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Wearing Seat Belts
Using seat belts and child safety seats is the
most
effective way to protect occupants if a
collision occurs. Therefore, wearing a seat belt is required by law in most jurisdictions.
Both the driver and passenger seats are
equipped with three-point inertia reel seat
belts. Inertia reel belts are automatically
tensioned to allow occupants to move
comfortably during normal driving conditions.
To securely hold child safety seats, all
passenger seating positions are equipped with
an automatic locking retractor (ALR) that, by
pulling the seat belt beyond the length
needed for a typical adult occupant, locks the
belt into place until the seat belt is unbuckled
(see Installing Seat Belt Retained Child Seats
on page 25).
The seat belt reel automatically locks to prevent movement of occupants if Model Sexperiences a force associated with hard
acceleration, braking, cornering, or an impact in a collision.
The seat belt reminder on the
instrument panel alerts you if a seat
belt for an occupied seat is not
fastened. If the belt remains unfastened, the reminder
flashes and
an intermittent chime sounds. If all
occupants are buckled up and the
reminder stays on, re-fasten seat
belts to ensure they are correctly
latched. Also remove any heavy
objects (such as a briefcase) from an
unoccupied seat. If the reminder
light continues to stay on, contact
Tesla.
To Fasten a Belt
1. Ensure correct positioning of the seat (see Correct Driving Position on page 17).
2. Draw the belt out smoothly, ensuring the belt lays
flat across the pelvis, chest and
mid-point of your collar bone, between
the neck and shoulder.
3. Insert the latch plate into the buckle and press together until you hear a click
indicating it is locked in place.
4. Pull the belt to check that it is securely fastened.
5. Pull the diagonal part of the belt toward the reel to remove excess slack.
To Release a Belt
Hold the belt near the buckle to prevent the
belt from retracting too quickly, then press the
button on the buckle. The belt retracts
automatically. Ensure there is no obstruction
that prevents the belt from fully retracting.
The belt should not hang loose. If a seat belt does not fully retract, contact Tesla.
Wearing Seat Belts When Pregnant
Do not put the lap or shoulder sections of the seat belt over the abdominal area. Wear thelap section of the belt as low as possibleacross the hips, not the waist. Position the
shoulder portion of the belt between the
breasts and to the side of the abdomen. Consult your doctor for
specific guidance.
Seat Belts
Seating and Safety Restraints19
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5. Raise the seat back to the upright positionand push until it locks into position.Visually check to ensure that the retaining
catches are engaged.
6. Check that the seat back and seat base are securely retained in the upright
position by trying to pull the seat back
toward you.
Folding
Caution: Before folding the seats, fasten
the seat belts to prevent them from
getting trapped in the seat mechanism
and being damaged.
1. Pull the handle to release the seat back and pull the seat back fully forward.
2. Push the lever to release the head
supports from the seat back, then fold
back onto the seat.
3. Secure the Velcro strap.
4. Pull the strap at the rear of the seat to fold the seat assembly into the trunk floor.
5. Replace the cover on the trunk floor.
Seating a Child
The Tesla built-in rear facing child seats are
child restraint systems and are approved to
United Nations ECE Regulation R44.04
standards for use by children in Mass Groups II
and III, weighing 15 - 36 kg. These seats must
only be used for children who are between 3
and 12 years old, and 98 - 135 cm tall.
Tesla Built-In Rear Facing Child Seats
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IndicatorDescription
An ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) fault is detected. See Brakes on page 57.
Contact Tesla immediately.The parking brake is manually applied. See Parking Brake on page 58.A parking brake fault is detected. Contact Tesla. See Parking Brake on page 58.Vehicle Hold is actively applying the brakes. See Vehicle Hold on page 62.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 Tire Care and Maintenance on page 139.A door or trunk is open. See Doors on page 4, Rear Trunk on page 10, or Front
Trunk on page 12.A seat belt for an occupied seat is not fastened. Note: Depending on the date of
manufacture, rear seating positions may not be equipped with a seat belt
reminder.See Seat Belts on page 19.The front passenger
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Controlling LightsTouch Controls on the bottom corner of the touchscreen to control most of the lights.In addition to the lights that you can control from the touchscreen, Model S has convenience lightsthat turn on and
off automatically based on what you are doing. For example, you will notice
interior lights, marker lights, tail lights, door handle lights, and puddle lights that turn on when you
unlock Model S, when you open a door, and when you shift into Park. They turn
off automatically
after a minute or two or when you shift into a driving gear or lock Model S.
Note: Depending on options chosen at time of purchase, some vehicles are not equipped with fog
lights.
Lights
Driving51
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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
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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
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1. Status barThe top line displays provides shortcuts to lock/unlock Model S, to access HomeLink andDriver
Profiles, display vehicle information (the Tesla “T”), download software updates, display
network strength and Bluetooth
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5. Volume controlTouch 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.
6. Climate controls (see Climate Controls on page 105).
7. Controls
Touch to access all Model S controls and settings (doors, locks, lights, etc).
8. Reverse the position of the two currently displayed apps.Warning: Paying attention to road and traffic conditions must always be the driver