Will sentry mode sound alarm if wheels are being stolen?

[hydro 481]

Today while driving through the parking structure of my apartment complex I saw a Mercedes sitting on it's rotors with wheels missing. Apparently this happened last night. It's a bit disturbing to see stuff like this since this is a gated area with a security patrol on watch. It's a decent community (upper-middle class) in San Diego and not sketchy or anything.

Anyways, naturally I'm feeling a bit paranoid. I usually don't have sentry mode on since it drains a lot of battery. But from now on I definitely will turn it on every night. I'm just wondering if sentry mode will sound alarm i.e. play loud music if the wheels are being tampered with? I know it will record if someone is near and if a window is broken it will sound the alarm. But not sure what it will do if a thief attempts to steal my wheels?

Also, should I invest in some wheel locks? My aftermarket wheels are not too expensive or anything but it would hurt to see my car sitting on nothing but rotors or bricks. I feel really bad for the owner

 

[TJ73]

Looks like a no

Skip to 8:22

 

[MMMGP]

One could always wire a tilt sensor output to the Tesla hood pin wire so if the car is tilted 1 or 3 degrees, a trigger is sent to the factory hood pin wire which sets off the alarm. Directed Electronics makes a tilt sensor, DEI-507M.

 

[terrywhite]

I’ve gotten in the habit of buying wheel locks every time I get a new car. It’s not so much about protecting the wheels while I’m home (I have a garage) as much as it is when the car is parked anywhere else like a mall or hotel on a road trip. They can take all 4 wheels in just a few minutes.

 

[terrywhite]

Even if Sentry Mode went off they’d likely have the wheels off before anyone reacted. A team of two or more get them pretty quickly. Wheel locks are better than any alarm.

 

[terrywhite]

Take it one step further and keep the wheel lock key with you instead of in the car.

 

[terrywhite]

Years ago the ransacked my trunk looking for the key which was in a pouch on my key ring.

 

[MMMGP]

I hope those thieves have the proper jacking puck or at least raise the car from the proper jacking spot!

 

[hydro 481]

Looks like a no

Skip to 8:22

Thank you for the video. And thanks everyone for your input. That’s a real bummer sentry won’t go off in that situation

Guess it’s time to get some wheel locks. Do people typical put one lock per wheel?

 

[hydro 481]

I hope those thieves have the proper jacking puck or at least raise the car from the proper jacking spot!

This is funny, sad and true at the same time.

 

[hydro 481]

One could always wire a tilt sensor output to the Tesla hood pin wire so if the car is tilted 1 or 3 degrees, a trigger is sent to the factory hood pin wire which sets off the alarm. Directed Electronics makes a tilt sensor, DEI-507M.

Interesting. This is confirmed to work with sentry mode? Will I get a text alert if it goes off?

 

[hydro 481]

Any recommendations for wheels locks for VS Forged VS12 wheels?

 

[nayr14]

Is there a market for Model 3 wheels? I'm sure wheels get stolen, but due to their design I imagine they are less desirable. For the 18's you'd have to purchase a lug cap kit and for the 19's you'd have to run them bare or with the Tesla cap. OEM wheel locks take seconds to overcome, some of the aftermarket ones are better but many can still be brute forced.

IMO, if an experienced thief is coming to steel your wheels it won't matter if you have locks or not. I don't plan to run locks on mine.

 

[hydro 481]

Is there a market for Model 3 wheels? I'm sure wheels get stolen, but due to their design I imagine they are less desirable. For the 18's you'd have to purchase a lug cap kit and for the 19's you'd have to run them bare or with the Tesla cap. OEM wheel locks take seconds to overcome, some of the aftermarket ones are better but many can still be brute forced.

IMO, if an experienced thief is coming to steel your wheels it won't matter if you have locks or not. I don't plan to run locks on mine.

Not sure but I have aftermarket wheels. I know there’s a market for OEM Honda and Toyota wheels.

 

[MMMGP]

Interesting. This is confirmed to work with sentry mode? Will I get a text alert if it goes off?

Not confirmed, but in my head the application and wiring is simple. I spent almost a decade in the car stereo and alarm industry from the early 90s to 2002.

The tilt sensor outputs a negative trigger when a 1 or 3 degree tilt is measured. When that tilt sensor output wire is tapped to the factory hood pin wire (assuming the hood pin wire is also a negative trigger) and a tilt is detected, Sentry mode will assume that the hood was opened and will treat that opening as an intrusion. This will cause Sentry mode to sound the horn, flash the lights, and send a notification via app.

The tilt sensor output trigger can also be tapped to the factory door pin wires or the trunk pin wire, assuming both are negative triggers, instead of the factory hood pin. I feel the hood pin is easier as the install should be fairly easy once the frunk tub plastics are removed. I've ordered the sensor and put it on the list of to-do projects.

 

[SupraDude]

Wheel locks are a joke, you can buy sockets that remove them so you're literally slowly down the thieves by the 3 seconds it takes to switch sockets on their impact gun.

 

[Phlier]

Not confirmed, but in my head the application and wiring is simple. I spent almost a decade in the car stereo and alarm industry from the early 90s to 2002.

The tilt sensor outputs a negative trigger when a 1 or 3 degree tilt is measured. When that tilt sensor output wire is tapped to the factory hood pin wire (assuming the hood pin wire is also a negative trigger) and a tilt is detected, Sentry mode will assume that the hood was opened and will treat that opening as an intrusion. This will cause Sentry mode to sound the horn, flash the lights, and send a notification via app.

The tilt sensor output trigger can also be tapped to the factory door pin wires or the trunk pin wire, assuming both are negative triggers, instead of the factory hood pin. I feel the hood pin is easier as the install should be fairly easy once the frunk tub plastics are removed. I've ordered the sensor and put it on the list of to-do projects.

Hoping you'll keep us updated on the results? Thanks for sharing the suggestion with us. : )

 

[Phlier]

Wheel locks are a joke, you can buy sockets that remove them so you're literally slowly down the thieves by the 3 seconds it takes to switch sockets on their impact gun.

Exactly.

It really doesn't matter if you spend the money on wheel locks or not. I had wheels stolen off of my old lifted Toyota pickup (hey.. it was the 80's, so gimme a break ; ) ) with locks on all wheels. Didn't slow them down one bit. I haven't bothered with them since. Now I'm sure that wheel lock tech has improved a lot since then, but I'm sure the thieves tech has improved right along side it.

 

[hydro 481]

Not confirmed, but in my head the application and wiring is simple. I spent almost a decade in the car stereo and alarm industry from the early 90s to 2002.

The tilt sensor outputs a negative trigger when a 1 or 3 degree tilt is measured. When that tilt sensor output wire is tapped to the factory hood pin wire (assuming the hood pin wire is also a negative trigger) and a tilt is detected, Sentry mode will assume that the hood was opened and will treat that opening as an intrusion. This will cause Sentry mode to sound the horn, flash the lights, and send a notification via app.

The tilt sensor output trigger can also be tapped to the factory door pin wires or the trunk pin wire, assuming both are negative triggers, instead of the factory hood pin. I feel the hood pin is easier as the install should be fairly easy once the frunk tub plastics are removed. I've ordered the sensor and put it on the list of to-do projects.

If that mod works then it could be really useful and effective. Please keep us posted on your project when you get to it. How difficult is the mod? Will any car stereo/alarm place be able to do it?

 

[hydro 481]

Wheel locks are a joke, you can buy sockets that remove them so you're literally slowly down the thieves by the 3 seconds it takes to switch sockets on their impact gun.

I hear people say this a lot too. So I’m not sure if it’s even worth it.