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

[boaterva]

White is unlocked, ready to go. Blue is 'talking'.

And, if by 'press' you mean 'press and release', yes, that won't do it. You need to hold the button down while getting ready to pull it out and then when it's white, pull it out and then release.

I think perhaps a lot of misconception and confusion comes from people thinking 'press' means 'press a button' like on a keyboard. Here it means 'press and hold until done'.

 

[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.

Okay, confirmed that this is the correct procedure with my own car and iPhone app in my hand and fob left far away (to simulate remote unlocking the charge port for myself).

If you are NOT holding the button WHEN the remote unlock command arrives, the ring flashes white only briefly, then immediately turns blue and the port is still locked. Further, if you press the button, you are doubly-hosed... the car will attempt to start charging again.

 

[wattsup]

White is unlocked, ready to go. Blue is 'talking'.

And, if by 'press' you mean 'press and release', yes, that won't do it. You need to hold the button down while getting ready to pull it out and then when it's white, pull it out and then release.

I think perhaps a lot of misconception and confusion comes from people thinking 'press' means 'press a button' like on a keyboard. Here it means 'press and hold until done'.

I know what the colors means, I didn't understand the sequence (begin holding button, remote unlock, keeping holding button while pulling out).

Tesla should put a note right in the app next to the "Unlock Charge Port" button, stating something like, "Other party must also be pressing and holding the button on the charge handle".

 

[boaterva]

I know what the colors means, I didn't understand the sequence (begin holding button, remote unlock, keeping holding button while pulling out).

Tesla should put a note right in the app next to the "Unlock Charge Port" button, stating something like, "Other party must also be pressing and holding the button on the charge handle".

Gotcha.. but I don't think this sort of thing was planned... And the better answer is to unlock the car, then you can do it the normal way, where the port isn't semi-open.

But you seem to have done the complete test and it worked, right?

 

[brkaus]

Gotcha.. but I don't think this sort of thing was planned... And the better answer is to unlock the car, then you can do it the normal way, where the port isn't semi-open.

But you seem to have done the complete test and it worked, right?

Yup. I think it’s a bug. Why bother having a remote unlock charge port option and then have to jump through hoops.

Why just unlock charge port? No reason to give someone access to the inside of your car.

 

[Rocky_H]

2) WHILE continuing to hold the button, ping the other person to remote unlock the charge port.

This is the step that is not necessary. You don't have to keep holding down the button on the charging handle while asking the person to remotely unlock the port. If the car is in an unlocked state, the action of pressing and holding the button on the charging handle will unlock the charge port anyway and let you pull it out--no more remote action needed.

It just simplifies the logistics of not having to hit as tight of a timing window:
Person1 texts as they are heading to the car: "Could you unlock it?"
Owner text: "OK, unlocked."
Person1 holds button, pulls handle and shuts charge port and texts back that they are done.
Owner relocks car.

 

[brkaus]

This is the step that is not necessary. You don't have to keep holding down the button on the charging handle while asking the person to remotely unlock the port. If the car is in an unlocked state, the action of pressing and holding the button on the charging handle will unlock the charge port anyway and let you pull it out--no more remote action needed.

It just simplifies the logistics of not having to hit as tight of a timing window:
Person1 texts as they are heading to the car: "Could you unlock it?"
Owner text: "OK, unlocked."
Person1 holds button, pulls handle and shuts charge port and texts back that they are done.
Owner relocks car.

Yes, but why should I unlock my car for someone else? That's just silly. Why bother with "unlock charge port" button on the app in that case?

 

[Rocky_H]

Yes, but why should I unlock my car for someone else? That's just silly. Why bother with "unlock charge port" button on the app in that case?

It was kind of a "pick your poison" thing. I really wouldn't want to have to stand there holding in a button on a charging handle for a few minutes waiting for someone to notice and respond to a text message if they don't immediately see it. In exchange, I was assuming a decent little bit of trust as well.

 

[Rocky_H]

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?

Oh, yeah, now that I go look for it, I see that it does have a big ole button for it. I just never needed to remotely open the charge port, so I hadn't paid attention to that. I'm not sure if that was there before the big revamp of the user interface of the app.

 

[wattsup]

I really wouldn't want to have to stand there holding in a button on a charging handle for a few minutes waiting for someone to notice and respond to a text message if they don't immediately see it.

Well, now that I know the trick (holding the handle button), it actually works pretty well

Usually, where I work, what happens is you ping the other person first saying, "Hey, is your car done? I can go out in a few minutes and swap the handle. I ping you when I am at your car".

Then, you go out, ping them (while holding the handle), they remote unlock (just the charge port) usually within seconds (since they were waiting for the message to do so), and you pull out the handle.