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Tesla Service Valet Disables Mobile Access for One New Owner

Published

11 years ago

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Tesla Service Center

I went in for my first Tesla Service the other week after having reported on a few software glitches. Although I had resolved the issues on my own by rebooting the touchscreen, Tesla service still wanted me to bring the car in just for good measure to make sure everything was ok.

The appointment was booked three weeks out due to the lack of loaner availability. They wanted me to bring the car in early in the day, but getting there from where I live during peak traffic would be a nightmare. Hearing this, Tesla quickly suggested their new valet service which would send their driver to come pick up my car from my location during the day of service. Needless to say I took them up on the offer.

Tesla Valet Pick Up

The Tesla valet appeared at my office promptly at the 8:30am scheduled time and provided me with some basic paperwork to review. My main reason for the service was to investigate the reboots, but I figured I’d have them check the suspension too while they’re at it. My Model S felt a bit tight when turning into parking lots and I wasn’t sure if it was normal or something unusual. I asked the valet if he works on the vehicles that he picks up to which he clearly stated that he’s only responsible for the pick-up an deliveries.

We moved forward with the ceremony of him handing me the FOB for the Model S 60 loaner and me handing over the FOB to my precious and that was it. He took off and left me with the loaner. The loaner was “just in case” I needed to run somewhere during the day (I did) and in case they couldn’t get mine back to me before the end of the day.

Tesla Valet Disables Mobile Access

As the Tesla valet drove away with my Model S, I quickly brought up my Tesla iPhone app to check on his progress while he made his way through the heavy Boston traffic and back to the service center. I wondered if he’d obey the speed limits, but I couldn’t connect to the car.

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It seems that the first thing the valet did on entering my car was to disable the app access. After I got the car back I confirmed that it was the only thing that had been changed (and not re-enabled either). I thought this behavior was a bit odd. I poked around on the forums and spoke to a few people and it appears that there’s no “standard” practice, but most service centers leave the tracking enabled except when the car is actually being serviced. Evidently some joker owners have honked the horn and flashed the lights and done other silly things while the mechanics are working on their cars — thats not safe or funny.

I wondered how other people thought about this behavior and started a poll on the Tesla Motors Club forums with these results:

Service & Mobile Poll

As you can see from the results, 88% of owners agree that Tesla should not be changing the mobile access settings except when actually servicing the car.

Tesla Service Repair

I got a 4 page summary of the service that I hadn’t really needed. They basically checked all the issues I reported  (seat heaters, screen reboot etc) and confirmed that everything was in good shape. Tesla did a software update from 5.9 build 1.51.94 to build 1.51.96 which is something you can only get from Tesla service center. Most of the line items/fixes read “updated software and rebooted.”

Tesla had a service bulletin related to a clicking steering wheel (not a complaint of mine) that they applied as part of my service. Those service bulletins are not well documented for owners and you only find out about them by word of mouth. It would be great if they published these bulletins for owners somewhere.

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Since I didn’t really need anything to be fixed and Tesla made an effort to poke at/update/service a bunch of things, it’s hard to say anything bad about the entire event except for the part where they disabled the mobile app. The entire service was free too so I can’t complain. I haven’t had any issues on my Model S since the service.

Tesla Service Completion

Official Fob PocketNear the end of the day Tesla service contacted me to let me know they were getting ready to bring my car back. I was ready to leave work and the traffic didn’t seem that bad going to the service center so I offered to go pick up the car myself.

Tesla gave me an official Tesla FOB pocket when I picked up the car – something you can’t buy anywhere. It was a nice touch which I really appreciated. I’ve been using it everyday since receiving it even though I never really thought I needed one.

ALSO SEE: Deluxe FobPocket Review: Tesla Model S Key Fob Cover

Other than the remote app incident the service event was friendly, easy and Tesla lived up to my high expectations of service for a luxury car. Afterall, most luxury car makers don’t even have a remote app that can be complained about!

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"Rob's passion is technology and gadgets. An engineer by profession and an executive and founder at several high tech startups Rob has a unique view on technology and some strong opinions. When he's not writing about Tesla

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Lifestyle

Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

March 6, 2025

By

Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday. 

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease. 

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“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

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Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

Published

2 months ago

on

January 31, 2025

By

Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

  • But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
  • This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
  • As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
  • For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States. 

FSD user’s tale:

  • As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
  • During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
  • In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous. 
  • “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
  • “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Lifestyle

Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

Published

2 months ago

on

January 14, 2025

By

Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products. 

The video: 

  • Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver. 
  • The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
  • While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
  • Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Cool inside jokes: 

  • The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it. 
  • From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
  • The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
  • The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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