Sentry mode going into panic mode with a passenger in the car. Help!

[pault1981]

Hi, lately my M3 has started to go into panic mode when sentry mode is enabled and there is someone else sat waiting in the car. It is a pretty horrible thing to sit through when it activates (full blast heavy music playing through the speakers etc.).

We have changed no settings at all and it has never done this until recently. Firmware is 2022.44.30.

Tesla's response so far has been to turn of the walk away lock feature and tilt/intrusion feature, which we definitely do not want to do! I do not find this an acceptable "fix".

Has anyone else experienced similar?

 

[pgkevet]

Camp mode or dog modes are your friends.

 

[OfficialMark_H]

Have you thought about updating software? Might help if it’s only been since 2022.44

 

[pault1981]

Camp mode or dog modes are your friends.

I shouldn't need to enable dog/camp mode though if I just want to sit in my car watching Youtube etc with sentry mode on?

I haven't had this problem until very recently but when it happens then it is pretty distressing! Have you ever been sat in your car when it goes into panic mode? It is not pleasant!

As for software I am awaiting for 2023.2.xx to be offered to me, still nothing so far.

 

[yessuz]

Well if you walk away with you phone, then can locks and alarm + sentry is enabled. If there is someone else left sitting in a car, it will trigger an alarm as an internal (volume) sensor will be triggered.

you have 2 options really:
a) you leave your phone in a car once you walk away
b) you enable dog/camping mode as it will not trigger internal sensor

 

[yessuz]

I shouldn't need to enable dog/camp mode though if I just want to sit in my car watching Youtube etc with sentry mode on?

I haven't had this problem until very recently but when it happens then it is pretty distressing! Have you ever been sat in your car when it goes into panic mode? It is not pleasant!

As for software I am awaiting for 2023.2.xx to be offered to me, still nothing so far.

if you are sitting in you car and your phone key is with you - car will not lock and will not enable alarm/sentry.

 

[spdpsba]

if you are sitting in you car and your phone key is with you - car will not lock and will not enable alarm/sentry.

It will not lock and will not enable alarm but sentry mode will get activated if it is enabled for the location

I shouldn't need to enable dog/camp mode though if I just want to sit in my car watching Youtube etc with sentry mode on?.

As @yessuz mentioned it will not enable alarm if the phone is with you, but I am curious to know why would you want sentry mode enabled when you are sitting in the car and watching youtube? - it does drain the battery. Is it for factual evidence if and when something happens?

 

[Jason71]

Hi, lately my M3 has started to go into panic mode when sentry mode is enabled and there is someone else sat waiting in the car. It is a pretty horrible thing to sit through when it activates (full blast heavy music playing through the speakers etc.).

We have changed no settings at all and it has never done this until recently. Firmware is 2022.44.30.

Tesla's response so far has been to turn of the walk away lock feature and tilt/intrusion feature, which we definitely do not want to do! I do not find this an acceptable "fix".

Has anyone else experienced similar?

To add to what everyone else says.
If the person in the car has the phone that was used to unlock and drive the car, or any phone that is a phone key, then this should not happen. in which case it is odd and not right
But if you are saying you get out taking the key and are leaving someone in there without the key then this is what has always happened. Not sure why you are only experiencing it now. As soon as I get out my kids hit camp mode. They learned to do this the pretty quickly ...

Also this is not Sentry this is just the standard alarm

 

[Cardo]

If you’ve got auto lock enabled and you walk away with your phone, it’s akin to walking away from a car and blipping the lock as you go. If anyone is in the car, they are liable to set off the alarm.

You could set dog/camp mode, or leave a door cracked open until you’re well out of range?

 

[Olibol]

Happened to me at a service area half way down France last summer with my wife and daughter in the car. Very nearly ruined the holiday, and was very much regarded as my fault for having a stupid car. Have turned sentry off on family journeys ever since.

 

[yessuz]

Happened to me at a service area half way down France last summer with my wife and daughter in the car. Very nearly ruined the holiday, and was very much regarded as my fault for having a stupid car. Have turned sentry off on family journeys ever since.

but sentry is not enabled if phone is left in the car.

the whole purpose of it is that it acts as part of alarm/security and is enabled only when phone leaves car.

 

[pault1981]

Hmm this has been enlightening, so thanks for that.

So it has happened on three occasions. Twice with my wife left in the car, who had her phone with her (and Tesla app installed and key in her bag etc), but it would have been me who unlocked the car (and I think locked it when I walked away).

The other time was a passenger with no phone/key left in there, so after reading this thread I accept it makes sense she would have triggered the alarm, as she would in any other car.

The weirdest thing for me is that this hasn't happened to us sooner. We've had the car since June and have done similar countless times without setting the alarm off. Anyway I guess in summary we will just stick camp mode on if the car is locked with someone in in future. Cheers.

 

[pault1981]

Happened to me at a service area half way down France last summer with my wife and daughter in the car. Very nearly ruined the holiday, and was very much regarded as my fault for having a stupid car. Have turned sentry off on family journeys ever since.

I so far am the only one who hasn't experienced it, but I have been told by my wife and daughter (too) many times it wasn't much of a fun experience!

 

[brkaus]

The car has no way of telling if someone left a heavy bag in the seat or a person. I believe that is why activating sentry in the wall away case is appropriate.

 

[Jason71]

Hmm this has been enlightening, so thanks for that.

So it has happened on three occasions. Twice with my wife left in the car, who had her phone with her (and Tesla app installed and key in her bag etc), but it would have been me who unlocked the car (and I think locked it when I walked away).

The other time was a passenger with no phone/key left in there, so after reading this thread I accept it makes sense she would have triggered the alarm, as she would in any other car.

The weirdest thing for me is that this hasn't happened to us sooner. We've had the car since June and have done similar countless times without setting the alarm off. Anyway I guess in summary we will just stick camp mode on if the car is locked with someone in in future. Cheers.

Warning when using camp mode!
Its fine if you get out of the car to say pop into a shop then come back and drive off but for example if you get out to go pay for parking and the family put camp mode on then you come back with your pay and display ticket ( old school I know) then you all get out of the car and head off you MUST remember to turn off camp mode otherwise the heating will be on and he doors unlocked until you return.
We did this once and the car was left for 8 hours unlocked with the AC on. Only drained 10% fortunately, We were in Wales in July so not too warm.

 

[Cardo]

Happened to me at a service area half way down France last summer with my wife and daughter in the car. Very nearly ruined the holiday, and was very much regarded as my fault for having a stupid car. Have turned sentry off on family journeys ever since.

The alarm going off isn’t due to sentry mode, though. It’s the intrusion alarm being set off due to someone being in the car. Disabling sentry will not stop the alarm going off in this situation.

 

[Sixer]

It’s only happened to me once but it was enough! My young daughter was in the car when I ran back into the house for something and she was quite upset! She was in floods of tears and said her ears were ringing afterwards. Quite a nasty thing to happen to an unsuspecting 8 year old.

 

[Cardo]

It’s only happened to me once but it was enough! My young daughter was in the car when I ran back into the house for something and she was quite upset! She was in floods of tears and said her ears were ringing afterwards. Quite a nasty thing to happen to an unsuspecting 8 year old.

I have this with the little one when I have to run back into the house. Trick is to leave a door ajar, this way the car won’t lock.

 

[BarryW]

If you leave your car with your phone on you and there are passengers in the car, the car will lock since you’ve told it you want to lock the car when you walk away (Walk-away door lock). The car is unable to tell if there is a person still inside, since the weight could be a package on the seat.

To prevent the sensors from being activated, you need to either enable Camp Mode, Dog Mode or turn off Walk-away door lock. Another thing that passengers can do is tap the screen as soon as it’s gone off, that way the car knows that the object in the car is a person, and it will not activate the interior sensors until the door has opened and closed again.

I think Tesla should improve this functionality as it’s not obvious. There should be a warning on the screen when first leaving prompting someone to tap the screen before it shuts off and there is a weight detected on the seat. Or even have a new mode called ‘Passenger Smart-Lock’, that would allow you to tap and keep the alarm disabled, but the passenger safe, until the next time the door is opened.

I personally just use camp mode as I can check on the phone app as I’m walking away that it’s definitely enabled, and keeps the functionality of the screen left on when a passenger is inside.

 

[Roy B]

My (probably unpopular) opinion:

• Disable walk-away lock (unless you really never drive with passengers). On any car (not just Teslas) the risk of locking the car with a passenger present is too high.
• Buy a keyfob (or two) - then locking the car is a single click of the fob and you really won't care about not having walk-away lock