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

[drtimhill]

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?

You seem to be asking for two incompatible things: (a) For sentry mode NOT to go on when you have a friend sitting in your locked car, and (b) for sentry mode TO go on when someone else is in the car???

 

[hingus2000]

Happened to me with our puppy in the car. Had just nipped round to insert the charge cable, leaving my phone in the car. For some reason the car locked and the dog set off sentry.

Really really unpleasant experience desperately trying to figure out what to do as the dog was stuck in the car with the music playing full blast (although strangely looked unbothered).

I had fully decided to smash the windows until someone walked past who let me download the Tesla app onto their phone, login and manually unlock the car.

I now have an Apple Watch with a Tesla app which should avoid a repeat situation. It could easily have been our baby though - which doesn’t bear thinking about.

It’s owning a Tesla in a microcosm. It works well until the moment it doesn’t. But it is very hard to place any faith in it.

 

[hgmichna]

The car does not normally lock when a phone key is inside. That leaves the case that the phone is defective or without power.

Anyway, this situation is what dog mode is for. I would also recommend not to close the door while connecting to a charger.

 

[Jason71]

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

Or just sell the car and buy a horse and cart?

 

[init6]

Or just sell the car and buy a horse and cart?

You'll still have a walk-away problem.

 

[spdpsba]

Or just sell the car and buy a horse and cart?

Still there will be discussion about how to lock the horse and cart without the horse neighing - is there a word like that? I know there are couple of language experts on this forum!

 

[WannabeOwner]

The car does not normally lock when a phone key is inside

I've accidentally left my phone in the car - and been seriously bothered on return that the car had, therefore, remained unlocked.

The fact that so many/most cars retract wing mirrors when locked now means that any car with wing mirrors sticking out is worth a tug of the door handle to check for access and then for the tealeaf to help themselves to the contents

 

[Jason71]

I've accidentally left my phone in the car - and been seriously bothered on return that the car had, therefore, remained unlocked.

The fact that so many/most cars retract wing mirrors when locked now means that any car with wing mirrors sticking out is worth a tug of the door handle to check for access and then for the tealeaf to help themselves to the contents

Now that my phone is the key to the Tesla I cannot cope with keys and locking anymore.
I sometimes get out of my wife's car leaving the keys in and the engine "on" and just walk away. It has start/stop so the engine is not necessarily running which would be a give away.

 

[Syro]

Isnt there just a way to disable the music from going off in the car?
My kids are afraid of getting in the car after being stuck in it for a minute with this music.
This is loud enough to cause damage to your ears.

Parked the car in front of my house, walk away to get something inside and went alarm went off.

This car should be "smart enought" to know there are people in the seat and they remained in their seat...

So just possible to have sentry mode on and everything, even alarm noise outside, just not the music inside, guess not?

 

[Leejmoff]

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.

this happened to my son while I was about 15 yards away, he ended up crying and it took me ages to stop the car and open it for some reason.

 

[SR-Plus]

I half click the drivers door shut (but not fully closed). This is enough to prevent the door being blown open vs dummying the car into thinking the door is still open.

 

[Andywil]

this happened to my son while I was about 15 yards away, he ended up crying and it took me ages to stop the car and open it for some reason.

This is exactly what I expect a car alarm to do, to activate if the driver has st the alarm (by walking away) and the car detecting movement inside the vehicle. The vehicle canine expected to identify if the movement is caused by friend or foe.

 

[Adopado]

So just possible to have sentry mode on and everything, even alarm noise outside, just not the music inside, guess not?

It’s nothing to do with Sentry Mode … it’s just the alarm. You can set camping mode when you leave the car so it won’t go off but I don’t think there’s currently a way to switch off the internal music… maybe that option will come in a future update.

 

[pault1981]

It’s nothing to do with Sentry Mode … it’s just the alarm. You can set camping mode when you leave the car so it won’t go off but I don’t think there’s currently a way to switch off the internal music… maybe that option will come in a future update.

Yes, I think I was confused and believed it was sentry mode related when in fact it is just the internal car alarm going off. I think some of the confusion is that the music going off feels like something sentry mode would do rather than a traditional car alarm.

I have no idea how it took several months for that situation to occur, and it then happened several times over a few days! As others have said it is pretty distressing for whoever is unfortunate enough to be sat in the car! The music is extremely loud!

I have now started putting Dog Mode on if I am ever in that scenario. It does the job just fine. I just wish this was made clearer somewhere as it seems I am far from the only person who has been confused by this.

 

[Irata]

In situations like this I've always used dog mode, but I accept it's no way to refer to her whose been left in the car.

But it amuses me every time.

 

[Adopado]

In situations like this I've always used dog mode, but I accept it's no way to refer to her whose been left in the car.

But it amuses me every time.

... which is why I suggest camping mode if there are passengers left in the car. They also get access to screen controls for music, videos etc.

 

[init6]

I just wish this was made clearer somewhere as it seems I am far from the only person who has been confused by this.

There's warning in the manual about things that might move triggering the alarm. It suggests disabling the tilt/intrusion although IIRC later models might not have that option.
You're not the only person to be impacted because most people either haven't read the manual or have forgotten that walking away from the car can lock the doors and set the alarm.

 

[Pink Duck]

Tilt/Intrusion is required for Sentry Mode. So Camp Mode plus disabling Tilt/Intrusion and walk-away lock is necessary.

 

[s_zigmond]

This is something i've been trying to find a way around. I often leave the dog in the car and don't want the interior alarm to be active. I know the answer is dog mode, but equally I don't want a big display on the screen telling everyone who goes past there is a dog in there. The windows are dark enough to mean that unless you look closely you can't see the dog (he's far from small, but spends most of his time lying down), I don't want to draw attention to the fact he is there. Every other car I have owned has allowed you to arm the exterior alarm without interior for the odd time he decides to sit up.

 

[init6]

This is something i've been trying to find a way around. I often leave the dog in the car and don't want the interior alarm to be active. I know the answer is dog mode, but equally I don't want a big display on the screen telling everyone who goes past there is a dog in there. The windows are dark enough to mean that unless you look closely you can't see the dog (he's far from small, but spends most of his time lying down), I don't want to draw attention to the fact he is there. Every other car I have owned has allowed you to arm the exterior alarm without interior for the odd time he decides to sit up.

You don't say what car you have, but in some models there is the option to turn off the tilt/intrusion sensor.
Otherwise:

The intrusion sensor automatically disables in situations where the climate control system is operating when you leave your vehicle. To override, you can manually turn the Tilt/Intrusion Sensor on again after choosing Keep Climate On, Dog, or Camp Mode.

BTW I'd be concerned you were leaving a dog in the car with no A/C on.