Sentry mode activated while in car, then got stuck

[gp100dl]

Hi everyone,

We had a pretty nasty experience with Sentry Mode in our Model S (HW2) today. My wife was in the car with the passenger door open, while I briefly went into a shop with the key. I would normally have left the key with her, but keeping a door open usually prevents the car from locking and any alarms from arming (note we have passive entry disabled).

While my wife was in the car rearranging some items in the back, the car started beeping and then very quickly before she knew it, it started playing music at maximum volume! She jumped out as quick as she could, but couldn't do anything until I came back with the key. When I came back the music had stopped. I unlocked the car, but it had got into a strange state where unlocking the car would cause the music to play immediately (presumably because the alarm was armed), but it would stop again when the doors closed. Unlocking with the key and the mobile app didn't help, the alarm stayed on and music blasted whenever a door was opened. The same with disabling sentry mode via the app too. Throughout this whole period the MCU didn't display the HAL image and seemed to be stuck. Eventually I had to get into the car and reboot the MCU to finally shut it up (more hearing loss!), and when it rebooted I could actually disable Sentry Mode (it was still on). Later I saw notifications on my phone for both Sentry Mode and the Intruder Alarm being activated.

I've made a bug report both in-car and by calling Tesla. They said they will investigate and get back to us. Has anyone heard of this happening before? IMO it's pretty dangerous to have full-volume music activate with people in the car, and there are clearly multiple bugs: first that it activated at all with the door open and the car not locked, and second that it was impossible to disable it without a reboot. We're not happy, since our ears are still ringing!

I also think they should consider a verbal warning for Sentry Mode - you can't expect everybody to know about Sentry Mode, and if you're in the car you'll definitely want to get out pretty fast if it's going to activate. That wouldn't help with a baby or small child though. Perhaps it should not activate at all if the interior sensors detect movement in the car.

 

[boaterva]

Well, there shouldn't be a need for a warning as it shouldn't activate with any of the seat sensors activated, I would think. As you say, especially because of the noise/hearing factor. Either a design issue or programming bug.

There aren't any internal motion sensors on this side of the pond, and, yeah, on your side, that would be another good idea for a Sentry lockout.

 

[gp100dl]

As an update, I've managed to reproduce the problem by leaving the car unlocked with a door open, taking the key away from the vicinity, and then (after a few minutes) briefly closing the door and re-opening it. This causes the car to lock (padlock symbol goes to locked on the screen). Once in that state, even though the door is open, triggering Sentry Mode will almost immediately start the music blast: the car beeps for a few seconds and then plays the music at full volume. Just sitting in the car doesn't trigger it, I was able to get it to trigger once by getting out of the car and walking around, and again by fidgeting in the passenger seat (so it's possible the the seat sensor is an input to the intruder alarm/sentry system, not sure).

We measured the sound level using a phone decibel meter (not very accurate, I'm sure) and it read 108 dB (although it recorded a peak at 112), which is around the human pain threshold: Noise Comparisons.

When Sentry is triggered in this state, you don't seem to get any visual warning (no HAL), it's just a few seconds of beeping before deafening music. This is different behaviour to what happens with regular Sentry mode (HAL and text warnings on the MCU), and not obvious even if you know about Sentry Mode. When talking to Tesla Service on the phone, they referred to it as 'panic mode', which is not documented anywhere that I can find.

I think at the very least there should be warnings about this:

• A warning when you enable Sentry Mode that if there's any chance a person is in or near a locked car (even if the doors are open, but it's managed to get into a locked state somehow), they might get blasted with music.
• A visual and audible warning when this 'panic mode' is activating that music is about to blast, and some time to react. A warning and a few more seconds isn't going to make much difference to a real security situation, but it would make a big difference for a false activation.

I've turned off Sentry Mode and can't see myself every turning it back on!

 

[babymaylina]

My wife and 7 year old daughter suffered from that experince today in my Model 3 sitting in the rear. I stopped at a gas station and left the car with my smartphone for the shop. When I was away suddenly brutally loud (heavy metal?) music started. As they were in the seat belts and the child lock was active, they had no chance to leave the car. Their only chance was to cover their ears. They have a headache now and I hope they don't take away a serious and lasting ear problem like tinnitus from this acoustic shock.

It seems a cable from a high pressure cleaner hanging from a high arm was coming to close to the car which activated the alarm.

@ELONMUSK PLEASE CHANGE THE SENTRY MODE SOFTWARE TO NOT ACTIVATE THE MUSIC ALARM WHILE PEOPLE ARE IN THE CAR!!!!

 

[aStorm]

Same think happen to my GF and 3month year old son. Now we are in contact with heathcare in Norway, but we are awaiting respons from lokal Tesla service senter. They are saying that they dont know how much dB model 3 alarm plays on. The doctor need this information.

Anyone know what i can do when Tesla cant respond in time?

One more thing: please, there is No point in playing metall music Even if somones is trying to steal my car...

 

[brkaus]

I think the goal of it is to blast loud music in the car if someone climbs in through a broken (or open) window.

Sounds like it should not have armed. Perhaps it needs an on screen countdown when it arms.

 

[Need]

Same think happen to my GF and 3month year old son. Now we are in contact with heathcare in Norway, but we are awaiting respons from lokal Tesla service senter. They are saying that they dont know how much dB model 3 alarm plays on. The doctor need this information.

Anyone know what i can do when Tesla cant respond in time?

One more thing: please, there is No point in playing metall music Even if somones is trying to steal my car...

You don't need Tesla to tell you the dB level. Just download an app and measure it yourself!

 

[gp100dl]

Sorry to hear that others have been through this. As mentioned in my previous post, we measured 108db on the app.