M3 alarm keeps false triggering. How to stop it?!

[Accentcreate]

I have two model 3s, both 2019 (one in France and one in Australia) I've never had a false alarm in the Australian one but the French one goes off every time I leave it on which is frustrating as I sometimes need to park in some unsavoury or remote areas and would appreciate having the car alarm set. There are no insects or plastic bottles in the car. It seems to be reacting to changes in the light, shadows from trees or just moving branches in the wind. All very annoying.

 

[init6]

Raise a case with Tesla and they might be able to see if it is the internal sensor that is being triggered or something external.

 

[Envchem]

Just saw this thread. Had this issue a week ago. Late Friday and he alarm went off twice. Was parked at home so no centry mode. Was amused by how low it is. Initially I thought it was a smoke detector! After the second time it went off I took out for a spin with all windows down. Problem solved. I guess it was a bug lingering inside the car and the draft threw it out

 

[Durzel]

Had mine go off a couple of times recently too, for the first time since I got the car over a year ago. As @Envchem said it's pretty quiet, I too thought it was a smoke detector or something!

 

[Spikey]

I’ve had my M3 for 3 1/2 years and the alarm has never gone off until a few weeks ago. But now 4 or 5 times in the last month while in sentry mode. Nothing around the car, no traffic passing at the time either.

 

[init6]

I’ve had my M3 for 3 1/2 years and the alarm has never gone off until a few weeks ago. But now 4 or 5 times in the last month while in sentry mode. Nothing around the car, no traffic passing at the time either.

If you raise a report to Tesla they'll be able to tell you what sensor is triggering the alarm. I presume it's the same in Socal as the UK and Ireland.

 

[Mr H]

I cured my constant alarm triggering…….I sold the car

 

[Martinb999]

Mine started triggering about 6 weeks ago, more than 10 times a day. Took it back to Dartford, they replaced the internal sensor and wiring. Came home, three days later, started again, same thing, randomly alarming. Made sure Tilt intrusion off, sentry mode off etc but still doing it. They are taking the car in again and giving me a loaner this week to sort it once and fore all - hopefully.

 

[Adopado]

Mine started triggering about 6 weeks ago, more than 10 times a day. Took it back to Dartford, they replaced the internal sensor and wiring. Came home, three days later, started again, same thing, randomly alarming. Made sure Tilt intrusion off, sentry mode off etc but still doing it. They are taking the car in again and giving me a loaner this week to sort it once and fore all - hopefully.

Wow that must be so frustrating. Someone posted about using insecticide in the car having successfully cured a similar issue ... has that been tried yet?

 

[Martinb999]

Yes, fly spray was the first thing I tired............ to no avail!

 

[Accentcreate]

Mine started triggering about 6 weeks ago, more than 10 times a day. Took it back to Dartford, they replaced the internal sensor and wiring. Came home, three days later, started again, same thing, randomly alarming. Made sure Tilt intrusion off, sentry mode off etc but still doing it. They are taking the car in again and giving me a loaner this week to sort it once and fore all - hopefully.

So, how did it turn out? Tesla in France just say that "the Tesla alarm is very sensitive". I have exactly the same Model 3 LR in France and Australia. The French one's alarm goes off randomly so often I've had to disable it but the Australian one has never given me a false alarm. Strange as we probably have more chance of errant insects being in the Australian car.

 

[Adopado]

So, how did it turn out? Tesla in France just say that "the Tesla alarm is very sensitive". I have exactly the same Model 3 LR in France and Australia. The French one's alarm goes off randomly so often I've had to disable it but the Australian one has never given me a false alarm. Strange as we probably have more chance of errant insects being in the Australian car.

From reading everyone's experiences it seems more like it's a bug than an insect ... (I really mean it ... though it's a nice joke as well ..!) or sensor fault ..

 

[Andy_T_73]

Much weirdness last night....around 00:10 I was woken by my phone buzzing with a notification from the Tesla app that my alarm was going off. Ran to the front of the house and car sat quietly in the dark as usual. I could have slept through it of course and the notification was late coming through to the phone.

Half an hour later I'm woken by the car alarm and a notification. So the only conclusion is my car is psychic. Or I am.

Checked the car this morning and no obvious reason, was windy last night but living on the west coast of Scotland that is pretty much 80% of the time. First the alarm has ever triggered.

What I did notice is the car SOC went up from 90% when I parked up last night to 92% last night when the alarm went off. This morning it's reporting 91%. Wonder if the battery voltage is a factor - high power and/or auxiliary?

 

[Adopado]

What I did notice is the car SOC went up from 90% when I parked up last night to 92% last night when the alarm went off. This morning it's reporting 91%. Wonder if the battery voltage is a factor - high power and/or auxiliary?

SOC can go up and down for whatever reason. Mine certainly does. Usually temperature or BMS adjustments taking place I think. Connection to alarm is most likely a coincidence.

 

[Andy_T_73]

SOC can go up and down for whatever reason. Mine certainly does. Usually temperature or BMS adjustments taking place I think. Connection to alarm is most likely a coincidence.

Yep agree with that. Just wondered if one of the alarm triggers could be related to voltage. Back in the day many alarms monitored battery voltage and went off if there was a drop. Probably not relevant these days but just throwing it out there. Stranger things have happened. Previous car I had used to get set off by one particular brand of microwave oven if parked close to the kitchen window.

 

[Martinb999]

So, how did it turn out? Tesla in France just say that "the Tesla alarm is very sensitive". I have exactly the same Model 3 LR in France and Australia. The French one's alarm goes off randomly so often I've had to disable it but the Australian one has never given me a false alarm. Strange as we probably have more chance of errant insects being in the Australian car.

Goes in tomorrow. We'll see how it turns out. I'll report back once I have the car back.

 

[Matt125]

My alarm went off for the first time earlier this week while it was parked on the drive with absolutely nobody around. I heard the alarm, got the alert on my phone, immediately stood up and looked at the car through the window - nothing. This was after 23 months of having it...

I just unlocked then locked the car via my phone and that stopped the alarm, was weird though... still, glad to know the phone alerts work!

 

[page3]

I cured my constant alarm triggering…….I sold the car

This is good lateral thinking, but perhaps a bit drastic.

 

[Martinb999]

Reporting back. I got my own car back yesterday and returned the loaner. I must say that after driving a Model S for a few days it is not my cup of tea at all. It's obviously a larger car but I don't like the screen and driver screen, far too busy for me. Ditto for the sticks on the streering wheel column.
Anyway, my car. The issue seems to have been water ingress into the wiring for the alarm systems. They have renewed the wiring and sealed it so that should stop the issue. No charge as it's still under guarantee. So far, fingers crossed, no screaming alarm. Let's hope that's the last of this issue.
I did say to the service technician that if water can ingress into such sensitive wiring then maybe they should look at that as an issue to resolve for the future. We'll see.

 

[Adopado]

Reporting back. I got my own car back yesterday and returned the loaner. I must say that after driving a Model S for a few days it is not my cup of tea at all. It's obviously a larger car but I don't like the screen and driver screen, far too busy for me. Ditto for the sticks on the streering wheel column.
Anyway, my car. The issue seems to have been water ingress into the wiring for the alarm systems. They have renewed the wiring and sealed it so that should stop the issue. No charge as it's still under guarantee. So far, fingers crossed, no screaming alarm. Let's hope that's the last of this issue.
I did say to the service technician that if water can ingress into such sensitive wiring then maybe they should look at that as an issue to resolve for the future. We'll see.

Had your car ever had the loom corrective work done before? There was a "non-recall recall" for loom wiring that could lead to multiple systems errors (including power steering failure in some instances). Any cars potentially affected were dealt with when in the service centres for other issues but were never officially recalled. If yours is an earlier car maybe it's related to the same thing.