2020 TESLA MODEL 3 light

Wipers and Washers
Wipers
To perform a single wipe with the windshield
wipers, press and immediately release the
button on the end of the left-hand steering column lever.
To adjust the continuous wiper settings, touch the windshield wiper icon located in the"Cards" area on the touchscreen (see
Touchscreen Overview on page 4). The wiper
card displays the current state of the wipers.
Note: When you operate the wipers, the
headlights automatically turn on (if they were
not on already).
Caution: To avoid damaging the hood,
ensure that the hood is fully closed before
activating the windshield wipers.
1. Turn the wipers on or off.
2. Adjust the speed of the wipers.

Caution: If the brakes are not functioning
properly, stop the vehicle as soon as safety permits and contact Tesla Service.
See Park on page 56 for information on
using the Park button to stop the vehicle
in case of emergency.Warning: Always maintain a safe driving
distance from the vehicle in front of you
and be cautious in hazardous driving
conditions. Do not rely on brake disc
wiping or hydraulic fade compensation to act as a substitute for adequate braking.
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.
Note: Installing winter tires with aggressive
compound and tread design may result in
temporarily-reduced regenerative braking
power. However, your vehicle is designed to continuously recalibrate itself, and after changing tires it will increasingly restore
regenerative braking power after some
moderate-torque straight-line accelerations.
For most drivers this occurs after a short
period of normal driving, but drivers who
normally accelerate lightly may need to use
slightly harder accelerations while the
recalibration is in progress.
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
using the Low setting (see To Set the
Regenerative Braking Level on page 66)
in snowy or icy conditions to help maintain vehicle stability.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 the Battery is already fully charged or if the
ambient temperature is too cold.
Note: If regenerative braking is limited, a
dashed line displays on the energy bar (see
Driving Status on page 63).
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:

Note: The parking brake operates on the rear
wheels only, and is independent of the pedal-
operated brake system.
Warning: In snowy or icy conditions the
rear wheels may not have sufficient
traction to prevent Model 3 from sliding
down a slope, particularly if not using winter tires. Avoid parking on hills in
snowy or icy conditions. You are always responsible for parking safely.Warning: Your Model 3 may display an
alert if the road is too steep to safely park
on, or if the parking brakes are not
properly engaged. These alerts are for
guidance purposes only and are not a
substitute for the driver’s judgment of safe parking conditions, including specific
road or weather conditions. Do not
depend on these alerts to determine
whether or not it is safe to park at any location. You are always responsible for
parking safely.When you use the touchscreen to
manually apply the parking brake,
the red parking brake indicator lights
up on the touchscreen.If the parking brake experiences an
electrical issue, the amber parking brake indicator lights up and a fault
message displays at the top of the
touchscreen.Caution: In the unlikely event that Model 3
loses electrical power, you cannot access
the touchscreen and are therefore unable to release the parking brake without first
jump starting Model 3 (see Instructions
for Transporters on page 199).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.
Brakes must be periodically inspected visually by removing the tire and wheel. For detailed
specifications and service limits for rotors and
brake pads, see Subsystems on page 188.
Additionally, Tesla recommends cleaning and
lubricating the brake calipers every year or
12,500 miles (20,000 km) if in an area where
roads are salted during winter months.Warning: Neglecting to replace worn
brake pads damages the braking system
and can result in a braking hazard.
Braking and Stopping
68Model 3 Owner

performing the procedure, and do not
attempt to use tools or excessive force.
Note: Preemptively applying WD-40 to the
door handle pivot pins can help prevent ice buildup inside your door handle. See Applying
WD-40 to Door Handle Pivot Pins for
instructions.
Perform the following to remove ice from the door handle:
1. Forcefully press the rear-most part of the
door handle to initially try to open the
door handle and release light or moderate ice buildup.
2. Working in a circular pattern around the
perimeter of the door handle, use the
bottom of your fist to forcefully bump the
door handle to break and release the ice
buildup.
3. Aiming for the rearmost end of the wide
part of the door handle, use the bottom of
your fist to forcefully bump the door
handle. Increase the intensity of the
bumps as necessary, repeating steps 1 and
2 until the ice is removed and the door
handle can be opened.
Caution: Never bump the vehicle so
hard as to cause a dent; the force
used should be similar to knocking on
your neighbor’s front door.
4. Once the door handle is able to move,
open and close it a few more times to
release any remaining ice buildup. Make
sure the door handle is fully pressed in
(retracted) prior to entering the vehicle,
and check that the door is fully closed
before driving away.
Applying WD-40 to Door Handle
Pivot Pins
In severe winter conditions, applying WD-40
to door handle pivot pins can help prevent ice
buildup that might immobilize the handle.
Consider applying WD-40 to the door handle pivot pins if you are expecting freezing rain,heavy snow, or icy conditions. Reapply as
needed.Caution: Read and observe the
instructions and warnings provided by
WD-40 prior to performing this
procedure.
To apply WD-40 to the door handle pivot pin:
1. Open the door handle and prop it open
using a folded towel or other soft material.
2. Attach the provided straw to the nozzle of
the WD-40 bottle.
3. Put on eye protection.
4. Place the end of the straw next to the
pivot pin and spray it for approximately
one second, taking care not to
accidentally spray other components.
Note: Rest the end of the straw on the top
of the spring around the pivot pin to
better aim the spray.
Warning: Make sure eye protection is
worn when performing this step.
5. Remove the towel or other soft material
used to prop the door handle open.
6. Pivot the door handle in and out
approximately ten times.
7. For a second time, place the end of the
straw next to the pivot pin and spray it for
approximately one second, taking care not
to accidentally spray other components.
Note: Rest the end of the straw on the top
of the spring around the pivot pin to better aim the spray.
Cold Weather Best Practices
82Model 3 Owner

1.On the touchscreen, ensure that Require
Continuous Press is disabled (touch
Controls > Autopilot > Summon > Require
Continuous Press > NO ).
2. With Model 3 in Park, stand within 10 feet
(3 meters) and press and hold the top
center button on the key fob accessory
(Lock/Unlock All button) until the hazard
lights blink continuously.
Note: The hazard lights

Warning: Keep your hands on the steering
wheel at all times. If the vehicle senses your hands are not on the steering wheel,Model 3 sounds a chime and the hazard
warning lights

Security Settings
About the Security System
If Model 3 does not detect an authenticated
phone, key fob, or key card and a locked door
or trunk is opened, an alarm sounds and the
headlights and turn signals

Battery Information
About the Battery
Model 3 has one of the most sophisticated
battery systems in the world. The most
important way to preserve the Battery is to LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE PLUGGED IN when
you are not using it. This is particularly important if you are not planning to drive
Model 3 for several weeks. When plugged in,
Model 3 wakes up when needed to
automatically maintain a charge level that
maximizes the lifetime of the Battery.
Note: When left idle and unplugged, your
vehicle periodically uses energy from the Battery for system tests and recharging the
12V battery when necessary.
There is no advantage to waiting until the
Battery’s level is low before charging. In fact, the Battery performs best when charged
regularly.
Note: If you allow the Battery to discharge to
0%, other components may become damaged
or require replacement (for example, the 12V
battery). In these cases, you are responsible for repair and/or transporting expenses.
Discharge-related expenses are not covered
by the warranty or under the Roadside
Assistance policy.
The peak charging rate of the Battery may
decrease slightly after a large number of DC
Fast Charging sessions, such as those at
Superchargers. To ensure maximum driving
range and Battery safety, the Battery charge
rate is decreased when the Battery is too cold,
when the Battery’s charge is nearly full, and when the Battery conditions change with
usage and age. These changes in the condition of the Battery are driven by battery physics
and may increase the total Supercharging
duration by a few minutes over time.
Battery Care
Never allow the Battery to fully discharge.
Even when Model 3 is not being driven, its
Battery discharges very slowly to power the
onboard electronics. The Battery can
discharge at a rate of approximately 1% per day, though the discharge rate may vary
depending on environmental factors (such as
cold weather), vehicle configuration, and your
selected settings on the touchscreen.
Situations can arise in which you must leave
Model 3 unplugged for an extended period of time (for example, at an airport when
traveling). In these situations, keep the 1% in
mind to ensure that you leave the Battery with a sufficient charge level. For example, over a
two week period (14 days), the Battery may
discharge by approximately 14%.
Discharging the Battery to 0% may result in
damage to vehicle components. To protect
against a complete discharge, Model 3 enters
a low-power consumption mode when the
displayed charge level drops to approximately
0%. In this mode, the Battery stops supporting
the onboard electronics and auxiliary 12V
battery. Once this low-power consumption
mode is active, immediately plug in Model 3 to
prevent a jump-start and 12V battery
replacement.
Note: If the vehicle is unresponsive and will
not unlock, open, or charge, then the 12V
battery may have become discharged. In this
situation, contact Tesla.
Temperature Limits
For better long-term performance, avoid
exposing Model 3 to ambient temperatures
above 140