# More questions... the App, Autopilot, FSD



## Power Surge (Jan 6, 2022)

So I finally got my car added to my Tesla account and can use the app. 

I'm not sure yet about using the phone as the key. I understand that you can control the car via the app anytime since it's on mobile data. But using it as the key requires going through bluetooth. I have tested that out yesterday and today, and not quite sure how I feel about it. My gripe is mainly how long it takes the phone to connect to the car via bluetooth when going back to the car. I feel like I'm just standing next to the car like an idiot not being able to get in it until the car and phone connect. Exiting the car is fine... because you're already connected when in the car. So when you walk away from the car, it locks right away. But not so much when going back to the car. 

Playing around in the app I noticed the upgrades section. So.... $3000 to buy the Autopilot option? How does that work? And $12,000 for Full Self Driving? Actually... $15,000, because it says autopilot required for this purchase. 

Also, does the app run all the time on the phone? I can't seem to clear it from the homescreen like other apps. It shows active at the top of the screen all the time no matter what. I'm cool with that, if that's normal. 

Definitely loving the car so far. It's fun learning all the features. And I've got some goodies on the way too


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

I'm surprised Bluetooth takes so long to unlock the car, it's immediate with mine. Are you using an iPhone or Android? Maybe you can try reassigning it so it will behave better.

Yes, Autopilot is normally $3000 for older models, unless you happen to get it on sale. Don't bother with Full Self Drive - it will require a hardware upgrade to HW3 (about $1500) and then will be the most disappointing $12,000 you ever spent.

The app doesn't run all the time on iPhone, it goes into "background mode" which uses an OS hook to run a tiny amount of code. I'm not sure what it does on Android.

Speaking of goodies, one of the things you might want to order for your car is a set of cabin air filters. It's a safe bet that the previous owner never changed them.


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## Power Surge (Jan 6, 2022)

JasonF said:


> I'm surprised Bluetooth takes so long to unlock the car, it's immediate with mine. Are you using an iPhone or Android? Maybe you can try reassigning it so it will behave better.
> 
> Yes, Autopilot is normally $3000 for older models, unless you happen to get it on sale. Don't bother with Full Self Drive - it will require a hardware upgrade to HW3 (about $1500) and then will be the most disappointing $12,000 you ever spent.
> 
> ...


I just tried some stuff. I had been waiting for the car to beep and unfold the mirrors, letting me know it was unlocked. However, with the phone in my pocket, if I just walk up to the car while locked, I can open the door at which point the car then beeps and unfolds the mirrors. I'll have to play with it more. My car has updated like 4 times since I got it Wed, so maybe some settings were changed. I am using an android.

Honestly I am not really interested in autopilot or FSD. I am more than fine with regular old cruise control. Those prices just caught me off guard, lol

Cabin filters are on my list. As is the add in vent to stop larger debris from getting in.


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## Ed Woodrick (May 26, 2018)

Power Surge said:


> So I finally got my car added to my Tesla account and can use the app.
> 
> I'm not sure yet about using the phone as the key. I understand that you can control the car via the app anytime since it's on mobile data. But using it as the key requires going through bluetooth. I have tested that out yesterday and today, and not quite sure how I feel about it. My gripe is mainly how long it takes the phone to connect to the car via bluetooth when going back to the car. I feel like I'm just standing next to the car like an idiot not being able to get in it until the car and phone connect. Exiting the car is fine... because you're already connected when in the car. So when you walk away from the car, it locks right away. But not so much when going back to the car.
> 
> ...


The car will generally be ready to open as you approach the car, IF the car ca hear your phone. Many people, including me, tend to have phone in back pockets, that effectively puts a barrier between the phone and the car. I find that all I need to do is to turn around the car quickly opens. If you approach the car with the phone out toward the car, you will probably find that it has unlocked before you can get to the car. 
There is a portion of the app that does run all the time, it is what communicates with the car. It's no big deal, doesn't impact battery life.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Power Surge said:


> I just tried some stuff. I had been waiting for the car to beep and unfold the mirrors, letting me know it was unlocked. However, with the phone in my pocket, if I just walk up to the car while locked, I can open the door at which point the car then beeps and unfolds the mirrors.


Aha, so originally you thought you had to use the app to specifically unlock the car before opening the door? Yeah, that would be frustrating.

With the phone in your pocket, walking right up and opening the door is the way to go. I've had some issues with that not always working when I was testing an underpowered (budget) phone, but otherwise it's been flawless.


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## SalisburySam (Jun 6, 2018)

Power Surge said:


> I am more than fine with regular old cruise control.


At least one of us is very envious of that, and really wish it were an option with the much more annoying, er, advanced, systems.


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

SalisburySam said:


> At least one of us is very envious of that, and really wish it were an option with the much more annoying, er, advanced, systems.


And at least one of us got AP on sale, but then was confronted with a pandemic job change to WFH, and 5 year construction projects on every single highway in the area, in which AP likes to try and drive into a construction wall multiple times. I'm _really_ glad I didn't even consider FSD.


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## Bigriver (Jan 26, 2018)

Power Surge said:


> Honestly I am not really interested in autopilot or FSD. I am more than fine with regular old cruise control. Those prices just caught me off guard, lol


The prices can and do change. At the time your car was new, there was an option for Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) for $5k and FSD for another $3k. You may hear people refer to the "fire sale" when these prices were dropped to $3k and $2k, respectively, for a couple of weeks in 2019. After that they reconfigured the autopilot products, making a basic autopilot (adaptive cruise control and lane keeping) standard, and then everything else under the FSD umbrella, which has continually gotten more expensive. There has been at least one time that I recall when they briefly brought back the EAP option, for $4k. I believe it is likely that Tesla may again change the autopilot options/grouping, and/or have periodic price reductions. Tesla is not particularly good about letting owners know of these opportunities, and they are short-lived, so this is a reason to actually be plugged into Tesla social media.

I do realize that you said you are not interested in autopilot, but just thought I'd give that history nugget. I would also offer a contrast to other opinions being voiced here - autopilot changed everything for me. Whether it is on long distance road trips or stop and go traffic, autopilot is a feature that has improved my life and, I believe, greatly improved my safety.


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## Power Surge (Jan 6, 2022)

SalisburySam said:


> At least one of us is very envious of that, and really wish it were an option with the much more annoying, er, advanced, systems.


I'm guessing the later cars don't have a regular cruise control mode?


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## Power Surge (Jan 6, 2022)

garsh said:


> Aha, so originally you thought you had to use the app to specifically unlock the car before opening the door? Yeah, that would be frustrating.
> 
> With the phone in your pocket, walking right up and opening the door is the way to go. I've had some issues with that not always working when I was testing an underpowered (budget) phone, but otherwise it's been flawless.


Not quite... When walking up to the car I was expecting it to beep and unfold the mirrors like when I unlock it with the card. It actually WILL do that, but takes like 20-30 seconds after walking up to the car. I was assuming the car was not in communication with the phone until that happened. But it seems that the car actually is unlocked even before it unfolds the mirrors. And I'm totally fine with that. It was just confusing me because I thought it was not unlocked until it unfolds the mirrors.


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## SalisburySam (Jun 6, 2018)

JasonF said:


> And at least one of us got AP on sale, but then was confronted with a pandemic job change to WFH, and 5 year construction projects on every single highway in the area, in which AP likes to try and drive into a construction wall multiple times. I'm _really_ glad I didn't even consider FSD.


Yeah, in 07/2018 I bought into the hype of EAP for $5k and went for the then extra $3k for FSD JUST KNOWING that it would be delivered in the next year, certainly not later than Year-End 2019. Oh the regrets on that option set! Could have instead purchased 125 shares of TSLA @ $64 then, or about $113,000 today. But fortunately, I'm not at all bitter.


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## SalisburySam (Jun 6, 2018)

Power Surge said:


> I'm guessing the later cars don't have a regular cruise control mode?


You guess correctly. I'd like it to be an option or even a setting in TACC but that's most unlikely.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Power Surge said:


> Not quite... When walking up to the car I was expecting it to beep and unfold the mirrors like when I unlock it with the card. It actually WILL do that, but takes like 20-30 seconds after walking up to the car. I was assuming the car was not in communication with the phone until that happened. But it seems that the car actually is unlocked even before it unfolds the mirrors. And I'm totally fine with that. It was just confusing me because I thought it was not unlocked until it unfolds the mirrors.


When the car is in "sleep" mode, it can take a while for it to respond. But one way to wake it up immediately is to move a door handle. So the act of touching the door handle wakes it up, it immediately senses the phone key and unlatches the door.

This can also be an issue when you want to plug it in - it won't open the charge port door. But one trick to wake it up is to press the rear passenger door handle just enough to wake it up, then it will open the charge port door.


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