Phone as Key Issues

[cellogig]

Why would you need a key fob? There’s a keycard for just this situation. Carry a keycard on your person as backup or carry a fob...no diff except for the shape of the items.

Because the first thing I usually do is open my trunk first, then my drivers door. I have to put my cello in the car first. That is why I like the fob.

On my wife’s model x the fob allows me to do this. The fob opens or unlocks everything. Hence trunk access first.


On my vw gti and our Toyota Highlander I have a button on the key that allows me to

1. Unlock the car from a distance
2. Unlock the trunk from a distance or as I am approaching the car.

So currently I have to take my key card out
Wave it on the drivers door side in a parking lot
Some how put my cello in the middle of the road or some how fit it through parked cars

Then walk to the back of the car to open the trunk
Then go back to drive the car.

That is why I want the phone key to work

 

[Krugerrand]

Because the first thing I usually do is open my trunk first, then my drivers door. I have to put my cello in the car first. That is why I like the fob.

On my wife’s model x the fob allows me to do this. The fob opens or unlocks everything. Hence trunk access first.


On my vw gti and our Toyota Highlander I have a button on the key that allows me to

1. Unlock the car from a distance
2. Unlock the trunk from a distance or as I am approaching the car.

So currently I have to take my key card out
Wave it on the drivers door side in a parking lot
Some how put my cello in the middle of the road or some how fit it through parked cars

Then walk to the back of the car to open the trunk
Then go back to drive the car.

That is why I want the phone key to work

 

[bnsfengineer]

Because the first thing I usually do is open my trunk first, then my drivers door. I have to put my cello in the car first. That is why I like the fob.

On my wife’s model x the fob allows me to do this. The fob opens or unlocks everything. Hence trunk access first.


On my vw gti and our Toyota Highlander I have a button on the key that allows me to

1. Unlock the car from a distance
2. Unlock the trunk from a distance or as I am approaching the car.

So currently I have to take my key card out
Wave it on the drivers door side in a parking lot
Some how put my cello in the middle of the road or some how fit it through parked cars

Then walk to the back of the car to open the trunk
Then go back to drive the car.

That's nice Huh?.. and we only paid 50k plus!!

 

[cellogig]

That's nice Huh?.. and we only paid 50k plus!!

Not sure what that emoji that is...we both have cats on our profile pic

I am ok with the money spent. I love my purchase!!! This is the only thing I have posted That has been negative about the car. And if I have stated any other, it is because I don’t want people to think they r the only ones. I try to be helpful and supportive.

 

[cellogig]

Not sure what that emoji that is...we both have cats on our profile pic

I am ok with the money spent. I love my purchase!!! This is the only thing I have posted That has been negative about the car. And if I have stated any other, it is because I don’t want people to think they r the only ones. I try to be helpful and supportive.

Oh now have to go find my wallet.
Where did I put is last...oh my phone is my key card and what do u know it’s in my hand

 

[cellogig]

To clarify, the theory here is that Tesla purposely shut down their servers and disabled their app for all Tesla owners (including S&X) so that they could roll out software updates for the Model 3, despite having existing methods for doing so that DON'T needlessly disrupt the app for everyone?

Second time in a row after car has been sitting idle the drivers door opens for the first attempt

 

[cellogig]

To clarify, the theory here is that Tesla purposely shut down their servers and disabled their app for all Tesla owners (including S&X) so that they could roll out software updates for the Model 3, despite having existing methods for doing so that DON'T needlessly disrupt the app for everyone?

Ok you are correct. Watching to many si-fi and drama tv shows.

But mxbzz posted to have your location turned on your iPhone, in which I did not.

Before the Tesla app went down I turned on my location but did not have an opportunity to try it. When the Tesla app came back online I forgot that I had turned location on.

So I thought of this theory...but since I had my location turn on from off, everything is working as it should. First attempts of opening my drivers door have been successful today.

 

[N5329K]

I'm really glad it's working, but be advised you've been signed up to play a never-ending game of whack-a-mole: software changes, updates, and different phones (because people are encouraged to cycle through phones at a GDP-pleasing rate) mean that what works today, this morning, might not work this afternoon or tomorrow.
I'm not sure how you engineer a permanent and stable solution onto an unstable, ever-changing environment. Kind of like a sand castle. It looks pretty great until the tide comes back in.
That's the advantage of a fob. Works today, tomorrow, next year. For me, dropping what I'm holding, digging out a card, putting my wallet back in my pocket, and then waving the card at the B pillar is not an acceptable backup. It's a Monty Python skit. Not a solution. OK for a valet, perhaps. But not for regular use.
Robin

 

[guineakarst]

Just got my Model 3 yesterday. I can't pair my phone key at all. I get "Could not find vehicle. Please move closer to your vehicle" even if I'm sitting inside of it. I've tried probably 10 times in various locations already. Anyone know how to fix this?

 

[JES2]

Why would you need a key fob? There’s a keycard for just this situation. Carry a keycard on your person as backup or carry a fob...no diff except for the shape of the items.

The key card and the FOB are a false equivalency. One you can keep in your purse or your pants to enter a vehicle and even open the trunk or any door. The other you need to take out (only on the driver's side) and place it against the car. Hope it is not raining or snowing that day when you have to do that, especially if it is your wallet.

The more critical issue is that you can certainly forget to take the card with you, and drive away with just the phone. The phone has simply not reached a high enough reliability to guarantee success with four 9's confidence. The FOB has reached that level, plus you cannot drive away without it being in your possession.

Glad the phone is working for you, for now, but there is simply not enough of a track record to suggest that it will be successful in the future. A FOB would be a nice safety net (rather than the keycard.) Please realize that most drivers want the phone to be a success, but it is simply not there yet.

 

[WileyTheMan]

Just got my Model 3 yesterday. I can't pair my phone key at all. I get "Could not find vehicle. Please move closer to your vehicle" even if I'm sitting inside of it. I've tried probably 10 times in various locations already. Anyone know how to fix this?

I think I had to open the car with the card while it was searching.

 

[SDKoala]

That's the advantage of a fob. Works today, tomorrow, next year. For me, dropping what I'm holding, digging out a card, putting my wallet back in my pocket, and then waving the card at the B pillar is not an acceptable backup. It's a Monty Python skit. Not a solution. OK for a valet, perhaps. But not for regular use.
Robin

The key card and the FOB are a false equivalency. One you can keep in your purse or your pants to enter a vehicle and even open the trunk or any door. The other you need to take out (only on the driver's side) and place it against the car. Hope it is not raining or snowing that day when you have to do that, especially if it is your wallet.

Wholeheartedly agree with the logic and reason displayed by both of these posts. I don't think anyone wants the phone key to fail and go away. If it works 100% of the time, I'm all for it. The problem is it doesn't work 100% of the time--not even close. I shouldn't have to worry about not being able to unlock my car every single time I walk up to it. Like another poster above, I too always open my trunk first to place my work items in before getting in the car. When the phone key doesn't work, it forces me to go to the driver's door to unlock the trunk. In my decades of driving dozens of different models of cars, the Model 3 is the only one where this type of action is required since the trunk cannot be unlocked while standing in front of it if the phone key fails to connect.

I feel like too many people are willing to give Tesla a pass on this because they are trying to implement something novel. They should work on reliability first.

 

[cellogig]

I'm really glad it's working, but be advised you've been signed up to play a never-ending game of whack-a-mole: software changes, updates, and different phones (because people are encouraged to cycle through phones at a GDP-pleasing rate) mean that what works today, this morning, might not work this afternoon or tomorrow.
I'm not sure how you engineer a permanent and stable solution onto an unstable, ever-changing environment. Kind of like a sand castle. It looks pretty great until the tide comes back in.
That's the advantage of a fob. Works today, tomorrow, next year. For me, dropping what I'm holding, digging out a card, putting my wallet back in my pocket, and then waving the card at the B pillar is not an acceptable backup. It's a Monty Python skit. Not a solution. OK for a valet, perhaps. But not for regular use.
Robin

I appreciated this post very much.

 

[pipplo]

Just got my Model 3 yesterday. I can't pair my phone key at all. I get "Could not find vehicle. Please move closer to your vehicle" even if I'm sitting inside of it. I've tried probably 10 times in various locations already. Anyone know how to fix this?

My experience was weird. I had the key card on the console and was trying to connect but I got the same message. It worked for me by removing the key card from the console and starting the process. Then it connected and asked me to put the key card on the console.

So I think you need to start the process not having the key card lying on the console.

 

[slipnslider]

Just got my Model 3 yesterday. I can't pair my phone key at all. I get "Could not find vehicle. Please move closer to your vehicle" even if I'm sitting inside of it. I've tried probably 10 times in various locations already. Anyone know how to fix this?

I think the best fix would be a public petition and loud shaming of tesla until they provide a fob. Not having a 100% reliable way to get into your car is absolute idiocy.

 

[guineakarst]

My experience was weird. I had the key card on the console and was trying to connect but I got the same message. It worked for me by removing the key card from the console and starting the process. Then it connected and asked me to put the key card on the console.

So I think you need to start the process not having the key card lying on the console.

I've tried that as well as all sorts of other ways. Can't seem to get it to work. I just scheduled a service appointment...

 

[CatB]

You could run out of battery, misplace your smartphone, have issues with it, have the Tesla app not function, etc. Why would you not bring your primary key with you when driving?

Redundancy people!

This makes no sense. You have a WORKABLE key CARD. No need for a key FOB.

Did you not plan that a day might come where you damaged your phone? Lost it? Or some other? Common sense people.

K, fine, I’ll own not carrying the key card backup, but I have both work and personal phones paired to my car, so it’s not like I don’t have *a* backup, I just don’t like having to have TWO backups.

But if you think the key card is a convenient key, you’re mistaken. to pull the thing out of your wallet to put it on the console is a pain in the butt.
Not to mention having to remember to put it back in your wallet when you get somewhere.
Guys, I’ll just be honest - I’m at the age where I don’t want to have to remember to do things or build new habits.
Since having to use the key card I have TWICE left my car unlocked because I overlooked the black key sitting on the black console.
It’s kind of like driving an ICE and forgetting to turn it off, except no muscle memory for this one.

And still - what is wrong with Tesla s/w development & QA that breaks something that essential? It *used* to work fine, until they broke it.
Disappointing doesn’t begin to describe my concerns about that.

And ICYMI, communications at Tesla are not the greatest and the delivery specialist teams didn’t exactly get (or convey) the message about “the phone is *not* your key” - guess which word was missing...

 

[drawfour]

Since having to use the key card I have TWICE left my car unlocked because I overlooked the black key sitting on the black console.

Can you wrap your key card in some other color? As long as it does't interfere with the RFID part, then you can probably make it bright red or yellow or whatever would contrast nicely.

It’s kind of like driving an ICE and forgetting to turn it off, except no muscle memory for this one.

My car is a regular key switch ignition. When I drive my car, I'm always very careful to put it into park before I turn the ignition off. My wife's Prius is push-button to start, and if you use that button to stop, it automatically puts it in park for you. So my muscle memory is "if key ignition, put in park first. If push button, just press it." We were in Disneyland last month and I rented a car. It was push button with keyless fob, BUT it did not automatically put the car in park. At least twice, I turned the ignition off and the car stayed in gear and started to roll when I took my foot off the brake. Muscle memory sucks!

 

[WileyTheMan]

So far this BT phone key thing has worked pretty well for me for the handful of days I've owned this car. I think there was one time it didn't automatically register when I pulled a handle and I had to wait for a few seconds.

 

[CatB]

Can you wrap your key card in some other color? As long as it does't interfere with the RFID part, then you can probably make it bright red or yellow or whatever would contrast nicely.
!

Yeah, probably will have to do some kind of hack like this, I am thinking I should attach it to som innocuous frequent shopper card so even if/when I do leave it, it won’t scream “Steal me”...