# Has a Valet Parked Your TM3



## MonroeMatt

Has anyone has an opportunity to leave your TM3 In a Valet parking garage? Did the valet know how to use the Key Card, what instructions did you them.


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## SoFlaModel3

I have never and will never — just personal preference. 

I think it’s simple enough to explain, but there is that chance they pull the manual release getting out of the car.


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## djejnyc

MonroeMatt said:


> Has anyone has an opportunity to leave your TM3 In a Valet parking garage? Did the valet know how to use the Key Card, what instructions did you them.


 We have valet the car at a hotel that has a charger, they knew all about the M3 and how to drive it. Plugged it in and everything. Another hotel they had no idea and we had to walk them through the procedure the first time. after that it was fine.
No issues so far!


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## [email protected] Detail

I would not let anyone valet my LEAF, so that should give you the answer to my 3 or wifes MX.


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## NR4P

My prior vehicle was Lexus GS350. No valet ever parked it. I will keep that going with the M3.
Ever read the little receipt/tag they give you. Basically, you give them your car at your risk, they take no responsibility. 

What if there is no choice? I give the valet a few bucks, explain that I wish to park it myself and they always allow me to do, sometimes even move the cone to the spot I want. The green paper solves all problems.


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## Nikola

MonroeMatt said:


> Has anyone has an opportunity to leave your TM3 In a Valet parking garage?


Twice. First time I asked the valet if he had parked this car before and he said "many times." Then I showed him the key card and asked if he knew how to use it. That's when he realized it was not a Model S...

We were double-parked on a busy street in downtown Montreal so I gave the valet a quick run-down on how the car worked and set it to Valet mode. Tracked it via the app to the parking space. No problems.



MonroeMatt said:


> Did the valet know how to use the Key Card, what instructions did you them.


"Tap the card _here_ to lock and unlock the car. Tap the key _here_ to authorize driving. Open the door by pressing this button." If the valet has ever driven a Tesla Model X or S before, that's really all you need to tell them.

Second time, I was at a hotel in Palm Desert with 2 Tesla Destination Chargers. The valets were moving Teslas in and out of the charging spaces, several times each day, so that everyone had a chance to charge. They probably had more experience in the Model 3 than many people on this forum. No problems.

Several times I've had people yank the manual door release despite my instructions. It will happen, since lots of people just act on reflex. So far there has been no damage to the door seal, so don't freak out at the possibility a valet might do it once.

Also, be sure to put a label on your keycard with your name and phone # on it, just in case they mix it up with someone else's card.


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## GDN

Nope to valet's.


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## kort677

this past thursday I stayed in a hotel in orlando, they had a tesla charger and they were familiar with the card system


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## Spiffywerks

I valeted it in Beverly Hills the first night I got it. I had 83 miles on the odometer. They assigned my car to a guy that only handles the supercars cause they never seen this car before. I’m like, it’s not quite in the same class as the lambo pulling up behind me, but okay. All the valets came over to check it out though. It was an interesting experience. Hehe.


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## masto

Just got ours this past weekend. My partner has had a couple of medical appointments at a hospital that has no self-parking option, and the valets refused to park it. She said she had to wait for them to move some other cars out of the way, directed her into a spot, and told her to let them know when she’s leaving so they could unblock it. It wasn’t a one-time fluke, as they did the same thing on the next visit.

I wonder if this is a Tesla-specific ban, or perhaps they do this with any cars that they perceive to be too much of a liability?


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## nikola3

My first, and so far only, valet experience in the Model 3 was at the garage of a major hotel in downtown LA last May. The special low-cost room rate had also waived the $59 parking fee. As I drove up to the valet, I asked whether all the staff was familiar with the Model 3. He responded yes and then asked if I would like a complimentary charge-up. So, I got free parking and a free fill-up and didn't have to bother with a planned Supercharger visit the next morning. Very, very nice!


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## Michael McCusker

I work in NYC and cannot use mass transit due to my work hours. I have no choice but to valet my car a few times per week. I go to one of two places where I know they now know how to drive my car. I would rather park myself, but its not like I'm driving a Bugatti. People valet park $60,000 Mercedes everyday. I did find an Information card on the web for valets today which I printed and laminated. Just Google Tesla model 3 valet instructions. Good to have a copy in car.


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## Shadyfolks

Michael, thanks for the lead about valet instructions, I hope I never have to hand out these instructions, but if I do, I'm ready.


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## Ricktherick

My garage in NYC is valet only, so you drive up, walk away, they plug the car in to charge it then move it to a spot for the night. I’ve come in to the garage and found the charging cable stretched across the entire car. Part of living in a city, they won’t treat your car the way you would, but few choices available.


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## kort677

Ricktherick said:


> My garage in NYC is valet only, so you drive up, walk away, they plug the car in to charge it then move it to a spot for the night. I've come in to the garage and found the charging cable stretched across the entire car. Part of living in a city, they won't treat your car the way you would, but few choices available.


try giving instructions and big tips


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## PNWmisty

masto said:


> I wonder if this is a Tesla-specific ban, or perhaps they do this with any cars that they perceive to be too much of a liability?


It sounds like New Yorker's being New Yorker's. Hey buddy, you gonna drive something weird, I ain't having none of that freak sh!t rubbing off on me!


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## Ricktherick

kort677 said:


> try giving instructions and big tips


It's NY, they pocket the tips and don't change a thing. I'm getting xpel PPF installed now, so it'll be less of an issue. Worst case I get some scuffs that will hopefully work themselves out with a little heat. Also, I'm the 3rd model 3 monthly in that garage, so they're familiar with them.


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## jmmdownhil

Michael McCusker said:


> I work in NYC and cannot use mass transit due to my work hours. I have no choice but to valet my car a few times per week. I go to one of two places where I know they now know how to drive my car. I would rather park myself, but its not like I'm driving a Bugatti. People valet park $60,000 Mercedes everyday. I did find an Information card on the web for valets today which I printed and laminated. Just Google Tesla model 3 valet instructions. Good to have a copy in car.


Thanks for the tip about the Valet instructions. I have not valeted (sp ?) yet, but printed out the small card version and laminated a few with DYI lam from Staples. I will attach one to the card holder that I keep in the car to hold the Tesla Card when necessary.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vtl63lrhh4d5zw8/Valet Card.pdf?dl=0


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## Bernard

MonroeMatt said:


> Has anyone has an opportunity to leave your TM3 In a Valet parking garage? Did the valet know how to use the Key Card, what instructions did you them.


Just had to valet park for the first time. No choice -- event at a 5-star resort, parking requires resort guest card or valet. Valet service attendants are accustomed to luxury vehicles of all descriptions, and so are overconfident...
I expected none of them had driven a Tesla yet -- this is the Big Island, plenty of luxury cars, but no Tesla rentals and not many Tesla owners -- so I had printed instructions for them, with pictures (there is a nice set of pics on the web for that). When the attendant arrived, I asked him if he had driven a Tesla before. Sure, he said, no problem... (Ha!...) I gave him my card and the printed instruction sheet; he took the card, but put the instructions back on the car seat. Well, he had the card (which I had told him was used like a fob, to lock/unlock the car and was also needed to drive it) and the instructions were on the sheet he had put in the seat, so I walked away.
Apparently, the valet was then called to another car before parking mine, so he must have closed the door, putting the card in the car (as it if it was just a hardware key). As I walked away, the car naturally locked...

You can guess the rest... ;-)
When I returned 2 hours later, my car was still at the same spot I had left it, in front of the hotel entrance, with my key card in the locked car, sitting on the armrest of the center console (on top, so not where it could be detected by the car) with the valet ticket, and the instructions sheet still on the seat... The attendants all wanted to know how I opened the car (just walking up to it, naturally), saying they had parked Teslas before, but had never seen a card.

When it comes to men and cars, why do almost men have to be such macho idiots and assume they never need instructions???

I had told the attendant about the use of the card, but he had not listened, assuming he knew all about Teslas... When I returned and they asked about how I had opened it, I held out the instruction sheet and told them to take it and read it and keep it handy at the valet booth, but they still refused to take it... So I went back to the valet booth and forced the guy there to take it, telling him his crew obviously needed it since they had no clue about Model 3. (He had had to suffer the embarrassment of having a car "parked" in front of their hotel for 2 hours without being able to move it, so he accepted the printout, although I'd guess it ended up in the trash by end of day anyway...)

The experience, however, taught me one thing:
=> the walk-away lock (but not the walk-up unlock!) should be disabled in valet mode.
With a car that has a push-button fob or even an old-fashioned mechanical key, nobody locks the driver's door before handing the fob or key to the attendant, but walking away from the car effectively did that. Since nobody is going to give the attendant their phone instead of their card, the phone will definitely "walk away" from the car and so lock it. I don't want to have to turn off that feature, then have to remember to turn it back on before collecting my car.


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## Bernard

SoFlaModel3 said:


> I have never and will never - just personal preference.
> 
> I think it's simple enough to explain, but there is that chance they pull the manual release getting out of the car.


Do we have actual examples of damage done to the door seal by using the manual release (in non-freezing weather) ?
I've had several guests pull it on the RH front door of my car (I had forgotten to mention the little pushbutton and it's very natural, when groping for a "handle" to open the door, to find and use the manual release), but there is no sign of damage to the seal or window mechanisms and the door remains perfectly watertight.


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## GateFather

SoFlaModel3 said:


> I have never and will never - just personal preference.
> 
> I think it's simple enough to explain, but there is that chance they pull the manual release getting out of the car.


Second day I had the car my mother-in-law goes to get out and says "how do i get out, oh here" and pulls it before I could say anything. I politely explained why its a bad idea to ever do that lol while my stomach dropped.


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## SoFlaModel3

Bernard said:


> Do we have actual examples of damage done to the door seal by using the manual release (in non-freezing weather) ?
> I've had several guests pull it on the RH front door of my car (I had forgotten to mention the little pushbutton and it's very natural, when groping for a "handle" to open the door, to find and use the manual release), but there is no sign of damage to the seal or window mechanisms and the door remains perfectly watertight.


Since this thread started a software update somewhere along the way added the window drop to the manual release so it's now a lot safer.


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