Interior
2-5
Your vehicle at a glance
Dashboard overview1. Touch Screen. See Touch Scr een Users Manual provided in your owners package .
2. Turn signals, headlight high beam and cruise control. See Exterior lights, page 6-7 and Cruise control, page 6-9.
3. Instruments. See Instruments, page 6-11.
4. Windshield wiper and washer. See Windshield wiper and washer, page 6-8.
5. Hazard warning light switch. See Hazard warning, page 6-10.
6. Heating and air conditioning. See Interior temperature control, page 7-4.
7. Gear selector. See Selecting gears, page 6-3.
8. Traction control switch. See Traction control, page 6-6.
9. Accessory power socket. See Accessory power socket, page 7-7.
10. Horn. See Horn, page 6-10 .
11. Starter switch. See Starting the vehicle, page 6-3.
12. Hood release. See Opening and closing the hood, page 9-3.
13. Trunk release. See Opening the trunk, page 4-6.
14. Instrument panel illumination control. See Instrument panel lighting, page 6-14.
15. Exterior lights master switch. See Exterior lights, page 6-7.
16. Power windows. See Operating the windows, page 7-2.
17. Central door locking. See Central door locking, page 4-4.
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Seat belts3-4
Seating and safety restraints
6. Pull the diagonal part of the belt towards the retractor to remove excess slack.Releasing the beltRelease the seat belts by pressing the red
button on the buckle. The belt retracts
automatically.Seat belt reminder
The seat belt warning indicator in the
instrument panel illuminates
whenever the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled.
Also, an audible sound will be heard for six
seconds if the starter switch is turned to the
ON position and the drivers seat belt is
unbuckled.
Wearing seat belts during
pregnancy
WARNING: Pregnant woman should
always wear seat belts to protect
themselves and th eir unborn child.
S
WARNING: Never place anything
between you and the seat belt to
cushion the impact in the event of an
accident.
S
The lap portion of the belt should be worn as
low as possible across the hips, not the waist.
Position the diagonal part of the belt
between the breasts and to the side of the
abdomen.
If you have any concerns about wearing seat
belts, contact your doctor.
Seat belt tensioners
WARNING: If the seat belt
pre-tensioners have been activated
once, they must be replaced. After any
accident, always have the airbags, seat belt
pre-tensioners and any associated
components checked and, if necessary,
replaced by Tesla Motors.
S
The seat belts are equipped with
pre-tensioners that activate in conjunction
with the airbags and provide additional
protection in the event of a severe frontal
impact on your vehicle.
The pre-tensioners automatically retract the
seat belt buckle, reducing any slack in both
the lap and diagonal portions of the belts,
resulting in reduced forward movement of
the occupant. Following an accident in which the
pre-tensioners have been activated, the seat
belts continue to function as restraints and
must be worn if you drive your vehicle.
Caring for seat belts
WARNING: Regularly check the
condition of both belts. Replace seat
belts if you notice any damage to the belt
webbing, fittings, retractor mechanisms or
buckles. S
Three tests for checking seat belts:
1. With the seat belt fastened, give the webbing nearest the buckle a quick pull.
The buckle should remain securely
locked.
2. With the belt unfastened, unreel the webbing to its limit. Check that unreeling
is free from snags and visually check the
webbing for wear. Allow the webbing to
retract, checking that retraction is
smooth and complete.
3. With the webbing half unreeled, hold the tongue plate and pull forward quickly.
The mechanism must lock automatically
and prevent further unreeling.
If a seat belt fails any of these tests, contact
Tesla Motors immediately.
For seat belt cleaning information, see Seat
belts, page 9-8 .
TR0140
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Airbag system
3-7
Seating and s afety restraints
After inflation, the airbags will deflate to
provide a gradual cushioning effect for the
occupants and to ensure the driver's forward
vision is not obscured.
If the airbags have been deployed, always
have the airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and
any associated components checked and, if
necessary, replaced by Tesla Motors.
After any accident, always have the airbags,
seat belt pre-tensioners and any associated
components checked and, if necessary,
replaced by Tesla Motors.Obstruction of airbags
WARNING: Do not allow passengers to
obstruct the operation of the airbags
by placing feet, knees or any other part of the
body, or any other objects in contact with, or
in close proximity to, an airbag module.
S
WARNING: Do not attach or position
items on an airbag cover which could
interfere with the inflation of the airbag or be
propelled inside your vehicle and injure
occupants.
S
Airbag warning indicator
A warning indicator in the instrument
panel alerts you of any malfunction of
the airbag system.
The components of the system being
monitored include: the airbag modules, the
seat belt pre-tensioners, the airbag control
unit and the airbag wiring harness.
When the starter switch is turned to the ON
position, the airbag control unit monitors the
readiness of the system’s electrical circuits.
Contact Tesla Motors if:
• The warning indicator fails to illuminate
when the starter switch is turned to the
ON position.
• The warning indicator fails to extinguish
within approximately six seconds after
the starter switch is turned to the ON
position.
• The warning indicator illuminates while
your vehicle is being driven.
Airbag warning labels
WARNING: Extreme hazard! Do not use
a rearward facing child restraint on a
seat protected by an airbag in front of it.
Doing so increases the risk of death or
serious injury when the airbag deploys.
S
Airbag warning information is printed on the
driver’s and passenger’s sun visor.Using child seats
WARNING: Currently, child seats and
restraints are not approved for use in
your vehicle. Until these are available, Tesla
Motors strongly recommends that children
are not carried as passengers in your vehicle,
and that you do not fit any type of child seat
into your vehicle. Death or serious injury may
occur if the child is too close to the
dashboard when the airbag inflates.
S
Passenger airbag deactivation
WARNING: Your vehicle is fitted with an
airbag system that has no provision for
switching off or deactivating the passenger
airbag. S
!WARNING
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occurChildren 12 and under can be killed by the airbagNEVER put a rear facing child seat in the frontSit as far back as possible from the air bagALWAYS use SEAT BELTS and CHILD RESTRAINTS
TR0138
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Airbag system3-8
Seating and safety restraints
Airbag service information
WARNING: The disposal of used airbag
units is subject to stringent regulations,
and should only be handled by Tesla
Motors. S
For your safety, a Tesla Motors technician,
who is familiar with your vehicle, must
perform the following tasks:
• Removal, replacement, repair, or
modification, of any wiring or component
in the vicinity of airbag system
components, including the steering
wheel, steering column, dashboard and
instrument panel.
• Modification to the front or side of your
vehicle, including the bumper and
chassis.
In addition, always seek the assistance of
Te s l a M o t o r s i f : • An airbag inflates
• A pre-tensioner activates
• The front or side of your vehicle is
damaged, even if the airbag has not
inflated
• Any part of an airbag module cover
shows signs of cracking or damageRoadster OHB.book Page 8 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 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 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