How to open charge port

[sub]

This feels like a dumb question but is there a way to open the charge port door without using the capacitive button on the trim.

The charge port door sensor was covered with a 1/4 inch thick layer of ice when I got home today. Unsurprisingly the capacitive button was not able to detect my finger through the ice.

I thought no problem, I'll just open the app and open the port from there. What felt like 15 minutes (but was probably 5) later I gave up and climbed back into the car and opened the port via the center screen. I happened to have the fob in my pocket and couldn't figure out how to open it with the fob either.

On my Tesla the fob, app, and the charge cable can all trigger the port to open when the capacitive button is not working. Does Rivian have a solution that doesn't involve climbing back inside? I was sure there was, but I sure can't figure it out.

Why isn't it here?

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[sub]

Right swipe from left on the big screen or push the vehicle icon at the top. Charge port is one of the options from there on the vehicle diagram to push to open/close.

Perhaps I am just a lot shorter than Rivian was expecting drivers to be but the center screen is impossible for me to reach from outside the vehicle.

That is a 4th option the Tesla has that Rivian doesn't. No problem to reach the Tesla's screen without climbing all the way back in.

 

[DeafPug]

I was going to say use the main screen, but you say that's not a good option. Maybe you can use the main screen if you use the kneel feature on your vehicle.

I did get this email from Rivian yesterday afternoon. Look for a similar email in your junk mail:

Hi there,

As a Rivian owner, your feedback and thoughts are important to us. It’s how we improve our products, services and overall customer experience.

This short survey about the Rivian app will take about 10-15 minutes to complete. You can exit the survey at any time by closing the survey window. Thank you for your time and for being on this journey with us.

Please click below to start the survey.

 

[Ngkgb]

Alexa, open the charge door. Or charge port door. I forget which.

 

[Thedude]

Chip the ice off and touch the button. Worked for me every time it happened.

 

[ThirteenElectrics]

Even when the ice is not there, often the capacitive button doesn’t work in my cars in cold temperatures. So, I’m afraid there may be no solution for you.

 

[tate16t]

It would be nice to have an option to open the charge port door from the mobile app. This wouldn’t solve the ice problem but it would be more convenient.

 

[JRock]

I’ve found that pressing the frunk button under the front bumper helps to wake up my R1S, making the charge port door trim button more responsive.

 

[windblowlc]

Perhaps I am just a lot shorter than Rivian was expecting drivers to be but the center screen is impossible for me to reach from outside the vehicle.

That is a 4th option the Tesla has that Rivian doesn't. No problem to reach the Tesla's screen without climbing all the way back in.

Get a set of running boards and reach is no problem.

 

[VSG]

I have a bottle of Prestone de-icer that I bought last winter because someone on this forum recommended it. I used to live in Chicago, so I am familiar with snow and ice disabling my vehicle.
However I currently live in a place without a lot of snow or ice, so I have only used this de-icer once, but it very quickly de-iced my windshield last winter when I needed it. That is the first thing I would try if I encountered an iced-up charger port - I would squirt it with the de-icer and I would expect it to become unstuck in a few seconds.

I keep my de-icer in the cargo net in my frunk, along with some other useful chemicals like windex and bear spray.

 

[iforbes]

I have a suggestion. If there’s a lot of ice on the cover, it might be best to remove it before trying to force the cover or motor to break free.

 

[Erik+]

Perhaps I am just a lot shorter than Rivian was expecting drivers to be but the center screen is impossible for me to reach from outside the vehicle.

That is a 4th option the Tesla has that Rivian doesn't. No problem to reach the Tesla's screen without climbing all the way back in.

I had responded before realizing you did not want to use the center screen, tried to delete post, but apparently that did not work.

The voice commands seem like a plausible option, but I have not used those for this purpose.

 

[Laserboy1054]

I don't quite mean this facetiously, but spitballing an idea: I just received my Rivian powerbank/hand warmer yesterday. I've had problems with various outside controls on the truck (e.g., the tailgate-opener) icing over as well. Now I'm thinking: turn on the hand warmer and rub it on the iced-over control. I gotta try that next time it's an issue!

Maybe Rivian needs to produce a Rivian-branded hair dryer! (Okay, that one _is_ facetious.)

 

[sub]

Wow, I really thought I was just too dumb to figure out how to do it with the app or FOB.

It sounds like it really is either a missing feature or it is buried so deep that no one here knows about it.

Time to complain to Rivian. The good news is it's probably not terribly hard to add a button in the app and program the car to respond to a triple click on the fob or something like that. So perhaps it won't take years for an update.

 

[bfilippo]

Wow, I really thought I was just too dumb to figure out how to do it with the app or FOB.

It sounds like it really is either a missing feature or it is buried so deep that no one here knows about it.

Time to complain to Rivian. The good news is it's probably not terribly hard to add a button in the app and program the car to respond to a triple click on the fob or something like that. So perhaps it won't take years for an update.

Yeah, it’s a silly missing piece. As another Tesla + Rivian owner, I feel like this is an obvious oversight. I can’t get the Tesla charge door respond to my hand 4/10 times even when it’s not freezing, so the app button is essential. Maybe it can also make it into the new Gen2 fob! Here’s hoping.

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