Passenger Front AirbagModel 3 has an occupancy sensor in the front
passenger seat that controls the status of the
airbags based on the weight of the occupant. If the passenger airbag is OFF, it will not
inflate when a collision occurs, and the
passenger airbag off indicator displays in the
top right corner of the touchscreen. If the
passenger airbag is ON, it will
inflate when a
collision occurs, and its status does not
display in the top right corner of the
touchscreen.
The Passenger Airbag Offindicator displays in the top right
corner of the touchscreen only
when the front passenger airbag
is turned
off.
Note: The occupancy sensor system meets the
regulatory requirement of FMVSS 208 and
automatically detects when
inflating the
passenger front airbags would be unnecessary
or potentially harmful.
Weight in front
passenger seatPassenger airbag
statusEmptyOFFUp to 20 lbs/9 kgOFF20-100 lbs/9-45 kg*OFF* or ON**Over 100 lbs/45 kgON***Values are approximate. A weight detected
near the threshold can cause the airbag
status to occasionally turn on and
offdepending on seating position and
physique.
**The absence of the passenger airbag
offindicator in the top right corner of the
touchscreen indicates that the passenger
airbag is ON and will
inflate in the event of a
collision.
Note: It takes approximately six seconds after
you power on Model 3 for the occupancy
sensor to report accurate status of the front
passenger airbag. As a result, when you
firstpower on Model 3, even in situations when it
should be OFF because the passenger seat is
either empty or carrying a weight of 20 lbs (9
kg) or less, the touchscreen can take up to six seconds to display the passenger airbag
offindicator. If it fails to do so, contact Tesla
service immediately and seat passengers in
the rear seating positions only.
If the passenger airbag is permanently
off,even when the seat is empty, contact Tesla
immediately.
To make sure the sensing system can correctly detect occupancy status, eliminate the
following:
Braking SystemsWarning: Properly functioning braking
systems are critical to ensure safety. If you experience a problem with the brake
pedal, brake caliper, or any component of
a Model 3 braking system, contact Tesla
immediately.
Model 3 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 touchscreen when you first start
Model 3. 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 touchscreen displays this
indicator at any time other than
displaying
briefly when you first start
Model 3, 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 beaware 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).
Automatic Emergency Braking automatically
applies full braking in situations where a
collision is considered imminent (see Automatic Emergency Braking on page 77).
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 3 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
replace the brake pads, contact Tesla Service.
Warning: Neglecting to replace worn
brake pads damages the braking system
and can result in a braking hazard.
Regenerative Braking
Whenever Model 3 is moving and your foot is
off the accelerator, regenerative braking slows
down Model 3 and feeds any surplus energy back to the Battery.
By anticipating your stops and reducing or
removing pressure from the accelerator pedal
to slow down, you can take advantage of regenerative 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 3 (such as when your foot is
completely
off the accelerator pedal at
highway speeds), the brake lights turn on to
alert others that you are slowing down.
Warning: In snowy or icy conditions
Model 3 may experience traction loss
during regenerative braking, particularly
when in the Standard setting and/or not
using winter tires. Tesla recommends
Brakes
Driving49
TransmissionTypeSingle speed fixed gearGearbox Ratio9:1
Brakes
Type
4-wheel anti-lock braking system (ABS)
with Electronic Brake Force Distribution,
Integrated Advanced Stability Control and
Electronic Accelerator pedal actuated
regenerative braking systemCalipersFront: Four piston fixedRear: Integrated Electronic Parking Brake
SlidingRotor Diameters (ventilated)Front: 12.6"/320 mm
Rear: 13.2"/335 mmFront Rotor thicknessNew: 0.98"/25 mm
Service limit: 0.91”/23 mmRear Rotor thicknessNew: 0.79"/20 mm
Service limit: 0.71”/18 mmFront Brake Pad Thickness (excluding back plate)New: 0.393"/10 mm
Service limit: 0.110"/2.8 mmRear Brake Pad Thickness (excluding back plate)New: 0.354"/9 mm
Service limit: 0.078"/2 mmParking brakeElectrically actuated parking brake
integrated into rear caliper
Suspension
FrontIndependent, double wishbone, coil
spring/telescopic damper, sway barRearIndependent, multi-link, coil spring/
telescopic damper
Battery - 12V
Rating33 amp hour or higherVoltage and Polarity12V negative (-) ground
Battery - High Voltage
TypeLiquid-cooled lithium ion (Li-ion)
Subsystems
136Model 3 Owner
AABS (Anti-lock Braking System) 49
absolute speed limit 79
access panel, removing 124accessoriesplugging into power socket 17
aero covers 115
air circulation 87
air conditioning 86
air distribution 87
air
filter 89
air vents 88
airbags 30
alarm 100
all-season tires 116
Always Show Estimated Round Trip Energy 97
ambient lights 45
anti-lock braking (ABS) 49
audioequalizer 90
immersive sound 90
playing
files 90
steering wheel scroll button 36
volume control 90
auto fold
38
Auto Lane Change 70
auto tilt 38
AUTO wipers 48
automatic emergency braking 77
Autopark 72
Autopilotautomatic emergency braking 76
Autopark 72
Autosteer 67
blind spot warning 74
collision avoidance assist 76
forward collision warning 76
overtake acceleration 61
overview 58
side collision warning 74
speed assist 79
speed limit warning 79
staying within speed limits 79
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control 61
Autopilot components 58
Autosteer 67
B backup camera 56
battery (12V)complete discharge 107specifications 136Battery (high voltage)care of 107
coolant 124
specifications 136
Battery (high voltage) (continued)temperature limits 107
blind spot warning 74
Bluetoothdevices, playing audio files from 92
general information 93
phone, pairing and using 93
body repairs 129
body touch up 120
brake
fluid replacement 112
brakesautomatic in emergencies 77fluid level 124
overview of 49
specifications 136
C
cabin camera 57
cabin temperature control 86
California Proposition 65 153
camera (rear view) 56
cameras (autopilot) 58
car cover 121
car washes 119
card 7
cargo area 12
cargo volume 135
carpets, cleaning 120
CE
certifications 155
CHAdeMO 106
chains 117
charge port 108
charge port light 109
chargingcharge settings 109
charging status 109
components and equipment 105
instructions 108
public charging stations 106
scheduling 109
charging locations, finding 96
child protectiondisabling rear window switches 11
child protection locks 10
child seatsinstalling and using 24
cleaning 119
climate controls 86
coat hangers 17
collision avoidance assist 76
console12V power socket 17
opening (premium package) 16
rear 17
USB ports 16contact informationroadside assistance 145
Index
158Model 3 Owner