2016 TESLA MODEL S Owner's Manual

1. If you turn on DOME lights, all interior dome (map) lights turn on when you unlock Model S,open a door upon exiting, or shift into P (Park). They turn off after 60 seconds, when you lock
Model S, or when you shift into a driving gear. If set to AUTO, dome lights turn on only when
little or no light is detected.
You can also manually turn an individual dome light on or
off by pressing its lens. If you
manually turn a dome light on, it turns off when Model S powers off. If Model S was already
powered off when you manually turned the light on, it turns off after 60 minutes.
2. If you turn on AMBIENT lights, the lights on the door armrests turn on whenever the headlights are on.
3. If you turn on AUTO HIGH BEAM, high beam headlights turn on and
off automatically based
on whether or not light is detected in front of Model S (see High Beam Headlights on page
51). This feature is available only if Model S is equipped with the optional Autopilot Tech Package.
4. DRL (Daytime Running Lights) operate only when driving with the headlights
off. In
jurisdictions where required by law (Canada), daytime running lights can not be turned off.5. If Model S is equipped with optional front fog lights, touch to turn them on or off.
The Front Fog indicator displays on the instrument panel whenever the
optional front fog lights are on.
The fog lights operate only when low beam headlights are on. Whenever headlights are
turned off, fog lights also turn off.
Lights
Driving49

6. Exterior lights are set to AUTO each time you start Model S. Touch these options totemporarily change the exterior light setting:OFFAll exterior lights (headlights, tail lights, side marker lights,parking lights, and license plate lights) turn off until you
manually turn them back on or until the next time you drive
Model S.PARKINGOnly the side marker lights, parking lights, tail lights and
license plate lights turn on.ONAll exterior lights (headlights, tail lights, side marker lights,
parking lights, and license plate lights) turn on.AUTOAll exterior lights (headlights, tail lights, side marker lights,
parking lights, and license plate lights) turn on automatically when driving in low lighting conditions. If you change to a
different setting, lights always revert to this AUTO setting on
your next drive.
Note: Optional fog lights operate automatically whenever the low beam headlights are on.
When headlights are off or high beam headlights are on, fog lights are also off.
Lights
50Model S Owner

High Beam HeadlightsPush the left-hand steering column lever away
from you. To cancel, pull the lever toward you.
If Model S is equipped with Driver Assistance
components (see About Driver Assistance on
page 65), and you have purchased the
optional Autopilot Tech Package, the high
beam headlights can automatically switch to low beam when there is light detected in front
of Model S (for example, from an oncoming vehicle or street lights). To turn this feature on,touch Controls > Auto High Beam.
Note: Your chosen setting is retained until you manually change it. It can also be saved in
your driver
profile.
In situations where high beams are turned offbecause Auto High Beam is turned on and
light is detected in front of Model S, you can
temporarily turn on high beams by pulling the
lever all the way toward you.
The following indicator lights are visible on the
instrument panel when high beams are turned
on:
High beams are turned on and the
Auto High Beam setting is turned
off.
High beams are currently turned on,
and Auto High Beam is ready to turn
off the high beams if light is
detected in front of Model S.
High beams are temporarily turnedoff because Auto High Beam is on
and is detecting light in front of
Model S. When light is no longer
detected, the high beams will
automatically turn back on.
To flash the headlight high beams, pull the
lever fully toward you and release.
Warning: Auto High Beam is an aid only and is subject to limitations. It is the
driver

Lane Change Flash
To indicate a lane change, quickly press the
lever up or down against the spring pressure,
then release. The corresponding turn signal
flashes three times.
Hazard Warning Flashers To turn on the hazard warning
flashers, press
the button located on the side of the
touchscreen closest to the steering wheel. All turn signals
flash. Press again to turn off.
Note: Hazard warning flashers operate even
without a Model S key nearby.
Lights
52Model S Owner

Wipers
To wipe the windshield, rotate the end of the
left-hand steering column lever away from
you. You can choose from four levels:

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:

How It WorksThe traction control system constantly
monitors the speed of the front and rear
wheels. If Model S experiences a loss of
traction, the system minimizes wheel spin by
controlling brake pressure and motor power.
By default, the traction control system is
always active. Under normal conditions, it should remain active to ensure maximum
safety.
On standard (single motor) Model S vehicles,
traction control can be turned
off at any time.
Turn it off only in circumstances where you
deliberately want the wheels to spin, such as
when Model S is stuck in snow or mud.
On a dual motor Model S, you can enable slip
start to allow the wheels to spin at a limited speed. Slip start can be enabled only when
Model S is moving 20 mph (32 km/h) or
slower. Slip start automatically disables when
the speed exceeds 40 mph (64 km/h).
This indicator flashes on the
instrument panel whenever the
traction control system is actively
controlling brake pressure and motor
power to minimize wheel spin. If the
indicator stays on, a fault is detected with the traction control system.
Contact Tesla Service.Warning: Traction control can not prevent
accidents caused by driving dangerously
or turning too sharply at high speeds.Warning: If the above indicator remains
illuminated without turning off traction
control (single motor vehicles) or
enabling slip start (dual motor vehicles), the traction control system may not be
operating correctly. Contact Tesla Service immediately.
Disabling Traction Control (single motor
vehicles)
Under normal conditions, the traction control
system should remain enabled. Disable it only
in circumstances where you deliberately want
the wheels to spin, such as: