Model Y broken into
Discussion
Gullwings said:
Any updates?
I've spent the best part of 20 minutes testing the range on the car, and as others have said, it won't open at all unless my phone is less than 1-2m from it
Just for good measure I've emptied the car, and it will remain devoid of valuables for the foreseeable future
Yes - just got received from the 'area supervisor' I have been back and forth with their technician for the past few weeks supplying more and more evidence. I've spent the best part of 20 minutes testing the range on the car, and as others have said, it won't open at all unless my phone is less than 1-2m from it
Just for good measure I've emptied the car, and it will remain devoid of valuables for the foreseeable future
I must say I am utterly disgusted with their response. They are closing the case . The car was 'in range' of the phone and therefore operating as it should. I have asked them to put this in writing - so this position can be tested publicly.
So, although I locked the car, as a reasonable and vigilant person would do, the 'convenience' feature (the phone key) can actually undo the action of locking the car and someone can walk up to your car and unlock it as if they had the phone key on them.
To clarify - typically the phone key will only work when I'm standing next to the car - there are dozens of Sentry mode videos on the car's HD of my 8 year old running up to the car to get in and activating Sentry (she always runs ahead up to the car). This is the normal activation and what you would expect for a keyless system - that the system will only recognise the key when close to the car. If this wasn't the case, then there would be no such thing as relay theft - anyone could just walk up to any keyless car and 'break in' without using any force.
The idea that the car can be in range of the 'key' when its upstairs in the house by the side of the owners bed , rendering ANY security measure completely void is laudable at best . I'm beyond furious.
MaxFromage said:
The OP's car isn't working right.
Tesla will only allow a vehicle to open using the phone if it within a metre or so of the car. On an almost daily basis my daughter tries to open the car whilst I am a few metres away and it doesn't let her. This is after I have woken the car 5 minutes earlier, from say 10 metres away and am connected to it due to heating the car etc.
This is exactly the case with me. According to Tesla - who apparently have carried out in depth testing and have escalated this to area level - the car IS working right. Tesla will only allow a vehicle to open using the phone if it within a metre or so of the car. On an almost daily basis my daughter tries to open the car whilst I am a few metres away and it doesn't let her. This is after I have woken the car 5 minutes earlier, from say 10 metres away and am connected to it due to heating the car etc.
Worryingly, there is no way of knowing when the car starts working 'wrong'.
Thieves who routinely walk around testing handles for unlocked cars could be in for a field day when it comes to model ys. I suspect the model 3s are similar.
I'm not going to let this one go. If the system should operate the way mine did, then it should be WELL publicised so that owners can take mitigating action. I'm sure insurers would want to know this too.
In your original post you say there was a buggy in the boot. Is it possible the boot was not closed properly?
Has happened to me once that because of tools in the boot it was not closed. The doors were locked but the boot was ajar. The only warning I had was that the picture of the car on the app showed the boot open, although no notification sent to my phone to say it was not locked.
Possible the thieves hit the illuminated “close boot” button as they made away with your buggy…
Has happened to me once that because of tools in the boot it was not closed. The doors were locked but the boot was ajar. The only warning I had was that the picture of the car on the app showed the boot open, although no notification sent to my phone to say it was not locked.
Possible the thieves hit the illuminated “close boot” button as they made away with your buggy…
Edited by Hans_Gruber on Thursday 7th December 23:23
Hans_Gruber said:
In your original post you say there was a buggy in the boot. Is it possible the boot was not closed properly?
Has happened to me once that because of tools in the boot it was not closed. The doors were locked but the boot was ajar. The only warning I had was that the picture of the car on the app showed the boot open, although no notification sent to my phone to say it was not locked.
Possible the thieves hit the illuminated “close boot” button as they made away with your buggy…
Hi the boot was closed and the car locked - ring footage shows the wing mirrors tucked in at 3.30 AM and out at 4.30. The boot/car being unlocked is not in question - Tesla doesn't dispute the car was lockedHas happened to me once that because of tools in the boot it was not closed. The doors were locked but the boot was ajar. The only warning I had was that the picture of the car on the app showed the boot open, although no notification sent to my phone to say it was not locked.
Possible the thieves hit the illuminated “close boot” button as they made away with your buggy…
Edited by Hans_Gruber on Thursday 7th December 23:23
What they say is the key was in range for the thief the open the boot and rifle though the items in the centre console. As I said, a few days later I tested what would happen if I tried the doors with the phone on my dining room table - and the car opened every time. All of this is.withim normal operation according to Tesla.
As I said earlier - I would disable the phone key if the car is not going to be parked there is absolutely no way of knowing when the "standard operation" of the car will make your accessable to anyone who tries the handle.
Matt_E_Mulsion said:
Unless I've missed the point, it seems the root of the problem is that the car does not seem to be able to work out how close or far away the phone is, thus allowing it to be unlocked even when the bluetooth 'key' is quite a distance from the car.
Yes, in this particular case. Which is weird and suggests something - the car, or the phone - is not behaving normally.In most cases (like mine) the car (Tesla) will only unlock when the phone is very close to the car. In my case I'm going to say only 2 or 3 feet - sometimes it likes being even closer.
It will be interesting to see if the OP can get to the bottom of this.
Broken Hero said:
The idea that the car can be in range of the 'key' when its upstairs in the house by the side of the owners bed , rendering ANY security measure completely void is laudable at best . I'm beyond furious.
What a shocking response from Tesla.Just out of interest though, when your phone is by your bed, does the app say the car is 'Connected' or 'disconnected'?
Do you have the latest Android updates for your phone, and the latest version of the Tesla app installed?
It sounds as if the phone/app is using conventional Bluetooth for the communication/unlocking, rather than Bluetooth LE which allows for the signal strength to be measured and therefore the distance between devices to be estimated (and hence only unlock if close to the car).
Check in your phone's settings that the Bluetooth set up is as required.
It sounds as if the phone/app is using conventional Bluetooth for the communication/unlocking, rather than Bluetooth LE which allows for the signal strength to be measured and therefore the distance between devices to be estimated (and hence only unlock if close to the car).
Check in your phone's settings that the Bluetooth set up is as required.
jeremyc said:
Do you have the latest Android updates for your phone, and the latest version of the Tesla app installed?
It sounds as if the phone/app is using conventional Bluetooth for the communication/unlocking, rather than Bluetooth LE which allows for the signal strength to be measured and therefore the distance between devices to be estimated (and hence only unlock if close to the car).
Check in your phone's settings that the Bluetooth set up is as required.
Latest version of android and the latest version of the app - it's a Pixel 7a. All the settings in the phone are as I'd expectIt sounds as if the phone/app is using conventional Bluetooth for the communication/unlocking, rather than Bluetooth LE which allows for the signal strength to be measured and therefore the distance between devices to be estimated (and hence only unlock if close to the car).
Check in your phone's settings that the Bluetooth set up is as required.
Gullwings said:
What a shocking response from Tesla.
Just out of interest though, when your phone is by your bed, does the app say the car is 'Connected' or 'disconnected'?
Sometimes connected sometimes disconnected. Not sure if this related or anyone else has seen this issue however the phone (and my previous pixel 5) would often disconnect Just out of interest though, when your phone is by your bed, does the app say the car is 'Connected' or 'disconnected'?
NDA said:
Yes, in this particular case. Which is weird and suggests something - the car, or the phone - is not behaving normally.
In most cases (like mine) the car (Tesla) will only unlock when the phone is very close to the car. In my case I'm going to say only 2 or 3 feet - sometimes it likes being even closer.
It will be interesting to see if the OP can get to the bottom of this.
Typically, this is exactly how the phone key works. On the day the car was broken into it wasn't working this way. The technician was able to see the exact time the boot was opened - at this time I was fast asleep with the phone next me. I also gave them the times a few days later when I tested the doors and was able to get into the car. Theyve said the car was operating as intended - case closed.In most cases (like mine) the car (Tesla) will only unlock when the phone is very close to the car. In my case I'm going to say only 2 or 3 feet - sometimes it likes being even closer.
It will be interesting to see if the OP can get to the bottom of this.
LHRFlightman said:
Tesla Model 3 here, with a Pixel 6P.
My phone can unlock my car from at least 6 meters away, through a double skinned plasterboard door, and a standard garage door.
Is this by pressing the padlock to unlock the car via the app or keyless entry? Activity unlocking the car yourself isn't the issue in my case as I didn't unlock the car - I locked it. My phone can unlock my car from at least 6 meters away, through a double skinned plasterboard door, and a standard garage door.
essayer said:
There’s no physical way for the car/phone to detect distance, is there? Just signal strength, which is a fickle thing.. doesn’t seem like something that can be trusted to safely secure a vehicle
The exact wording they used was that " the phone key was in permissable range to unlock the vehicle". Which is interesting as typically the range would not go beyond 1/2 ft as many have said. This makes sense because a keyless system that is active while the car is out of sight is as useful as a chocolate teapot - Tesla's would be stolen/broken into left right and centre
Broken Hero said:
LHRFlightman said:
Tesla Model 3 here, with a Pixel 6P.
My phone can unlock my car from at least 6 meters away, through a double skinned plasterboard door, and a standard garage door.
Is this by pressing the padlock to unlock the car via the app or keyless entry? Activity unlocking the car yourself isn't the issue in my case as I didn't unlock the car - I locked it. My phone can unlock my car from at least 6 meters away, through a double skinned plasterboard door, and a standard garage door.
Unlocking via the app does not use Bluetooth - it's over the internet. You can do it from the other end of the country, not just a few metres away.
The OP's problem is with the Bluetooth keyless entry, where you don't interact manually with the app you just walk up and open the door with the phone in your pocket.
The OP's problem is with the Bluetooth keyless entry, where you don't interact manually with the app you just walk up and open the door with the phone in your pocket.
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