Correct Driving Position
The seat, head support, seat belt and airbags
work together to maximize your safety. Using
these correctly ensures greater protection.
Position the seat so you can wear the seat belt correctly, while being as far away from the
front airbag as possible:
1. Sit upright with both feet on the
floor and
the seat back reclined no more than 30
degrees.
2. Make sure you can easily reach the pedals
and that your arms are slightly bent when
holding the steering wheel. Your chest
should be at least 10 inches (25 cm) from the center of the airbag cover.
3. Place the shoulder section of the seat belt
mid-way between your neck and your
shoulder. Fit the lap section of the belt tightly across your hips, not across your
stomach.
Model 3 seats include integrated head
supports that cannot be adjusted or removed.
Adjusting the Front Seats -
Premium Package
1. Move seat forward/backward and adjust
the seat
Folding Rear Seats
Model 3 has a split rear seat that can fold
forward.
Before folding, remove items from the seats
and the rear footwell. To allow the rear seat
backs to fold completely
flat, you may need to
move the front seats forward.
To fold a rear seat, pull the corresponding
lever and fold the seat forward.
Raising Rear Seats
Before raising a rear seat, make sure that the
seat belts are not trapped behind the backrest.
Pull the seat back upward until it locks into
place.
To
confirm that the seat back is locked in the
upright position, try pulling it forward.
Warning: Always ensure the seat backs
are locked in their upright position.
Failure to do so increases the risk of injury.
Head Supports
The front seats and outer rear seats include
integrated head supports that are not adjustable.
The rear center seat includes an adjustable head support that can be raised, lowered, or
removed. The head support should always be
raised and locked into position (so that the
center is aligned with the center of the ears) when occupied by a passenger that is not in a
child safety seat.
The head support in the rear center seat
should always be lowered when a seat belt
retained child safety seat is installed. See
Raising/Lowering the Rear Center Head Support on page 19.
Warning:
Ensure that all head supports
are positioned correctly before sitting in, or operating, Model 3 to minimize the risk
of severe injury or death in the event of a
collision.
Raising/Lowering the Rear Center Head
Support
To raise the head support, lift it until you hear
it click into place. Push down on the head support to ensure that it is secure.
To lower the head support, press and hold the button on the outer base of the right post and
press the head support down.
Front and Rear Seats
Seating and Safety Restraints19
Removing/Installing the Rear Center Head
Support
To remove the head support:
1. Raise the head support (see Raising/
Lowering the Rear Center Head Support on page 19).
2. Press and hold the button on the outer
base of the right post.
3. Insert a short,
flat object (such as a smallflat head screwdriver) into the opening on
the inside base of the left post and pull
the head support upwards.
To install the head support:
1. With the front of the head support facing
forward, insert both posts into the corresponding holes on the backrest.
2. Press down on the head support until you
hear it click into place.
3. Pull up on the head support to ensure that
it is secure.
Warning: Ensure that the head
support is installed properly before
anyone occupies the rear center seat.
Failure to do so increases the risk of injury or death if a collision occurs.Seat Heaters
The front and rear seats are equipped with
heating pads that operate at three levels from
3 (highest) to 1 (lowest). To operate the seat
heaters, see Operating Seat Heaters on page
89.Warning: To avoid burns resulting from
prolonged use, individuals who have
peripheral neuropathy, or whose capacity
to feel pain is limited because of diabetes,
age, neurological injury, or some other
condition, should exercise caution when
using the climate control system and seat heaters.
Seat Covers
Warning: Do not use seat covers in Model
3. Doing so could restrict deployment of
the seat-mounted side air bags if a collision occurs. It can also reduce theaccuracy of the occupant detection
system.
Front and Rear Seats
20Model 3 Owner
Wearing Seat BeltsUsing 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 26).
The seat belt reel automatically locks to prevent movement of occupants if Model 3
experiences a force associated with hard acceleration, braking, cornering, or an impact
in a collision.
The seat belt reminder on the
touchscreen 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 18).
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 Adjust the Shoulder Anchor Height
Model 3 is equipped with an adjustable shoulder anchor for each front seat to ensure
that the seat belt is positioned correctly. The
seat belt should lay
flat across the mid-point
of your collar bone while in the correct driving
position (see Correct Driving Position on page
18). Adjust the height of the shoulder anchor if
the seat belt is not positioned correctly:
1. Press and hold the button on the shoulder
anchor to release the locking mechanism.
2. While holding the button, move the
shoulder anchor up or down as necessary
so that the seat belt is positioned correctly.
3. Release the button on the shoulder anchor
so that it locks into position.
4. Without pressing the button, pull on the
seat belt webbing and attempt to move
the shoulder anchor downwards to check that it is locked into position.
Seat Belts
Seating and Safety Restraints21
Cleaning the Interior
Frequently inspect and clean the interior to maintain its appearance and to prevent
premature wear. If possible, immediately wipe up spills and remove marks. For general
cleaning, wipe interior surfaces using a soft
cloth (such as
microfiber) dampened with a
mixture of warm water and mild non-
detergent cleaner (test all cleaners on a
concealed area before use). To avoid streaks,
dry immediately with a soft lint-free cloth.
Interior Glass
Do not scrape, or use any abrasive cleaning
fluid on glass or mirrored surfaces. This can
damage the reflective surface of the mirror
and the heating elements in the rear window.
Airbags
Do not allow any substance to enter an airbag
cover. This could
affect correct operation.
Dashboard and Plastic Surfaces
Do not polish the upper surfaces of the
dashboard. Polished surfaces are
reflectiveand could interfere with your driving view.
Polyurethane Seats
Wipe spills as soon as possible using a soft
cloth moistened with warm water and non-
detergent soap. Wipe gently in a circular
motion. After cleaning, allow the seats to air
dry.
Cloth Seats
Wipe spills as soon as possible using a soft
cloth moistened with warm water and non-
detergent soap. Wipe gently in a circular
motion. Then wipe dry using a soft, lint-free
cloth. Vacuum the seats as needed to remove
any loose dirt.
Carpets
Avoid over-wetting carpets. For heavily soiled
areas, use a diluted upholstery cleaner.
Seat Belts
Extend the belts to wipe. Do not use any type
of detergent or chemical cleaning agent.
Allow the belts to dry naturally while
extended, preferably away from direct
sunlight.
Touchscreen
Clean the touchscreen using a soft lint-free
cloth
specifically designed to clean monitors
and displays. Do not use cleaners (such as a glass cleaner) and do not use a wet wipe or a
dry statically-charged cloth (such as a recently washed
microfiber). To wipe the
touchscreen without activating buttons and
changing settings, you can enable clean mode.
Touch Controls > Display > Screen Clean
Mode . The display darkens to make it easy to
see dust and smudges.
Chrome and Metal Surfaces
Polish, abrasive cleaners or hard cloths can
damage the
finish on chrome and metal
surfaces.
Cautions for Interior Cleaning
Caution: Using solvents (including
alcohol), bleach, citrus, naphtha, or silicone-based products or additives on
interior components can cause damage.Caution: Statically-charged materials can
cause damage to the touchscreen.Warning: If you notice any damage on an
airbag or seat belt, contact Tesla
immediately.Warning: Do not allow any water,
cleaners, or fabric to enter a seat belt
mechanism.Warning: Exposure to chemical cleaners
can be hazardous and can irritate eyes
and skin. Read and observe the
instructions provided by the
manufacturer of the chemical cleaner.
Polishing, Touch Up, and Body
Repair
To preserve the cosmetic appearance of the
body, you can occasionally treat the paint
surfaces with an approved polish containing: