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1. Exterior lights (Lights on page 48)
2. Door handles ( Using Exterior Door Handles on page 6)
3. Sunroof (optional) ( Sunroof on page 15)
4. Charge port ( Charging Instructions on page 131)
5. Forward looking camera ( About Driver Assistance on page 65)
6. Exterior mirrors ( Mirrors on page 40)
7. Hood/Front trunk ( Front Trunk on page 12)
8. Radar sensor (hidden from view in the above image) ( About Driver Assistance on page 65)
9. Wheels and tires ( Wheels and Tires on page 166)
10. Rear view camera ( Rear View Camera on page 64)
11. Rear trunk/liftgate ( Rear Trunk on page 10)
12. Ultrasonic sensors ( Park Assist on page 57 and About Driver Assistance on page 65)
Exterior Overview
Overview3
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Keyless Locking and UnlockingLocking and unlocking Model S is convenient.
Although you must be carrying a valid key,
there is no need to use it. Model S has sensors that can recognize the presence of a key
within a range of approximately three feet
(one meter). So you can keep your key in your
pocket or purse and Model S detects it.
When you walk up to Model S carrying your
key, doors automatically unlock. If a door
handle is retracted, press it and it extends. If
the Auto-Present Handles setting is turned on
(see Using Exterior Door Handles on page
6), you do not need to touch the door
handle. Instead, door handles extends
automatically as you approach Model S. To
open the rear trunk, press the switch located
under the trunk
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Child-protection Lock
Model S has child-protection locks on the rear
doors and liftgate to prevent them from being
opened using interior handles. Use the
touchscreen to turn child protection locks on
or
off. Touch Controls > Settings > Vehicle >
Child Protection Lock.
Note: It is recommended that you turn child- protection locks on whenever children are
seated in the rear seats.
Drive-away Locking
Model S automatically locks all doors
(including the trunks) whenever your driving
speed exceeds 5 mph (8 km/h).
Walk-away Locking
Doors and trunks can automatically lock whenever you walk away carrying the key.
To turn this feature on or
off, touch Controls >
Settings > Vehicle > Walk-Away Door Lock.
Note: Depending on date of manufacture and
options selected at time of purchase, some Model S vehicles are not equipped with the
Walk-Away Door Lock feature.
Note: If all doors are closed and you use the
key to unlock Model S, walk-away locking is temporarily suspended until the next time
Model S powers on (such as when you press
the Brake pedal to engage a driving gear), or
until you use the key again to lock Model S.
This allows you to keep Model S unlocked in
your garage.
Unlocking When the Key Doesn
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Opening
To open the rear trunk, do one of the
following:
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Interior ReleaseTo open the trunk from inside a Model S
equipped with the Tesla Built-In Rear Facing
Child Seats, press the interior release switch located inside the rear trunk and push the
liftgate up. If Model S is locked and is equipped with a power liftgate, the
first press
unlocks the rear trunk and the second press
opens it.
Note: If Model S is not equipped with the Tesla
Rear Facing Child Seats, the switch may
appear to exist, but it will be inactive and
pressing it does not release the liftgate.
If Model S is equipped with the power liftgate,
you do not need to push it up. When you
press the release switch, it opens, and when you pull the switch, it closes.
Note: The interior release switch is disabled if
child-protection locks are turned on (see
Child-protection Lock on page 7), or if
Model S is moving.
Opening with No Power
If Model S has no electrical power, you can
open the rear trunk from inside. Use the
mechanical release cable located on the underside of the liftgate, next to the interior
light.
1. Remove the cover by pulling its lower edge very firmly toward you.
2. Pull the cable to release the latch.
3. Push the liftgate open.
Rear Trunk
Opening and Closing11
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Opening
To open the front trunk: Touch ControlsFront 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:
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Interior Emergency ReleaseAn interior release button inside the front
trunk allows a person locked inside to get out.
This release button is active whenever Model S
is stationary.
Press the interior release button to open the
front trunk, then push up on the hood.
Note: The button glows for several hours after
a brief exposure to ambient light.
Opening with No Power
Note: The mechanical release lever described
below is not available on all versions of
Model S. For dual-motor vehicles and on some
newer models, contact Tesla for assistance.
If Model S has no electrical power, or if you are
unable to open the front trunk using the touchscreen or key, pull the mechanicalrelease lever located below the glove box. Thisreleases the primary latch.
Then push down on the secondary latch lever
and lift the hood. You may need to push the hood down slightly to release the pressure
against the secondary latch.
Front Trunk
Opening and Closing13
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1. Pull the handle to release the seat backand 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.
Tesla Built-In Rear Facing Child Seats
28Model S Owner