Stranded! (forgot keyfob at home, was still able to drive car away)

[travwill]

Has this been addressed yet? Seems like all sorts of alerts should go off if you're driving and it stops detecting your key...

I don't think so, but at least it warns you after a while.

Both of our other cars with keyless start have the same issue, as do others I'm sure as well, that do less to warn you even. Our VW and BMW will let you start with the key in general area of car (close enough to open doors) and drive off. They do also let you know when the key is not present.

Common issue - Tesla has the best solution at least with ability to use the phone to start again and not be stranded at least. Not sure what all the complaints are for.

 

[MDK]

Not sure what all the complaints are for.

This thread is more than two years old (May 2013) and the ability to start via mobile phone app was added in Firmware 6.0 (first released September 2014)

 

[Yonki]

This thread is more than two years old (May 2013) and the ability to start via mobile phone app was added in Firmware 6.0 (first released September 2014)

The firmware fix is good information to close this thread on. But why the comment that the thread is more than 2 years old?

All forums like this have to exist between two extremes. One extreme is where everything is said once and only once so there is no redundant information. That's great if you're a computer and can process/sort/correlate massive amounts information in milliseconds, but it's kind of tough on anyone new to the forum. Or even most veterans.

The other extreme is where the same question gets asked and answered a thousand times. The newbie gets his/her answer without having to work hard, but the regular forum members are driven nuts by the repetition and low signal/noise ratio.

A functioning forum settles on a compromise somewhere between the extremes. Usually one is expected to at least do a search before posting, which I did.

So I think it's reasonable to ask "what happened?" to what seemed like a fairly important (if infrequent) issue with 60 posts, even if it's 2 years old. A search showed this thread to be THE thread on this issue, so this seems like the place where the answer should be.

And now it is.

Amen.

 

[MDK]

Hi Yonki

why the comment that the thread is more than 2 years old?

I was trying to explain why there was so much angst in this thread - it predates there being a workaround to leaving your key behind.
I'm certainly not suggesting you shouldn't reopen an old thread to ask if there was an update - which there is. It's just that some people either don't notice the old post dates or aren't aware that a feature was only (relatively) recently added (hooray for software updates to old cars!) so will be confused by the older posts.

It still would be nice if there was more of a warning that you are driving away from your key, because the remote start feature only works if a) your phone has internet access (or at the very least you can phone someone else with internet access and are willing to give them your password); b) your car has internet access and c) Tesla's servers aren't offline (for maintenance or other reasons) - and Murphy's law dictates that I will somehow manage to leave my key behind on the one day I'm driving outside of cellular coverage.

 

[wayner]

And then there is the even more recent update that you can use your Apple Watch to unlock and start the car with the Remote S app. Again that requires cell coverage and for me that is most often an issue when parked in underground parking garages.

 

[slw411]

TO FIX THIS PROBLEM OF GETTING STRANDED WITHOUT KEYFOB, PLEASE SIGN MY PETiTION

Argh. Wife put the key on a shelf near the car. We were in a hurry and hopped in and drove off to my son's school. Parked. Realized we didn't have the key. No warnings until trying to turn it on now. Big flaw!

Luckily neighbor is bringing the key. What if we had driven 200 miles before stopping?

This needs to be addressed!

GETTING STRANDED AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER IS HAPPENING TO EVERYONE!
PLEASE SIGN MY PETITION TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WITH ALL KEYLESS AUTOS !
https://www.change.org/p/united-states-department-of-transportation-how-smart-is-the-smart-key-if-anyone-can-drive-off-without-it?recruiter=491499422&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

 

[.andrew]

The other day I was driving with my key in my pocket and the instrument cluster beeped and displayed a message saying something to the effect of "key not in vehicle. Car will not start without key once parked".

Perhaps my battery is getting old and this is something that has actually already been addressed in a newer firmware?

 

[Chickenlittle]

GETTING STRANDED AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER IS HAPPENING TO EVERYONE!
PLEASE SIGN MY PETITION TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WITH ALL KEYLESS AUTOS !
https://www.change.org/p/united-sta...utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

Duh use phone ap

 

[mknox]

Duh use phone ap

I was thinking the same. A couple of times I ran out of my office for lunch forgetting my keys. Too lazy to walk back to my office, I just used the mobile app. Works great.

 

[wayner]

The other day I was driving with my key in my pocket and the instrument cluster beeped and displayed a message saying something to the effect of "key not in vehicle. Car will not start without key once parked".

Perhaps my battery is getting old and this is something that has actually already been addressed in a newer firmware?

I occasionally get this as well so I tried a new I still the sage every once in a while.

 

[GaryREM]

Duh use phone ap

Your answer would be fine IF the app talked directly to the car.

Considering the need for a good cell connection to phone and the car and having Tesla's servers up (they are not 100%), this is not really an acceptable solution.

 

[green1]

Your answer would be fine IF the app talked directly to the car.

Considering the need for a good cell connection to phone and the car and having Tesla's servers up (they are not 100%), this is not really an acceptable solution.

You could consider carrying your keyfob if you don't like the phone solution...

 

[Johan]

GETTING STRANDED AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER IS HAPPENING TO EVERYONE!
PLEASE SIGN MY PETITION TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WITH ALL KEYLESS AUTOS !
https://www.change.org/p/united-states-department-of-transportation-how-smart-is-the-smart-key-if-anyone-can-drive-off-without-it?recruiter=491499422&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

It has 13 votes. Only 99987 to go...

I didn't vote since the way the petition is written it doesn't protect us from the danger of driving 200 miles without the key, in case we loose the key from the car after having shifted in to park, or if a passenger has the key on them, exits and the driver puts the car in drive before the passenger has walked away far enough...

 

[slw411]

It has 13 votes. Only 99987 to go...

I didn't vote since the way the petition is written it doesn't protect us from the danger of driving 200 miles without the key, in case we loose the key from the car after having shifted in to park, or if a passenger has the key on them, exits and the driver puts the car in drive before the passenger has walked away far enough...

The way that I would recommend that the two step start to work is that if a car is sitting in park and idling and a passenger got out of the car and accidentally took the key fob with them, when the driver goes to put their foot on the brake and put the car into gear the key fob would have to be authenticated a second time BEFORE the Gear shift can be put into any drive gear. If the key fob is ANYWHERE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR, the gear shift would lock and NOT allow the car to drive away. Conversely if the key fob is within the walls of the car then the key fob will be authenticated and the gear shift will not lock and the car can drive away. There should be some way to put up a FIREWALL for (THIS SPECIFIC SECOND PING) to match the key fob so that it only can be read when the key fob is WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE CAR.

Having this second authentication of the key fob inside the walls of the car would also prevent theft of any idling automobile (Say if someone wanted to leave a pet sitting for a moment while they ran into a store) .

This would also prevent anyone from ever leaving their key fob on top of their car and driving off without it , which I have heard people say has happened.

A car should not be able to be driven anywhere without the key present INSIDE the car.

A cell phone app is a great back up idea, but again that solution is not 100% fail safe if you were to get stranded in an area that does not have wifi or cell phone coverage. Why not prevent the problem from ever happening. THAT s a fail safe solution!