Tips to Make Phone Key More Visible to Car?

[PianoAl]

My phone key works 95% of the time. That is, I walk up to the car, and I can open it.

When it doesn't work, I take my phone out of my pocket and hold it up to the driver's side window. Sometimes it takes a while before it recognizes the phone.

Here's a question: Is there somewhere I could hold the phone to make it more visible to the car? Where is the Bluetooth antenna or detector? Does turning the phone on make a difference? Running the app?

Thanks.

ETA: I've seen the other threads on poor phone detection, but none talked about where to hold the phone.

 

[Kilotango74]

My phone key works 95% of the time. That is, I walk up to the car, and I can open it.

When it doesn't work, I take my phone out of my pocket and hold it up to the driver's side window. Sometimes it takes a while before it recognizes the phone.

Here's a question: Is there somewhere I could hold the phone to make it more visible to the car? Where is the Bluetooth antenna or detector? Does turning the phone on make a difference? Running the app?

Thanks.

ETA: I've seen the other threads on poor phone detection, but none talked about where to hold the phone.

Front pocket or back pocket? Ive heard people having better luck with it in their front. I always keep my phone in the front pocket with nothing else in the pocket. Ive never once had an issue. Ive also read to keep the app on your phone open in the background and not to completely close it. I also work at an airfield where i would get i interference that would prohibit key fobs from other cars from working at long to medium distances. No issue with my Model 3. Only problem I have encountered was when my phone was dead at work the other day. But thats why i keep a card in the wallet

 

[PianoAl]

Yes, front pocket, screen facing leg.

 

[Kilotango74]

Yes, front pocket, screen facing leg.

Yes thats how i always carry mine

 

[jordanair45]

Nah, its hit or miss. I'd recommend carrying a kay card or getting a keyfob.

It would be awesome if we could get some apple wallet functionality from Tesla to store the car key in the phone though so if the app isn't responsive, we can have access to the key card without need to have a physical key card

 

[stonelance]

I reported some poor "phone as key" functionality with Tesla service when i last brought my car in. They looked at a lot of logs with specific time stamps of when i had issues to tell me what was happening. Through that, and talking to the service tech and my own testing I have kind of come up some info:

- There is an antenna\receiver for both front doors (i believe it is in the mirror), but not the rear ones
- There is also one in the trunk. Based on my testing it is in the center\right hand side, because having my phone in my left front pocket and standing with my right side in line with the center of the trunk release is not good enough to unlock it.
- Even when my phone was in the right location, if the car was in deep sleep it seemed to just trigger the car out of deep sleep, but not to unlock. Or getting out of deep sleep and unlocking took 30+ seconds.
- Trying to remove the charging cable in deep sleep had similar issues with trying to open the trunk while standing on the left side.
- Some of the things they told me were "known issues that would be addressed in future firmware", but i don't really know if I trust that.

My tips for better user experience:
- Try to remember to turn on climate form the app before you go to the car. This will kick it out of deep sleep and respond to unlock quicker.
- Depending on where you keep your phone, you might need to adjust door opening habits. I have it in my front left pocket so getting in the drivers side is never a problem. On the other hand, trying to open the right rear door is a huge pain (especially carrying bags\squirming toddler). I usually quickly open and close the front right door to unlock, then open the right rear door.
- If the car is in deep sleep, and you need to unplug the charging cable, either crack a door first, or open and shut the trunk before trying to unplug it will save some grief.
- If all else fails usually taking my phone out of my pocket is enough of a reception increase to get things to unlock.

 

[Akikiki]

Delete and re-create a fresh profile connection on your phone to the car.

 

[PianoAl]

Great info, Lance. I will move so my pocket is near the mirror next time this happens.

 

[rakh]

The location of the phone never made a difference for me. I've tried waving it around in all sorts of ways - I never noticed a difference from this. For me, it usually works to just unlock the phone, and, if that doesn't work, turn Bluetooth off and on again. That has worked instantly for me 100% of the time so far for a year. Though maybe it depends on the phone.

 

[KenC]

Same issue with wife's phone? If not, is she using a different model phone? Perhaps, it's just the phone model, and maybe a good excuse to upgrade.

 

[PianoAl]

Related to that, my wife and I have exactly the same phone model, but hers more often fails to connect to the car.

 

[ewoodrick]

It's a simple thing, the car has to hear the Bluetooth from the phone and enough signal to exchange security with it.
The angle and speed that you approach the car can have significant impact on the timing.
I generally, just hold the door handle open and wait for the few seconds if needed.

 

[tomas]

It’s interesting, I have had this problem since getting 3. I just got back from service, and all settings were erased so I had to re-pair iPhone. Now works fine.

 

[Flatbat]

...Where is the Bluetooth antenna or detector?....

....
- There is an antenna\receiver for both front doors (i believe it is in the mirror), but not the rear ones
- There is also one in the trunk. Based on my testing it is in the center\right hand side, ....

No not in the mirrors, nor in the trunk.

The M3 has four BLE antennas.

One is in the security controller behind the cupholder, integrated with the NFC reader there. The second and third are in the Left & Right B pillars behind the cameras. On the drivers side this sits above the NFC antenna. The fourth is mounted centrally on the rear bumper beam. (Cars produced prior Nov 17 also had a fifth on the front bumper.)

 

[M3BlueGeorgia]

Yes, front pocket, screen facing leg.

...and if the phone is in your back pocket, swing your rear around to unlock the door

 

[Akikiki]

Out here we call that "hula 'round to yo door".

 

[Big Dog]

if you have an iPhone, make sure the Location is Always On