Tesla has revolutionized the way people see the electric vehicle, and this is for good reason. But what about some of the problems that all this technology comes with? Many Model 3 owners have noticed WiFi connectivity issues with their brand new electric cars.
If you are a Model 3 owner, you have likely noticed connectivity issues both while you are at home and while you are traveling. This can negatively affect your vehicle’s performance while on the road, and can even interrupt updates if your Tesla is not connected to a cellular network.
This article outlines several troubleshooting options and offers the best solutions for this particular issue.
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Identify the Problem
To start, you should ask yourself: Is your Model 3 even scanning for WiFi networks properly?
- In the menu on the main touch screen panel, you should see a WiFi icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen
- Pressing this icon will open the WiFi list, at the bottom of which is the “WiFi Settings option”
- Press here and then make sure the WiFi is turned “ON” by tapping the virtual switch in the upper right-hand corner of this menu
Now that your Tesla’s WiFi function is turned ON, it should start scanning for available networks. Unless you are near a network which you have already connected to at some point, your Tesla will not automatically connect to the internet. In this case, it will simply show you the available networks in your area.
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In order to connect to a new network, there are a few requirements:
- The network must be at least 2.4 GHz WiFi
- It must be WPA or WPA2 security, or no security at all
- WiFi has to provide internet
It is important to note here that some networks for which there is no password protection do require you to accept “Terms and Conditions,” which requires an extra step after connecting.
Tesla WiFi also requires you to manually press ”Connect” after verifying the password on a protected network.
Model 3 WiFi Still Not Connecting?
If your WiFi is turned ON, and you are within range of WiFi signal that meets the requirements, it’s time to try the next step.
Typically doing a system reboot will fix the WiFi connection issue, and luckily it only takes about 1 minute.
- Put your Tesla in Park
- Press and hold the brake pedal with your foot, keep holding
- Press and hold both scroll wheels on the steering wheel for 10 seconds
- Once the screen goes black, release the brake pedal and the scroll wheels
- Wait about 1 minute for the screen to reboot
In most cases, this will solve your WiFi connection issues. Once the screen reboots fully, try clicking the WiFi network you’d like to connect to from the WiFi dropdown.
Still Having Issues Connecting?
There are still a few nuances to the Model 3’s internet technology that may be preventing you from connecting. These quirks are more environmental than anything, and may require you to change locations.
The next easiest fix is to reboot your WiFi router. The simple way to do this is to unplug and then re-plug your WiFi router.
Unless there is a router in direct line-of-sight with your Model 3, the antenna in the vehicle often has a hard time connecting to the network through walls and structures. If you are in the parking garage at work or at home, and the router is obstructed, you may need to relocate to a more clear area of the building.
Many users have noted that parking their Model 3’s outside their houses interferes with the car’s ability to reliably connect to a network. This is why it is important to boost your home WiFi signal as much as possible if your car is too far from the modem. Using a WiFi extender may be helpful to help get a stable connection.
Remember, if you have your Model 3 set up to hand over WiFi connection to your cellular network if the WiFi becomes too weak, it may take a few moments to fully reestablish the functions that were running off of WiFi.
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Where Is The Model 3 WiFi Antenna Located?
The Model 3’s WiFi works by using the integrated antenna that is housed in the driver’s side rear-view mirror. Positioning your Model 3’s WiFi antenna closest to your home WiFi router will help the connection.
It uses a VPN connection to establish secure connections between WiFi networks and the car.
All the hardware (except the antenna) is behind the main console and is easy to access in the event that you have to perform maintenance on the equipment.
If the antenna has been damaged or the electrical wiring is compromised, you will probably have issues connecting to WiFi networks, and this problem may worsen over time, as damaged hardware will not resolve on its own.
Upgrade Your Home Equipment
You may need to consider purchasing equipment for your home WiFi such as an extender. This piece of equipment enhances your WiFi signal and extends (as the name implies) the range of the signal from the point of origin.
This is the WiFi extender I personally use, and it seems to work great. It’s the Netgear AC1200. I bought it from Amazon and I’d recommend it for the job.
Much of the time, after you install the extender, try rebooting your modem, and reconnecting your Model 3 to the improved network, the problem will be fixed.
Pro Tip: Try to install the internet extender as close to where you usually keep the Model 3 when it is at home. Like the garage or near the front door.
Download and Install Updates
On occasion, the software your Tesla is using may be outdated, especially if you bought a used Tesla or if you have not activated it recently. This will impede your Model 3’s WiFi capability if the newest software is not uploaded to the car.
There are two phases to getting updates: The Download Phase, and the Install Phase.
- The vehicle has to download these data packets first, then it can move on to actually installing them and integrating them into the software
- Both phases require a strong internet or cellular connection
- To check for updates, you will need to open the “Software” tab on the main screen of the Tesla’s central console
- Here you will find notifications on required updates and a control panel that allows you to schedule updates for later
Some of these features can only be found in the “Advanced” menu. In this section, you can also customize your update preferences and schedule updates on a regular basis.
Of course, the Model 3 will need a stable connection to download any new updates. But how do you get the update if you can not connect to WiFi? Well, you can try connecting your Model 3 to an internet hotspot from your iPhone or android. In this case, if your connectivity is especially poor, many users have had success placing their phones very near the drivers-side mirror (where the antenna is located).
If there is just no way to get a stable enough connection to download the necessary updates, you may have to contact Tesla Support to troubleshoot potential hardware issues.
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Understanding Software Updates
Typically, your Tesla will continuously install what are known as “rolling updates.” These are software updates that occur either in the background or with the approval of the driver on an ongoing basis. These updates improve the performance of the vehicle in many ways:
- Updated energy consumption monitoring software
- New safety updates that improve the speed of software intercommunication
- Updates to Tesla’s AI program
It is important to understand how and when these updates take place, and how they change your driving experience.
Can I Drive my Model 3 While It Is Updating?
No, you can not drive your Tesla while it is updating. You can drive the car safely while the car is downloading the update, just not during the install phase.
Keep in mind that if you are driving and lose signal, even if it switches to cellular service rapidly, the downloads will be paused. If this happens frequently, it will just prolong the download phase unnecessarily.
It’s best to download and install software updates from home, with a strong WiFi connection.
What Do I Do If The Software Update Does Not Work?
If you have reason to believe the update failed, or if the main screen freezes, you may have to perform one of a few different kinds of reboots. Rebooting your devices and the Model 3 is a good way to ensure that data caches and cookies that may be interfering with the WiFi are cleared and the system is clean.
- The first kind of reboot you can do is the simplest. It is a touchscreen reboot that involves pressing and holding the both scroll wheel buttons on the steering wheel. Hold them down at the same time for about 10 seconds until the home screen displays the Tesla logo.
- The next reboot is the CPU and Screen Reboot. Note: all reboots must be performed while the car is parked. Depress the brake pedal while simultaneously holding the scroll wheels for 10 seconds until you see the main screen shut off. After that, the Tesla logo should appear, signifying the completion of the reboot.
- If you are doing these reboots exclusively to help with an update or to try and connect with a router or cell phone, remember to reset the devices you are trying to connect to as well.
- Next, you can try the vehicle hard-reset (the hard-reset returns the Tesla to its factory default presets). Open the hood of the car and find the 12-volt battery. Remove the covering and detach the power cable from the battery terminal. After about ten seconds, reattach the cable to the terminal. This should be last resort when it comes to reboots.
In the next step, we will cover what to do after this check-list has been completed.
Software Update Didn’t Change Anything
Not all the changes that an update makes are going to be visible to the user. Many updates are firmware or “under the hood” coding updates. Many bug patches and coding changes are small and do not change the user interface at all. But do not worry, this does not mean that the update did not work.
Some changes, however, will change the display screen icons or menu configurations. These may look different to you upon restarting the car, and may require some getting used to before you are comfortable with the interface again.
These changes may result in connectivity issues where there were none, leading you back to step 1 of troubleshooting. But do not worry, the same steps will apply before and after updates.
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Maintaining Connection
Most Model 3’s that have gone through the most recent software update do not remain connected to the WiFi network when you park and leave the car. Tesla claims this is to cut down on unnecessary power drain.
This being the case, your Model 3 will only reconnect to your home WiFi network (or whatever network is freely available) once you open the door. This means that the car is not actively searching for, downloading, or installing new updates while you are away. If you leave the car for a few days and a few rolling updates accumulate, then it will take the car longer to download and install them.
Conclusion
After going through all of the previous steps, if your Model 3 still will not connect to WiFi, your Model 3 may have a WiFi antenna problem. This would be the time to contact Tesla Support and likely set up an appointment to have a Tesla Technician have a look.
All in all, these problems are common enough that you should have little resistance in finding a viable solution to connectivity problems. Between the Tesla Support and the online communities, there is a wide range of options available to you, and you should have this issue sorted out in no time!