2026 update: impossible use handbrake while in neutral?

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If you’re going to be parked for an extended period of time why not use camp mode? The car will stay on for hours and hours (considering it’s literally meant for overnight camping).

This is what camp mode is for buddy

Does camp work under 20%?

I have sat in my car for 3+ hours before and it never turned off on me.

I think you can change setting to let it lowers to 10%

Camp Mode (with no sentry) or Keep Mode (keeps sentry on). Having said that, I’ve never had the car turn off climate as long as the driver is in their seat.

Sounds like a user error and I’d just delete this post to save face.

You could also get the occupancy sensor fixed in the drivers seat.

Not really germane to this issue. OP wants to burn the power heating his car, camp mode if no.

Sure it is, in the second to last paragraph OP mentioned they wanted to heat below 20%, and I was replying wondering if the parent comment’s suggestion would work in that scenario.

It does, but after an hour

Kind of a funny question. All Tesla’s use electronic parking brakes - either with a lever or button, and/or integrated with park. Most Teslas have at least one motor with permanent magnets, and “neutral” is actually electronically simulated by activating the motors. So the vision of the car being idle and manually controlled is just a holdover from ancient, ICE machine times. Anyway, the correct answer is “park” and “camp mode”. If you’re tied up in a good book, maybe remember to lock the door.

Same, as long as it senses I am sitting in the seat it never turns off?

And then you can just tap the screen to wake it up again.

Fair enough, but you are better off conserving energy for the next leg. Turn off auto climate mode, reduce the temperature a bit, lower fan to lowest setting, and turn off recirc. Also make sure you get notifications that will wake you when it hits 20 and goes out of camp mode.

Hi. Thanks for the input! But the car still turns off (not a big problem iaois), but climate overrides doesn't work when the battery is <20% SOC. Does it work with you? I get mixed answers in the comment section. Some saying it even works down to 10%

Hi. Thanks for the input! But the car still turns off (not a big problem in and on itself), but climate overrides doesn't work when the battery is <20% SOC with me. Does it work with you? I might suffer from not having a new M3 or MY

Hi. Thanks for answering! I see another comment mentioning a sensor in the driver's seat. Might mine be broken? It's consistently 10 minutes with me. Kinda niche problem, but I've had issues that the car actually turns off the second I'm about to drive at the same time I don't have my key fob with me (only phone), so I make like a 15 second gap in traffic queues while I can grab the phone, open app, connect to car, start car, and drive. People honk at me like I'm just an inconsiderate sleepy jerk scrolling tiktok or whatever. Kinda embarrassing

Thanks for the input! I'll look into that. I see other comments related to this as well. My sensor (if I have one), might be broken, because it's always a consistent 10 minutes before the car blacks out.

What models do you all have?

If you put the car in drive and lift your butt out of the seat does it put itself in park to prevent rollaway? If so it is more than likely your seat sensor is bad and doesn't actually know you are in the seat.

Ah. Yup, it it does, thus it works. Thanks for the tip though!

Try this last thing, with your seatbelt on, butt in the seat, open the door. Does it put it in park or stay in drive or reverse?