DOCUMENT APPLICABILITY
Features released in the most recent versions of software may not be described in this document but are
described in Release Notes. Display Release Notes on the touchscreen by touching the Tesla “T” at the top
center of the touchscreen, then touching the Release Notes link. If information provided in this document
conflicts with information in the Release Notes, the Release Notes take precedence.
ILLUSTRATIONS
The
illustrations provided in this document are for demonst
ration purposes only. Depending on vehicle
op
tions, software version
and market region, the information displayed on the touchscreen in your
vehicle
may appear slightly different.
P ROD
UCT SPECIFICATIONS
All specifications
and descriptions
contained in
this
docum ent
ar
e veri fied
to be
accurate at
the time of
p
rinting. However,
because continuous
improvement is
a goal at Tesla, we reserve the right to make
product modifications at any
time. To communicate any inaccuracies or omissions in this document,
please send an email to: [email protected].
©2012-2018 TESLA, INC.
All information in this document and all vehicle software is subject to copyright an
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erty rights of Tesla, Inc. and its licensors. This material may not be modified, reproduced or copied, in
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TESLA MOTORS MODEL S MODEL X
ROADSTER MODEL 3
The Model 3 Owner's Manual is ava
ilable on the touchscreen.
To view it, touch Controls > Service > Owner's Manual or
access it after touching the Tesla "T".
More information about your Model 3 and the latest version of this document is available at www.tesla.com/teslaaccount.
To contact Tesla, call 1-877-79TESLA (1-877-798-3752).
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:
If airbags have inflated, or if your vehicle has
been in a collision, your vehicle requires
servicing before it will power up. In addition,
your airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and any associated components must be checked, and
if necessary, replaced. Contact Tesla Service
immediately.
In a collision, in addition to the airbags
inflating:
To briefly flash the high beam headlights, pull
the lever towards you and release.
The following indicator lights are visible on the
touchscreen to show the status of the
headlights:
Low beam headlights are on.High beam headlights are on.
Headlights After Exit
When you stop driving and park Model 3 in
low lighting conditions, the exterior lights
automatically turn on. They automatically turn
off after one minute or when you lock Model 3.
To turn this feature on or
off, touch Controls >
Lights > Settings > Headlights after Exit .
When Headlights After Exit is turned
off,headlights turn off when you engage the Park
gear.
Headlight Adjustments You can adjust the angle of the headlights toaccommodate the load you are carrying. For
example, in situations when you are carrying a
significant amount of weight in the rear trunk,
you may need to lower the angle of the
headlights to avoid creating glare for other
drivers. To adjust the headlights, touch
Controls > Service > Adjust Headlights , then
follow the onscreen instructions. You can
choose which headlight you would like to adjust by selecting it on the touchscreen.
Warning: Proceed with caution when
adjusting headlights. Tesla has carefully
calibrated the position of the headlights
to be in an optimum position for most
driving scenarios. Tesla recommends that
you do not adjust headlights unless you
are familiar with how headlights should
be adjusted. Once adjusted, you will be
unable to automatically restore them to their originally calibrated position.
Contact Tesla for assistance when
adjusting headlights.
Turn Signals
The turn signals
flash three times or
continuously, depending on how far up or
down you move the lever. Lightly push the
turn signal lever up or down for a
three-flashsequence. For a continuous signal, push the lever fully up or down.
The turn signals stop operating when canceled
by the steering wheel or after moving the
lever in the opposite direction.
The corresponding turn signal
indicator lights up on the
touchscreen when a turn signal is
operating. You also hear a clicking
sound.Warning: If you have purchased the
optional Enhanced Autopilot or Full Self-
Driving Capability packages and
Traffic-
Aware Cruise Control is active, engaging
a turn signal can cause Model 3 to accelerate when using
Traffic-AwareCruise Control in specific situations (see
Overtake Acceleration on page 64). If is
active, engaging a turn signal may cause
Lights
46Model 3 Owner
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
How It WorksThe traction control system constantly
monitors the speed of the front and rear
wheels. If Model 3 experiences a loss of
traction, the system minimizes wheel spin by
controlling brake pressure and motor power.
By default, the traction control system is on.
Under normal conditions, it should remain on
to ensure maximum safety.This indicator flashes on the
touchscreen whenever the traction
control system is actively controlling
brake pressure and motor power to
minimize wheel spin. If the indicator
stays on, a fault is detected with the
traction control system. Contact
Tesla Service.Warning: If the above indicator remains
illuminated in situations in which you have
not enabled Slip Start (described next), the traction control system may not be
operating correctly. Contact Tesla Service immediately.Warning: Traction control cannot prevent
collisions caused by driving dangerously
or turning too sharply at high speeds.
Allowing Wheel Slip
To allow the wheels to spin at a limited speed,
you can enable Slip Start. Slip Start can be
enabled at any speed, however it is less
effective at higher speeds.
Under normal conditions, Slip Start should not
be enabled. Enable it only in circumstances where you deliberately want the wheels tospin, such as:
ServiceWiper Service Mode: Make wiper blades easy to access (see Wiper Blades
and Washer Jets on page 122).
Adjust Headlights : Make adjustments to the level of the headlights to
accommodate a load you are carrying (see Headlight Adjustments on page
46).Caution: Headlights should only be adjusted by Tesla Service.
Towing: Prepare Model 3 for towing by keeping it in Neutral (which
disengages the parking brake and prevents damage to the rear motor that is
caused by wheels turning as Model 3 is pulled onto a
flatbed truck). See
Instructions for Transporters on page 146.
Owner
Internet Radio
Internet radio services are accessed over a
data connection. To use Internet radio, touch Media Player