Tesla has an anti-theft feature called "Sentry Mode," which drains the battery while activated and can leave you with a dead battery. Tesla includes fail-safes to keep the battery from draining completely and measures to provide power when you return.

Tesla is full of unique features to enhance the user experience. However, these features all impact your battery life. Tesla owners can return to their car with much less charge than they anticipated, which can cause issues for owners and force a charge quicker than anticipated.

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What is Tesla Sentry Mode?

Tesla Sentry Mode is an anti-theft technique that guards your Tesla by continuously monitoring the area around the car when unattended. While in Sentry Mode, the Tesla is on standby, using its external cameras to watch for threats.

This can level up to Alert Mode and eventually Alarm Mode if a possible theft is detected. This plays the alarm and turns up the brightness while also remotely alerting the car’s owner of possible theft.

While an incredibly useful and unique feature, Tesla Sentry Mode is not without issues—in this case, it has been known to drain the battery of the Tesla.

What causes the Tesla Sentry Mode battery draining problem?

Unlike most cars, Teslas are never “off” in the traditional sense. Some features are always on, chipping away at battery life. When in Sentry Mode, even more features and systems are in use, drawing on the total battery power. The camera and sensors are both active, which can draw a lot of power. Due to this, the battery will drain faster when in Sentry Mode.

According to Tesla, Sentry Mode drains the battery at the equivalent of one mile per hour. So, if you left your Tesla for eleven days while in Sentry Mode, you’d likely return to a dead Tesla. For comparison, Teslas parked without Sentry Mode can make it twenty days without a charge.

Some people call this “vampire drain,” as power is seemingly sucked away while the car is not being actively used.

However, Tesla has a solution—the 20% fail-safe. If the battery drops below 20%, Sentry Mode automatically turns off. This is good for your battery (and you when you return to your car) but leaves your vehicle more susceptible to theft.

MORE:

How to check and decode a Tesla VIN

How to deal with Tesla Sentry Mode’s battery draining problem

It’s important to know how to deal with this battery drain and keep your Tesla charged and capable of staying in Sentry Mode when not in use. Here are a few ways to combat battery drain for your Tesla:

Park at a charger: The easiest solution is to find parking that has long-term access to a charging station. This will keep your car charged and in Sentry Mode while you’re away.

Plan ahead: If you know how long you’ll be away, make sure your Tesla is adequately charged before heading off.

Limit 3rd-party app usage: Third-party apps to monitor your Tesla will further drain the battery, as more features will need power. Limit usage of these (and any other unnecessary features) to keep your battery from draining too quickly.

Following these tips will help you keep your Tesla charged and ready for usage when you need it.

MORE:

Everything you need to know about the Tesla self-driving car

How to save money on Tesla insurance

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