Steering Wheel
DRIVING4.3
Steering WheelAdjusting Position
Adjust the steering wheel to the desired driving
position by moving the control on the left side
of the steering column.
WARNING: Do not make adjustments
while driving. Doing so increases the
likelihood of a collision.
Adjusting Sensitivity
You can adjust the feel and sensitivity of the
steering system to suit your personal
preference:
1.On the touchscreen, touch Controls.
2.Choose a steering option:
•Comfort - reduces the effort required to
turn the wheel. In town, Model S feels
easier to drive and park.
•Standard - Tesla believes that this setting
offers the best handling and response in
all conditions.
•Sport - Increases the effort required to
turn the wheel. When driving at higher
speeds, Model S feels more responsive.
The only way to really know which option you
like best is to try them.
Using Left Steering Wheel Buttons
Use the buttons on the left side of the steering
wheel to change radio stations, control the
media player’s volume, and control what
displays on the left side of the instrument panel
whenever the Navigation app is not displaying
instructions.
NOTE: The volume control on the steering
wheel does not adjust spoken navigation
instructions. To control the volume of
navigation instructions, use the navigation
window on the touchscreen (see page 5.19).
1. Next
If you are listening to local radio and you
have defined more than one radio preset,
(see page 5.12) press to play the next preset
in the radio band that is currently playing. If
you have not defined more than one preset,
press to go to the next available frequency.
If you are listening to Internet radio, or to an
audio file on a connected Bluetooth or USB
device, press to skip to the next song or
station.
2. Scroll Wheel
•To adjust the media volume, roll up or
down.
•To mute the media volume, or to
pause/play an audio file, tap the wheel.
•To choose what displays on the left side
of the instrument panel, press the scroll
wheel to display the available options.
Then roll the scroll wheel to browse
through the options. Tap the scroll wheel
when the option you want is selected.
3. Previous
Same as described above for Next, except it
skips to the previous song or station.
NOTE: Regardless of how you customize the
left side of the instrument panel, it
automatically changes to display navigation
instructions (if applicable), or to let you know if
a door or trunk is open when Model S is in a
driving gear.
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Mirrors
DRIVING4.5
MirrorsAdjusting Exterior Side Mirrors
Press the button associated with the mirror you
want to adjust (left or right), then press the dial
to move the mirror to the desired position.
Repeat for the other side mirror. Touch SAVE on
the touchscreen to save the mirror adjustment
in your driver profile.
To fold an exterior mirror, place your hand on
the back of it and push it toward the door.
If Model S is equipped with the optional tech
package, the driver’s side mirror automatically
dims in proportion to the level of glare from the
headlights of a vehicle behind you (except
when in Reverse gear). Also, both exterior side
mirrors have heaters that turn on and off with
the rear window heater.
Mirror Auto-tilt When Reversing
If Model S is equipped with the optional tech
package, both exterior mirrors can
automatically tilt downward when backing up.
To adjust the auto-tilt position, shift into
Reverse, then adjust the mirrors as described
above (press the button associated with the
mirror you want to adjust, then press the dial to
move the mirror to the desired position). Touch
SAVE on the touchscreen to save the mirror
adjustment in your driver profile.
When you shift back into Drive, the mirrors tilt
back to their normal (upward) position. But
now that you have adjusted them for backing
up, they automatically tilt to the selected
downward position whenever you shift into
Reverse.
You can turn the auto-tilt feature on or off using
the touchscreen, Touch Controls > Settings >
Mirror Auto-Tilt.
Rear View Mirror
Except when in Reverse gear, the rear view
mirror automatically dims in proportion to the
level of glare from the headlights of a vehicle
behind you.
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Gears
DRIVING4.7
GearsShifting Gears
When Model S is in Park, you must press the
brake to shift to another gear.
Move the lever up or down to change gears.
If you try to shift into a gear that the current
driving speed prohibits, you hear a chime and
the gear does not change.
Reverse
Push the lever all the way up and release. You
can only shift into Reverse when Model S is
stopped or moving less than 8 km/h. If moving
less than 1.6 km/h, you must press the brake.
Neutral
Push the lever up or down to the first position
and release to shift into Neutral. Neutral allows
Model S to roll freely.
If Model S is in Park and you use the
touchscreen to release the parking brake
(Controls > E-Brake & Power Off ), Model S
shifts into Neutral (see page 4.21).
Model S automatically shifts into Park when you
exit. To leave Model S in Neutral, use the
touchscreen to engage Tow mode (see
page 4.7).
Drive
Push the lever all the way down and release.
You can shift into Drive when Model S is
stopped or moving less than 8 km/h in Reverse.
If Model S is moving less than 1.6 km/h, you
must press the brake to shift into Drive.
Park
With Model S stopped, press the end of the
gear selector. Whenever Model S is in Park, the
parking brake is applied.
Model S automatically shifts into Park
whenever you:
•Open the driver’s door and exit.
•Connect a charge cable.
Leaving Model S in Neutral (Tow
Mode)
Model S automatically shifts into Park
whenever you finish driving and exit Model S.
To keep Model S in Neutral when you exit,
allowing it to roll freely (for example, pulling
onto a transporter, etc.), activate Tow mode:
1.Shift into Park.
2.Press the brake pedal.
3.Touch Controls > E-Brake & Power Off >
To w M o d e.
Model S beeps, shifts into Neutral, and releases
the parking brake (if engaged).
When Tow mode is active, Model S
displays this indicator light on the
instrument panel, along with a message
telling you that Model S will remain free rolling.
NOTE: In Tow mode, Model S does not shift into
a driving gear. To cancel Tow mode, shift into
Park or touch Tow mode again. Tow mode also
cancels if you use the touchscreen to apply the
parking brake (Controls > E-Brake & Power Off
> Parking Brake).
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Instrument PanelInstrument Panel
4.10MODEL S OWNERS MANUAL An ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) fault is detected. See page 4.20. Contact Tesla
immediately.
A brake system fault is detected or the brake fluid level is low. See page 4.20. Contact
Tesla immediately.
Tire pressure warning. The pressure of a tire is out of range. If a fault with the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is detected, the indicator flashes. For a TPMS
fault, contact Tesla. See page 7.3.
A door or trunk is open. See page 2.4.
Flashes green when the left turn signal is operating. Both turn signal indicators flash
green when the hazard warning flashers are operating.
Flashes green when the right turn signal is operating. Both turn signal indicators flash
green when the hazard warning flashers are operating.
Model S is in Tow mode and can roll freely. It does not automatically shift into Park
when you exit. See page 9.3.
Indicator Description
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Lights
DRIVING4.13
Headlight High Beams
Push the left-hand steering column lever away
from you. To cancel, pull the lever toward you.
The high beam indicator displays on the
instrument panel whenever high beams
are on.
To flash the headlight high beams, pull the lever
fully toward you and release.
Headlights After Exit
When you stop driving and park Model S in low
lighting conditions, the exterior lights
automatically turn on. They automatically turn
off after two minutes or when you lock Model S.
You can turn this feature on and off using the
touchscreen. Touch Controls > Settings >
Vehicle > Headlights After Exit.
Cornering Lights
If Model S is equipped with the optional tech
package, LED cornering lights broaden the
beam of the headlights whenever you drive
through a corner at 40 km/h or slower.
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Cruise Control
DRIVING4.23
Cruise ControlOperating Cruise Control
Cruise control makes it easy for you to maintain
a consistent speed without holding your foot
on the accelerator. This is useful when driving at
the same speed over a long distance.
You must be driving over 32 km/h to operate
cruise control.
WARNING: Do not use cruise control on
winding or slippery road surfaces, or
when traffic conditions make it unsafe to drive
at a consistent speed.
To operate cruise control:
1.When driving over 32 km/h, touch the end
of the cruise control lever. The light on the
lever turns on.
2.Accelerate until you reach your desired
cruising speed.
3.Move the cruise control lever up or down,
then release.
The instrument panel displays the Cruise On
message above the speedometer and a white
arrow on the speedometer shows your set
speed.
You can accelerate at any time when driving at
a set speed in cruise control. But when you
release the accelerator, your speed returns to
the set speed.
WARNING: Driving downhill can increase
driving speed, causing Model S to exceed
your set speed.
Changing the Cruising Speed
Move the cruise control lever up (increase) or
down (decrease).
•Push the lever up/down to the first position
and release to increase/decrease speed by
1mph.
•Push the lever up/down to the second
position and release to increase/decrease
speed by 8 km/h.
•Hold the lever up or down to
increase/decrease the speed in 3 km/h
increments until your desired speed is
reached.
NOTE: It may take a few seconds for Model S to
reach the new cruising speed. If you decrease
the set speed to less than 32 km/h, cruise
control cancels and the set speed clears.
Canceling and Resuming
Cruise control cancels automatically if you:
•Press the brake.
•Drive below 32 km/h.
•Shift out of Drive.
To cancel cruise control manually, briefly push
the cruise control lever away from you. The
message on the instrument panel turns off, but
the set speed remains displayed until Model S
powers off.
To resume cruising at the previously set speed,
briefly pull the cruise control lever toward you.
Cruise control resumes only if driving over 32
km/h.
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Touchscreen - Controls
USING THE TOUCHSCREEN5.5 1.Close
Touch the circled X in the top left of a
window to close it. You can also touch
anywhere outside the window to close it.
2.Sunroof
If Model S is equipped with a sunroof, touch
to adjust its position (see page 2.12).
3.Driving
•Suspension
If Model S is equipped with Active Air
Suspension, touch to manually raise or
lower Model S (see page 5.11). You must
press the brake pedal before you can
change suspension settings. Active Air
Suspension causes Model S to self-level,
even when powered off. Therefore, when
lifting or towing, you must disable
self-leveling (see pages 7.23 and 9.3).
•Steering mode
Adjust the amount of effort required to
turn the steering wheel. Sport feels more
responsive whereas Comfort feels easier
to drive and park (see page 4.3).
•Regenerative braking
When you release the accelerator when
driving, regenerative braking slows
Model S and feeds any surplus energy
b a c k t o t h e B a t t e r y. I f s e t t o L o w, M o d e l S
does not slow down as quickly, but you
may experience less range (see
page 4.21).
NOTE: Regardless of the setting, the
energy gained by regenerative braking is
reduced if the Battery is full, or if it is
extremely cold or hot (the surplus energy
is used to heat or cool the Battery).
•Tr a c t i o n C o n t r o l
If you turn off Traction Control, a warning
message displays on the instrument
panel. The off setting stays in effect for
the current drive only (see page 4.22).
•Creep
When on, Model S slowly moves forward
when in Drive and backward in Reverse
when you release the brake (similar to a
conventional vehicle with an automatic
transmission). You can only adjust this
setting when Model S is in Park.4.Cold Weather
If Model S is equipped with the cold
weather option, you can control all seat
heaters and the heated wipers. Note that
you can also control the front driver and
passenger seats using the main climate
control panel located on the bottom of the
touchscreen (see page 5.8).
5.Tr i p s
View and reset the trip meters that
summarize how far you have driven (see
page 4.18).
6.Displays
Manually control the touchscreen’s
brightness and control its day (light
background) or night (dark background)
setting. When set to Auto, the touchscreen
automatically changes between Day and
Night brightness depending on the ambient
lighting conditions.
7.E-Brake & Power Off
You can manually:
•Apply and release the parking brake
(page 4.20).
•Power off (see page 4.6).
•Keep Model S in Neutral by activating
Tow Mode (see page 9.3).
8.Doors & locks (see page 2.4)
9.Control lights (see page 4.11)
WARNING: Do not read the touchscreen
while driving. Doing so increases the
likelihood of a collision. Everything you need to
know when driving is displayed on the
instrument panel.
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Climate ControlsClimate Controls
5.10MODEL S OWNERS MANUAL
Ventilation
Outside air is drawn into Model S through the
grill in front of the windshield. Keep the grill
clear of obstructions such as leaves and snow.
To direct the flow of air inside Model S, move
the interior vents up, down, or from side to side.
NOTE: You can direct the outer face level vents
toward the side windows to help defrost or
defog them.
Cabin Air Filter
Model S has an air filter that prevents pollen,
industrial fallout, road dust and other particles
from entering through the vents.
Tesla replaces the air filter every 40,000 km.
Climate Control Operating Tips
•If the climate control system operates more
loudly than you prefer, reduce the fan speed
or adjust the air flow to draw in outside air
(instead of recirculating).
•In addition to cooling the interior, the air
conditioning system also cools the Battery.
Therefore, in hot weather, the air
conditioning system can turn on even if you
turned it off. This is normal because the
system’s priority is to cool the Battery to
ensure it stays within an optimum
temperature range to support long life and
optimum performance.
•To ensure the climate control system
operates efficiently, close all windows and
ensure that the exterior grill in front of the
windshield is free of ice, snow, leaves, and
other debris.
•To reduce the time it takes to reach a
comfortable temperature in hot weather,
drive with the windows slightly open for a
few minutes when you first start driving.
•In very humid conditions, it is normal for the
windshield to fog slightly when you first
turn on the air conditioning. This fog clears
within a few seconds.
•It is normal for a small pool of water to form
under Model S when parked. Extra water
produced by the dehumidifying process is
drained underneath.
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