Walk away door lock mystery solved

[David99]

I had the worst time getting 'walk away lock' to work. In my previous two Model S it worked fine but I was using the key fob. With my Y and using just the phone it just wouldn't work. The car kept warning me the doors are not locked when I parked the car. I doubled check driver profiles and settings. Just would not work.

I finally figured it out. I have two phones and the Tesla app installed on both. One stays in the car, one comes with me. I have disabled [phone key] in the app's settings. This way it is not supposed to act as a key for the car. It works as far as not unlocking the car when you walk up with the phone. If it's turned off it will not unlock the car. But for some reason it still prevents auto lock to work. It technically should not, but that's what I just found out was the issue.

Until Tesla fixes this, the only way is to either disable Bluetooth or remove the phone as a key completely from the car.

 

[CapsEngineer]

If the second one stays in the car, why have it listed as a key with the car?

I also have two phones with the app installed, and I sometimes leave my work one in the car so I removed it from the car as being a key. I have no problems then.

 

[golferguy]

Tesla won't fix this. You leave your phone in the car with the Tesla App for the car, it will stay unlocked. Imagine how many will be locked out if they changed this. Leave your phone in the wireless charger, come back, car is locked. Now what?

Your a very rare edge case leaving the phone in the car. The masses need it to work as is.

 

[Flatbroke]

Tesla won't fix this. You leave your phone in the car with the Tesla App for the car, it will stay unlocked. Imagine how many will be locked out if they changed this. Leave your phone in the wireless charger, come back, car is locked. Now what?

Your a very rare edge case leaving the phone in the car. The masses need it to work as is.

Right. I leave my phone in the car on purpose sometimes so it wont shut off.

 

[David99]

Tesla won't fix this. You leave your phone in the car with the Tesla App for the car, it will stay unlocked.

I can lock the car from my other phone or a key card. It will stay locked even if the phone is inside with 'phone key' disabled. It will not keep the car unlocked, it will not allow it to be opened nor driven. That's exactly what I expected from this feature. Just odd that there is this residual connection that prevents walk away lock. Not a big deal, just wanted to share my findings.

 

[David99]

If the second one stays in the car, why have it listed as a key with the car?

I also have two phones with the app installed, and I sometimes leave my work one in the car so I removed it from the car as being a key. I have no problems then.

What's the purpose of the feature then? The pairing process is too cumbersome if you have to do it over and over just to disable one phone temporarily. I assumed that was the whole purpose of the feature. And in fact it does exactly that except the walk away lock. Every other functionality of the phone key is disabled.

 

[CapsEngineer]

What's the purpose of the feature then? The pairing process is too cumbersome if you have to do it over and over just to disable one phone temporarily. I assumed that was the whole purpose of the feature. And in fact it does exactly that except the walk away lock. Every other functionality of the phone key is disabled.

You said that one stays in the car and one goes with you. I took that to mean you had one phone that was always in the car for something like data logging, a music player etc. I didn't realize that you meant you sometimes left a phone in your car.

I installed the app on my work to use as a backup. No it doesn't unlock the car, but that's ok. If I need it, I can just use the app to unlock and start the car. A little bit more cumbersome, but it keeps the car from staying unlocked.

What you are asking for is for Tesla to allow everyone to have the CAR lock their keys (phone) in their car. I don't see that happening, especially when there is a viable work around -- decide which is the main phone that you waill always have with you and just enable that one as the key.

My wife's MKZ uses key fobs. I've always been in the habit of locking her car as I exit. If I try to do that when there is a fob in the car, it will beep and unlock when I close the door. I have to use the keypad (apparently Ford exclusive) to lock it. Even then it complains but does it because it knows I can still get in the car using the keypad

 

[dm121721]

I have found that when 2 bluetooth devices are within range of my car, they seem to jam each other and remote door lock ceases to work. I have to revert to using my keycard to unlock the car.

 

[laservet]

Faraday Bags

 

[David99]

What you are asking for is for Tesla to allow everyone to have the CAR lock their keys (phone) in their car. I don't see that happening, especially when there is a viable work around -- decide which is the main phone that you waill always have with you and just enable that one as the key.

Keeping a key card in the car is similar, except a phone with a disabled key function is safer as the phone is locked. Even if someone were to physically break into your car, they still can't drive it as the phone is locked. I think it's pretty save to keep a phone in the car with the 'phone key' feature turned off. I honestly think it's just an oversight in the app development. Some residual connection that the car sees and then turns off walk away lock.

 

[flai54]

Keeping a key card in the car is similar, except a phone with a disabled key function is safer as the phone is locked. Even if someone were to physically break into your car, they still can't drive it as the phone is locked. I think it's pretty save to keep a phone in the car with the 'phone key' feature turned off. I honestly think it's just an oversight in the app development. Some residual connection that the car sees and then turns off walk away lock.

I just add a drive PIN in order to start driving so I don't have to worry about that. I don't think I agree that the app is having any problems if you have your secondary phone in the car set as a key and connected to the Tesla. It is doing what it is suppose to do. Perhaps turning off your secondary phone when not in use is a better way to deal with your problem. I never had problems with the walk away lock when only 1 phone is connected to the Tesla.