Braking Systems
Model S has an anti-lock braking system (ABS) that prevents the wheels from locking when
you apply maximum brake pressure. This
improves steering control during heavy
braking in most road conditions.
During emergency braking conditions, the
ABS constantly monitors the speed of each
wheel and varies the brake pressure according
to the grip available.
The alteration of brake pressure can be felt as
a pulsing sensation through the brake pedal.
This demonstrates that the ABS is operating
and is not a cause for concern. Keep
firm and
steady pressure on the brake pedal while
experiencing the pulsing.
The ABS indicator flashes briefly on
the instrument panel when you firststart Model S. If this indicator lights
up at any other time, an ABS fault
has occurred and the ABS is not
operating. Contact Tesla. The braking system remains fully operational and
is not
affected by an ABS failure.
However, braking distances may increase.
If the instrument panel displays this
indicator at any time other than
displaying
briefly when you first start
Model S, a brake system fault is
detected or the brake
fluid level is
low. Contact Tesla immediately.
Emergency Braking
In an emergency, fully press the brake pedal
and maintain
firm pressure, even on low
traction surfaces. The ABS varies the braking
pressure to each wheel according to the
amount of traction available. This prevents
wheels from locking and ensures that you stop
as safely as possible.
Warning: Do not pump the brake pedal.
Doing so interrupts operation of the ABS
and can increase braking distance.Warning: Always maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you and be
aware of hazardous driving conditions.
While the ABS can improve stopping
distance, it cannot overcome the laws of physics. It also does not prevent the
danger of hydroplaning (where a layer of
water prevents direct contact between the tires and the road).
If Model S is equipped with Autopilot
hardware, Automatic Emergency Braking
automatically applies full braking in situations
where a collision is considered imminent (see
Automatic Emergency Braking on page 86).
Brake Wear Model S brake pads are equipped with wear
indicators. A wear indicator is a thin metal
strip attached to the brake pad that squeals as it rubs against the rotor when the pad wears
down. This squealing sound indicates that the
brake pads have reached the end of their
service life and require replacement. To stop
the squealing, contact Tesla Service.
Warning: Neglecting to replace worn
brake pads results in damage to the
braking system and can create a braking
hazard.
Brakes
54Model S Owner
Regenerative Braking
Whenever Model S is moving and your foot is
off the accelerator, regenerative braking slows
down Model S and feeds any surplus energy
back to the Battery.
By anticipating your stops and simply
removing pressure from the accelerator to slow down, you can take advantage ofregenerative braking to increase driving range.
Of course, this is no substitute for regular
braking when needed for safety.
Note: If regenerative braking is aggressively
slowing Model S, such as on a steep descent,
brake lights turn on to alert other road users
that you are slowing down.
The Energy app displays real-time feedback
on the amount of energy being gained by
regenerative braking. You can also display the
power meter on either side of the instrument
panel by choosing Energy using the scroll
button on the steering wheel (see Steering
Wheel on page 37).
The amount of energy fed back to the Battery using regenerative braking can depend on the
current state of the Battery and the charge
level setting that you are using. If regenerative
braking is limited, a dashed yellow line
displays on the power meter. For example,
regenerative braking may be limited if the Battery is already fully charged or if the
ambient temperature is low.
To Set the Regenerative Braking Level
You can use the touchscreen to change the
level of regenerative braking:
1. Touch Controls > Driving > Regenerative Braking.
2. Choose from two levels:
You can accelerate at any time when driving ata set speed using Traffic-Aware Cruise
Control. But when you release the accelerator,
Model S returns to the set speed.
When following a vehicle,
Traffic-Aware Cruise
Control remains active at low speeds, even if
Model S comes to a standstill while following a
vehicle. When
traffic is moving again, Traffic-
Aware Cruise Control resumes operating at
your currently set speed. However, if a
pedestrian or object is detected in front of
Model S,
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control goes
into a HOLD state and the instrument panel
displays a message indicating that you need
to resume cruise control. To resume, press the
accelerator pedal or pull the cruise control
lever toward you (see Canceling and
Resuming on page 72).
In right hand
traffic, engaging the right turn
signal when driving in the right-most lane
within 164 feet (50 meters) of an exit (on a
restricted access road only, such as a highway
or freeway), causes
Traffic-Aware Cruise
Control to assume you are exiting. As a result,
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control begins to slow
down the vehicle. Likewise in left hand traffic,when engaging the left turn signal when
driving in the left-most lane within 164 feet
(50 meters) of an exit. The onboard GPS (Global Positioning System) determines if you
are driving in a region with right or left hand
traffic. In situations where GPS data is
unavailable (for example, inadequate signal), engaging the turn signal near an exit does not
cause
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to slow
down the vehicle.
Note: If you double-pull the cruise control
lever, Autosteer activates and the set speed
changes to your current driving speed. If you
pull and hold the lever momentarily, your set cruising speed is adjusted to either your
current driving speed, or the speed limit that
is in
effect, whichever is greater (see Cruising
at the Speed Limit on page 70).
Note: When
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is
actively slowing down Model S to maintain the
selected distance from the vehicle ahead, the
brake lights turn on to alert other road users
that you are slowing down. You may also notice slight movement of the brake pedal.
Warning: Due to limitations inherent in
the onboard GPS, you may experience
situations in which
Traffic-Aware Cruise
Control slows down the vehicle, especially
near highway exits where a curve is
detected.
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
can not detect all objects and may not
brake/decelerate for stationary vehicles,
especially in situations when you are
driving over 50 mph (80 km/h) and a
vehicle you are following moves out of your driving path and a stationary vehicle
or object, bicycle, or pedestrian is in front
of you instead. Always pay attention to
the road ahead and stay prepared to take
immediate corrective action. Depending
on
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to avoid
a collision can result in serious injury or death. In addition,
Traffic-Aware Cruise
Control may react to vehicles or objects
that either do not exist or are not in the
lane of travel, causing Model S to slow down unnecessarily or inappropriately.
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
may be unable to provide adequate
speed control because of limited braking
capability and hills. It can also misjudge the distance from a vehicle ahead. Driving
downhill can increase driving speed, causing Model S to exceed your set
speed. Never depend on
Traffic-AwareCruise Control to slow down the vehicle
enough to prevent a collision. Always
keep your eyes on the road when driving
and be prepared to take corrective action
as needed. Depending on
Traffic-AwareCruise Control to slow the vehicle down
enough to prevent a collision can result in
serious injury or death.
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
may occasionally brake Model S when not required or you are not expecting it. Thiscan be caused by closely following a
vehicle ahead, detecting vehicles or
objects in adjacent lanes (especially on curves), etc.
Adjust your following distance
To adjust the distance you want to maintain
between Model S and a vehicle traveling ahead of you, rotate the cruise control lever to
choose a setting from 1 (the closest following distance) to 7 (the longest following distance).
Each setting corresponds to a time-based
distance that represents how long it takes for
Model S, from its current location, to reach the
location of the rear bumper of the vehicle
ahead.
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
Driver Assistance69
3. Main viewing areaThe main viewing area changes depending on the app you have chosen (in the example, the
Nav and Media apps are displayed). For some apps (such as Nav and Web), you can zoom in and out using standard touchscreen
finger gestures.
4. Maximize/minimize app
Touch the small rectangle to expand the associated app to
fill the entire main viewing area
(some apps are not expandable). Touch again to display two apps in half-screen view.
5. Controls
Touch to access all Model S controls and settings (doors, locks, lights, etc).
6. Climate controls (see Climate Controls on page 104).
7. Volume control
Touch the up and down arrows to increase or decrease the volume of the speakers. You can
also adjust the volume using the scroll wheel on the left side of the steering wheel.
8. Reverse the position of the two currently displayed apps.
Warning: Paying attention to road and traffic conditions must always be the driver
6. DisplaysManually control the brightness and the Day (light background) or Night (dark background)setting of the touchscreen and instrument panel. When set to Auto, the brightness changes
automatically between day and night brightness based on ambient lighting conditions. When
Auto-adjust is checked, the displays are further adjusted based on both the surroundings and by learning your preferences (i.e. it remembers the type of manual adjustments you make).
To disable the touchscreen momentarily for cleaning purposes, touch Clean Mode.You can also put Model S into an energy saving mode so it consumes less energy when not in
use (see Getting Maximum Range on page 62).
Note: The Displays settings can also be accessed from the Controls screen.
7. HomeLink
If the HomeLink feature is available in your region, use it to control RF-enabled garage doors,lights, or security systems (see HomeLink
About the Security System
If Model S does not detect a key nearby and a
locked door or trunk is opened, an alarm sounds and headlights and turn signals
flash.To deactivate the alarm, press any button on the key.
To manually enable or disable the alarm
system, touch Controls > Settings > Safety &
Security > Alarm. When set to on, Model S
activates its alarm one minute after the doors
lock and a recognized key is no longer
detected nearby.
Security Settings
Using the Touchscreen121
Fuse Box 1Note: Access to fuse box 1 requires removal of components that must be performed by a Tesla
service technician. The following fuse list is provided only to assist you in determining if a fuse in
this box needs to be replaced. Contact Tesla Service if one of these fuses needs to be replaced.FuseRatingCircuit Protected115 AWiper (off position)210 AHeadlight Leveling, Vanity Lights315 ASeat Heater, Second Row Right415 ASeat Heater, Second Row Middle515 ASeat Heater (Driver
Fuse Box 3FuseRatingCircuit Protected7140 ACondenser Fan (Left)7240 ACondenser Fan (Right)7340 AVacuum Pump7420 AKey On755 AFront Drive Unit765 AIgnition Sensor7725 AStability Control7820 AHeadlights High/Low Beam7930 ALight - Exterior/Interior
Fuses
Maintenance157