2008 TESLA ROADSTER ECU

Driving basics6-4
Driving your vehicle
•Drive with the top on and the windows up
to minimize aerodynamic drag.
• Keep tires at the recommended inflation
pressures.
• Remove unnecessary belongings from
the trunk.
• Minimize the use of resources such as
heating and air conditioning. Using seat
heaters to keep warm is more efficient
than heating the cabin.
In addition to driv ing habits, energy
consumption is also increased based on
environmental conditions, such as cold
weather and hilly roads.
The Touch Screen’s Energy screen displays
precise real-time feedback on the amount of
energy you’re using. Energy feedback is also
displayed on the LCD display on the
instrument panel. Deep waterDo not drive through flooded areas, water of
unknown depth, or deep puddles. When
driving through even a relatively shallow
puddle, drive slowly to prevent water from
entering the vehicle. Carrying items in cabin areaThe trunk is the preferred place to carry
objects. In an accident, during hard braking,
or sudden maneuvers, loose items carried in
the vehicle’s cabin area can be thrown
around, and cause injury to occupants unless
securely fastened.Roadster OHB.book Page 4 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Driving basics
6-5
Driving your vehicle
Hand brake
WARNING: Do not apply the hand
brake when the vehicle is moving. This
could result in a loss of control and may
damage the rear brakes.
S
The hand brake operates on the rear wheels
only, and is totally independent of the foot
operated hydraulic brake system.
To apply the hand brake, pull the lever fully
upwards.
If the starter switch is in the ON
position and the hand brake is
applied, the warnin g indicator in the
instrument panel illuminates and the Touch
Screen will display the main Parked screen.
Caution: If the hand brake is applied
when the brakes are hot (such as after
prolonged or frequent hard use), care should
be taken that the hand brake is securely
engaged. As the brake discs cool, the amount
of brake force applied by the lever will
reduce. To release the hand brake, pull the lever up
slightly, depress the button (shown in
illustration) and fully lower the lever. The
warning indicator will extinguish and the
Touch Screen will display a Drive screen.
Braking
WARNING: After driving through heavy
rain, some loss of braking response may
be experienced. As soon as safety permits,
apply the brakes to generate heat and dry the
brake components. Never drive the vehicle
through deep water - doing so can cause
damage and void the New Vehicle Limited
Wa r ra n t y.
S
The brakes operate through dual circuits. If
one circuit fails, the other continues to
function, but brakin g performance is
reduced. If greater pedal effort, or longer
stopping distances are experienced, the car
should not be driven and Tesla Motors should
be contacted as soon as possible. The brakes are servo-assisted, but only when
the starter switch is in the ON position and
the electrical systems are operating. Without
servo assistance, greater pedal effort is
required to control the vehicle, resulting in
longer stopping distances.
Regenerative brakingWhenever the vehicle is moving and your
foot is off the accelerator, regenerative
braking slows the vehicle and feeds energy
back to the battery. By anticipating your
stops and simply removing your foot from
the accelerator to slow down, you can take
advantage of the energy gains of
regenerative braking. A visual display on the
instrument panel provides real-time
feedback of the vehicle’s regenerative
braking. See
LCD panel, page 6-11 .Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS)
WARNING: ABS cannot overcome the
physical limitations such as stopping
the vehicle in too short a distance, turning the
vehicle at high speeds, or the lack of grip on
the road’s surface.
S
WARNING: Do not take risks when
driving in the hope that ABS will correct
errors of judgement. In all cases it is the
driver's responsibility to drive with due care
and attention.
S
Your vehicle is equipp ed with an anti-lock
braking system (ABS) that prevents the
wheels from locking when maximum brake
BRAKE
TR0005
Roadster OHB.book Page 5 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Interior accessories7-8
Comfort and convenience
Cup holder
WARNING: Do not carry open drink
containers. A spilled hot drink could
cause personal injury as well as damaging
upholstery, carpeting and electrical
systems.S
Pull the cup holder from the side of the center
console to use. The fingers of the cup holder
are spring-loaded to hold the cup securely.
Open the fingers and insert the cup. The base
of the cup should rest on the floor.
Caution: After use, return the cup
holder to the center console to prevent
it being broken when occupants are entering
or leaving the passenger side of the vehicle.
Roadster OHB.book Page 8 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Removable roof7-10Comfort and convenienceInstalling the soft-top
WARNING: Never attempt to install the
soft-top while the vehicle is moving.
This could cause an accident in which you or
others may be seriously injured or killed.
S
Open both doors. Remove the soft-top and
support stays from the bag.
Note: The support stays and the side rails of
the soft-top assembly have arrows on them
which should point to the front of the vehicle
when installing.
1. Fit the two support stays between the header rails. The support stays need to be
flexed to enable them to fit into the slots
in the header rails. 2. Inspect the channels in the header rails
and remove any debris (such as leaves)
that may have accumulated.
3. Position the soft-top across the space between the two support stays. Ensure
that the arrows molded on the side rails
are pointing to the front of the vehicle.
4. Standing at the drivers side, unroll the soft-top. Starting at the drivers side
minimizes potential damage to the roof
seals.
5. Position the side rail so that the black locating pins are located in the
uppermost slots on the front and rear
header rails.TR0131
6. Ensure that the front and rear edges of the soft-top are correctly located in the
channels on the header rails.
7. Rotate the side rail downwards until the side rail locking pins are correctly located
in the lower slots and you can hear them
‘click’ into place.
8. Check that both locking pins are correctly engaged by attempting to rotate the side
rail upwards.
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 for the passenger side of the soft-top. You may
need to pull on the side rail to engage the
locating pins on the header rails.
10. Inspect the fitted soft-top to ensure that the front and rear edges are correctly
located in the channels on the header rails.
Incorrect fitment can result in damaged
seals and water leakage.
WARNING: Before driving, check that
both side rails are securely fitted. An
incorrectly fitted or unsecured soft-top could
result in an accident which could lead to
serious injury or even death.
S
Note: Unless you specified otherwise when
your vehicle was delivered, Tesla Motors has
set your windows to accommodate the
hard-top. To prevent water from entering the
cabin when using your soft-top, you will need
to have Tesla Motors adjust your windows.
Roadster OHB.book Page 10 Thursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Removable roof
7-13
Comfort and convenience
TR0130
4
6
Installing the hard-topThe hard-top has been designed to provide a
seasonal alternative to the standard soft-top.
To ensure proper installation, Tesla
recommends that the hard-top be installed by
a Tesla service technician.
WARNING: The mounting bracket bolts
securing the hard-top to the vehicle
should be routinely ch ecked and tightened.
An incorrectly fitted or unsecured hard-top
could result in an accident.
S
WARNING: Avoid getting hands or
fingers trapped when installing or
removing the hard-top.
S
Use only the Torx
® tool supplied in the toolkit
to tighten or release the hard-top’s bolts.
When storing the hard-top, care should be
taken to avoid damaging its corners. If the
hard-top must be stood on its end, use a
suitable soft floor covering.
Note: Because of its size, the hard-top should
only be removed or installed when a second
person is available to assist.
1. If necessary, remove the soft-top. For instructions, see Removing the soft-top,
page 7-11.
2. Open both doors.
3. With the aid of an assistant, lift the hard-top into positi on on the vehicle
4. Tilt the front of the hard-top to engage the locating pins into the lower most slots on
the header rail. If necessary, loosen the
locating pin bolts to ensure that the pins
engage correctly on the header rail.
Roadster OHB.book Page 13 Thursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Removable roof7-14
Comfort and convenience
5. Push the hard-top into position on the front header rail and then lower the
hard-top’s rear edge.
6. Engage the hook on the rear mounting brackets with the fixings on the rear
header rail.
7. Use the Torx
® tool supplied in the toolkit
to tighten the bolts just enough to keep
the rear brackets engaged. Do not fully
tighten.
8. Ensure the hard-top is correctly aligned on the vehicle.
9. Holding the rear mounting brackets to prevent them from twisting, tighten the
bolts to secure the hard-top in place. Do
not overtighten.
10. Check and tighten th e bolts securing the
front locating pins to the hard-top.
WARNING: Make sure that the
hard-top is securely fitted by trying
to lift each corner in turn. If any
movement is evident, check and tighten
the hard-top fixings. Driving with a loose
or incorrectly secured hard-top could
result in an accident which could lead to
serious injury and even death.
S
11. Check that both doors shut correctly with the windows in the fully raised position.
12. Position the front header rail trim panel and align the bolts to the holes in the
hard-top, starting with the bolt in the
center. 13. Starting with the bolt in the center,
tighten the three bolts to secure the trim
panel. Do not overtighten.
WARNING: Do not drive the vehicle
with the trim panel removed. In a
collision, injury could result from contact with
the brackets.
S
14. Return the Torx
tool to the tool kit.
Note: If, upon your request, Tesla Motors has
adjusted your windows to achieve maximum
seal for using the soft-top, you’ll need to have
Tesla Motors re-adjust your windows to avoid
water ingress using the hard-top.
Removing the hard-top1. Open both doors.
2. Using the Torx tool supplied in the toolkit, loosen the three bolts securing the
header rail trim panel to the hard-top.
3. Remove the trim panel.
4. Loosen the two bolts securing the rear of the hard-top to the vehicle.
5. Disengage the brackets from the rear header rail.
6. With the aid of an assistant, lift the rear edge of the hard-top and slide it towards
the rear of the vehicle to disengage the
front locating pins.
7. Store the hard-top in a safe place where it will not get damaged. If the hard-top
must be stood vertically, use a suitable
soft floor covering to protect its corners.
8. Return the Torx tool to the tool kit.
TR0158
Roadster OHB.book Page 14 Thursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

HomeLink®
7-15
Comfort and convenience
HomeLink
®
HomeLink
® Universal
Transceiver
Your vehicle is equipped with a HomeLink
®
Universal Transceiver that you can use to
operate most Radio Frequency (RF) devices
such as garage doors, gates, lights and
security systems. Your transceiver can be
programmed using the Touch Screen to
operate up to three individual devices.
Devices can be operated by touching a
button on the Touch Screen. You can also set
up the third button on the key fob to operate
a device. For details on how to program
HomeLink, refer to the Touch Screen Users
Manual, provided in your owners package.
For security purposes, when you sell your
vehicle, you should erase your HomeLink
settings.
WARNING: Do not use the HomeLink
Universal Transceiver with any garage
door opener that la cks safety stop and
reverse features as required by federal safety
standards. A garage door opener which
cannot detect an object in the path of a
closing garage door and then automatically
stop and reverse, does not meet current
federal safety standards. Using a garage door
opener without these features increases the
risk of injury or death.
S
You’re vehicle should be turned off
while programming the HomeLink
Universal Transceiver.
S
During programming, your garage
door or gate may open or close. Make
sure that people and objects are clear of the
garage door or gate that you are
programming.
S
FCC ComplianceThis device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
Roadster OHB.book Page 15 Thursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Maintenance
9-3
Maintenance and care
TR0043
Opening and closing the hood
Never work on a vehicle that is plugged
in. Always remember to unplug the
vehicle before working under the hood or the
underside of the vehicle.
S
WA R N I N G : M a ke s u re t h a t t h e h o o d i s i n
the fully open position before working in
the area under the hood. In windy conditions,
you may need to secure the hood stay to
prevent the hood from being closed by the
wind.S
Opening1. Pull the hood release handle located to the left of the steering column.
2. Raise the hood.
3. Insert the hood stay into the slot.ClosingReturn the hood stay to its original position
and lower the hood to the closed position.
Press down firmly on ea ch side of the hood
(see illustration) to engage the locks. You can
hear the locks ‘click’ into place.
Caution: Before driving, check that the
locks on both sides of the hood are fully
engaged by attempting to lift the hood - there
should be no movement.
Roadster OHB.book Page 3 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM