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 68), 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
The turn signals stop operating when canceledby the steering wheel, or when you return the
lever to the central position.
The corresponding turn signal
indicator lights up on the instrument
panel when a turn signal is
operating. You also hear a clicking
sound.Warning: If Model S is equipped with both
Autopilot hardware and the optional
Autopilot Tech Package, and
Traffic-
Aware Cruise Control is active, engaging
a turn signal can cause Model S to accelerate when using
Traffic-AwareCruise Control in specific situations (see
Overtake Acceleration on page 73).
Warning: If Model S is equipped with both
Autopilot hardware and the optional
Autopilot Tech Package, and Autosteer is active, engaging a turn signal can cause
Model S to change lanes (see Auto Lane
Change on page 79).
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
Driving55
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:
When Model S is stopped, Vehicle Holdcontinues to apply the brakes even after you
remove your foot from the brake pedal. When
driving on a hill or on a
flat surface, brake as
you normally would. You can release the brake
pedal, and remain stopped (even on a hill),
whenever the instrument panel displays the
Vehicle Hold indicator light.
This indicator displays on the
instrument panel whenever Vehicle
Hold is engaged.
To disengage Vehicle Hold, press the
accelerator pedal or press and release the
brake pedal.
Note: Shifting into Neutral also disengages Vehicle Hold.
Note: After actively braking Model S for
approximately 10 minutes, Model S shifts into
Park and Vehicle Hold cancels. Model S also shifts into Park if it detects that the driver has
left the vehicle.
Vehicle Hold
62Model S Owner
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 an 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 pedalor pull the cruise control lever toward you (see
Canceling and Resuming on page 73).
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
controlled 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 (or single-pull when
Traffic-Aware Cruise
Control is active), Autosteer activates and the set speed changes to either your current
driving speed, or the speed limit plus any
offset you have defined, whichever is greater
(see Cruising at the Speed Limit on page 72).
Note: When
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is
actively slowing down Model S to maintain the selected distance from the vehicle ahead, thebrake lights turn on to alert other road users
that you are slowing down. You may also
notice slight movement of the brake pedal.
Note: If traveling 80 km/h or faster,
Traffic-
Aware Cruise Control requires that you be in a
passing lane in order to pass a vehicle. If you
are in a non-passing lane (to the right of a
vehicle in right-hand
traffic or to the left of a
vehicle in left-hand traffic), Traffic-AwareCruise Control prevents you from passing
vehicles. Instead, Model S will slow down and
match the vehicle
Note: Autosteer is a BETA feature.
If Model S is equipped with Driver Assistance
components (see About Driver Assistance on
page 68), and you have purchased the
optional Autopilot Tech Package, you can use
Autosteer to manage steering and speed under certain circumstances. Autosteer builds
upon
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control,
intelligently keeping Model S in its driving lane
when cruising at a set speed. Using the
forward looking camera, the radar sensor, and
the ultrasonic sensors, Autosteer detects lane
markings and the presence of vehicles and
objects, assisting you in steering Model S
based on the lane markings and the vehicle
directly in front of you.
Warning: Autosteer is a hands-on feature.
You must keep your hands on the steering
wheel at all times.Warning: Autosteer is intended for use
only on highways and limited-access
roads with a fully attentive driver. When using Autosteer, hold the steering wheel
and be mindful of road conditions and
surrounding
traffic. Do not use Autosteer
on city streets, in construction zones, or
in areas where bicyclists or pedestrians
may be present. Never depend on
Autosteer to determine an appropriate driving path. Always be prepared to take
immediate action. Failure to follow these instructions could cause serious property
damage, injury or death.
Operating Autosteer
Before you can operate Autosteer, you must
enable it by touching Controls > Settings > Driver Assistance > Autosteer > Enable .
To indicate that Autosteer is available (but not actively steering Model S), the instrument
panel displays a gray Autosteer icon on the right side of the driving speed as shown here:
To initiate Autosteer, pull the cruise control
lever toward you twice in quick succession. Autosteer
briefly displays a message on the
instrument panel reminding you to pay
attention to the road and have your hands on
the steering wheel. To indicate that Autosteer
is now actively assisting in steering Model S, the instrument panel displays the Autosteericon in blue. When Autosteer is able to detectlane markings, it also displays the driving lane
in blue:
Note: In situations where Autosteer is unable
to detect lane markings, the driving lane is
determined based on the vehicle you are
following. In these situations, the car in front
of you is highlighted in blue.
Note: To initiate Autosteer, you must be
driving at least 5 mph (8 km/h) on a roadway
with visible lane markings. If a vehicle is
detected ahead of you, you can initiate
Autosteer at any speed, even when stationary.
Note: In most cases, Autosteer attempts to
center Model S in the driving lane. However, if
the sensors detect the presence of an obstacle (such as a vehicle or guard rail), Autosteer
may steer Model S in a driving path that is
offset from the center of the lane.
Note: In situations where you attempt to
engage Autosteer, but you are not driving
within the required driving speed for Autosteer to operate, or Autosteer is not
receiving adequate data from the camera or
sensors, a message displays on the instrument
panel indicating that Autosteer is temporarily
unavailable.
Autosteer
76Model S Owner
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