2008 TESLA ROADSTER brake light

Charging components5-6Charging your vehicleCharging componentsTR0034
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Main charging components1. Battery
2. Charging port
3. Charging port door
4. Charging cable
5. Cable hanger
6. High Power Connector
7. Smoke detector
The High Power Connector is the primary
source for recharging your vehicle.
During normal use, the High Power Connector
should be left on, even when the charging
cable is not connected to the vehicle. The
READY light on the control panel illuminates
green to indicate that the High Power
Connector is operating correctly.
Although the High Power Connector is on and
ready, no electricity is supplied until the
charging cable is connected to the vehicle,
and both the vehicle and the High Power
Connector determine that it is safe for
charging to begin.
For details on how to use the High Power
Connector to charge your vehicle, refer to the
manual titled “Charging Your Vehicle,”
provided in your owners package.
Roadster OHB.book Page 6 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
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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
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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
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Switches and controls
6-9
Driving your vehicle
Cruise control
WARNING: Only use cruise control
when conditions are favorable, on
straight, dry, open roads with light traffic.
S
The cruise control system allows you to
maintain a selected vehicle speed above
30 mph, without having to use the
accelerator pedal.
When cruise control is active, the
warning indicator in the instrument
panel illuminates.Operating cruise controlOperate cruise control using the following
controls on the left-hand steering column
lever:
O - OFF
I - initially sets the current speed.
Subsequent presses increase the speed. R - initially resumes a previously set speed.
Subsequent presses reduce the speed.
Setting the vehicle speedTo engage cruise control, the vehicle must be
moving at least 30 mph. Once you have
accelerated to your desired speed, press and
release I to set the speed at which the
vehicle is currently traveling. Cruise control is
engaged and the set speed will be
maintained when you release your foot from
the accelerator pedal. To actively disengage
cruise control, press the O button on the
end of the control lever.
Note: Cruise control automatically
disengages when you press the brake pedal,
apply the hand brake, or when the vehicle’s
speed falls below 30 mph.
Caution: When you disengage cruise
control, the vehicle decelerates rapidly. Changing the set speedAccelerate or decelerate to the desired speed
and then press and release I to change the
set speed. • Press and release I to increase the
speed in 1 mph increments or press and
hold until the desired speed is reached.
• Press and release R to reduce the speed
in 1 mph increments or press and hold
until the desired speed is reached.
Pressing R when the vehicle is at, or
below, 31 mph cancels cruise control.
Alternatively, use the rocker switch to
increase ( I) or reduce
( R) speed when cruise control is active. You can press the accelerator pedal to
exceed the set speed. Then, on releasing the
pedal, the vehicle will decelerate until the set
speed is reached.
Resuming a set speed
Caution: The resume function should
only be used if you are aware of the set
speed and want to return to it.
Press R to accelerate to the previously set
speed. This function will not operate if the
previously set speed is zero or if cruise
control is already operating.
The set speed is reset to zero when:
1. The starter switch is turned to the OFF position.
2. Reverse gear is selected.
3. The hand brake is applied.
4. The vehicle speed is below 1 mph.
R
O
TR0014CRUISE
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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
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Maintenance9-2
Maintenance and care
Maintenance and care
MaintenanceGeneral informationRegular maintenance is the key to ensuring
the continued reliability and efficiency of
your vehicle.
Maintenance is the owner's responsibility and
you must ensure that the appropriate
maintenance is carried out when required
and according to the recommendations
specified by Tesla Motors.Routine maintenanceTake your vehicle to Tesla Motors at the
regularly scheduled maintenance intervals of
every 12 months, or every 12,000 miles,
whichever comes first.
Maintenance and service must be performed
by Tesla-certified technicians. Damages or
failures caused by maintenance or repairs
performed by non-Tesla certified technicians
are not covered under the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Service interval indicatorWhen the key is inserted and the starter
switch turned to the ACC position, the Touch
Screen momentarily displays the distance to
the next service interval.
In addition, this information can be displayed
by selecting the Info icon on the Touch
Screen when the vehicle is parked. For
details, refer to the Touch Screen Users
Manual provided in your owners package.
Owner maintenance
WARNING: Any significant or sudden
drop in fluid levels, or uneven tire wear
should be rectified immediately.
S
In addition to the routine maintenance
performed by Tesla Motors, a few simple
checks must be carried out more frequently.
Advice is given on the pages that follow.Daily checks• Operation of lights, horn, turn indicators,
wipers, washers and warning indicators
• Operation of seat belts and brakes
• Check for fluid deposits underneath the
vehicle that might indicate a leakWe e k l y c h e c k s•Brake fluid level. Refer to Brake fluid,
page 10-4 .
• Windshield washer fluid level. Refer to
Windshield washer fluid, page 10-5 .
• Battery coolant. Refer to Battery coolant,
page 10-5.
• Condition and pressure of each tire. Refer
to Wheels and tires, page 11-4 .
• Operation of the air conditioning. Refer to
Interior temperature control, page 7-4.
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