How do you unlock the passenger doors or rear hatch?..

[Chewy13]

Okay. I feel like a dunce; go easy on me. '23 MYLR
I have the setting on, when I walk up to my car, that the driver's door is the only door which I want to unlock - for safety concerns. I don't wish to change that.
At times, I'll have my hands full enough where I could balance something on one hand for a hot second, to hit the rear hatch button above the license plate; but not enough time to open my phone - Face ID, and open the rear hatch (think balancing a couple of grocery bags in one hand, smooshing my face for balance).

So I bought the key fob, thinking I could just keep it in my pocket - and the proximity of the fob would allow me to unlock doors (or the rear hatch) as I approached them, but I'm not sure it actually works that way either.

Also, to unlock the passenger doors - I've been opening the driver's door, and then pressing and holding the driver's interior door open button - but I find myself doing it *a lot*, and I'm wondering if I'm going to prematurely wear out that button, so I'm seeing what others do..

Am I missing a workflow here that makes more sense? Is the fob really only useful if I'm physically pressing the buttons?
TIA

 

[jjrandorin]

A brand new keyfob (as opposed to buying a used one from someone) has passive entry. The first keyfobs didnt, but all new ones have for at least a year. The part you are likely missing is the "drivers door unlock" only mode.

Because you have that set, passive entry isnt working on your rear trunk. You have to choose between passive entry into other doors other than the drivers door, or pushing the physical buttons. Since you stated up front "I dont want to change drivers door unlock mode" the answer to your question of "Is the keyfob only useful if I physically push the button?' is 'Yes, because you are using drivers door only unlock mode"

 

[Chewy13]

A brand new keyfob (as opposed to buying a used one from someone) has passive entry. The first keyfobs didnt, but all new ones have for at least a year. The part you are likely missing is the "drivers door unlock" only mode.

Because you have that set, passive entry isnt working on your rear trunk. You have to choose between passive entry into other doors other than the drivers door, or pushing the physical buttons. Since you stated up front "I dont want to change drivers door unlock mode" the answer to your question of "Is the keyfob only useful if I physically push the button?' is 'Yes, because you are using drivers door only unlock mode"

Gah. I was afraid of that. I was hoping the fob would've been a bit more selective on unlocking doors based on the statements in the manual saying you could leave the fob in your pocket, and that it detected the presence of the fob (was hoping it could do some Direction Finding, to identify where the fob was to allow that door to unlock when physically requested).

Thanks for the quick answer! Maybe I'll bite the bullet and just allow all doors to unlock, and then flip to driver only mode when I feel necessary.

 

[E90alex]

You’ll need to disable driver door unlock mode for passive entry or you can quadruple click on the key fob to unlock all doors (first double click unlocks drivers door, second double click unlocks rest of the doors).

 

[Chewy13]

You’ll need to disable driver door unlock mode for passive entry or you can quadruple click on the key fob to unlock all doors (first double click unlocks drivers door, second double click unlocks rest of the doors).

Thanks for that, I have been quadruple clicking when going out for lunch with co-workers (hands not full )

 

[SidetrackedSue]

Can you get in the habit of carrying the fob in your hand on the walk out with your hands full? You said you could balance stuff enough to hit the rear hatch button, if that is the case, with the fob in your hands you could hit the open hatch button on the fob as you walk up to the car.

My phone isn't always recognized by the effin car until I pull it out, hold it up, and shout "See? The phone is right here, now unlock!" and the car will then let me open either the door or the rear hatch. Not sure which of the actions make a difference but the screaming is cathartic.

When it is imperative that I get in smoothly (major rain storm, high winds threatening to roll a ladened cart away...) I will take my phone out when in the store, open the Tesla App and either unlock the car before leaving the building with my hands full or as I walk up to it if I'm pushing a cart. Not nearly as elegant but it is my workaround. (I don't use the widget, that's how my husband butt-popped the frunk when he was in Germany and I was in Nova Scotia, on a day trip on a ferry with the car back in the ferry parking lot - thankfully we don't keep anything of value in the frunk. I've just decided I don't want another reason to really hate the car.)

BTW my husband has the fob because he has an old phone (Note4) so keeps the bluetooth off to save battery. It works only slightly more reliably than my phone for opening the car via bluetooth. BUT it is way more convenient for opening the rear hatch as we are walking towards the car. It is a one-handed action as opposed to me having to hold my phone in one hand and press the screen with the other hand. So you didn't completely waste your money on the fob.