If Model S is unable to detect the key, the
touchscreen displays a message indicating that a key is not inside. Place the key where
Model S can best detect it, which is below the
12V power socket (see Key Not Inside on page
43).
Radio equipment on a similar frequency can
affect the key. If this happens, move the key at
least one foot (30 cm) away from other electronic devices (phone, laptop, etc). If the
key does not work, you may need to change
its battery. If the key
Opening
To open the front trunk: Touch Controls Front Trunk on the
touchscreen, or double-click the front
trunk button on the key.
Pull the hood up.The door open indicator displays on
the instrument panel when the front
trunk is open. The image of the
Model S on the touchscreen Controls window also displays the open trunk.
The front trunk locks whenever Model S is
locked using the touchscreen, externally using
the key or walk-away locking, or when Valet
mode is active (see Valet Mode).
Closing
The Model S body is made of lightweight aluminum. Therefore, the hood is not heavy
enough to latch under its own weight and
applying pressure on the front edge or center of the hood can cause damage. To close the
hood:
Disabling the Passenger Front
Airbags
When a child is seated in the front passenger
seat (even when the child is seated in a child safety seat or booster seat), you must disable
the passenger front airbags to prevent them
from injuring the child if a collision occurs.
Note: Rear seats are the preferred location for
seating children in child safety seats.
To turn
off the front and side airbags on the
passenger side of the vehicle, touch Controls
> Settings > Safety & Security > Passenger
Front Airbag .
The OFF status of the front passenger airbag
displays in the upper right corner of the
touchscreen. (When the airbag is ON, no status is displayed on the touchscreen.)
If the airbag is on, even if you have turned itoff (or vice versa), contact Tesla immediately.
Note: Model S has a capacitive touchscreen and may not respond to your touch if you are
wearing standard gloves. If the touchscreen is
not responding, remove gloves or wear gloves
with conductive
fingertips for use with
capacitive touchscreens.
Warning: Never seat a child in a child
safety seat or a booster seat on the front
passenger seat when the airbag is
activated. Doing so can cause serious injury or death.Warning: If the passenger airbag control
does not appear to be functioning, do not
seat a passenger in the front seat.
Contact Tesla immediately to have the
vehicle inspected and if necessary,
repaired.Warning: Do not use seat covers on
Model S. Doing so could restrict
deployment of the side air bags if an
accident occurs.
Inflation Effects
When airbags inflate, a fine powder is
released. This powder can irritate the skin and
should be thoroughly
flushed from the eyes
and from any cuts or abrasions.
After
inflation, the airbags deflate to provide a
gradual cushioning effect for the occupants
and to ensure the driver
StartingWhen you open a door, Model S powers on
the instrument panel and touchscreen. The
instrument panel displays the status of doors
and the charge level, and you can operate all
controls.
To drive:
8. Use the right steering wheel buttons to change what displays on the right side of theinstrument panel whenever a phone call is not active (see Using Right Steering Wheel Buttons
on page 40).
9. Total estimated driving distance (or energy) available. Instead of driving distance, you can display the percentage of battery energy remaining. To do so, touch Controls > Settings >Language & Units > Energy & Charging (see Settings on page 101).
Note: When anticipating when you need to charge, use range estimates as a general guideline only.
Note: In cold weather, some of the stored energy in the Battery may not be available on your drive because the Battery is too cold. When this happens, a portion of the Battery meter isblue and the driving distance value has a
snowflake image next to it. If Model S is plugged in,
you can heat your Battery using wall power by turning on climate control using the mobile app. When the Battery warms up, the blue portion on the meter and the
snowflake image are
no longer displayed.
10. The speed limit (if available) that is currently being detected by Speed Assist (see Speed
Assist on page 91).
11. The car in front of you (if applicable).
Note: In situations where Autosteer is unable to detect lane markings, the driving lane isdetermined based on the vehicle you are following. In these situations, the car in front of you
is highlighted in blue.
12. Pay attention to important driving-related messages that appear at the bottom center of the instrument panel.
13. Your Model S.
14. When Autosteer is active and detects the driving lane, it is highlighted in blue (see Autosteer
on page 76).
15. Currently selected gear: Park, Reverse, Neutral, or Drive.
Instrument Panel
50Model S Owner
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
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 89).
Warning: Automatic Emergency Braking
is not designed to prevent a collision. At best, it can minimize the impact of a
frontal collision by attempting to reduce
your driving speed. Depending on Automatic Emergency Braking to avoid a
collision can result in serious injury or death.
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.
Brakes must be periodically inspected visually by removing the tire and wheel. For detailed
specifications and service limits for rotors and
brake pads, see Brakes on page 165.
Warning: Neglecting to replace worn
brake pads results in damage to the
braking system and can create a braking
hazard.
Brakes
Driving57
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 39).
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: