Phone Key and Key Card stopped working

[m3-pw2]

My 2 year model 3 suddenly lost recognition of my phone as a key as well as my card key. I no longer was able to start the car with phone, nor by tapping the key card behind cup holder. My wife's phone and key card also had same issue.

The phone was still unlocking and locking the car.

I tried rebooting the car by pressing the two buttons and brake pedal until the Tesla logo appeared.

I tried rebooting my phone.

I somehow managed to remove my phone as a key after many attempts to tap the card key, but was unable to add it back because the phone could not detect the car when I am sitting inside.

Luckily, I found out that if I unlock the car with the key car from the door, I am able to start the car and drive if I do so quickly. There is also another way to start the car from the phone app by going to Controls and pushing Start button, although this requires both car and phone to be connected to data.

I got an appointment with service center to look at this issue after calling Tesla support, and going through some throubleshooting. But my appointment was for another week, and not having the convenience of phone key is really annoying.

I've decided to switch my car to the Advanced software update track, and I got a new software notification overnight which I installed. Once the new software was installed, the phone key and key card are working again from inside the car. I was able to add my phone back as a key, and drive around as I normally did.

Did anyone encounter a similar issue?

I am wondering if I should still go to the service center or cancel the appointment. I am not sure if the module is faulty and would still be covered under the warranty now. I would not want to have it fail again after the warranty no longer covers it.

 

[sroy]

Can't comment on the experience over the issue but it that was me I would still do the service check if I had the time to spare just to be sure.

 

[EVRider-FL]

Which software version was installed in the car when the problem first occurred?

 

[SanteeMike]

Installing the update caused a reboot of the computer. That's probably what fixed the issue. Go ahead and keep the appointment. If nothing else, you get to drive your car and meet the service personnel who will keep you on the road.

 

[m3-pw2]

Which software version was installed in the car when the problem first occurred?

I had 2021.4.15.10 before. The new version I got is 2021.4.18.

 

[m3-pw2]

Installing the update caused a reboot of the computer. That's probably what fixed the issue. Go ahead and keep the appointment. If nothing else, you get to drive your car and meet the service personnel who will keep you on the road.

Makes sense. The software installation might have done something more than the reboot I did with the two buttons and brake pedal. I will try to find out from the tech at service center if I would have been able to reset it in another way.

 

[jjrandorin]

Makes sense. The software installation might have done something more than the reboot I did with the two buttons and brake pedal. I will try to find out from the tech at service center if I would have been able to reset it in another way.

I would likely keep the appointment as well. With that being said, if you run into something like this again, and rebooting with the two buttons doesnt work (pressing the brake pedal doesnt add anything to that process), try doing a POWER OFF from the menu, and let the car sit powered off at least 10-15 minutes. Tesla will say a shorter period of time, but you want to ensure that the car also goes to sleep when powered off.

I do this after every update, and I dont ever have any of the problems many others report:

1. Go to car, open drivers car door, get it, but DONT close car door behind me
2. Navigate to the POWER OFF command in the menu (I think its under security, but you will find it in one of the bottom menu choices)
3. When the car powers off, exit the car through the STILL OPEN car door and close the door.
4. Dont touch the car until the next time I am ready to drive, whenever that is.

By having the door open I can power off the car and get out and close the door, without sitting in the car with it powered off. If you power it off while in it, you need to wait to touch anything until it goes to sleep, and that can feel like forever if you are sitting there ("watched pot" and all that).

 

[m3-pw2]

I would likely keep the appointment as well. With that being said, if you run into something like this again, and rebooting with the two buttons doesnt work (pressing the brake pedal doesnt add anything to that process), try doing a POWER OFF from the menu, and let the car sit powered off at least 10-15 minutes. Tesla will say a shorter period of time, but you want to ensure that the car also goes to sleep when powered off.

I do this after every update, and I dont ever have any of the problems many others report:

1. Go to car, open drivers car door, get it, but DONT close car door behind me
2. Navigate to the POWER OFF command in the menu (I think its under security, but you will find it in one of the bottom menu choices)
3. When the car powers off, exit the car through the STILL OPEN car door and close the door.
4. Dont touch the car until the next time I am ready to drive, whenever that is.

By having the door open I can power off the car and get out and close the door, without sitting in the car with it powered off. If you power it off while in it, you need to wait to touch anything until it goes to sleep, and that can feel like forever if you are sitting there ("watched pot" and all that).

I also tried power off but sitting in the car, and only waited 2 minutes, because it felt like forever. I will keep these instructions in mind for next time I need to do this. Thanks.

 

[m3-pw2]

So I went to service center today and spent about a total of two hours in driving, to be told that there is nothing wrong. I guess next time this issue happens again, I will avoid a software update, and wait for the appointment.

 

[haroldo]

POWER OFF from the menu

I haven’t received my car yet but was wondering about how often to reboot these computers cars
Is it advisable to do it periodically?
Does car reboot on update
thanks

 

[jjrandorin]

I haven’t received my car yet but was wondering about how often to reboot these computers cars
Is it advisable to do it periodically?
Does car reboot on update
thanks

The car reboots on update, yes. "How often" probably depends on what computer background you are coming from. What I mean is, Server Sys Admins dont like to reboot computers, hardly ever. Neither do people who use mac computers as their primary computer. Conversely, people used to using windows computers are used to rebooting computers "frequently".

Since we are using computer analogies (since these are basically rolling computers), people reboot the touchscreen fairly often, which is accomplished by holding the two scroll wheels on the steering wheel till the touchscreen goes off, then comes back on with the Tesla logo.

People dont "shut them down" very often (power off). As I mentioned, I personally do the shutdown after every update, but I at least part of the reason why I feel that way is because I have a background supporting windows based devices.

 

[haroldo]

The car reboots on update, yes. "How often" probably depends on what computer background you are coming from. What I mean is, Server Sys Admins dont like to reboot computers, hardly ever. Neither do people who use mac computers as their primary computer. Conversely, people used to using windows computers are used to rebooting computers "frequently".

Since we are using computer analogies (since these are basically rolling computers), people reboot the touchscreen fairly often, which is accomplished by holding the two scroll wheels on the steering wheel till the touchscreen goes off, then comes back on with the Tesla logo.

People dont "shut them down" very often (power off). As I mentioned, I personally do the shutdown after every update, but I at least part of the reason why I feel that way is because I have a background supporting windows based devices.

Is there a difference between reboot and shut down?
I find iOS devices get wonky if I don’t reboot monthly. MacOS less so, but it still gets buggy after a while

 

[jjrandorin]

Is there a difference between reboot and shut down?
I find iOS devices get wonky if I don’t reboot monthly. MacOS less so, but it still gets buggy after a while

Yes. "Reboot" = Hold two scroll wheels
Shut down = power off (as I described earlier in this thread).

 

[haroldo]

Yes. "Reboot" = Hold two scroll wheels
Shut down = power off (as I described earlier in this thread).

Oh, so reboot only refers to the screen.
I thought the term reboot referred to the car (which I consider to be a separate system from the screen).


makes sense to do what you suggest

 

[EVRider-FL]

Oh, so reboot only refers to the screen.
I thought the term reboot referred to the car (which I consider to be a separate system from the screen).


makes sense to do what you suggest

Not quite. The scroll wheel method does reboot the car, not just the screen. The power off method is a “deeper” reboot of the car, but only Tesla knows exactly how they differ.

 

[haroldo]

… The power off method is a “deeper” reboot of the car, but only Tesla knows exactly how they differ.

great answer, thanks
(Sounds like the car is like the “11 volume setting” in Spinal Tap)

 

[MJR-VR]

Not quite. The scroll wheel method does reboot the car, not just the screen. The power off method is a “deeper” reboot of the car, but only Tesla knows exactly how they differ.

I thought you could do a scroll wheel reboot while driving or did I dream that?

 

[m3-pw2]

Since the Tesla software update fixed the phone key issue last time, it is back shy of two months.

@jjrandorin , I tried Power Off with door open, and it didn't make a difference. I don't think the Power Off does anything but turn off the car the same way if you exit the car and close the door. I was even able to see the car status in phone app after the Power Off.

I guess it is another trip to Tesla service. This time will need to make sure I don't do a software update, although I might not be able to schedule it before my trip in a week. Perfect timing.

 

[jjrandorin]

Since the Tesla software update fixed the phone key issue last time, it is back shy of two months.

@jjrandorin , I tried Power Off with door open, and it didn't make a difference. I don't think the Power Off does anything but turn off the car the same way if you exit the car and close the door. I was even able to see the car status in phone app after the Power Off.

I guess it is another trip to Tesla service. This time will need to make sure I don't do a software update, although I might not be able to schedule it before my trip in a week. Perfect timing.

it actually does, if you let the car sit for a while and actually go to sleep (5-10 minutes). Accessing the car through the phone starts the sleep cycle over (it wakes the car up) so you probably didnt let the car go fully to sleep.

 

[m3-pw2]

it actually does, if you let the car sit for a while and actually go to sleep (5-10 minutes). Accessing the car through the phone starts the sleep cycle over (it wakes the car up) so you probably didnt let the car go fully to sleep.

I left it this morning for 1.5 hours after Power Off from touchscreen and without phone access, and still NFC reader is not getting reset.
I wish there was a way to do a deep reset similar to a software update, because that fixed the issue last time.