Keyless Locking and UnlockingLocking and unlocking Model S is convenient.
Although you must be carrying a valid key,
there is no need to use it. Model S has sensors that can recognize the presence of a key
within a range of approximately three feet
(one meter). So you can keep your key in your
pocket or purse and Model S detects it.
When you walk up to Model S carrying your
key, doors automatically unlock. If a door
handle is retracted, press it and it extends. If
the Auto-Present Handles setting is turned on
(see Using Exterior Door Handles on page
6), you do not need to touch the door
handle. Instead, door handles extends
automatically as you approach Model S. To
open the rear trunk, press the switch located
under the trunk
Child-protection Lock
Model S has child-protection locks on the rear
doors and liftgate to prevent them from being
opened using interior handles. Use the
touchscreen to turn child protection locks on
or
off. Touch Controls > Settings > Vehicle >
Child Protection Lock .
Note: It is recommended that you turn child- protection locks on whenever children are
seated in the rear seats.
Drive-away Locking
Model S automatically locks all doors
(including the trunks) whenever your driving
speed exceeds 5 mph (8 km/h).
Walk-away Locking
Doors and trunks can automatically lock whenever you walk away carrying the key.
To turn this feature on or
off, touch Controls >
Settings > Vehicle > Walk-Away Door Lock .
Note: Depending on date of manufacture and
options selected at time of purchase, some Model S vehicles are not equipped with the
Walk-Away Door Lock feature.
Note: If all doors are closed and you use the
key to unlock Model S, walk-away locking is temporarily suspended until the next time
Model S powers on (such as when you press
the Brake pedal to engage a driving gear), or
until you use the key again to lock Model S.
This allows you to keep Model S unlocked in
your garage.
Unlocking When the Key Doesn
2. Press and hold the button on theunderside of the liftgate for two seconds
until you hear a
confirmation chime.
3.Confirm that you have set it to the desired
height by closing the liftgate, then
reopening it.
Interior Release To open the trunk from inside a Model S
equipped with the Tesla Built-In Rear Facing
Child Seats, press the interior release switch
located inside the rear trunk and push the liftgate up. If Model S is locked and is
equipped with a power liftgate, the
first press
unlocks the rear trunk and the second press
opens it.
Note: If Model S is not equipped with the Tesla
Rear Facing Child Seats, the switch may
appear to exist, but it will be inactive and
pressing it does not release the liftgate.
If Model S is equipped with the power liftgate,
you do not need to push it up. When you
press the release switch, it opens, and when you pull the switch, it closes.
Note: The interior release switch is disabled if
child-protection locks are turned on (see
Child-protection Lock on page 7), or if
Model S is moving.
Opening with No Power
If Model S has no electrical power, you can
open the rear trunk from inside. Use the
mechanical release cable located on the underside of the liftgate, next to the interior
light.
1. Remove the cover by pulling its lower edge very firmly toward you.
2. Pull the cable to release the latch.
3. Push the liftgate open.
Warning: People should never climb
inside the trunk. Never lock a trunk when
a person is inside.
Rear Trunk
Opening and Closing11
Interior Emergency ReleaseAn interior release button inside the front
trunk allows a person locked inside to get out.
This release button is active whenever Model S
is stationary.
Press the interior release button to open the
front trunk, then push up on the hood.
Note: The button glows for several hours after
a brief exposure to ambient light.
Warning: People should never climb
inside the front trunk. Never shut the
front trunk when a person is inside.Opening with No Power
Note: The mechanical release lever describedbelow is not available on all versions of
Model S. For dual-motor vehicles and on some newer models, contact Tesla for assistance.
If Model S has no electrical power, or if you are
unable to open the front trunk using the touchscreen or key, pull the mechanicalrelease lever located below the glove box. Thisreleases the primary latch.
Then push down on the secondary latch lever
and lift the hood. You may need to push the hood down slightly to release the pressure
against the secondary latch.
Front Trunk
Opening and Closing13
Airbag Warning IndicatorThe airbag indicator on the
instrument panel remains lit if the airbag system is malfunctioning. The
only time this indicator should light
up is
briefly when Model S firstpowers up, in which case it turns offwithin a few seconds. If it remains lit,
contact Tesla immediately and do
not drive.
Airbag Warnings
Warning: No objects should be placed
over or near the air bag on the instrument panel, because any such objects couldcause harm if the vehicle is in a crash
severe enough to cause the air bag to
inflate.
Warning: All occupants, including the driver, should always wear their seat belts,
whether or not an airbag is also provided
at their seating position, to minimize the
risk of severe injury or death in the event
of a collision.Warning: Front seat occupants should not
place their arms over the airbag module,
as an
inflating bag can cause fractures or
other injuries.
Warning: Do not use seat covers on
Model S. Doing so could restrict
deployment of the side air bags if an
accident occurs. It can also reduce the
accuracy of the occupant detection
system, if equipped.Warning: Airbags inflate with
considerable speed and force, which can
cause injury. To limit injuries, ensure that occupants are wearing seat belts and are
correctly seated, with the seat positioned as far back as possible.Warning: Do not use a child safety seat or
seat young children on a seat with an
operational airbag in front of it. Doing so
can cause injury or death if the airbag
inflates.
Warning: To ensure correct inflation of the
side airbags, maintain an unobstructed
gap between an occupant
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
54). This feature is available only if Model S is equipped with the optional Autopilot Tech Package.
4. Touch to turn fog lights (if equipped) on or
off. Fog lights operate only when low beam
headlights are on. Fog lights do not operate when headlights are turned off or when high
beam headlights are on.
The Front Fog indicator displays on the instrument panel whenever front fog
lights are on.The Rear Fog indicator displays on the instrument panel whenever rear fog
lights are on.
Note: Depending on the market region and vehicle options, your vehicle may not be equipped
with front and/or rear fog lights.
Note: In some regions, there is no control for the front fog lights. They operate in conjunction
with the headlights and turn on only in situations where low beam headlights are on.
Lights
52Model S Owner
To increase/decrease speed by 1 mph (1
km/h), move the lever up or down to the firstposition and release. To increase/decrease
speed to the closest 5 mph (5 km/h)
increment, move the lever up/down to the second position and release. For example, if
you are traveling at 57 mph and you move the
lever up to the second position and release,
the speed increases to 60 mph. You can also increase/decrease speed by holding the lever
in the full up/down position and releasing
when the desired speed displays below the
cruise control icon.
To cruise at the speed limit that is currently
being determined by Speed Assist (including
any
offsets that you have set), pull the cruise
control lever toward you and hold momentarily (about half a second). See Speed
Assist on page 91.
Note: It may take a few seconds for Model S to reach the new cruising speed.
Note: The maximum set speed is 90 mph
(150 km/h). However, it is the driver
Restricted Speed
Autosteer is intended for use on freeways and
highways where access is limited by entry and
exit ramps. When using Autosteer on residential roads, a road without a centerdivider, or a road where access is not limited,
Autosteer limits the driving speed. Keep in
mind however, that Autosteer is intended for
use only on highways and limited-access roads
with a fully attentive driver. The maximum
driving speed is calculated based on the
detected speed limit plus 5 mph (10 km/h). In situations where the speed limit cannot be
detected, speed is limited to 45 mph
(70 km/h). When Autosteer is engaged in
these situations, it reduces your driving speed
and your set speed to be within these limits.
You can manually accelerate to exceed the
limited speed, but when you release the
accelerator pedal, Autosteer slows Model S to
the limited speed. When you leave the road, or disengage Autosteer by using the steeringwheel, you can increase your set speed again,if desired.
Hold Steering Wheel
Autosteer uses data from the camera, sensors, and GPS to determine how best to assist you
in steering Model S. When active, Autosteer
requires you to hold the steering wheel. If it
does not detect your hands on the steering wheel for a period of time, a
flashing white
light appears around the instrument panel and
the following message is displayed on the instrument panel:
Autosteer detects your hands by recognizing
light resistance as the steering wheel turns or
from you manually turning the steering wheel very lightly (i.e., without enough force toretake control). When your hands are
detected, the message disappears and Autosteer resumes normal operation.
Note: Autosteer may also sound a chime at
the same time that the message is initially
displayed.
Autosteer requires that you pay attention to your surroundings and remain prepared totake control at any time. If Autosteer still doesnot detect your hands on the steering wheel,the request escalates by sounding chimes that
increase in frequency.
If you repeatedly ignore hands-on prompts,
Autosteer displays the following message and
becomes disabled for the rest of the drive. If
you don