Sentry mode not recording (reliably)

[MikeyC]

I got my 2021 Model 3 LR in March and have had sentry mode turned on since I got it. I'm on 2021.4.18 right now with the Tesla USB stick that came with the car (which I've formatted in the car since I got it). Dashcam saving works and sentry mode works when I try to open the car (use the handle) without my Model 3 key fob with me. But that's the only time it works: when you wake it up with the door handle. Today I went to lunch and I was already in the restaurant (about 150 feet away), car was locked, and my friend parked in the spot next to me and came inside. When he left before me, he went to his car, walked right past mine, got in, and left while I stayed a little longer in the restaurant. When I got back to the car, no sentry mode events recorded. He definitely walked close enough to mine to "do something" to it if he was a hater.

I only have "Exclude home" checked in the options and this is far from home. And again, it does work if you try the handle without having the key fob or if the key fob is "asleep" and doesn't work the first time and you try the handle. It's like you have to use the door handle to "wake it up" and then it works. Since I recently formatted the USB stick, there is very little on it: probably around three sentry mode events from me using the door handle: that sometimes happens when I stand outside the car talking too long and the car locks and the fob goes to sleep even though I'm standing right next to it. Then when I try to open the door with the fob still timed out, I get a sentry mode event but that's the only time it happens. I jiggle the fob to wake it up or press the unlock button on it and I see the sentry mode event of me trying the handle before that. When it does record that, there are no issues with the recording: it's not crashing so I know it can work... it just isn't.

Anyone else? I found a couple threads on the Model Y forum but nothing applicable to these circumstances in the Model 3 forum.

Mike

 

[Bulldogge16]

I have not checked trying the handle. But I’ve yet to get a sentry mode event over the first week of owning the car. I park it at the end of the driveway in a neighbourhood inches from the sidewalk which is quiet busy with families walking by especially in the evening. I don’t have home (or anywhere else) excluded as it’s usually plugged in. I also thought about reformatting the memory stick, but just haven’t got around to it yet.

 

[MikeyC]

So should we assume sentry mode is just defunct in 2021.4.18? I've ignored it until today because I typically park away from other cars. There have been times I thought it should have triggered but just figured maybe the cars/people just weren't close enough. Today was proof, when my friend basically walked right in front of my car and down the driver's side to walk around to his car. It looks to me like the car just goes to sleep and won't record a sentry event until you wake it up by trying the door handle.

Mike

 

[Bulldogge16]

I did another format on the usb stick that came with the car and that seems to have fixed the problem.

 

[MikeyC]

I ordered a new Sandisk Max Endurance SD card today and will try that. Today I got two sentry mode events and both of them had video glitches. You'd think since I'm using the included Tesla SD card that came with the car, that'd be compatible and wouldn't have problems but I'm not going to assume... and I'll try the new card when it gets here.

Mike

 

[khundala]

I’m having the same issue, can’t trigger it myself. Once it worked when I pulled the handle, but hasn’t since. I found that someone backed in literally 3 inches from the passenger side the other day and would love to have seen if anything happened…

 

[relf218]

I got my car 3 days ago. Sentry mode worked once when i was parked outdoor and recorded 2 events. I found it odd that it never recorded or trigged when I parked in my indoor garage in my condo. With bluetooth off I tried to walk to it, open the doors, push the car and sentry mode is not activated at all.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I got my car 3 days ago. Sentry mode worked once when i was parked outdoor and recorded 2 events. I found it odd that it never recorded or trigged when I parked in my indoor garage in my condo. With bluetooth off I tried to walk to it, open the doors, push the car and sentry mode is not activated at all.

Make sure you don't have "exclude home" checked. People have also reported the radius can be quite huge, so even when you are anywhere even remotely near home, it may not activate if you have that option on.

 

[RedModel3]

I think there is something wrong with the software that controls the USB drive. Everything was working fine for me until a few months ago, and now I have no reliable dashcam, and only spotty Sentry. The SC has a new USB drive on order, but stuff like this is happening too often for it not to be caused by one of the latest updates. I've done everything the SC has asked me to try in order to clear this up, to no avail.

 

[MikeyC]

I got my Sandisk Max Endurance card yesterday and put it in. I also noticed that when I turned Sentry off and then back on, it automatically checked "Exclude work" even though I only had "Exclude home" checked before that. I can't be certain "Exclude work" wasn't checked before... and I don't know what it thinks "work" is since I work at home. So I'll try it again with the new card and only "Exclude home" checked. Don't know if it'll change anything because prior to this, it didn't work even 20 miles from home in various locations.

Mike

 

[relf218]

Make sure you don't have "exclude home" checked. People have also reported the radius can be quite huge, so even when you are anywhere even remotely near home, it may not activate if you have that option on.

Yup i have excluded home, i tried to hard reset the car too, but it makes no difference

 

[relf218]

https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/nwwbb0

I found this reddit post, where apparently it is a bug with the vision only units

 

[ATPMSD]

Two thoughts. First make sure you are using a High Perfromance / High Endurance card. Next, anytime I get a software update I reboot the car, then remove and reinsert and SD card. No problems to date.

 

[Gulfcoaster]

Hi guys, when you say you "formatted" the USB stick thats in the glovebox, what do you mean? Should I do that and how do I do that

Thanks a ton

 

[Gulfcoaster]

https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/nwwbb0

I found this reddit post, where apparently it is a bug with the vision only units

I'm new to this but I just shut my iPhone off and walked out to my garage and when I got near my 2021 June M3P with Tesla Vision/No Radar, the lights flashed and the touchscreen lit up saying "Recording". See attached video.......Well, I guess I can't upload the video off my Mac here. Sorry

 

[MikeyC]

I found this reddit post, where apparently it is a bug with the vision only units

They say that but it's not true. I think it affects all vision only units and many of the radar units too. My radar equipped Model 3 has been without a working Sentry mode for over a month. I've tried every reboot/power option possible, every setting, two different SD cards, and now I have an SSD in the car. It simply doesn't work. Some people with radar cars have it working but it doesn't work on mine and I've heard from others with radar cars that have the same problem.

Mike

 

[relf218]

They say that but it's not true. I think it affects all vision only units and many of the radar units too. My radar equipped Model 3 has been without a working Sentry mode for over a month. I've tried every reboot/power option possible, every setting, two different SD cards, and now I have an SSD in the car. It simply doesn't work. Some people with radar cars have it working but it doesn't work on mine and I've heard from others with radar cars that have the same problem.

Mike

The most recent update actually fixed the issue for me

 

[BierNut]

The most recent update actually fixed the issue for me

Same here, got my first Sentry Mode event today after updating yesterday.

 

[neuralnet]

The most recent update actually fixed the issue for me

It did for me as well, working nicely in parking lots etc. However, it does not turn off at home anymore. It was actually doing that while it was "broken."

 

[apodbdrsM3]

Did you put the car in "Park" by depressing the button on the right lever and then locking it