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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 24).
The seat belt reel automatically locks to prevent movement of occupants if Model S
experiences 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
Page 22 of 188

Testing Seat Belts
To
confirm that seat belts are operating
correctly, perform these three simple checks on each seat belt.
1. With the seat belt fastened, give the webbing nearest the buckle a quick pull.
The buckle should remain securely locked.
2. With the belt unfastened, unreel the webbing to its limit. Check that unreeling
is free from snags, and visually check the
webbing for wear. Allow the webbing to retract, checking that retraction is smooth
and complete.
3. With the webbing half unreeled, hold the tongue plate and pull forward quickly. The
mechanism should lock automatically and
prevent further unreeling.
If a seat belt fails any of these tests, contact
Tesla immediately.
For information about cleaning seat belts, see
Seat Belts on page 149.
Seat Belt Warnings
Warning: Seat belts should be worn by all
occupants at all times, even if driving for
a very short distance. Failure to do so
increases the risk of injury or death if an accident occurs.Warning: Secure small children in a
suitable child safety seat (see Child
Safety Seats on page 22). Always follow
the child safety seat manufacturer
Page 49 of 188
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
48Model S Owner
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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
51). 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.
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
Driving49
Page 55 of 188

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
Page 83 of 188

1. With Model S in Park, stand within 10 feet (3 meters) and press and hold the top center buttonon the key (Lock/Unlock All button) until the hazard lights blink continuously.
Note: The hazard lights
flash once as Model S locks, then within five seconds, Model S powers
on and the hazard lights flash continuously. Do not proceed to the next step until the hazard
lights are flashing. If, after five seconds, the hazard lights are not flashing, release the button
on the key, move closer to Model S, and try again. If Summon receives no further input within ten seconds, Summon cancels.
2. Press the Front Trunk (Frunk) button on the key to move Model S forward into the parking space, or press the Rear Trunk button to reverse Model S into the parking space.
Initiate Automatic Parking Before Exiting the Vehicle (U.S. and Mexico Only)
If Require Continuous Press is set to NO, you can initiate the parking maneuver from inside
Model S before exiting:
1. While sitting in Model S with the vehicle powered on, double press the Park gear. The instrument panel displays a message indicating that Summon is engaged, and the
touchscreen displays a popup window.
2. On the touchscreen, choose the direction of travel.
3. Exit Model S and close the door.
Note: All doors and trunks must be closed.
Note: To cancel the parking maneuver before exiting the vehicle, touch Cancel on the popup window.
Summon now drives Model S into the parking space according to the direction you
specified on
the touchscreen.
Stopping or Canceling Summon
You can stop Model S at any time while Summon is active by pressing any button on the key or using the mobile app. Summon also cancels when:
Page 93 of 188
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
Page 123 of 188
About the Security System
If Model S does not detect a key nearby and a
locked door or trunk is opened, an alarm sounds and headlights and turn signals
flash.To deactivate the alarm, press any button on the key.
To manually enable or disable the alarm
system, touch Controls > Settings > Safety &
Security > Alarm. When set to on, Model S
activates its alarm one minute after the doors
lock and a recognized key is no longer
detected nearby.
Security Settings
122Model S Owner