Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Passive entry fob failure

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Just got the passive entry fob. Paired it to the car and then turned off Bluetooth on my phone.

Then I went to the post office. It worked on the way there but then I went to put the package I got in the trunk and the trunk wouldn't open. Tried to open one of the doors and it wouldn't open neither rear nor front. Had to double tap the middle button to unlock the doors. Then subsequently locked the car and tried a door handle and it eventually worked.

Drove home and parked. Walked away and car locked itself. Got home and realized I forgot the package in the trunk. Same thing happened trunk wouldn't open rear door wouldn't open. Eventually holding the fob in my hand long enough the door did open and I was able to open the trunk.

Tldr; seems passive entry fob is not any more reliable than my phone. Based on my very limited experience so far, actually less reliable than my phone.

I'm carrying the fob in the rubber carrier from the Tesla store in the front right coin pocket of my pants.
 
Just got the passive entry fob. Paired it to the car and then turned off Bluetooth on my phone.

Then I went to the post office. It worked on the way there but then I went to put the package I got in the trunk and the trunk wouldn't open. Tried to open one of the doors and it wouldn't open neither rear nor front. Had to double tap the middle button to unlock the doors. Then subsequently locked the car and tried a door handle and it eventually worked.

Drove home and parked. Walked away and car locked itself. Got home and realized I forgot the package in the trunk. Same thing happened trunk wouldn't open rear door wouldn't open. Eventually holding the fob in my hand long enough the door did open and I was able to open the trunk.

Tldr; seems passive entry fob is not any more reliable than my phone. Based on my very limited experience so far, actually less reliable than my phone.

I'm carrying the fob in the rubber carrier from the Tesla store in the front right coin pocket of my pants.
Can you try switching to the other battery? See if that makes a difference.
 
I tried the other battery. Trunk still failed. Rear door failed. Front door opened once I got fob out of my pocket and in my hand.

I also removed the fob from the rubber carrier/holder just in case that was the issue.

Edit: tried again I'm front pocket with no phone in it instead of coin pocket. Same result.
 
I tried the other battery. Trunk still failed. Rear door failed. Front door opened once I got fob out of my pocket and in my hand.

I also removed the fob from the rubber carrier/holder just in case that was the issue.

Edit: tried again I'm front pocket with no phone in it instead of coin pocket. Same result.
I would return to Tesla as it sounds like that fob is defective.
Last thing I would check, in the lock screen does both your phone and the fob show as active?
 
Just got the passive entry fob. Paired it to the car and then turned off Bluetooth on my phone.

Then I went to the post office. It worked on the way there but then I went to put the package I got in the trunk and the trunk wouldn't open. Tried to open one of the doors and it wouldn't open neither rear nor front. Had to double tap the middle button to unlock the doors. Then subsequently locked the car and tried a door handle and it eventually worked.

Drove home and parked. Walked away and car locked itself. Got home and realized I forgot the package in the trunk. Same thing happened trunk wouldn't open rear door wouldn't open. Eventually holding the fob in my hand long enough the door did open and I was able to open the trunk.

Tldr; seems passive entry fob is not any more reliable than my phone. Based on my very limited experience so far, actually less reliable than my phone.

I'm carrying the fob in the rubber carrier from the Tesla store in the front right coin pocket of my pants.

Happened to me: New passive entry key is not working reliability
 
  • Like
Reactions: bijan
Sounds like a faulty key fob. Car entry has been 100 % ever since I started using the new key fob.
Including the trunk and/or walking up to the trunk first?

Edit: just tried it and I opened the driver's door first it worked and I could then open the trunk. Every time I walked up to the car's trunk from the rear direction directly it did not.
 
Last edited:
  • Informative
Reactions: dchobo and bhzmark
Mine has also been working 100%. What I see as a possible problem with the OP's situation is just turning off the bluetooth on your phone - I think you really need to disable it as a key in the car - than the car won't be looking for it. That's what I did, and it's been working as well as my phone did (iphoneX, which worked 100% also). What i really like about the fob is the fast access to the frunk - just 2 clicks and you're in.

Edit: BTW disabling the phone as a key doesn't disable the app - you can still do everything from the app, like summons and everything, just not do the walk up to open/walkaway lock thing.
 
Last edited:
  • Informative
Reactions: dchobo
Including the trunk and/or walking up to the trunk first?

Edit: just tried it and I opened the driver's door first it worked and I could then open the trunk. Every time I walked up to the car's trunk from the rear direction directly it did not.

this is exactly what i saw with my phone key prior to getting v10, but it has been perfect since getting the update...like, exactly the same. my phone key was nearly perfect for weeks (since i upgraded to the pixel 3), then after a software update (not v10) suddenly started exhibiting exactly the behavior you're describing here. after the next software update (which happened to be v10), it went back to being flawless again.

it seems like there may be a glitch somewhere in certain software versions that may cause this (and it may carry over to the fob, which would make sense since the fob is basically like having a tesla version of your phone in your pocket).
 
  • Informative
Reactions: bijan