Tip For 3rd Row Vents

Rivian Mom · 2025-05-15T14:45:12+00:00

I've been using my phone's hotspot for months, and my Rivian connects to it automatically to run TuneIn and Spotify through the built-in apps on the main display. To be clear, this wasn’t Bluetooth streaming but actual phone data, and the apps worked perfectly without any issues. In Monday for the first time, I saw a Connect+ message pop up, even though the truck was linked to my phone’s data. I can still stream from my phone using Bluetooth, but the sound quality and user experience weren’t as good. This issue started between over-the-air software updates, though it might be tied to a specific date in the system. I tried a soft reset, but nothing changed. Has anyone heard if Rivian changed their policy on this? I remember Connect+ used to mention it provided "data" for streaming apps, suggesting you could use your own data instead. Now, it seems like you need Connect+ just to access the apps at all. I was surprised they allowed phone hotspots to work before, so this might be a deliberate change. I’m okay with paying for Connect+ if this isn’t just a temporary glitch. Any insights would be appreciated.

Rivian Mom

Active Wheeler

Nov 26, 2024

Over the weekend, I did some testing on the 3rd row and the vents. I noticed that the third row vents do not automatically come on unless a seat belt is detected.

Car seats latched? No automatic vents.

Seats down? No automatic vents.

So I designed and 3D printed the dummy seatbelts pictured. These engage the 3rd row vents in every situation automatically!

I even put them in, positioned the seatbelt buckle flush, and then lowered the 3rd row. Vents were on!

This will work best for kids in car seats and pets in the trunk. Hopefully this helps someone.

P.S. The car goes to sleep with them plugged in.

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