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Trimming down the Card Key?
- Thread starter JulienW
- Start date
If you cut the antenna loop and re-solder it smaller it almost certainly won't work. That antenna size is a very particular size... also it's not just a single piece of wire.
If you want a smaller device, the keyfob is smaller (albeit thicker)
…and hasn't been available to buy in forevvvvvver.
I've used mine a number of times although I routinely access the car with my phone. I will add that there have been times when the car for whatever reason prompts me to touch the card to the center console. The phone access has been pretty good lately but there have been times when it hasn't connected and it's just simplier to pull out the card.
I do have the key fob and do use it occasionally as well. Did so today when my husband wanted to put something into the trunk. The thing I need to remember though when using the card is to make sure to lock it with the card when I leave. I do have the honk to lock set so always try to listen for it as an extra reminder.
Great video and I guess trimming it down isn't really possible since the antenna runs the perimeter. Would like to have the card as a backup but will just use my iPhone without backup.
Has anyone found a practical "hide away" method maybe something like a magnetic key box to keep a card on the car for emergencies?
Has anyone found a practical "hide away" method maybe something like a magnetic key box to keep a card on the car for emergencies?
Don't really need to go that far, Tesla's can be unlocked remotely by your trusted friend or family that have the Tesla app logged into your account.
Or worst case scenario, you can contact Tesla over the phone and they can unlock it for you remotely (though you'd have to prove that you are the actual owner).
Though of course this only works if you don't get stranded in the middle of the desert with no cell reception.
Phone as key works off bluetooth, so as long as your phone is charged, you should be able to get in with your phone. If it's finicky, you may need to reboot your phone, or re-open the tesla app and hit the unlock button. It doesn't need to connect to Tesla's servers to unlock the car via phone.
Or in a parking garage surrounded by steel and concrete. There was a post by one owner in such a case and even Tesla couldn't access the car remotely and he had to have it towed the next day (can't recall the specifics of what went wrong low battery or other issue) but just to point out you don't have to be out in the desert somewhere to not have cell reception.
People had done some pretty creative things modding the key card. They dissolve the plastic and keep the antenna and RFID chip intact and repackage it into different things like a key fob
If you want to try it, see this thread model 3 rfid chip put into homemade "fob"- success!
If you want to try it, see this thread model 3 rfid chip put into homemade "fob"- success!
srs5694
Active Member
I've read that phone-as-key works better for iOS and for Android version 9 ("Pie") and later; Android 8 ("Oreo") and earlier don't work as well. When I took delivery of my car, just under a month ago, my OnePlus 5t phone was running Oreo (LineageOS 15.1, to be precise), and the phone worked as a key about half the time. To be fair, it usually did eventually work, but I'd have to pull on the handle four or five times before it would open. I upgraded to LineageOS 16 (Android 9) and it's been much more reliable since then, although still not perfect -- I'd say it works about 90% of the time now, but still takes a while to grant me entry sometimes. Thus, if you're having problems with an Android 8 or earlier phone, you might check with the manufacturer to see if an upgrade to Android 9 is available. If not, and if you're technically savvy enough, you could check out LineageOS or other fully open-source Android versions; but installing these is not a trivial undertaking, so don't try unless you're confident you can do it. In a worst-case scenario, replacing an older phone with a newer one (an iPhone or Android 9 device) might be worthwhile. The Model 3 key fob is $150, which isn't that much less than a new phone -- although Android 9 is new enough that it may only be available on high-end phones at this point.
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