2017 TESLA MODEL S brake light

1. Interior door handles (Opening Doors from the Interior on page 6)
2.Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (Traffic-Aware Cruise Control on page 67) and Autosteer (see
Autosteer on page 73)
3. High beams ( High Beam Headlights on page 51), Turn signals ( Turn Signals on page 52),
Wipers and washers ( Wipers and Washers on page 53)
4. Steering wheel buttons - left ( Using Left Steering Wheel Buttons on page 37)
5. Instrument panel ( Instrument Panel on page 43)
6. Steering wheel buttons - right ( Using Right Steering Wheel Buttons on page 38)
7. Gear selector ( Shifting Gears on page 42)
8. Touchscreen ( Touchscreen Overview on page 90)
9. Glove box button ( Glove Box on page 14)
10. Power window switches ( Opening and Closing on page 9)
11. Exterior mirror adjustment switches ( Mirrors on page 40)
12. Seats ( Front and Rear Seats on page 17)
13. Steering column adjuster (hidden from view in the above image) ( Steering Wheel on page
37)
14. Horn ( Horn on page 39)
15. Brakes ( Brakes on page 54)
16. Hazard warning lights ( Hazard Warning Flashers on page 52)
17. Cabin climate control ( Climate Controls on page 102)
18. Cup holders ( Cup Holders on page 16)
Interior Overview
2Model S Owner

IndicatorDescriptionFront fog lights (optional). See Lights on page 48.Electronic stability control systems are actively minimizing wheel spin by controlling
brake pressure and motor power (indicator flashes). See Traction Control on page 56.
If this indicator stays illuminated, a fault is detected (contact Tesla immediately).Smart Air Suspension

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

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 37).
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
Driving59

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 pedal
or pull the cruise control lever toward you (see
Canceling and Resuming on page 71).
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
69).
Note: When
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is
actively slowing down Model S to maintain the
selected distance from the vehicle ahead, the brake lights turn on to alert other road users
that you are slowing down. You may also
notice slight movement of the brake pedal.
Warning: Due to limitations inherent in
the onboard GPS, you may experience
situations in which
Traffic-Aware Cruise
Control slows down the vehicle, especially
near highway exits where a curve is
detected and/or you are actively navigating to a destination and not
following the route.
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control can
not detect all objects and may not brake/
decelerate for stationary vehicles,
especially in situations when you are
driving over 50 mph (80 km/h) and a
vehicle you are following moves out of
your driving path and a stationary vehicle
or object is in front of you instead. Always
pay attention to the road ahead and stay
prepared to take immediate corrective
action. Depending on
Traffic-AwareCruise Control to avoid a collision can
result in serious injury or death. In
addition,
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
may react to vehicles or objects that
either do not exist or are not in the lane
of travel, causing Model S to slow down
unnecessarily or inappropriately.
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
may be unable to provide adequate
speed control because of limited braking capability and hills. It can also misjudgethe distance from a vehicle ahead. Driving
downhill can increase driving speed, causing Model S to exceed your set
speed. Never depend on
Traffic-AwareCruise Control to slow down the vehicle
enough to prevent a collision. Always
keep your eyes on the road when driving
and be prepared to take corrective action
as needed. Depending on
Traffic-AwareCruise Control to slow the vehicle down enough to prevent a collision can result in
serious injury or death.
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
may occasionally brake Model S when not required or you are not expecting it. Thiscan be caused by closely following a
vehicle ahead, detecting vehicles or
objects in adjacent lanes (especially on curves), etc.
Adjust your following distance
To adjust the distance you want to maintain
between Model S and a vehicle traveling ahead of you, rotate the cruise control lever to
choose a setting from 1 (the closest following distance) to 7 (the longest following distance).
Each setting corresponds to a time-based
distance that represents how long it takes for
Model S, from its current location, to reach the
location of the rear bumper of the vehicle
ahead.
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
68Model S Owner

Cleaning the ExteriorTo prevent damage to the paint, immediately
remove corrosive substances (bird droppings, tree resin, dead insects, tar spots, road salt,
industrial fallout, etc). Do not wait until
Model S is due for a complete wash. If
necessary, use denatured alcohol to remove
tar spots and stubborn grease stains, then
immediately wash the area with water and a
mild, non-detergent soap to remove the
alcohol.
Follow these steps when washing the exterior
of Model S:
1. Rinse Thoroughly Before washing,
flush grime and grit from
the bodywork using a hose. Flush away
accumulations of mud in areas where
debris easily collects (such as wheel
arches and panel seams). If salt has been used on the highways (such as during
winter months), thoroughly rinse all traces of road salt from the underside of thevehicle.
2. Hand Wash
Hand wash Model S using a clean soft
cloth and cold or lukewarm water
containing a mild, good quality car
shampoo.
3. Rinse with Clean Water
After washing, rinse with clean water to
prevent soap from drying on the surfaces.
4. Dry Thoroughly and Clean Exterior Glass
After washing and rinsing, dry thoroughly
with a chamois.
Clean windows and mirrors using an automotive glass cleaner. Do not scrape,
or use any abrasive cleaning
fluid on glass
or mirrored surfaces.
Cautions for Exterior CleaningCaution: Do not use windshield treatmentfluids. Doing so can interfere with wiper
friction and cause a chattering sound.Caution: Do not use hot water and
detergents.Caution: In hot weather, do not wash in direct sunlight.Caution: If using a pressure washer,
maintain a distance of at least 12" (30 cm)
between the nozzle and the surface of
Model S. Keep the nozzle moving and do
not concentrate the water jet on any one
area.Caution: Do not aim water hoses directly
at window, door or hood seals, or through
wheel apertures onto brake components.Caution: Avoid using tight-napped or
rough cloths, such as washing mitts.Caution: If washing in an automatic car
wash, use Touchless car washes only. These car washes have no parts (brushes,
etc.) that touch the surfaces of Model S.
Using any other type of car wash could
cause damage that is not covered by the
warranty.Caution: Do not use chemical based
wheel cleaners. These can damage the
finish on the wheels.
Caution: Avoid using a high pressure
power washer on the rear view camera or
parking sensors (if equipped) and do not
clean a sensor or camera lens with a
sharp or abrasive object that can scratch
or damage its surface.
Cleaning
148Model S Owner

Checking Brake FluidWarning: Contact Tesla immediately if you
notice increased movement of the brake
pedal or a
significant loss of brake fluid.Driving under these conditions can result in extended stopping distances or
complete brake failure.
The Brake indicator on the
instrument panel alerts you if the
quantity of
fluid in the brake
reservoir drops below the
recommended level. If it displays
while driving, stop as soon as safety
permits by gently applying the
brakes. Do not continue driving.
Contact Tesla immediately.
Fluid Level Check
Tesla checks the brake
fluid level at the
regularly scheduled maintenance intervals. To
check it yourself, park Model S on level
ground. When Model S is cool, remove the
maintenance panel (see Removing the
Maintenance Panel on page 153).
Check the fluid level visually by looking at the
outside marks on the side of the reservoir
without removing the
filler cap.
The brake
fluid level should always be
between the MIN and the MAX marks.
Note: Although brake
fluid level drops slightly
during normal use as a result of brake pad
wear, it should not drop below the MIN mark.
Topping Up the Brake Fluid
Do not top up your brake
fluid. Tesla service
does this when you bring Model S in for
regular servicing. The following instructions
are provided for information purposes and future reference only:
1. Clean the filler cap before removing to
prevent dirt from entering the reservoir.
2. Unscrew the cap and remove.
3. Top up the reservoir to the MAX mark using brake
fluid meeting DOT3specifications.4. Replace the filler cap.
Warning: Only use new fluid from a sealed
air-tight container. Never use previously
used
fluid or fluid from a previously
opened container