Keyfob Mnemonics

[Tesla2.0]

I wish my eyesight was better, but even w/ my iPhone camera & flash, I can barely make out the third "long press" function; let alone identify it as the frunk rather than the trunk. In any case, I was actually trying to open the trunk which is not on the FOB (at least not mine - photo attached) .. and, as my wife pointed out to me when I went over the FOB functions, panic mode is not on the FOB either.
At some point, I'll memorize the functions, but for now grateful for this post

The fob didn’t come with trunk and panic mode originally, so there is no instruction in the back of fob. Owners in this forum ridiculed how fob is as cryptic Morse Code and complained no trunk command, and I believe I jokingly mentioned why doesn’t Lucid just implement short-long clicks as new function. And voila! Someone in HQ is reading this forum and it this feature out in summer.

I believe some more features will and should be added of fob in the future, such as open/close all windows.

 

[GoFast]

The fob didn’t come with trunk and panic mode originally, so there is no instruction in the back of fob. Owners in this forum ridiculed how fob is as cryptic Morse Code and complained no trunk command, and I believe I jokingly mentioned why doesn’t Lucid just implement short-long clicks as new function. And voila! Someone in HQ is reading this forum and it this feature out in summer.

I believe some more features will and should be added of fob in the future, such as open/close all windows.

Not a big deal, but panic mode has been there from the start.

 

[bhramabull]

I still have some issues where once in a while it asks me to enter a PIN to drive even though I've twice now re-setup my mobile phone as key!!

 

[FastEddi3]

I still have some issues where once in a while it asks me to enter a PIN to drive even though I've twice now re-setup my mobile phone as key!!

Same here. It was asking for my PIN every time, so we re-setup the mobile phone key thing. Now it it asks for the PIN every second to fifth time. Oddly, it sometimes decides to ask for my PIN partway through a drive. That part is especially annoying since you can't change gears when that alert is present, and it sometimes takes it a while to decide to present the PIN entry screen. I haven't bothered to try to re-setup the mobile phone key yet again.

Did John or Lena try to help you with that? John was theorizing to me that it might have something to do with my phone. Somewhat doubtful, I am uncertain why that might be the case.

 

[bhramabull]

Same here. It was asking for my PIN every time, so we re-setup the mobile phone key thing. Now it it asks for the PIN every second to fifth time. Oddly, it sometimes decides to ask for my PIN partway through a drive. That part is especially annoying since you can't change gears when that alert is present, and it sometimes takes it a while to decide to present the PIN entry screen. I haven't bothered to try to re-setup the mobile phone key yet again.

Did John or Lena try to help you with that? John was theorizing to me that it might have something to do with my phone. Somewhat doubtful, I am uncertain why that might be the case.

and to add to your point, it did well for a little period after I re-setup my phone to be the key but then now gradually with time, it asks me "every now and then" for that dang PIN. Yesterday, in particular was interesting because I was far away from home and didn't have the physical key with me and yet it prompted confusion on it's part and asked for the PIN. Thankfully, I haven't had instances where it's asked me for the PIN while driving. That would be a little scary. Also, I wouldn't consider either John or Lena as tech experts to figure out the root cause of this "enter PIN to drive" issue. Kinda clueless as to how to stop it from happening again. Perhaps the new 2.0 software?!

 

[FastEddi3]

and to add to your point, it did well for a little period after I re-setup my phone to be the key but then now gradually with time, it asks me "every now and then" for that dang PIN. Yesterday, in particular was interesting because I was far away from home and didn't have the physical key with me and yet it prompted confusion on it's part and asked for the PIN. Thankfully, I haven't had instances where it's asked me for the PIN while driving. That would be a little scary. Also, I wouldn't consider either John or Lena as tech experts to figure out the root cause of this "enter PIN to drive" issue. Kinda clueless as to how to stop it from happening again. Perhaps the new 2.0 software?!

I'm hoping the new update cures those ills as well. Yeah, John and Lena were not a huge help, so was hoping there was someone else there or elsewhere that had more insight. Would have been much more helpful if I had known this issue before our little breakfast with the Lucid folks a couple of weeks ago.

 

[steveairgt]

I really apreciate your mnemonics on this. I struggled with remembering the various sequences until your posting on this. LOL. Then again, I'm an old fart and abilty to force new items into this old brain are taking longer and longer. For those of you younger, enjoy your time now as this too will be in your future! LOL, LOL, LOL.

As an engineer I think it’s a poor design. I very much prefer the multi button fob of my previous Teslas (Model S and X). Much more intuitive.

I love the car, but the fob design is a negative IMHO.

 

[Adnillien]

As an engineer I think it’s a poor design. I very much prefer the multi button fob of my previous Teslas (Model S and X). Much more intuitive.

I love the car, but the fob design is a negative IMHO.

I really like the key fob. It seems that every car company places their fob buttons in a different place and at night you cannot see what they are so you have to memorize where the buttons are. With Lucid you have to memorize a sequence which seems more intuitive than memorizing a location on the key fob. I realize that I seem to be in the minority on this though.

 

[hydbob]

I really like the key fob. It seems that every car company places their fob buttons in a different place and at night you cannot see what they are so you have to memorize where the buttons are. With Lucid you have to memorize a sequence which seems more intuitive than memorizing a location on the key fob. I realize that I seem to be in the minority on this though.

I'm the same, I love this fob. Sure it's plastic, but it's less than 1 Oz, and super slim.

 

[hmp10]

Here is a photo of our Tesla key fob (l), our Lucid key fob (c), and our Honda key fob (r).

The Tesla fob has no markings on it, instead relying on shape to convey which part of the fob does what.

The Lucid fob has markings on the back which are very difficult to discern in anything other than bright light -- and which requires many older drivers to don reading glasses to read.

The Honda fob (which happens to be smaller than the Lucid fob) has very clear labels on buttons which are easy to press.

Tesla and Lucid have put such an aesthetic premium on form over function that they have produced fobs that are incredibly annoying to use, especially when one owns both cars and has to remember which poorly-marked function does what on each and how (1 press, 2 presses, press and hold, fast click followed by hold, etc.).

Honestly, what sort of driver would prefer a sleek piece of inscrutable fob art over a fob that is clearly marked and easy to use without memory exercises?

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

The directions are also in the manual and the box the keys ship in.

I'll be the dissenting opinion and say it took maybe an hour with the key to understand its functions and I really don't get all the stink.

That's fine. But what if the battery dies on you a few hours after the time the car is delivered? You know how a key fob works, so why would you look in the manual? But it doesn't work. So you examine it carefully and see the buttons on the concave side, tiny mystic runes that can be read by the last light of Durin's Day. But no...the runes are not meant to be seen by mortal man. Took me about two weeks to figure out what the fob was doing. I'm saying I am happy to read that I am not the only one who struggled to understand all the keys with this car... it really is a big deal... I thought I understood the Valet Card...nope: I thought I understood the fob with dead battery: nope. Are you above the b pillar camera or below? One works one way, one works another. It's mysterious.

like...why is it a mystery how many secret locations there are for the antennas? I've found three and counting.... I'm going to have to go to a spy outfitters and do an EMS sweep of the entire car.

As a bonus reading this string it occurs to my why the owners manual is so useless: the whole car is re-programable. Makes no sense to print what a thing does or where to look for a feature if it's going to be changed with the next download. As others are learning -- this is the place to find out how the car works -- the owners manual is less than helpful, and getting less useful with every software update.

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

I think that the fob is a great example of form ruining function, sorry.

It is not intuitive if the day after delivery the battery is dead. This kept me in the dark for two weeks, trying to press harder and harder on the mystic runes, or on the invisible LUCID logo...nothing. I was so excited to have the car I just wanted to "work" it...not read a book about how it works. I figured everything would be intuitive with such a thought-out design, and it looks like it is, just not my intuition.

and a huge part of my confusion is not realizing the phone app is on and much more sensitive than the fob, but has a long delay, so if you don't know the phone app wakes the car after 30 seconds in it's presence, you might think the car is possessed. That took me over a month to understand... also...I did not know you could turn off the app...I thought just a screen swipe shut it off. I spent the first two weeks in the garage with the car watching it turn on and off everytime I was near, and not knowing why. Since I did not have the fobs with me I assumed it was receiving software and that was how it signaled a download. As a result: I have no software updates. None.


Now I have to dig into the settings on the phone and fool with the Bluetooth, etc. I hate my phone. I don't want to be a CS developer, I just want to drive the car. Let's not even talk about Areas 51, 52, and 53.

Agggh... Lucid is forcing me into the 20th century...




we have keys that mystify the owners but let the valet have 1000 hp.

 

[hmp10]

The directions are also in the manual and the box the keys ship in.

I'll be the dissenting opinion and say it took maybe an hour with the key to understand its functions and I really don't get all the stink.

I have had quite a few cars with "smart" fobs. Not until I got my first Tesla did I have to read a manual and commit certain steps to memory to use them.

The situation actually got more complicated with our Lucid, as new functions (such as rear trunk opening) have been added to the fob since we got the car and thus since the instructions in the box were printed. As the fob (usually) opens the car automatically, we use if infrequently enough for other things that it's easy to forget all the different (and non-intuitive) steps: 2 quick clicks to open the door, 1 long press and hold for the frunk, 1 quick click and a press-and-hold for the trunk, etc. And trying to honk the horn and flash the lights in an emergency would require a time-out for consulting the owner's manual to refresh those ancient memories of almost-never-used procedures.

Add to this the key fob for our Tesla, which has a different set of steps for the same functions, and you've got another rabbit hole to explore. The Honda is the only vehicle we've got in which we never have to pause and think through how to use the fob or try several different things until something does what you want it to.

 

[hmp10]

Same here. It was asking for my PIN every time, so we re-setup the mobile phone key thing. Now it it asks for the PIN every second to fifth time. Oddly, it sometimes decides to ask for my PIN partway through a drive. That part is especially annoying since you can't change gears when that alert is present, and it sometimes takes it a while to decide to present the PIN entry screen. I haven't bothered to try to re-setup the mobile phone key yet again.

Did John or Lena try to help you with that? John was theorizing to me that it might have something to do with my phone. Somewhat doubtful, I am uncertain why that might be the case.

This still happens to me even with all the updates I received as a beta tester. I found that the request disappears and the car continues to function by pressing the "X" in the upper right corner. But having it pop up randomly, including while driving, is confusing and annoying.

 

[LucidNC]

I have had quite a few cars with "smart" fobs. Not until I got my first Tesla did I have to read a manual and commit certain steps to memory to use them.

The situation actually got more complicated with our Lucid, as new functions (such as rear trunk opening) have been added to the fob since we got the car and thus since the instructions in the box were printed. As the fob (usually) opens the car automatically, we use if infrequently enough for other things that it's easy to forget all the different (and non-intuitive) steps: 2 quick clicks to open the door, 1 long press and hold for the frunk, 1 quick click and a press-and-hold for the trunk, etc. And trying to honk the horn and flash the lights in an emergency would require a time-out for consulting the owner's manual to refresh those ancient memories of almost-never-used procedures.

Add to this the key fob for our Tesla, which has a different set of steps for the same functions, and you've got another rabbit hole to explore. The Honda is the only vehicle we've got in which we never have to pause and think through how to use the fob or try several different things until something does what you want it to.

The other day, I was trying to remember the rear trunk open and kept trying the various Morse code signals .. needless to say, I drew a lot of attention as the frunk opened, the panic alarm went off, the car unlocked then suddenly locked .. I finally put my bags down, got my phone out and the doors unlocked so I could press the manual button to open the trunk.

Not only is the FOB NOT intuitive, but I think there's a delay which causes me to click multiple things ... NOT a good design. (btw, I wasn't a fan of the Tesla FOB either).

 

[hydbob]

The other day, I was trying to remember the rear trunk open and kept trying the various Morse code signals .. needless to say, I drew a lot of attention as the frunk opened, the panic alarm went off, the car unlocked then suddenly locked .. I finally put my bags down, got my phone out and the doors unlocked so I could press the manual button to open the trunk.

Not only is the FOB NOT intuitive, but I think there's a delay which causes me to click multiple things ... NOT a good design. (btw, I wasn't a fan of the Tesla FOB either).

I'm confused, if you were holding the fob to open the trunk, why didn't you just open the trunk from the button on the trunk?

 

[LucidNC]

I'm confused, if you were holding the fob to open the trunk, why didn't you just open the trunk from the button on the trunk?

The car wasn't unlocked .. I had bags in my hand and tried to get "fancy" ... then since I couldn't figure it out, I tried a simple unlock .. but by then the panic alarm was going off and I decided to put my bags down and pull out the phone .. which unlocked the car and I was able to open the trunk w/ the manual button

I don't claim to be a genius, and I'll admit I like waving my foot under the back of the car in my other vehicles when I have my hands full, but the morse code nonsense is frustrating.

 

[LucidNC]

The car wasn't unlocked .. I had bags in my hand and tried to get "fancy" ... then since I couldn't figure it out, I tried a simple unlock .. but by then the panic alarm was going off and I decided to put my bags down and pull out the phone .. which unlocked the car and I was able to open the trunk w/ the manual button

I don't claim to be a genius, and I'll admit I like waving my foot under the back of the car in my other vehicles when I have my hands full, but the morse code nonsense is frustrating.

and, before you ask .. I don't know why having the fob in my pocket doesn't always wake up the car and unlock the doors automatically... works ~80% of the time for me (same w/ phone .. ~90% of the time)

 

[hydbob]

The car wasn't unlocked .. I had bags in my hand and tried to get "fancy" ... then since I couldn't figure it out, I tried a simple unlock .. but by then the panic alarm was going off and I decided to put my bags down and pull out the phone .. which unlocked the car and I was able to open the trunk w/ the manual button

I don't claim to be a genius, and I'll admit I like waving my foot under the back of the car in my other vehicles when I have my hands full, but the morse code nonsense is frustrating.

Just as a FYI for the future, the car doesn't have to unlock to open the trunk. You can push the button on the trunk and it will open. Sometimes it doesn't work and you wait 3 seconds and push again and it should work.

 

[LucidNC]

Just as a FYI for the future, the car doesn't have to unlock to open the trunk. You can push the button on the trunk and it will open. Sometimes it doesn't work and you wait 3 seconds and push again and it should work.

But it does still have to recognize the fob .. on at least 3 occasions this past week (when I didn't have bags in my hand), that is exactly what I did ... I walked up to the car and pushed the button.... and "nada" .. all 3 times, I then leaned over to see if the car was unlocked (mirrors still folded and door handles in closed position) .. 2 of those times, I pulled the fob out of my pocket and the car woke up and pushing the button worked. The 3rd time, I started walking around to the driver side and the doors unlocked .. I walked back to the trunk and pushed the button and then it worked.

I might have to change the battery, but I changed it 3 weeks ago and have kept it (when not driving) in a faraday pouch. I'll try changing it again when I'm back home.