1.Interior door handles ( Opening Doors from the Interior on page 6)
2.Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (Traffic-Aware Cruise Control on page 76) and Autosteer
( Autosteer on page 82)
3. High beams ( High Beam Headlights on page 56), Turn signals ( Turn Signals on page 56),
Wipers and washers ( Wipers and Washers on page 58)
4. Steering wheel buttons - left ( Using Left Steering Wheel Buttons on page 41)
5. Instrument panel ( Instrument Panel on page 47)
6. Steering wheel buttons - right ( Using Right Steering Wheel Buttons on page 42)
7. Gear selector ( Shifting Gears on page 46)
8. Touchscreen ( Touchscreen Overview on page 99)
9. Glovebox button ( Glove Box on page 15)
10. Power window switches ( Opening and Closing on page 9)
11. Exterior mirror adjustment switches ( Mirrors on page 44)
12. Seats ( Front and Rear Seats on page 18)
13. Steering column adjuster (hidden from view in the above image) ( Steering Wheel on page
41)
14. Horn ( Horn on page 43)
15. Brakes ( Brakes on page 60)
16. Hazard warning lights ( Hazard Warning Flashers on page 57)
17. Cabin climate control ( Climate Controls on page 111)
18. Cup holders ( Cup Holders on page 17)
Interior Overview
2Model S Owner
IndicatorDescription
Parking lights (side marker lights, tail lights, and license plate lights) are on. See
Lights on page 53.Front fog lights (optional). See Lights on page 53.Rear fog lights. See Lights on page 53.Adaptive Front Lighting (if equipped). See Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS)
on page 56.Electronic stability control systems are actively minimizing wheel spin by
controlling brake pressure and motor power (indicator flashes). See Traction
Control on page 63. If this indicator stays illuminated, a fault is detected (contact
Tesla immediately).A Smart Air Suspension fault is detected. Contact Tesla. See Smart Air Suspension
on page 117.A brake system fault is detected or the brake fluid level is low. See Brakes on page
60. Contact Tesla immediately.Airbag safety. If this indicator does not flash on briefly when Model S prepares to
drive, or if it remains on, contact Tesla immediately. See Airbag Warning Indicator
on page 37.An ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) fault is detected. See Brakes on page 60.
Contact Tesla immediately.Instrument Panel
48Model S Owner
6.Exterior lights (headlights, tail lights, side marker lights, parking lights, and license plate
lights) are set to AUTO each time you start Model S.
AUTOExterior lights automatically turn on when driving in low lighting
conditions. If you change to a different setting, lights always revert to this
AUTO setting on your next drive.
Touch one of these options to temporarily change the exterior light setting:
OFFExterior lights turn off until you manually turn them back on or until the
next time you drive Model S. If daytime running lights are required in your
region, the exterior lights used for this purpose do not turn
off.Only the side marker lights, parking lights, tail lights and license plate
lights turn on.Exterior lights turn on.
Note: Model S has a series of lights along the lower rim of the headlights, also referred to as
"signature" lights. These lights automatically turn on whenever Model S is powered on and a driving gear is engaged.
Warning: Always ensure that your headlamps are switched to AUTO or ON, as
appropriate, during all low visibility conditions. Failure to do so may result in a collision.
Lights
Driving55
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
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
AABS (Anti-lock Braking System) 60
absolute speed limit 97
Acceleration (dual-motor) 104
Acceleration settings 67
access panel, removing 159accessoriesplugging into power socket 122
adaptive headlights 56
air circulation 112
air conditioning 111
air distribution 112
air
filter 115
air suspension 118
air vents 115
airbag, front passenger, disabling 37
airbags 35
alarm 132
all-season tires 151
always connected, setting 70
anti-lock braking (ABS) 60
audioplaying files 119
steering wheel buttons 41
volume control 119
Auto High Beam 56
Auto Lane Change 85
auto-raising suspension 117
automatic emergency braking 94
Autopark 87
Autopilot components 73
Autosteer 82
average range 70
B backup camera 72
battery (12V)complete discharge 140specifications 170Battery (high voltage)care of 140
coolant 159
specifications 170
temperature limits 140
battery (key), replacing 5
blind spot warning 91
Bluetoothdevices, playing audio files from 122
general information 124
phone, pairing and using 124
body repairs 163
body touch up 156
brake
fluid replacement 147
brakesautomatic in emergencies 94fluid level 160brakes (continued)overview of 60specifications 170
brightness of displays 107
C
Cabin Overheat Protection setting 107
cabin temperature control 111
Calendar app 131
camera (rear view) 72
cameras (autopilot) 73
car cover 156
car status, displaying 41, 42
car washes 154
cargo area 11
cargo volume 168
carpets, cleaning 155
CE
certifications 185
CHAdeMO 139
chains 151
change of ownership 110
charge port 142
charge port light 143
chargingcharge settings 144
components and equipment 138
instructions 142
public charging stations 139
scheduling 144
status of 145
charging locations, finding 127
child protectiondisabling liftgate and rear door handles 7
disabling rear window switches 9child seatscleaning 155
disabling front passenger airbag 37
installing and using 24
Tesla built-in rear facing 31
Chill acceleration 67
cleaning 154
climate controls 111
Climate Timer 114
Cold Weather controls 104
collision avoidance assist 93
console12V power socket 122
cup holders 17
USB ports 122
consumption chart 70
contact informationroadside assistance 177coolantBattery, checking level of 159
Battery, replacement interval 147
copyrights 182
Creep 104
Index
188Model S Owner
cruise control 76
cup holders 17
D
DAB radio 120
dashboard overview 2
data recording 183
data sharing 183
day mode 107
declarations of conformity 185
delivery mileage 183devicesBluetooth, playing audio files 122
connecting 122
playing audio
files from 122
dimensions 167
display brightness 107
dome (map) lights 53
door handles 6
door labels 165
Door Unlock Mode 6
doors 4
doors, opening 4
Drive gear 46
drive-away locking 7
driverprofiles 39
seat adjustment 18driver assistanceAuto Lane Change 85
automatic emergency braking 93
Autopark 87
Autosteer 82
blind spot warning 91
collision avoidance assist 93
forward collision warning 93
overtake acceleration 76
overview 73
settings for 107
side collision warning 91
speed assist 97
speed limit warning 97
staying inside lane markings 91
staying within speed limits 97
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control 76
drivingseating position 18
starting 45
tips to maximize range 70
E
Easter Eggs 181
easy entry, driver
profile 39
EDR (event data recorder) 183
electric parking brake 61
emergency braking
93
emergency flashers 57
emergency rear door opening 8energygained from regenerative braking 60
range information 47
energy & charging setting 107
Energy app 70
energy saving mode 70
Erase & Reset 110
event data recording 183
exteriorcar cover 156
cleaning 154
dimensions 167
lights 53
overview 3
polishing, touch up, & repair 156
F
factory defaults, restoring 110
factory reset 110
fan speed, interior 112
favorite destinations 129
Favorites 126
Favorites (Media Player) 121
FCC
certifications 185
features, downloading new 136
ferries, avoiding 128
firmware (software) updates 136flash drives, playing audio files from 122flashers, warning 57floor mats 156
fluidsreplacement intervals 147
reservoirs, checking 159
fog lights 53
forward collision warning 93
front passenger detection 37
front trunk 13
G
garage doors, opening 133
gates, opening 133
GAWR 165
gears 46
glove box 15
Gross Axle Weight Rating 165
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating 165
ground clearance 167
GVWR 165
Index
Index189