How much battery does
Sentry Mode use?
Short answer: Owners commonly report around 1 mile of range per hour with Sentry Mode on, because it keeps the cameras and the car's computer awake. Over a full day parked that adds up to 15 to 25 miles, which is the biggest source of "phantom drain" for most Teslas.
Why Sentry Mode uses battery
A parked Tesla normally goes to sleep, and asleep it uses very little. Sentry Mode stops it from sleeping: the cameras keep recording, the computer keeps watching for movement, and the car stays ready to sound the alarm. That steady draw is small per hour but runs for as long as the car is parked.
Tesla doesn't publish an official figure, and it varies with the car, the software version and the weather. Treat around 1 mile per hour as a rough owner-reported average, not a spec.
Other things that drain a parked Tesla
Anything that keeps the car awake costs battery. The big ones are climate features (Cabin Overheat Protection with A/C, Keep Climate, Dog and Camp Mode), which use far more than Sentry because they run the A/C or heater. Smaller ones are third-party apps that poll the car often, and the car waking up to answer them.
In cold weather the battery also loses some displayed range just from being cold. That usually comes back once the battery warms up while driving or charging.
How to cut Sentry Mode drain
In the Sentry settings, turn on the options to skip Sentry at Home, Work or Favorites, so it only runs in places you actually want it. Turn it off when you're parked somewhere safe for days, such as an airport garage, if you need the range. Tesla also stops Sentry on its own when the battery gets low.
If you use apps that connect to your car, check how often they wake it. An app that checks every few minutes can keep the car from ever sleeping.
What a parked Tesla uses, roughly
Rough ranges, not Tesla specs. A hot or cold day pushes the climate numbers up.
| Rough use | Why | |
|---|---|---|
| Asleep | Very little | Most systems off. |
| Sentry Mode | About 1 mile of range per hour | Cameras and computer stay awake. |
| Cabin Overheat Protection (On) | About 1 to 2 kW while cooling | Only runs above about 105°F. |
| Keep Climate, Dog, Camp | About 1 to 2 kW on a hot or cold day | Climate runs the whole time. |
| Vented windows | None | Nothing runs once the windows are open. |
Keep the cabin cooler without adding to the drain
If you leave Cabin Overheat Protection on all summer on top of Sentry, the A/C is the bigger cost. VentMode cracks the windows on hot, dry days instead and closes them for rain and every evening. Open windows use no battery.
$29/year with a 7-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
How much battery does Sentry Mode use per day?
Owners commonly report around 1 mile of range per hour, so roughly 15 to 25 miles over a full day. It varies by car and weather.
Does Sentry Mode stop the car from sleeping?
Yes. That's why it uses battery: the cameras and computer stay awake the whole time it's on.
Does Sentry Mode turn off by itself?
Tesla turns Sentry Mode off on its own when the battery gets low. You can also have it skip Home, Work or Favorite locations.
What is Tesla phantom drain?
It's the range a parked Tesla loses without being driven. Sentry Mode, climate features, apps that wake the car, and cold weather are the usual causes.
Does venting the windows drain the battery?
No. Moving the windows takes a negligible amount of energy and nothing runs while they're open.
Related: How much battery each parked feature uses · Tesla Camp Mode · Cabin Overheat Protection, explained
Cooler on hot days, with no extra battery drain.
VentMode is not affiliated with Tesla, Inc.