# Sentry Mode False Positives ... then



## skygraff (Jun 2, 2017)

I didn’t know where to put this but I think it’s mostly about the software. If anybody has advice or the mods have a better place to put this, feel free.

Like most of you, I see regular alerts about Sentry Mode events when I get in my Model 3; usually, at least 1 event because the system flashes me as I approach even though I have the BT connected key in my pocket. I generally make a habit of walking around my car for a quick visual inspection even before I get in and see the event count so I don’t typically look again after that and I don’t usually pull the usb drive for review now that the software reuses space (especially since there’s no time stamp of the events).

Saturday, I actually got an alert to my phone that the alarm had been activated as I was leaving a restaurant. By the time I got out to the car, there was no sign of the alarm condition and, after visually inspecting it in the dark, I decided it was another false alarm but I made plans to review the footage.

On Sunday night, I pulled the usb and reviewed the Sentry files only to discover that a car had backed down the one way street and, in a very wide turn into a parking space against the opposite curb, had impacted my front right bumper just ahead of the wheel. I went out to my garage and took a closer look which gave me the bad news that there were some scrapes. Fortunately, doesn’t look like much more but no way to know for sure based on my knowledge and tools.

The upshot of this is that, if not for all the false positives, I might’ve been more careful with my inspection and I might’ve asked the nearby driver if he’d seen anything (he might’ve then admitted his mistake which he certainly didn’t seem inclined to do without my asking that night). Had I been able to review the footage on the screen (as we’ve all been hoping for), with time stamps for the events, I might’ve known where to look closer before driving away that’s night.

I don’t know if there’s any way I can zoom in on the plate in the low light footage or if it would be worth passing that on to my insurance (don’t even know if making a claim is worth it) but, again, I’m very frustrated with the way Sentry Mode’s false positives have made me less rather than more vigilant. I’m not sure I would’ve noticed this damage before the next time I hand washed so, even if my own behavior is disappointing and I wish SM was better, I guess I’m glad I have proof of the actual cause.

Suffice to say, if you think you had a false positive, reinspect your vehicle and review your footage before it gets erased. Don’t know what good it’ll do you but, at the very least, you’ll know what happened.


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## DocScott (Mar 6, 2019)

Sorry to hear about the damage.

There's a difference between an alert and an alarm. Alerts, in my experience, are more than 99% not anything to worry about. But alarms, like the one that pushed to your phone, indicates the car felt an impact of some sort. I had a false alarm during a fireworks show, but in general I'd take alarms quite seriously.


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

To go along with @DocScott I'm not sure I've heard of many false positives on the Alarm and truly not on Sentry itself. If I've got a recording someone was usually near by. The only alarm we've had go off on either car, it had also been backed in to. It was a light bump, but it was hit. No real damage other than a light mark that will buff out I believe, but if that alarm goes off, I'd be checking video right away.


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## slasher016 (Sep 12, 2017)

I've had several false postives on alarms, but they're almost always a really loud vehicle going by it in a garage and even once on a street. But yes, definitely check the alarm footage afterwards.


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## skygraff (Jun 2, 2017)

Thanks for all the feedback.

You're right about the pushed alarm to the phone being, obviously, reliable. The only other time I had one was when it was on a flat bed tow which hit a bump in the road; not a true alarm siituation but also not false.

I did take it seriously but, without the ability to immediately review the footage in the car (or the app) and having seen nothing on the walk around (not to mention no "witnesses" commenting about what they saw or did), I didn't have a chance to pull and scan the usb until a day later.

Anyway, maybe the damage will buff out. Need to learn more about that process.

If it doesn't, what would you do with the footage? Thought about asking the restaurant owner if the person might be a regular customer like me but not sure I want to put him in the middle of this. Still, that might be more neighborly than going to the police or insurance with video; especially considering how minor the damage appears to be.

Not the best pic (in garage at night):


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## Long Ranger (Jun 1, 2018)

skygraff said:


> If it doesn't, what would you do with the footage?


I think I'd submit it to insurance. They might also require a police report. I've generally doubted whether I would do anything at all if I captured something like a door ding on video. However, in your case, for a moving vehicle clipping yours and setting off the alarm, I'd follow though on that. That driver should have at least left a note on your car even if the damage was a bit hard to see.


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## Needsdecaf (Dec 27, 2018)

Tesla really needs to make the footage easily visibile in the car, especially if there was an alarm! I don't have a device on me to view the files on the spot, but would love to do so in order to call the police for a report if necessary. Much better than calling it in later after you go home and view it on the computer.


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## Needsdecaf (Dec 27, 2018)

Long Ranger said:


> I think I'd submit it to insurance. They might also require a police report. I've generally doubted whether I would do anything at all if I captured something like a door ding on video. However, in your case, for a moving vehicle clipping yours and setting off the alarm, I'd follow though on that. That driver should have at least left a note on your car even if the damage was a bit hard to see.


That damage is so light that they may not have even been aware that they hit something. Especially if distracted or otherwise incapacitated...


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## skygraff (Jun 2, 2017)

Needsdecaf said:


> That damage is so light that they may not have even been aware that they hit something. Especially if distracted or otherwise incapacitated...


They were aware.

I'm on my phone so can't post the videos but they stopped as soon as they hit me then pulled forward and retried their maneuver.

That said, I looked at it in the light and did a little bit of scrubbing with a wet finger and I really don't think it's worth doing anything about. I doubt the hit was hard enough to damage anything below the surface and, unless the seam is scratched enough to promote rust, I can probably just give it some attention next time I clean. (angle of light might make this look worse than it is and scrapes in plastic are persistent)










May still ask restaurant owner if the perp was a customer and said anything when he came in.


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## Needsdecaf (Dec 27, 2018)

skygraff said:


> They were aware.
> 
> I'm on my phone so can't post the videos but they stopped as soon as they hit me then pulled forward and retried their maneuver.
> 
> ...


Ah, gotcha.

I know it's a tired trope on the internet, but "that'll buff out". Looks like a few passes with a DA polisher and a heavy cutting compound and a finishing compound will likely erase those marks.


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