A couple of settings on your Tesla stay active even after you’ve parked and walked away — and both of them use range to do it.
Sentry Mode keeps the cameras and computer running
Sentry Mode uses your Tesla’s cameras to record activity around a parked car, and Tesla’s own support page recommends turning it off at “secure locations such as home, work or saved favorites to help conserve battery.” That’s because the feature keeps the car’s cameras and onboard computer powered on the whole time it’s armed. Not a Tesla App has measured the drain at roughly one to two miles of range per hour of active Sentry Mode — enough to matter if your Tesla sits in a driveway overnight rather than a home you’ve excluded from the feature.
Keep Accessory Power does it even with nothing plugged in
Keep Accessory Power is a separate setting that leaves your 12V outlets, USB ports, and wireless phone charger live after you lock up. According to the same Not a Tesla App analysis, it can use up to a mile of range per hour of range even when nothing is actually plugged in, and like Sentry Mode it keeps running until the car’s battery drops to 20%. If you don’t regularly need power at the outlets while parked, turning it off avoids paying that cost for nothing.
Watch: settings worth checking
Ryan Shaw walks through Tesla settings worth reviewing, including ones tied to battery drain, in a video posted September 13, 2026:
Take his specific picks as one owner’s list to check against your own car — the Sentry Mode and Keep Accessory Power figures above come from Tesla’s own guidance and independent measurement, not from the video itself.
Photo by Vilius Liulys.
