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Mirrors
Adjusting Exterior Side Mirrors
Press the button associated with the mirror
you want to adjust (left or right). The button
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You can turn the auto-tilt feature on or off
using the touchscreen, Touch Controls >
Vehicle > Mirror Auto-Tilt .
Note: Depending on date of manufacture and
options selected at time of purchase, some Model S vehicles are not equipped with Mirror
Auto-Tilt.
Rear View Mirror
The rear view mirror is adjusted manually.
Except when in Reverse, the rear view mirror
automatically dims in proportion to the level
of glare from the headlights of a vehicle
behind you.
Mirrors
Driving51
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Starting and Powering
Off
Starting When you open a door, Model S powers on
the instrument panel and touchscreen and you
can operate all controls.
To drive Model S:
1. PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL - Model S
powers on and is ready to drive.
2. SELECT A GEAR - Move the gear lever all
the way down for Drive and all the way up
for Reverse. See Shifting Gears on page
54.
Note: If the PIN to Drive feature is enabled
(see PIN to Drive on page 138), you must also
enter a valid PIN on the touchscreen before
you can drive Model S.
Note: If Passive Entry is off and you do not
press the brake pedal to start Model S within
approximately five minutes, a message
displays on the instrument panel and you must
use the key to lock then unlock Model S again before starting the vehicle.
Everything you need to know when driving
Model S displays on the instrument panel.
Key Not Inside
If Model S does not detect a key when you
press the brake, the instrument panel displays
a message telling you that a key is not inside.
If you receive this message, place the key in
the center console cup holder where Model S
can best detect it.
If Model S still does not detect the key, try holding it against the center console,
immediately below the 12V power socket (see
12V Power Socket on page 20). Or try using
another key. If another key does not work, contact Tesla.
A number of factors can affect whether
Model S can detect the key. These include a
low battery in the key, interference from other
devices using radio signals, and objects
between the key and receiver.
Always keep the key with you. After driving,
the key is needed to restart Model S after it
powers off. And when you leave Model S, you
must bring the key with you to lock Model S, either manually or automatically.
Powering Off
When you finish driving, shift into Park by
pressing the button on the end of the gear selector. The parking brake automatically
engages and all systems keep operating.
When you leave Model S with the key, it
powers off automatically, turning off the
instrument panel and touchscreen.
Model S also powers off automatically after
being in Park for 15 minutes, even if you are
sitting in the driver
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2.Hold down both scroll buttons on the
steering wheel until the touchscreen turns
black and the Tesla logo appears.
3. Wait approximately 30 seconds for the
touchscreen to restart. If the touchscreen
is still unresponsive or demonstrating
unusual behavior after a few minutes,
contact Tesla.
Note: Restarting the touchscreen does not
power Model S off and on.
Starting and Powering Off
Driving53
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Gears
Shifting Gears When Model S is in Park, you must press the
brake to shift to another gear.
Move the lever up or down to change gears.
If you try to shift into a gear that the current
driving speed prohibits, a chime sounds and
the gear does not change.
Reverse
Push the lever all the way up and release. You
can only shift into Reverse when Model S is
stopped or moving less than 8 km/h. If moving
less than 1.6 km/h, you must press the brake.
Neutral
Push the lever up or down to the first position
and release to shift into Neutral. Neutral allows
Model S to roll freely when you are not
pressing the brake pedal.
If Model S is in Park and you use the
touchscreen to release the parking brake
( Controls > Safety & Security ), Model S shifts
into Neutral (see Parking Brake on page 68).
Drive
Push the lever all the way down and release.
You can shift into Drive when Model S is stopped or moving less than 8 km/h inReverse. If Model S is moving less than
1.6 km/h, you must press the brake to shift into Drive.
Park
Press the end of the gear selector while Model S is stopped. Whenever Model S is in Park, the parking brake is applied.
Model S automatically shifts into Park
whenever you connect a charge cable or if
two or more of the following conditions are
met simultaneously:
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Lights
Controlling Lights Touch Controls > Lights on the touchscreen to
control the lights.
In addition to the lights that you can control
from the touchscreen, Model S has
convenience lights that turn on and off
automatically based on what you are doing. For example, you will notice interior lights,marker lights, tail lights, door handle lights,
and puddle lights that turn on when you unlock Model S, when you open a door, and
when you shift into Park. They turn off
automatically after a minute or two or when
you shift into a driving gear or lock Model S.
Note: The image below is provided for
demonstration purposes only. Depending on vehicle options, software version and market
region, your touchscreen may appear slightly
different.
1. Exterior lights (headlights, tail lights, side
marker lights, parking lights, and license
plate lights) are set to AUTO each time
you start Model S. When set to AUTO,
exterior lights automatically turn on when
driving in low lighting conditions. If you
change to a different setting, lights always
revert to AUTO on your next drive.
Touch one of these options to temporarily
change the exterior light setting: