Vehicle security
4-7
Doors, locks, and security
Vehicle securityAlarm SystemYour vehicle is equipped with an anti-theft
alarm system to prevent it from being stolen.
The alarm is switched on automatically when
you lock the doors with the key fob. The turn
signals flash once to confirm that your vehicle
is locked and the alarm indicator on the
center console illuminates and flashes while
the vehicle is locked. An audible tone will also
be heard from inside your vehicle.
Once activated, the alarm monitors the
opening of the:
• Hood
• Doors
If a door is opened without the key fob, the
alarm sounds.
To switch off the alarm, unlock the doors
using the key fob or enter the PIN Code on
the Touch Screen.
Note: If the doors are unlocked with the key
fob, they will automatically re-lock if neither
the trunk or a door is opened within one
minute of the unlock button being pressed.Alarm indicatorAn indicator on the center console will flash
whenever the alarm system is active.
Ve h i c l e m i s l o c kIf the system detects a mislock, the doors will
not lock and the alarm will not be activated.
Always check that the doors are locked
before leaving your vehicle.
The turn signals will not flash if you press the
lock button on the key fob and a mislock has
been detected. Check that both doors, the
hood and the trunk are fully closed before
pressing the lock button again. If the problem
persists, contact Tesla Motors.Switching off the alarmIf the alarm is triggered, the horn will sound
for one minute and the turn signals will flash
to attract attention. To silence the alarm,
press the UNLOCK button on the key fob or
enter your PIN code on the Touch Screen.
Note: Turning the starter switch to the ACC
position will silence the alarm. However, it will
not be possible to start your vehicle until you either press the Unlock button on the key fob
or enter the PIN code on the Touch Screen.
For details on using the Touch Screen, see the
Touch Screen Users Manual provided in your
owners package.TR0147
Roadster OHB.book Page 7 Th
ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM
6-1
Driving your vehicle
Driving basicsKey positions 6-2
Steering column lock 6-2
Starting the vehicle 6-3
Selecting gears 6-3
Driving tips 6-3
Hand brake 6-5
Braking 6-5
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) 6-5
Traction control 6-6
Switches and controls Exterior lights 6-7
Turn signals 6-8
Windshield wiper and washer 6-8
Cruise control 6-9
Hazard warning 6-10
Horn 6-10
Instruments LCD panel 6-11
Warning indicators 6-12
Gear position indicators 6-13
Instrument panel lighting 6-14
Roadster OHB.book Page 1 Thursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM
Driving basics6-2
Driving your vehicle
Driving your vehicle
Driving basicsKey positionsThe starter switch is located on the
right-hand side of the steering column and
uses the following key positions to control
the electrical circuits and steering column
lock.OFF•Park mode active
• Interior and trunk lights operational
• Exterior and hazard warning lights
operational
• Central door locking master switch
operational
• Trunk release switch operational
Note: When turning the key to the OFF
position, the circuits that operate in ACC
continue to operate until the key is removed.
ACC• Park mode still active
• Audio and navigation systems
operationalON•All instruments, warning indicators and
electrical circuits operationalSTART•The vehicle initiates the start-up
sequence to prepare for driving (if the
brake pedal is pressed). The gear position
indicator illuminates green and park
mode is deactivated.Removing the keyTo remove the key, turn the key to the OFF
position. Exterior lights (except hazard
warning lights) automatically turn off when
the key is removed from the starter switch.
If the key has been left in the starter switch,
an audible alert sounds when the driver’s
door is opened.
WARNING: Never remove the key from
the starter switch while the vehicle is
moving. The steering column lock will
engage, making it impossible to steer the
vehicle.
S
Steering column lockThe steering column lock is activated when
the key is removed from the starter switch,
but may not engage until the steering wheel
is turned and the mechanism aligned. To release the steering column lock, insert the
key into the starter switch and turn to the
ACC position. If it is difficult to turn the key, a
small movement of the steering wheel will
help to disengage the steering lock.
TR0004OFF
ACC
ON
STARTRoadster OHB.book Page 2 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM
Driving basics
6-3
Driving your vehicle
Starting the vehicleFollow these steps to prepare the vehicle for
driving:
1. Tesla recommends selecting the N gear position.
2. Press and hold down the brake pedal.
3. Insert the key into the starter switch, turn it to the START position, and release.
When released, the key automatically
returns to the ON position and, if the
start-up sequence is successful, the N
indicator will illuminate green and you’ll
hear an audible tone. .
Note: If the brake pedal is not pressed, a
message is displayed on the Touch
Screen. Press the brake pedal and turn
the key to the START position again.
The vehicle is now ready to be driven.
Selecting gearsThe transmission has two selectable drive
positions - forward (D) and reverse (R). In the
neutral (N) position the gear selector rests
between gears D and R.
Indicator lights in the instrument panel
illuminate to show the currently engaged
gear.
The vehicle can be driven away from
stationary with the gear selector in position D
or R. • R (Reverse). Selectable whenever the
vehicle’s forward speed is less than 5
mph. The maximum speed in reverse is
limited to 15 mph. An audible tone will be
heard when reverse gear is selected.
• N (Neutral). Select th is position and apply
the hand brake if the vehicle needs to be
stationary for a period of time. •
D (Drive). Can be selected whenever the
vehicle is stationary.
Note: P (Park) is not a gear you can select. It
is a state the vehicle is in when the
transmission is locked and the rear wheels
cannot turn. When the key is turned to the
ACC position, this state is activated
automatically, regardless of the position of
the gear selector. In the event that the
vehicle needs to hauled on a flatbed truck, P
must be deactivated before the vehicle can
be pulled onto the truck. See Ve h i c l e
recovery, page 10-13 .
Driving tipsDriving an electric vehicle is similar to driving
a gasoline-powered vehicle. Here are a few
guidelines you should be aware of to help you
maximize range.Drive sensibly to maximize rangeEnergy consumption depends on driving
habits and operating condition. Your vehicle
is designed to travel over 200 miles on a
charge.
To get the maximum mileage from a charge,
you should:
• Avoid frequent acceleration and
deceleration.
• Anticipate stops and instead of using the
brake pedal to slow down, move your foot
off the accelerator. Whenever the vehicle
is moving and your foot is off the
accelerator, regenerative braking slows
the vehicle and feeds energy back to the
battery.
EST.
PIN Code Chang brakedWhile starting, foot
brake must be pressed
ID:881 Data:0x00000002 1:03AM
TR0304
TR0008
Roadster OHB.book Page 3 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM
Switches and controls
6-7
Driving your vehicle
Switches and controlsExterior lightsThe exterior lights are controlled using a
rotary switch mounted on the dashboard,
below the Touch Screen.
The switch has three positions:
1. All exterior lighting and backlighting for
instruments and switches is switched off.
2. Front and side lights, tail lights and
license plate light are switched on. If the
starter switch is in the ACC or ON
position, backlighting for instruments and
switches is also switched on.
3. Headlights on.
Headlight high beamPush the left-hand steering column lever
away from you to select high beam. To cancel
high beam, pull the lever towards you.
An indicator in the instrument panel
illuminates when high beam is active.
Note: The high beams operate only when the
exterior lights master switch is in position 3
and the starter switch is in either the ACC or
ON position.Headlight high beam flashHigh beams can be flas hed by briefly pulling
the steering column lever towards you and
releasing.Exterior lights active periodThe exterior lights will automatically
extinguish if the key is removed from the
starter switch. To keep the exterior lights on after the key is removed, manually turn the
exterior light switch to the OFF position and
then back to the ON position.
Lights on warningIf the exterior lights have been left on, an
audible alert sounds when the driver’s door is
opened.
1
2
3
1
2
3
TR0017
R
O
TR0019
Roadster OHB.book Page 7 Th
ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM
Switches and controls6-10
Driving your vehicle
Hazard warningThe hazard warning switch is located in the
center console and operates even when the
key is not in the starter switch.
Press to operate. The hazard warning switch
and the front and rear turn signals will flash.
The turn indicators in the instrument panel
will also flash.
Note: Only use hazard warning lights in an
emergency to warn other road users of a
breakdown or other potential danger.
Remember to switch off when the hazardous
situation has been resolved.
HornPress either of the two horn symbols
embossed on the steering wheel to sound the
horn.
TR0063
TR0013
Roadster OHB.book Page 10 Thursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM
Instruments6-12Driving your vehicleThe extending bar on the top right of the LCD
is a visual indicator of the amount of and
direction of the current:
• When the bar extends to the right of the
vertical line, the Battery is discharging.
• When the solid bar extends to the left of
the vertical line, then the Battery is
recharging (from regenerative braking).Charge levelThe size of the filled region within the battery
icon provides a visual indicator of the amount
of charge remaining in the Battery.
Odometer and trip displayThis portion of the LCD display can display
trip, odometer, and range information. To
scroll through these types of information,
press the button located on the right-hand
side of the steering column:
• The TRIP display shows the miles traveled
since the trip display was last reset. To
reset the trip display to zero, press and
hold the button on the side of the
steering column for about one second.
Note: The TRIP display can also be
viewed and reset on the Touch Screen’s
Drive screen called “Trip”. Resetting the
TRIP display using the button on the
steering column resets the trip display on
the Touch Screen, and vice versa.
• The ODO display shows the total miles
traveled by the vehicle in its lifetime.
TR0032TR0031-B
TR0029
Reset
TRIP
Display
•The RANGE display shows an estimate of
how many miles you can travel on the
amount of charge remaining in the
Battery. The displayed range is an
estimate only and the actual range may
vary depending on your driving style and
the electrical systems you are using (for
example, air conditioning).
If the key is off, pressing the TRIP button
temporarily illuminates the instrument panel
to show the ODO display.Warning indicators
High beam. Illuminates when the
headlight high beams are selected.
Turn signals. Flashes to indicate which
turn signals are operating. Both
indicators will flash when the hazard warning
lights are operating. If a turn signal indicator
flashes quickly or irregularly, the associated
turn signal bulb may need replacing.
Brake indicator. Illuminates when the
hand brake is applied. If the indicator
illuminates at any other time, a fault with the
brake system has been detected.
• Indicator permanently illuminated - brake
fluid level is low.
• Indicator flashing - fault with the ABS
system is detected.
WARNING: Driving the vehicle with the
brake indicator illuminated could result
in fatal or serious injury. Stop the vehicle as
soon as safety permits and rectify the
problem immediately.
S
BRAKE
Roadster OHB.book Page 12 Thursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM
Power windows7-2
Comfort and convenience
Comfort and convenience
Power windowsDriver’s door window controls1.Driver’s window
2. Passenger window
Note: The passenger window can also be
operated using the switch on the passenger
door.
Operating the windows
WARNING: Closing power windows on
fingers, hands or other vulnerable parts
of the body may result in serious injury.
Ensure that your passenger is familiar with
the window controls and aware of the
potential dangers.
S
WARNING: To prevent the risk of injury,
always remove the key from the starter
switch if a child is to be left unattended in the
vehicle. SWARNING: Never leave a child or an
animal unattended in the vehicle with
the windows closed and the roof fitted. In hot
weather conditions they could succumb to
heat exhaustion and experience serious
bodily injury or death.
S
The windows can be operated whenever the
starter switch is in the ACC or ON positions.
Both windows are equipped with a one-touch
opening switch. To open a window, briefly
press the switch down and release. The
window will continue to lower until fully open.
Pressing the switch again, while it is opening,
will stop the window.
To raise a window, pull the switch and hold
until the window is fully raised.
TR0058
1
2
Roadster OHB.book Page 2 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM