Strange Behavior only after charging

[KenBlub]

This is a new problem but I can’t be sure it’s because of a recent update. I set my car to charge overnight stopping charging at my variable departure and off peak charging time. This part works wonderfully. It stops charging when it should

My issue comes after that. I go to my garage, use my phone to unlock the doors and unlock the charging port. The charger comes out easily

When I get into my car to put the vehicle in R, I get a message I need to use the key card to put my car in gear. My car sees my phone as a key. This only happens after a charging session. Every other time my phone works as it should as a key

Is this a “feature“ or a bug? I’ve had my EV for months and this just started happening. Thanks for any help

 

[M109Rider]

I have had that happen to me a few times now. I’m not certain it happens only after a charge, but I suspect that’s the case. Must be a new software bug, because it’s new for me also.

 

[KenBlub]

Thanks. At least for me it’s only happened immediately after charging. Is there any way we can alert Tesla of this potential issue?

 

[father_of_6]

Thanks. At least for me it’s only happened immediately after charging. Is there any way we can alert Tesla of this potential issue?

Nope, and there are so many little bugs it's not even funny. Oh well, gotta take the good with the bad.

You *might* have luck removing your phone key, "forgetting" Bluetooth from both devices (car and phone), then pairing again. At least for some users that have issues with their phone key, this resolves it. Admittedly this is the first I've heard of phone key issues tied to charging.

 

[father_of_6]

And really... you've already unplugged the charger and opened the door at that point, so the "key" did it's job... just didn't "start" the car for some reason. Have you tried rebooting? (Hold both scroll wheels for 4 long seconds).

 

[KenBlub]

Yes. Not only rebooting but powering off for 5 minutes. I’ll be charging in a couple days and can see if it happens again

 

[804son]

Only because I don't seem to have this problem, try the following:
Remove Charging cable first.
Then unlock the doors, get in and foot on the brake.

 

[father_of_6]

My issue comes after that. I go to my garage, use my phone to unlock the doors and unlock the charging port. The charger comes out easily

When I get into my car to put the vehicle in R, I get a message I need to use the key card to put my car in gear. My car sees my phone as a key. This only happens after a charging session. Every other time my phone works as it should as a key

Wait... I only just reread this, and it no longer makes sense to me.

What do you mean by "use my phone to unlock the doors and unlock the charging port"? If your phone key was working, you'd just walk up, unplug the charger, open the door and drive away.

It sounds like you're opening the app and unlocking the door and charge port. In that case, what makes you think your phone key is working?

For sure, there are times that the phone key will delay doing its job. It could just be a coincidence that it seems like it happens when you're charging. Or maybe not a coincidence... but in either case what you're describing doesn't sound like the phone key. It sounds like you're using the app to do these things.

 

[PianoAl]

For sure, there are times that the phone key will delay doing its job. It could just be a coincidence that it seems like it happens when you're charging.

This is what I think is happening. I've gotten the key card message a few times with no correlation with anything.

 

[KenBlub]

Wait... I only just reread this, and it no longer makes sense to me.

What do you mean by "use my phone to unlock the doors and unlock the charging port"? If your phone key was working, you'd just walk up, unplug the charger, open the door and drive away.

It sounds like you're opening the app and unlocking the door and charge port. In that case, what makes you think your phone key is working?

For sure, there are times that the phone key will delay doing its job. It could just be a coincidence that it seems like it happens when you're charging. Or maybe not a coincidence... but in either case what you're describing doesn't sound like the phone key. It sounds like you're using the app to do these things.

My phone is my key. My only key really. I never used my card for months before this started happening. I described using my phone to open the charge port and unlock the doors to show the Bluetooth connection between the phone and the car was working. After I drive away and go about my day maybe stopping 4-5 times, the phone works to start the car like normal. This only happens after a finished charge. Thanks

 

[father_of_6]

Perhaps it's worth turning Bluetooth off next time and seeing if you can still unlock the charger and open the door with it off. This would confirm if it is indeed the phone key allowing those to happen.

Pretty sure there's also a setting to not lock the car when it's at home.

 

[jjrandorin]

I described using my phone to open the charge port and unlock the doors to show the Bluetooth connection between the phone and the car was working.

Im still not clear what you are doing, though.

When you walk to your car, do you:

1. Just walk up, pull the handle on the door, then get in?

OR

2. Walk up, grab your phone, click UNLOCK in the tesla app then get in?

Thats what @father_of_6 is asking, and one of those is phone as key and one isnt. Both use bluetooth, but different types, so clicking "UNLOCK" in the tesla app has zero to do with "phone as key".

 

[KenBlub]

Thanks. When it first happened, I just pulled out the charger and opened the door with my hand. Went to start the car. Nothing. This worked well for me for months.

To troubleshoot, I started using the Tesla app to unlock the charge port and also to lock and then unlock the doors. That showed me at least Bluetooth was working. Tried to start car. Nothing. Mind you there are only 2 keys. My card and my phone. For months I could always use my phone to “start” the car after charging using off peak charging.

My phone works perfectly as my key every day, under every circumstance except for the first use after charging has stopped. Rebooted- no difference. Shut down- no difference. Rebooted phone-no difference.

FWIW I just attached my Apple Watch as a phone key using Tessie. Works fine.

 

[jjrandorin]

To troubleshoot, I started using the Tesla app to unlock the charge port and also to lock and then unlock the doors. That showed me at least Bluetooth was working.

Perhaps I am not being clear, but "bluetooth working" via unlocking the phone in the Tesla app has zero (nothing) to do with "bluetooth working" to use phone as key. They are two completely separate types of connections (one is bluetooth, the other is bluetooth LE), with different pairing methods.


It is ENTIRELY possible to pair a phone via bluetooth, unlock the car with the tesla app, and not have installed it as a phone key. Its also possible to pair the phone as a key, and Not have a regular bluetooth connection to it to be able to make phone calls, etc.

Using the Tesla app to unlock the car, does not prove anything as it relates to phone as key.

If you want to use phone as key, you should re-pair the phone as key. Sorry to be repetitive, but because you have mentioned it a couple of times, one more time, bluetooth for phone as key is not the same as bluetooth for unlocking via the tesla app, and using the phone to unlock the car with the tesla app does not do anything at all to prove or disprove a phone as key connection.

 

[Haydn31]

This is a new problem but I can’t be sure it’s because of a recent update. I set my car to charge overnight stopping charging at my variable departure and off peak charging time. This part works wonderfully. It stops charging when it should

My issue comes after that. I go to my garage, use my phone to unlock the doors and unlock the charging port. The charger comes out easily

When I get into my car to put the vehicle in R, I get a message I need to use the key card to put my car in gear. My car sees my phone as a key. This only happens after a charging session. Every other time my phone works as it should as a key

Is this a “feature“ or a bug? I’ve had my EV for months and this just started happening. Thanks for any help

Close and reopen the app. That fixes it.

 

[father_of_6]

Touching the buttons in the app to lock/unlock could be using WiFi or cellular as well, it's really not a good measure of Bluetooth connectivity at all.

As mentioned though, and just to reiterate, "phone as key" does not require you to press any buttons in the app... it doesn't even require the app to be actively running in the foreground on your phone (it runs as a background service).

This might seem like "splitting hairs", but to get to the root of the issue we need to isolate and determine exactly what the cause is.

If you had Bluetooth turned off (or didn't set up "phone as key"), you could still use the app to unlock the door, but when you try putting it into reverse, it would ask for your key card as you've noted. You could then either touch the key card near the cupholder OR go into the app and press the "start" button. With "phone as key" set up, no interaction with the app is required.

So the real test is this. First, ensure that your mirrors fold when the car is locked so you can be sure that it's locked. Do your charging... in the morning just unplug the car, get in, and drive away without interacting with the app.

If you're able to get into the car (and you're sure it was locked because the mirrors were folded), but are still unable to "start" the car, something very strange is happening.

My guess is though... you don't have "phone as key" setup on your phone. If you do and you still have this issue, I would delete the phone and re-add it.

 

[KenBlub]

Touching the buttons in the app to lock/unlock could be using WiFi or cellular as well, it's really not a good measure of Bluetooth connectivity at all.

As mentioned though, and just to reiterate, "phone as key" does not require you to press any buttons in the app... it doesn't even require the app to be actively running in the foreground on your phone (it runs as a background service).

This might seem like "splitting hairs", but to get to the root of the issue we need to isolate and determine exactly what the cause is.

If you had Bluetooth turned off (or didn't set up "phone as key"), you could still use the app to unlock the door, but when you try putting it into reverse, it would ask for your key card as you've noted. You could then either touch the key card near the cupholder OR go into the app and press the "start" button. With "phone as key" set up, no interaction with the app is required.

So the real test is this. First, ensure that your mirrors fold when the car is locked so you can be sure that it's locked. Do your charging... in the morning just unplug the car, get in, and drive away without interacting with the app.

If you're able to get into the car (and you're sure it was locked because the mirrors were folded), but are still unable to "start" the car, something very strange is happening.

My guess is though... you don't have "phone as key" setup on your phone. If you do and you still have this issue, I would delete the phone and re-add it.

Thanks for the reply. As indicated earlier, I DO have phone as key set up. I only have 2 keys set up. My phone and my key card. I went months leaving my key card at home because my phone as key worked fine. This behavior never happens if I’m not just finished charging. Your description of being able to open the locked door but unable to start the car is exactly what is happening.

To further troubleshoot I deleted my phone key so my key card was the only key. I then added my Apple Watch through Tessie as a key. Charged. Worked fine. I deleted my Apple Watch. Added my wife’s iPhone as a key. Charged. Worked fine. Deleted her phone. Added my iPhone back. Same issue. Conclusion I am coming to is there is an issue between my iPhone XR and the app or the car. Further updates may or may not help. I’m guessing since my iPhone is probably older than most, this isn’t noticeable to many.

 

[father_of_6]

Added my iPhone back. Same issue. Conclusion I am coming to is there is an issue between my iPhone XR and the app or the car. Further updates may or may not help. I’m guessing since my iPhone is probably older than most, this isn’t noticeable to many.

Hmm... but then it should also not allow you to open the door handle.

1. Does it still "walk away lock"? (mirrors fold when you get far enough away)
2. If so, what happens if you then turn Bluetooth off, walk back to the car, and open the door? Will it unlock?

 

[father_of_6]

Could it be that the "phone as key" is just not working altogether after charging, but you have "stay unlocked at home" enabled?

I accept that phone as key is not bulletproof, but have a hard time accepting that it works only for unlocking the door and not for starting the car. My gut says there's some other setting at play.

 

[KenBlub]

Could it be that the "phone as key" is just not working altogether after charging, but you have "stay unlocked at home" enabled?

I accept that phone as key is not bulletproof, but have a hard time accepting that it works only for unlocking the door and not for starting the car. My gut says there's some other setting at play.

Yeah. This is driving me crazy. What leads me away from a setting is the fact the other 2 devices I added as a key worked fine and even my phone works fine if the car isn’t recently charged. I’ll see if things improve after the next phone or car update