Frustrations with door locks

austintexas · Nov 20, 2015

I'm frustrated with how the MS' door handles function.

I can't be the only person who drops a kid off in a "drop off line" at school. You roll up slowly, then have to unlock the door so it can be opened from the outside to let your kid out.

The problem is that the MS doesn't let you unlock the door at low speeds. You have to be completely stopped in order to hit the unlock button. Apparently I'm too quick to hit the unlock button even when I think I'm fully stopped, and it doesn't work.

I'm happy they added an unlock button directly on the home screen. But there's a bug with it, too. If you put the car in park, the doors automatically unlock. After a minute or so the handles retract again but the icon doesn't register that the doors are locked. So when you want to unlock them for people on the outside you have to hit the button twice.

Anyone else frustrated by this?

trils0n · Nov 20, 2015

If you are still in the car when the handles retract after parking, they are still unlocked, just not extended. The person getting in the car just needs to touch the handle and they will pop out. You can also press the park button on the gear selector stalk to extend the handles, even if you are already in park.

mibaro2 · Nov 20, 2015

When the handles retract and don't show as locked on the centre console, the person outside just has to press on the handle for it to present itself.

I haven't had a chance to try the "drop off line. I normally just put it in park.

Phil K · Nov 20, 2015

1. I think it's a safety feature to not allowing unlock when the car is still in motion. No big deal as you can get the timing right after a few tries.

2. As mentioned above, the car is still unlock even when the handles are retracted so it is not a bug.

austintexas · Nov 20, 2015

I don't think I can educate all of the teachers on how to open the locks, but I like trils0n's idea of putting it in park again.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Electric700 · Nov 20, 2015

trils0n said:
If you are still in the car when the handles retract after parking, they are still unlocked, just not extended. The person getting in the car just needs to touch the handle and they will pop out. You can also press the park button on the gear selector stalk to extend the handles, even if you are already in park.

Great suggestions. For the case you mentioned, I've found it necessary to actually push on the retracted door handle, then it will extend for me.

William3 · Nov 20, 2015

austintexas said:
Anyone else frustrated by this?

Yep, very annoyed by this too. If you press "unlock" then it should unlock (and extend the door handles) -- at any speed. The car should always obey the owner. Really bad decision/programming on their part.
I don't have kids so I have no idea what a "drop off line" is. Are you just parked in a line of cars, and someone from outside walks up and opens the door for the child?

If so, maybe this workaround will suffice until Tesla fixes their poor design:

How about, after putting the car in "Park", you open your door (driver's door) just an inch (just enough to be ajar). This will unlock the doors and force the handles to remain extended indefinitely. Once the child's door gets opened, then just close your door.

tenstringer009 · Nov 20, 2015

William3 said:
The car should always obey the owner.

I'm hoping you're making this statement just in the context of unlocking/locking doors. I'd really prefer that the car not obey the driver in all situations (accelerator and brake pedal depressed at the same time, maintaining an unsafe speed set by the driver when approaching another car, etc.).

William3 · Nov 20, 2015

Yes, just in context of the door locks.

mspohr · Nov 20, 2015

austintexas said:
I'm frustrated with how the MS' door handles function.

I can't be the only person who drops a kid off in a "drop off line" at school. You roll up slowly, then have to unlock the door so it can be opened from the outside to let your kid out.

The problem is that the MS doesn't let you unlock the door at low speeds. You have to be completely stopped in order to hit the unlock button. Apparently I'm too quick to hit the unlock button even when I think I'm fully stopped, and it doesn't work.

I'm happy they added an unlock button directly on the home screen. But there's a bug with it, too. If you put the car in park, the doors automatically unlock. After a minute or so the handles retract again but the icon doesn't register that the doors are locked. So when you want to unlock them for people on the outside you have to hit the button twice.

Anyone else frustrated by this?

I hope you're not doing a low speed drive by drop off.
When you put it in Park, you can open the door handles by pressing the Park button. Also anyone can tap on the handles and they will open.
Best to be fully stopped and have the car in Park before you let your precious cargo out in the street.

mikeash · Nov 20, 2015

I don't understand the problem. My procedure is: drive in the line, stop the car, press the Park button, kid gets out, shift back into D, drive away. Why fiddle with manually unlocking the car?

For the second bit, the handles extend when you push the Park button, even if you're already in Park. In eight months of owning this car I've never once had to directly lock or unlock the doors. I think you might be overthinking things.

wcalvin · Nov 21, 2015

My wife's complaint about door latch design: she is used to a two-stage door unlock. First the driver's door unlocks, but not the others. Second hit on button opens all doors. Seemed pretty standard approach. Why the backward step by Tesla?

Gabzqc · Nov 22, 2015

Why cant the kid open the door from the inside?!

jerry33 · Nov 22, 2015

Gabzqc said:
Why cant the kid open the door from the inside?!

The child locks are probably on.

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Frustrations with door locks

austintexas

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trils0n

2013 P85

mibaro2

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Phil K

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austintexas

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Electric700

Active Member

William3

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tenstringer009

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William3

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mspohr

Well-Known Member

mikeash

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wcalvin

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Gabzqc

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jerry33

(S85-3/2/13 traded in) X LR: F2611##-3/27/20

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