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Valet Parking

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Newbie here who just configured mine yesterday and waiting for delivery; but just dawned on me that leaving the M3 with valets may be a bit tricky/sticky - having to trust that they won't misplace/lose the keycard, having them fuss with the touchscreen, etc. I live in LA where valet parking is often unavoidable. Wondering if anyone has had any experiences/issues with this?
 
I wouldn’t valet it either, but they don’t need to fuss with the touchscreen at all. All they need to do is put it in drive, reverse, and park. Anyway, if you’re in California it will soon be hard to find a valet that isn’t experienced with the Model 3 keycard.
 
On the rare occasion that I can't avoid valet (or have to give it to some other attendant or mechanic) I bought this windowed bi-fold with keyring:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LC5ZS2/

And ginned up an instruction card and laminated it.
Screen Shot 2018-04-19 at 18.57.36.png


Looks like this in the bi-fold:

bifold.png


And the keyring lets them hang it in their key cabinet. If I have to valet, I'll pull the keycard out of my wallet, put it in the bifold and hand it to the valet, making sure he reads the card.

Attached is a PDF that prints it out in credit-card size.

--Carlos V.
 

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  • TeslaM3_valet.pdf
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I wouldn’t valet it either, but they don’t need to fuss with the touchscreen at all. All they need to do is put it in drive, reverse, and park. Anyway, if you’re in California it will soon be hard to find a valet that isn’t experienced with the Model 3 keycard.
Yes though it may be quite a while before they get used to the key card versus the fobs since 3's are still quite a rare sighting here in SoCal.
 
On the rare occasion that I can't avoid valet (or have to give it to some other attendant or mechanic) I bought this windowed bi-fold with keyring:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LC5ZS2/

And ginned up an instruction card and laminated it.
View attachment 295379

Looks like this in the bi-fold:

View attachment 295380

And the keyring lets them hang it in their key cabinet. If I have to valet, I'll pull the keycard out of my wallet, put it in the bifold and hand it to the valet, making sure he reads the card.

Attached is a PDF that prints it out in credit-card size.

--Carlos V.
BRILLIANT!!!
 
On the rare occasion that I can't avoid valet (or have to give it to some other attendant or mechanic) I bought this windowed bi-fold with keyring:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LC5ZS2/

And ginned up an instruction card and laminated it.
View attachment 295379

Looks like this in the bi-fold:

View attachment 295380

And the keyring lets them hang it in their key cabinet. If I have to valet, I'll pull the keycard out of my wallet, put it in the bifold and hand it to the valet, making sure he reads the card.

Attached is a PDF that prints it out in credit-card size.

--Carlos V.
Do you mind attaching a pdf of the top illustration as well? Thank you!!!
 
Uhh, that's what the TeslaM3_valet.pdf file is. Unless you mean the keycard itself. That you have in your wallet already. Black, the Tesla logo on one side, lock/unlock diagram on the back. I insert the keycard in the bifold with that picture facing outwards (not the Tesla logo side)

--Carlos V.
Oh I see - thought the top window was another illustration - so that's the key card! Lol sorry didn't know what it looked like! Thank you!!!
 
On the rare occasion that I can't avoid valet (or have to give it to some other attendant or mechanic) I bought this windowed bi-fold with keyring:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LC5ZS2/

And ginned up an instruction card and laminated it.
View attachment 295379
...

--Carlos V.

Great idea Carlos. I would not worry to much in California. If they can figure out how to start a Koenigsegg and some of the other crazy exotics they will be able to figure out a Model 3.
 
Went to New Orleans for French Quarter Festival a week ago, and stayed at the Aloft Downtown. My option was valet - that's it. When I brought out the card to my 3 and showed the guy that checked the car in, he gave me the "Yeah, yeah - I know how it works" look.

When we left, the younger kid that was working valet walked away and 10 minutes or so later came back telling me he had no idea how to make it work. I said "Okay, if I just drive it out?" "Sure"

Yeah... That was the single tightest parking garage I've ever been in, and my 3 now has it's first booboo as a result. I've got curb rash on the back passenger tire, and I can't help but think if I'd explained to the valet kid how to use the card that I might not have it.

Also worth noting, they just taped something to my card so they could hang it up. I just looked at the card thinking "That better come off." (It did.)
 
Yes though it may be quite a while before they get used to the key card versus the fobs since 3's are still quite a rare sighting here in SoCal.

Yeah, my wrap/tint place who is a bit of a Tesla specialist, gave me a blank look when I handed her my keycard. I was the first Model 3 they had seen. She immediately went off to buy new keycard holders for them to use.
 
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