Last month Tesla deployed a software update that added a new Immersive Sound option to cars. According to the release notes the feature has “additional granularity along with an “AUTO” setting. When this ‘AUTO’ setting is activated, the car will adjust the levels based on the type of music playing.
Since then we have received numerous reports from owners who have said the Immersive Sound option has disappeared. Along with the missing option, only the front speakers work, resulting in very poor audio quality.
Based on the feedback of one of our readers, @kkvr2823, who has experienced the issue numerous times on his Model Y, the only way to correct it is to perform a full reboot of the car.
According to Tesla Service, the issue is a known bug and the cause is related to using Sentry Mode.
The specific cause relates to 2021.36 which contained a code change that altered audio settings to conserve the car’s battery while Sentry Mode is active. The bug is that the settings are not restored once the feature is turned off.
Another one of our readers tells us that Tesla Service pushed an over-the-air (OTA) update to their car, 2021.36.5, which they said would correct the issue. Unfortunately he tells us the problem persists.
Until the issue is resolved, owners will have to determine if the benefits of using Sentry Mode outweigh the negative of having to reboot the car every time after using the feature.
Have you experienced this issue? Do you use Sentry Mode? Let us know in the comments below.
