Phone Key and Key Card stopped working

[brkaus]

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.

Changing wheels (and changing them back) in the service menu is supposed to do a deeper reset. Like change to 20” and back, depending on what you have currently of course.

I also do not believe the power off does anything. The screen pops back on way to fast in my car to be coming back from a full power off state

 

[m3-pw2]

Changing wheels (and changing them back) in the service menu is supposed to do a deeper reset. Like change to 20” and back, depending on what you have currently of course.

I tried changing the wheels, and the MCU was rebooted, but still NFC reader is still not connecting to my phone. The reboot from changing the wheel configuration seems similar reboot as when pushing the two scroll buttons on the wheel.

I also do not believe the power off does anything. The screen pops back on way to fast in my car to be coming back from a full power off state

Tesla FAQ says you can power off the car in two ways, either by exiting and closing the door, or through touchscreen. The car goes to sleep after a few minutes to conserve power, and then there would be a delay to wake up once it does.

How do I turn my car on and off?

You can start your Tesla by pressing on the brake pedal and putting into gear. In Model 3, if you are not using your phone key, place your key card on the console and put the car into gear.

You can turn off your Tesla by putting the car in park, exiting the car and closing the door behind you, or on your touchscreen through Controls > Safety & Security > Power Off.

 

[brkaus]

You can turn off your Tesla by putting the car in park, exiting the car and closing the door behind you, or on your touchscreen through Controls > Safety & Security > Power Off.

Interesting. Implies that leaving the car and power off are the same. None of which would ever turn off the rfid or could never get back in.

You can always disconnect the battery and the connector under the rear seat.

 

[m3-pw2]

I rescheduled a service appointment for my car, and this time made sure not to install the software before the service appointment. After tesla service confirmed that the module was not working correctly, they replaced it with a new one. So hopefully this is the end of it The cost was covered by the basic warranty.

 

[Shelly P]

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.

I've just had this. How did you do the software update

 

[Shelly P]

Hi this has just happened to me. How did you get the software update

 

[m3-pw2]

Hi this has just happened to me. How did you get the software update

There was a software update being pushed at the time, so I changed the setting to get the update earlier (advanced). This is a link that describes this: Software Updates

Tesla did not replace the module after it failed and I installed the software. You might want to schedule a service and have them replace it, because after the software update, the issue came back after few weeks.

 

[afadeev]

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.
[....]
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.

My phone fails to start the TM3 about once a month, on average. When that happens, starting it with the card fixes things, and it works with the phone for another month, or so.
This may, or may not be, associated with software updates.
I've just accepted this as a quirk of Tesla firmware.

At only 1 (one) time did the card fail to unlock/start the car. When that happened, my wife's (backup) card did work.
I had the flakey key card disabled at the Tesla service appointment, and replaced it with another.

Sorry, but if more than one key card fails to bring car to life, you may have a more serious issue in the pipeline.
I would keep the appointment, and have Tesla research and document the problem. Even if they can't reproduce it now, they will at least document the fault, increasing your chances of our-of-warranty accommodation in the future.

Good luck,
a

 

[m3-pw2]

My phone fails to start the TM3 about once a month, on average. When that happens, starting it with the card fixes things, and it works with the phone for another month, or so.
This may, or may not be, associated with software updates.
I've just accepted this as a quirk of Tesla firmware.

At only 1 (one) time did the card fail to unlock/start the car. When that happened, my wife's (backup) card did work.
I had the flakey key card disabled at the Tesla service appointment, and replaced it with another.

Sorry, but if more than one key card fails to bring car to life, you may have a more serious issue in the pipeline.
I would keep the appointment, and have Tesla research and document the problem. Even if they can't reproduce it now, they will at least document the fault, increasing your chances of our-of-warranty accommodation in the future.

Good luck,
a

In my case, the module was not responding to any phone or key card registered with the car. The only way I was able to start the car was using the key card with the external reader by the driver door.

Anyway, I was able to get the module replaced in my second attempt. I made sure not to install the software update while waiting for the service appointment, because when I did that before my first appointment, the module was reset and worked as expected, and Tesla service couldn't confirm the problem.

 

[LBUI56]

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 will try your way today. I am on vacation and my daughter can't drive my car with the key cards. I can remote lock and unlock from my phone. I did the SW upgraded last night and it won't have. My schedule of service will be on the eight.
I thought Power off to save the battery power during you sitting in the car. I used to do this while waiting my wife for her shopping.

 

[m3-pw2]

I will try your way today. I am on vacation and my daughter can't drive my car with the key cards. I can remote lock and unlock from my phone. I did the SW upgraded last night and it won't have. My schedule of service will be on the eight.
I thought Power off to save the battery power during you sitting in the car. I used to do this while waiting my wife for her shopping.

I was able to use the key card to unlock or lock from the driver door. You have about a minute to push the break pedal to drive the car before you need to unlock again.

 

[Silveraden]

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.

The scroll wheel method only reboots the screen but if you hold the brake it will reboot the whole car

 

[haroldo]

The scroll wheel method only reboots the screen but if you hold the brake it will reboot the whole car

*****ABSOLUTELY 100% FALSE!!!!*****​

Many websites/blogs/forums repeat this silliness...assuming if it's on the internet, it must be true.

The internet contains a lot of garbage. This fiction is not in the owner's manual.

See owner's manual for instructions to Power Off (reboot the 'whole car')

Putting foot on the brake while pressing scroll wheels for 'screen reboot', doesn't do anything (except illuminate the brake lights behind the car)