Tesla drives with no phone and no key card.

[Victoria3]

I went to drive to the store yesterday. I had to leave my phone at home on the charger as it was nearly dead. I accessed the car with the key card on the door pillar then drove to the store. Halfway there i realized I never tapped the card on the console to turn it on. What gives? Anyone ever had there car drive with neither key card or phone to turn it on? Phone was a solid 100+ feet away from car parking spot.

 

[jsmay311]

I went to drive to the store yesterday. I had to leave my phone at home on the charger as it was nearly dead. I accessed the car with the key card on the door pillar then drove to the store. Halfway there i realized I never tapped the card on the console to turn it on. What gives? Anyone ever had there car drive with neither key card or phone to turn it on? Phone was a solid 100+ feet away from car parking spot.

After unlocking the car with the key card, you start the car without tapping the card to the console as long as you press the brake pedal within 2 minutes of unlocking the car.


From the manual:
“To use a key card to unlock or lock Model 3, position the card as shown and tap it against the card reader located just below the Autopilot camera on the driver's side door pillar.
[...]
Once inside, power up Model 3 by pressing the brake pedal within two minute of scanning the key card (see Starting and Powering Off on page 55). If you wait longer than two minutes, you must re- authenticate by placing the key card near the card reader located behind the cup holders on the center console. When your key card is detected, your two minute authentication period restarts.”

 

[JulienW]

Was your car in the garage? It is likely your phone was close enough to connect. There have been other threads where people had this problem.

EDIT: I see you say 100'. That can be within BT range. It likely won't unlock but close enough to see as the key to drive.

 

[jsmay311]

Was your car in the garage? It is likely your phone was close enough to connect. There have been other threads where people had this problem.

EDIT: I see you say 100'. That can be within BT range. It likely won't unlock but close enough to see as the key to drive.

It’s not that. See my earlier post. You don’t have to tap the key card to the console to start the car within 2 minutes of unlocking.

 

[Victoria3]

Is that new or changed? I remember having to use the card on the console before.

 

[jjrandorin]

Is that new or changed? I remember having to use the card on the console before.

Its been that way since I got my car in december of 2018. Maybe your normal "get in and go" routine takes more than 2 minutes? Not out of the realm of possibility. Some people get in, fiddle with music, put backpacks, bags / briefcases down, get themselves adjusted, put on sunglasses, etc etc before they put the car in drive.

 

[DeanP]

Thru 3rd party apps, I use my apple watch to drive the car; no phone nor key card necessary.

 

[jjrandorin]

Thru 3rd party apps, I use my apple watch to drive the car; no phone nor key card necessary.

And if you or your car were in a situation where either had no cell signal, that would not work.

 

[Phlier]

Is that new or changed? I remember having to use the card on the console before.

I believe so, yes, but as to exactly when and what firmware version, I can't say.

During delivery of my car, the Tesla rep showed me how to use the key card. And at that point in time (August 2019), you did need to tap the key card on the center console after using it on the B pillar to unlock the car.

I hadn't had a circumstance that required me to actually use my key card until just recently, when I noticed that it was only needed to unlock the car; the second tap on the console wasn't required.

Edit: I should really read the entire thread before posting.... think I'd learn that by now...

Its been that way since I got my car in december of 2018. Maybe your normal "get in and go" routine takes more than 2 minutes? Not out of the realm of possibility. Some people get in, fiddle with music, put backpacks, bags / briefcases down, get themselves adjusted, put on sunglasses, etc etc before they put the car in drive.

@jjrandorin has had his car longer than mine, so it's very possible that it took longer than two minutes between tapping the card on the pillar and "starting" the car when the Tesla rep was showing me the ropes.