2018 TESLA MODEL S Owner's Manual 

High Beam HeadlightsPush the left-hand steering column lever away
from you. To cancel, pull the lever toward you.
The high beam headlights can automatically
switch to low beam when there is light
detected in front of Model S (for example,
from an oncoming vehicle). To turn this
feature on, touch Controls > Auto High Beam .
Note: Your chosen setting is retained until you
manually change it. It can also be saved in
your driver
profile.
In situations where high beams are turned offbecause AUTO HIGH BEAM is turned on and
light is detected in front of Model S, you can temporarily turn on high beams by pulling thelever all the way toward you.
The following indicator lights are visible on the
instrument panel when high beams are turned
on:
High beam headlights are on.
Illuminates when high beams are on but the Auto High Beam setting is
turned
off or if the Auto High Beam
setting is turned on but is
termporarily unavaible.
High beams are currently turned on,
and Auto High Beam is ready to turn
off the high beams if light is
detected in front of Model S.
High beams are temporarily turnedoff because Auto High Beam is on
and is detecting light in front of
Model S. When light is no longer
detected, the high beams will
automatically turn back on.
To flash the headlight high beams, pull the
lever fully toward you and release.
Warning: Auto High Beam is an aid only
and is subject to limitations. It is the
driver

The turn signals stop operating when canceledby the steering wheel, or when you return the
lever to the central position.
The corresponding turn signal
indicator lights up on the instrument
panel 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 S to accelerate when using
Traffic-AwareCruise Control in specific situations (see
Overtake Acceleration on page 79).
Warning: If you have purchased the
optional Enhanced Autopilot or Full Self-
Driving Capability packages and
Autosteer is active, engaging a turn signal
may cause Model S to change lanes (see
Auto Lane Change on page 85).
Lane Change Flash
To indicate a lane change, quickly press the
lever up or down against the spring pressure,
then release. The corresponding turn signal
flashes three times.
Hazard Warning Flashers
To turn on the hazard warning
flashers, press
the button located on the side of the
touchscreen closest to the steering wheel. All
turn signals
flash. Press again to turn off.
Note: Hazard warning flashers operate even
without a Model S key nearby.
Lights
Driving57

WipersTo wipe the windshield, rotate the end of the
left-hand steering column lever away from
you. The steering column lever has
fivepositions:

De-icing Washer Nozzles
If Model S is equipped with the optional cold
weather package, washer nozzles have de-
icers that turn on whenever the ambient
temperature nears freezing, or when you turn
on the heated wipers ( Controls > Cold
Weather > Heated Wipers ). The washer de-
icers turn
off when the heated wipers turn off(after 15 minutes), provided the temperature is
warm enough to prevent freezing.
Wipers and Washers
Driving59

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 S braking system, contact Tesla
immediately.
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 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 94).
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 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
replace the brake pads, contact Tesla Service.
Brakes must be periodically inspected visually by removing the tire and wheel. For detailed
specifications and service limits for rotors and
brake pads, see Brakes on page 170.
Warning:
Neglecting to replace worn
brake pads damages the braking system
and can result in a braking hazard.
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 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 S (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.
Brakes
60Model S Owner

Warning: In snowy or icy conditions
Model S may experience traction loss
during regenerative braking, particularly
when in the Standard setting and/or not
using winter tires. Tesla recommends
using the Low setting (see To Set the
Regenerative Braking Level on page 61)
in snowy or icy conditions to help maintain vehicle stability.
The Energy app displays real-time feedbackon 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 41).
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. For example, regenerative braking may be limited if theBattery is already fully charged or if the
ambient temperature is too cold.
Note: If regenerative braking is limited, a
dashed yellow line displays on the power
meter.
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:

cannot access the touchscreen and are
therefore unable to release the parking
brake. Contact Tesla.
Brakes
62Model S Owner

How It WorksThe traction control system constantly
monitors the speed of the front and rear
wheels. If Model S 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
instrument panel 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 only when Model S is moving
48 km/h or slower. Slip Start automatically
disables when the speed exceeds 80 km/h.
Under normal conditions, Slip Start should not
be enabled. Enable it only in circumstances where you deliberately want the wheels tospin, such as: