"Remote Start" without cellular signal?

[CapnDave]

This is a useful thread. I have the same issue at my cottage, which lacks cell coverage. Almost couldn't get the car open the last freezing rain. I think I can park near our weak wifi, or move the extender nearer where I park. Would like to know if wifi-only works for remote management.

Thanks!

I have the same issue at my house, Wifi but no cell signal. Wifi only does work, but I have to unlock the car every morning to "wake it up" before I can turn on climate control. One warning though, my model 3 has a harder time receiving the signal from my router than my phone does. I ended up buying a Google Wifi mesh router, so I could put one of the routers closer to where I park my car.

 

[camalaio]

The fundamental problem here is you’re asking how to connect to the car over a network without connecting the car to a network. That’s not gonna work, ever, and it’s not Tesla’s fault no matter how much the car costs.

The only reasonable option I can think of is if there is a third party cell provider that works in the area better than the car’s connection, you could get a WiFi hotspot for that carrier, leave it in the car, and then connect the car’s WiFi to that hot spot.

Inelegant, might not work, lots of potential problems if you’re looking for a reliable solution. But again, you need a network - and unless you’re going to erect your own cell tower in the area, you don’t have a lot of options here.

I don't think that's what I'm asking. I'm asking if there's alternatives (or indeed perhaps ways to boost reception). Other car manufacturers have done this for years with remote start via the key fob (no internet connectivity required), which can sometimes work at surprising distances. Perhaps some third party remote start retrofit existed for the Model 3 I was unaware of or could not find.

I posed this question to Mobile Service today. Basically, for now car requires an internet connection in order to precondition. That's far from an official response (and I wouldn't expect them to offer third party solutions) but probably true for now.

Here is a improbably long term solution to your long term problem.

You _might_ get some traction calling up your cellular provider and complaining about the coverage in the location. Don't talk about the car, tell them you have spotty coverage on your cell phone, and be sure to assert that you are outside (no cell provider will care if your coverage is weak indoors).

It worked for me - I shamed Telus into increasing their coverage where I lived.
It only took a year :-/

A single year is frankly impressive. I'm surprised they did it at all. This might be the most viable path forward, especially since this is an industrial area with many people working there daily. Indeed better than "my car can't preheat!".

 

[Akikiki]

Or walk out to the car and turn the heater on. Then go back in the office until time to leave.

 

[PianoAl]

Can she run out to get within Bluetooth range, turn on the climate control, then run back into the building and finish up?

 

[Fresnel]

The cars LTE might me weaker then a cell phone connection. If you stand by the car with your phone does your phone have reception? If so you could get a second phone that you use as a hotspot giving your car wifi through that (leaving the 2nd phone in the car) . Then because your car now has an internet connection through your second phone you should be able to remote start it with your original phone.

 

[camalaio]

Or walk out to the car and turn the heater on. Then go back in the office until time to leave.

We're both fully capable of doing this, but wondering if there's an alternative. Again, I realize this is entirely a first world problem.

Can she run out to get within Bluetooth range, turn on the climate control, then run back into the building and finish up?

She's actually within Bluetooth range from her desk which is the annoying part, because that isn't sufficient to be able to control the car. So close, yet so far! Even after unlocking the car, it takes some time to establish a cellular connection.

The cars LTE might me weaker then a cell phone connection. If you stand by the car with your phone does your phone have reception? If so you could get a second phone that you use as a hotspot giving your car wifi through that (leaving the 2nd phone in the car) . Then because your car now has an internet connection through your second phone you should be able to remote start it with your original phone.

Phones have reception, albeit weakly. I guess I did say we'd happily throw money at the problem, but I'm not sure adding a phone to the $$$ Canadian plans and risking it pulling a software download and blowing through over a GB of data is going to be a great solution. Hmm. Potentially viable though, I'll give it some further thought. Thanks!

Well... that also means there's a phone authenticated to control the car inside the car, which defeats some security aspects (e.g. you could then use the app to allow driving after physically accessing the inside of the car), hmm...

 

[Fresnel]

Phones have reception, albeit weakly. I guess I did say we'd happily throw money at the problem, but I'm not sure adding a phone to the $$$ Canadian plans and risking it pulling a software download and blowing through over a GB of data is going to be a great solution. Hmm. Potentially viable though, I'll give it some further thought. Thanks!

Yeah, I was grasping at straws and that's the only solution I could think of.. didn't say it was a good one
I went over my data plan the first time I updated my car so I deff know what you mean. Luckily we don't get charged overage fees anymore.

 

[ttdanimal]

Winter issues? Just because the car may have limited regen isn't an issue.

You must not have a rwal winter where yow are. Not about regen. About the doors being frozen shut.

 

[doghousePVD]

Extra info if you don't feel like reading the below: talking about the car's reception (not phone), in Canada, cannot be plugged in, cannot be connected to WiFi, yes this is a first world problem but the question stands for the $75k car.



After re-reading, that sentence was a bit of a dog's breakfast as well if it was unclear, I meant to say it worked fine for a few weeks and has been a problem ever since.

Hadn't thought of a booster. No idea how they work, but I assume it needs wall power which would be a problem. Will look into it.



Yes exactly, for the car. Smartphone has spotty but seemingly better connection in the same area, despite being the worst phone she's had so far in terms of reception. Speedtest seemed to indicate it was using Bell FWIW.



Huh, hadn't heard of these femtocell things. Interesting.

Walking out works most times, but not if the car is frozen solid due to it's California-climate inspired design choices that require preheating the car for 30 minutes before you can even more a door handle. Being completely honest, least expensive isn't the goal. It's a $75k car. If something like the $200 Tesla fob would solve this, it would be an instant buy for us.

Charging not yet available, and even if it was it wouldn't be allowed on the work WiFi network (to make a very long story short, this is fair and agreeable).

The goal of preconditioning the car is twofold: Comfort, and actually getting into the car if frozen. So for most times when it's just for comfort, yes a few minutes of being uncomfortable could be tolerated, but... also would be preferable if our previously-mentioned $75k car could have a reliable "remote start"! Bearing lack of comfort that I didn't have to with previous vehicles that were half the price isn't something I had in mind, quite honestly. First world problems, eh?



I think I've done this on Vancouver Island (WiFi but no LTE). However I'm not sure I see the risk. They're using TLS and hopefully up to date on modern practices in dealing with it to prevent attacks like SSL splitting (if this weren't the case, it would be extremely easy bounty money at one of those hacker conferences in which Tesla participates). Additionally, you can't connect to most public networks anyways since they have login pages that Tesla doesn't yet support.

I have definitely connected via WiFi only.

In the US Tesla uses ATT. I believe in Canada Rogers is the default, but you can ask Tesla for a different SIM to work with the other carrier (don't remember who it is)

Verizon has much better coverage in Maine than ATT. I use the my Verizon cell hotspot so the car can use WiFi.

 

[ttdanimal]

I'd like to see a feature in the car where you could schedule the end of your work day, or whatever you're doing, and the car preps to be warmed up for you at that time without intervention.

An extension of the scheduled departure.

Someone with Elon's ear....

 

[WarEagleX]

If you don't have AT&T reception and your building Wi-Fi doesn't reach into the parking lot you have one alternative. Buy a prepaid cheap android phone on a carrier that has reception in this area. Use the wi-fi hotspot on that cell phone to connect your Tesla. Keep that phone in the car and problem solved. Now if there is simply NO cellular reception then there are no short term solutions for you.

Of course, you could always offer your corporate network engineer a few bottles of good scotch if he is willing to move one of the access points closer to the window and turn up the power for it all the way. But you'd have to make sure that you always parked in range.

 

[MrMassTransit]

Lol.
Micro cells work by broadcasting a cell signal and then trunking it back to the carrier over a wired Ethernet connection. They don’t just make cell service using magic and unicorns.

In other words, not particularly useleful inside a car parked in the middle of nowhere.

I assumed the car was parked at an office or building, which subsequent posts from the OP appears to be correct. I'm well aware of how microcells work, thanks. OP stated it was a rural area, not that the car was parked at an empty lot in the middle of nowhere.

 

[ucmndd]

I assumed the car was parked at an office or building, which subsequent posts from the OP appears to be correct. I'm well aware of how microcells work, thanks. OP stated it was a rural area, not that the car was parked at an empty lot in the middle of nowhere.

I see what you mean. I thought you were suggesting putting a microcell in the car, not the nearby office building. I apologize for being needlessly rude.

 

[Tummy]

I get spotty signal where I park, most of the time none. What I have done is use TeslaFi to schedule preconditioning. Once the set time is met, the site tries several times about 5 minutes apart. More often than not, it works.