Power door locks are not some crazy new technology. In fact, the first car to feature power door locks was a luxury car built and designed by Scripps-Booth way back in 1914. Despite being implemented early on in the automotive world, power door locks did not become a standard feature on luxury vehicles until the 1950s. So what’s different or unique about Tesla’s door locks today? I mean, let’s face it, how many changes could be made to door locks? Tesla’s technology primarily focuses around convenience and safety. By adapting their technology, Tesla has made a simple door lock into a convenient, cool feature that’s customizable, and it can even be completely autonomous. Tesla couples the door lock system with its advanced security mode called ‘Sentry Mode’. In this article, we are going to cover how to lock a Tesla.
TeslaManuals/YouTube
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Different Methods Of Locking A Tesla
How do you lock a Tesla? Believe it or not, Tesla offers up to three key options, depending on the model. We’ll use the popular Tesla Model 3 as an example. How to lock a Tesla Model 3 will depend on which method or key you’d like to use. These keys lock and unlock the doors differently. Additionally, Tesla vehicles are equipped with touchscreen displays. Through the touchscreen display, the driver can set up different lock configurations as well as control the door locks. We’ll cover each method below.
Base MSRP $38,990
Base Trim Fuel Economy Equivalent (city/highway/combined) 140/125/132 MPGe (RWD)
Engine Electric
Horsepower 271 hp
Drivetrain Rear-Wheel Drive
Locking Via The Tesla App
You can connect your smartphone directly to your Tesla and control various vehicle functions with it. This is all done through the Tesla App. The Tesla App goes well beyond simple phone pairing such as Apple Car Play or Android Auto. It allows your phone to become not only a control device but a troubleshooting tool.
Follow these steps to lock your Tesla through the Tesla App:
Open the Tesla App. Click the lock indicator on the left side of the screen.
Tesla App showing the controls menu and lock status (Source: Everyday Chris/YouTube)
Another way to use the Tesla App is the ‘Controls’ function.
Open the Tesla App. Select ‘Controls’ Select the lock to lock the doors or an unlock indicator to unlock the doors.
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Locking With The Key Card
Want to know how to lock a Tesla Model 3 from the outside? You can use the key card, too. It’s used like a smart key as it can power the vehicle on and operate the door locks. To lock and unlock a Tesla with the key card, follow these steps:
Position and tap the key card against the card reader, which is located on the driver’s side door pillar.
Using Tesla key card to operate door locks. (Source: Autoblog/YouTube)
Additional functions may be activated when the key card locks the vehicle, such as the lights flashing, horn sounding, or mirrors folding.
Locking Using The Touchscreen
Not only is the touchscreen the most visually impactful feature inside a Tesla, but it’s also extremely functional and can control navigation, power management, lighting modes, and much more. The touchscreen can also operate the doors and door locks.
Lock status indicator locked (Source: Ryan Cragun/YouTube)
Once inside the vehicle, locate the lock status indicator. The lock indicator is at the top left of the touch screen next to the time. Simply press the lock indicator to lock the doors or the unlock indicator to unlock the doors.
Walk-Away Door Lock
Does a Tesla automatically lock? With the walk-away door locking function enabled, the answer is yes. This is an autonomous action that the vehicle will automatically perform when the registered phone key leaves the vicinity of the vehicle. Tesla is not the first to incorporate this feature into a vehicle. However, it is the first to allow the feature to be easily customized or changed by the vehicle owner. Follow these steps to enable or disable walk-away locking:
Using the touchscreen, select the ‘Controls’ icon. (This is the icon that looks like the front of a Tesla). Select ‘Locks’ from the menu. Scroll down to the Walk-Away Door Lock selector. Tap to toggle walk-away locks on and off.
The walk-away door lock function has additional settings that disable the lock function when you’re at home. This is the ‘Exclude Home’ setting, which can be toggled on and off in the settings menu. ‘Camp mode’ can also disable walk-away locking as well as maintain power to enable climate control, illumination, and accessory ports.
Drive-Away Locking
When a Tesla vehicle exceeds 5 mph, all the doors and trunk are automatically locked.
Sentry Mode
Sentry mode is a unique setting for Tesla vehicles. This mode not only maintains the door’s lock status but allows the vehicle to act as a live security monitor. This is achieved by keeping the cameras and sensors powered on. The cameras remain powered on and are readily available to record any activity around the vehicle that is detected by the sensors.
Sentry Mode requires the vehicle battery charge to be above 20%. If the charge level falls below 20%, Sentry Mode will automatically be disabled. Additionally, Sentry Mode requires a flash drive to be plugged into the USB port of the car. Sentry Mode can be enabled via the voice command “Sentry on” or via the controls menu: Controls > Safety > Sentry Mode > ON.
There are some differences between Tesla models, such as key type and touchscreen orientation. For example, the Cybertruck is not offered with a key fob. This eliminates the option of using the key fob to lock the doors. For the Model Y and Model 3, there is a lock status indicator on the touchscreen. On other models, you have to monitor and alter the lock status in the controls menu. Although the Model X has falcon wing doors, these can be controlled through the touchscreen like the other models. Tesla has brought some unique tech to the auto world, and we can’t wait to see more.
Model X key fob (Source: Tesla/YouTube)