You can leave your key fob in the office and go down and use your car with phone in hand and see if you can find any tricks.


Here is what I just tried that appeared to work ok -

1. Stop charging from app (you have to do this to see the unlock charge port button anyway)
2. Hold the button on the charger plug after it turns blue
3. Unlock charge port from the app

If I didn't hold the button while unlocking the charge port, it flashed white very briefly. Seams like a errata to me.

I tried this and can confirm it worked perfectly for me. If you press the button on the charger plug while the charger port is unlocked remotely the light turns white and you can remove the plug. If you do not hold the button on the charger plug while the charger port is unlocked remotely the light just flashes white briefly and you'll have to catch it just right.

 

[boaterva]

I've always found you always have to hold the button when removing the wand/plug. In fact, the manual says just that...

So, not sure where 'push the button' came from? I've seen several threads where people say 'tapping on the button' causes it to relock the wand in the car.

 

[Ulmo]

Couple of things. I didn't think there was any kind of button in the app to unlock the charge port.

Yes, there is, as of every time I ever looked at the app during my ownership. Remote S also has that function.

Did Tesla remove the function?

 

[Ulmo]

I tried this and can confirm it worked perfectly for me. If you press the button on the charger plug while the charger port is unlocked remotely the light turns white and you can remove the plug. If you do not hold the button on the charger plug while the charger port is unlocked remotely the light just flashes white briefly and you'll have to catch it just right.

I agree.

 

[wattsup]

So, the correct procedure is as follows?

1) Grab the handle (currently locked in the change port) and HOLD DOWN the button.
2) WHILE continuing to hold the button, ping the other person to remote unlock the charge port.
3) Once unlocked, the charge port ring turns white and stays white (assuming the button was still held down).
4) Pull out the handle.

 

[wattsup]

You can't solely unlock the charge port. If you unlock the car, the net effect is the same though

This is incorrect.

There is a big fat button in the Charging section of the app named "Unlock Charge Port".

 

[wattsup]

@wattsup try waiting to hear the click for the unlocked charge port and just pulling the charger out (dont press the button on the handle). If you press the button and pull, that will trigger the lock the opposite way and leave it stuck in there.

Tried that. I wait for the click of the remote charge port unlock (usually the ring turns blue when its clicks). If I try pulling out, it is still locked. (Apparently, white is needed, correct?)

And, you are right, if you press the button, you are hosed. That is, when you release the button, the ring turns green, and the car tries to start charging again.

 

[brkaus]

So, the correct procedure is as follows?

1) Grab the handle (currently locked in the change port) and HOLD DOWN the button.
2) WHILE continuing to hold the button, ping the other person to remote unlock the charge port.
3) Once unlocked, the charge port ring turns white and stays white (assuming the button was still held down).
4) Pull out the handle.

This did work for me. I left my key fob inside and went out and played with the app a bit and found that combination.

Good luck!