Key in Key Switch, Door Ajar

kgb · Apr 15, 2011

I'm starting a thread so that owners can vent about this. If I'm the only one, so be it.

When one sees a warning or alarm repeatedly, it is human nature to ignore it. If a warning is being ignored, it serves no purpose.

I am sick an tired of seeing the "Key in Key Switch, Door Ajar" warning. Perhaps every one else has a different routine, but when I get in the vehicle, I follow the same routine: Right foot in, butt on seat, lean over and place key in ignition, sit up and bring left foot in, close door. I am usually already backing up by the time that warning clears.

Tesla Motors, please change the criteria that triggers that warning. Disable the warning within the 1st minute of turning on the ignition. It's not like your touch screen is so responsive that a simple touch dismisses the warning. This is really getting irritating. Everyday, I sit there and wait a few seconds for that error to clear so that I can use the home link button on the touch screen. That error makes no sense. I really see that coming in handy as I'm leaving the car, but when I am getting in the car, that warning is so stupid! Of course the key is in the key switch, I just put it there, of course the door is open, my left foot is still outside!

Or as an alternative, have the warning only take up the top half of the screen, so I can still use the buttons on the bottom.

suxxer · Apr 15, 2011

Disable the warning within the 1st minute of turning on the ignition.

Thumbs up! Stop that alarm...

Doug_G · Apr 15, 2011

Ditto.

Dragon · Apr 15, 2011

Simply change the way you enter the car.

With the top off it's really easy!

benji4 · Apr 15, 2011

This one is a bit of a tough call I think. The "Key in Key Switch, Door Ajar" warning is to prevent people from taking off while their door is still not closed completely, and on a couple of occasions this message has actually alerted me that my door was not fully closed before I started moving. More often then not however, like kgb I'm aware that the door is still open so the message is really just telling me something I already know and going to correct before I start my journey. So what can be done? Really the best solution would be if the firmware let users disable certain non-critical messages they don't want to see. I'm kind of neutral about this particular error though since I think the engineers figured that most people would get in the car, close the door, and then start the car up. You can't blame them too much for that...

Doug_G · Apr 15, 2011

benji4 said:
This one is a bit of a tough call I think. The "Key in Key Switch, Door Ajar" warning is to prevent people from taking off while their door is still not closed completely, and on a couple of occasions this message has actually alerted me that my door was not fully closed before I started moving.

Trivial solution: sound the alarm if you put the car "in gear". Don't display the message when you're in Park.

However, when you STOP the car, you can sound the alarm regardless of the transmission setting. The car knows when it's been on or off.

zack · Apr 15, 2011

Dear Tesla engineers... this is a potentially the most advanced automobile on earth. Please at least pretend that you're thinking when you plan how it behaves.

bonnie · Apr 15, 2011

Dear Tesla Engineers:

I think you've done a phenomenal job. So when you send out that signal to disable certain targeted VINs, please remember my kind words and be sure to NOT put #1194 on the list.

Thank you.

strider · Apr 15, 2011

+100 What bugs me about this "alarm" is that it prevents you from seeing the last charge stats (time, kWh, and cost). I like seeing those stats in the morning so I have to make extra sure the door is closed before I turn on the ignition. Yes, I know I can see that data by navigating a few screens but I don't want to go through all that trouble.

I'm guessing they added the alarm so people wouldn't leave it "running" since there isn't any ICE noise to queue them. But as others have said, it's just software. I like the idea to suppress the alarm when first starting up.

SByer · Apr 15, 2011

This must have been with a recent firmware update - I never saw these until my car was updated recently. It's annoying, to be sure.

samcarney · Apr 16, 2011

kgb said:
Everyday, I sit there and wait a few seconds for that error to clear so that I can use the home link button on the touch screen.

Let's all take a deep breath.

kgb · Apr 17, 2011

samcarney said:
Let's all take a deep breath.

Yes, but I'm in a big rush!!!

rsquared99 · Apr 17, 2011

Then the key is, don't do something that delays you further. Pull your left leg in, shut the door and turn the key. Youth always wants instant gratification.

Jaff · Apr 17, 2011

That's what I do RS...no software upgrade required! :biggrin::wink:

3lectronica · Apr 17, 2011

kgb said:
I'm starting a thread so that owners can vent about this. If I'm the only one, so be it.

When one sees a warning or alarm repeatedly, it is human nature to ignore it. If a warning is being ignored, it serves no purpose.

I am sick an tired of seeing the "Key in Key Switch, Door Ajar" warning. Perhaps every one else has a different routine, but when I get in the vehicle, I follow the same routine: Right foot in, butt on seat, lean over and place key in ignition, sit up and bring left foot in, close door. I am usually already backing up by the time that warning clears.

Tesla Motors, please change the criteria that triggers that warning. Disable the warning within the 1st minute of turning on the ignition. It's not like your touch screen is so responsive that a simple touch dismisses the warning. This is really getting irritating. Everyday, I sit there and wait a few seconds for that error to clear so that I can use the home link button on the touch screen. That error makes no sense. I really see that coming in handy as I'm leaving the car, but when I am getting in the car, that warning is so stupid! Of course the key is in the key switch, I just put it there, of course the door is open, my left foot is still outside!

Or as an alternative, have the warning only take up the top half of the screen, so I can still use the buttons on the bottom.

just fyi, you can tap the alert and it will "go away", but remain in the background.

kgb · Apr 17, 2011

You guys are making it sound like I'm some sort of really impatient kid. Fact is, sometimes I am already moving in reverse before the error even pops up. It's not like the error reporting and clearing is responsive. In a car that gives instant torque, I expect that when I close the door, the error should clear. But sometimes, if I turn the key 0.001 seconds before closing the door, even though the door has been closed for a couple seconds, I still get the error. The main reason for my complaint is that the alarm always seems to pop up just as I reach for the home-link button. So I tap the alert (what seems like 50 times) for it to clear, just so I can open my gate. When I went to engineering school, they told me that if all the users have the same problem with a product, it's not the user's fault, but a design flaw. No need to make excuses for the Tesla engineers... they made a great car, but this error is an irritating design flaw. Needs to be addressed in a firmware update.

The way I see it, the drivers who don't see this error must do a pre-flight checklist. That's how the error clears for them.

Dragon · Apr 17, 2011

Someone already tried to send a mail to Tesla about it? That's the way to go.

benji4 · Apr 17, 2011

It certainly be much better as Doug_G notes, and would solve everone's problem if the message did not get activated when the car is in park. I get most annoyed by the message when I need to open my door for something while the car is still on, but I put the car in park first and usually put the parking break on as well before I do that. Why they hell do I need the message at that point? It really is annoying actually because I put the car in park already so I could open the door safely. It's obvious that the vehicle is in park and is not going anywhere so the message and alarm tell me nothing that I don't already know. Now if the car is in drive and the door is opened, by all means the warning is appropriate and could save somebody's car from creaping away. If not, it's like the Boy Who Cried Wolf and could very well have the opposite effect !!!

tetsuos · Apr 18, 2011

Absolutely makes sense, and even though I don't (yet) use the HomeLink feature, I still find this alert annoying. I am also bothered by the short 45 second time to insert my key in the ignition before the security system is reset... Does anyone know why the Tesla engineers set the timeout to such a short period?

rabar10 · Apr 18, 2011

benji4 said:
I get most annoyed by the message when I need to open my door for something while the car is still on, but I put the car in park first and usually put the parking break on as well before I do that. Why they hell do I need the message at that point?

Just as a point of reference, my 2002 Saturn will make annoying dinging sounds if you open the door with the key still in the ignition. This happens whether the car is on or off.

It's a security thing -- "Hey, looks like you're leaving me, you know someone else could hop in here and drive me away, right?"

Key in Key Switch, Door Ajar

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