Gears
Shifting Gears When Model 3 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 3 is stopped or moving less than 5 mph (8 km/h).If moving less than 1 mph (1.6 km/h), you must
press the brake.
Neutral
Push the lever up or down to the first position
and hold it there for more than 1 second to shift into Neutral. Neutral allows Model 3 to
roll freely when you are not pressing the brake
pedal.
Model 3 automatically shifts into Park when
you leave the driver
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
Park Assist
How Park Assist Works
Model 3 has several sensors designed to
detect the presence of objects. When driving
slowly in Drive or Reverse (for example, when
parking), the sensors alert you if an object is
detected in close proximity of your Model 3.
Objects are only detected in the direction of
the gear you selected; front objects in Drive,
rear objects in Reverse.
Warning: You may not be alerted if Model
3 rolls freely in the opposite direction of
the gear you selected (for example, you
will not receive an alert if Model 3 rolls
backwards down a hill while in Drive).
The sensors are activated when driving slower
than 5 mph (8 km/h).
Warning: Never depend on Park Assist to
inform you if an area you are approaching is free of objects and/or people. Several
external factors can reduce theperformance of Park Assist, causing
either no readings or false readings (see
Limitations and False Warnings on page
71). Therefore, depending on Park Assist
to determine if Model 3 is approaching an
obstruction can result in damage to the vehicle and/or objects, and can
potentially cause serious injury. Always
inspect the area with your own eyes.
When reversing, perform shoulder checks and use all mirrors. Park assist does not
detect children, pedestrians, bicyclists,
animals, or objects that are moving, protruding, located too far above or
below the sensors, or too close or too far
from the sensors. Park Assist is for
guidance purposes only and is not intended to replace your own direct visual
checks. It is not a substitute for careful
driving.
Visual and Audio Feedback
When you shift to Reverse, the Park Assist
view displays on the touchscreen, showing objects that are in close proximity to the front
and rear of Model 3. This view closes when you shift into Drive unless an object is
detected close to the front of Model 3, in
which case the Park Assist view closes automatically when your driving speed
exceeds 5 mph (8 km/h). When reversing,
visual feedback also displays on the touchscreen, immediately below the camera
view (see Rear View Camera on page 75).
You can manually close the park assist view on
the touchscreen by touching the X in the
upper corner.
When driving with the Camera app displayed
on the touchscreen, you can switch to the
Park Assist view when driving at speeds below
5 mph (8 km/h). Touch the button located in
the upper left corner of the Camera app
window. This is useful if you need assistance
with parallel parking.
If chimes are turned on (see Controlling
Audible Feedback on page 71), an audible
beep sounds as you approach an object. You
can temporarily mute the chime by pressing
the scroll button on the left side of the
steering wheel or by touching the mute button on the bottom left corner of the Park Assist
view.
Note: If a sensor is unable to provide
feedback, the touchscreen displays an alert
message.
Park Assist
70Model 3 Owner
Pedestrian Warning System
The Pedestrian Warning System causes Model 3 to emit sound when driving below 20 mph
(32 km/h). Electric vehicles operate quietly
and this sound helps to alert pedestrians of
your oncoming vehicle. The sound, which
activates whenever Model 3 is shifted out of
Park, and gets louder as speed increases.
The touchscreen displays this
indicator when the Pedestrian
Warning System is not active.
Note: The Pedestrian Warning System is not
available in vehicles manufactured prior to
September 1, 2019.
Warning: If sound cannot be heard,
pedestrians may not be aware of your
oncoming vehicle, which may increase the likelihood of a collision resulting in serious
injury or death. If the Pedestrian Warning
System is not operating, immediately
contact Tesla.
Pedestrian Warning System
Driving79
If Require Lane Change Confirmation is turned
on, you must engage the appropriate turn signal to confirm that you want Navigate on
Autopilot to make the lane change. If you do
not confirm the lane change within three
seconds, a chime sounds to remind you that
Navigate on Autopilot requires your
confirmation to change lanes.
Note: If you ignore a route-based lane change
suggestion (for example, you are driving in the
left lane while approaching an off-ramp on the
right side of the highway), Navigate on
Autopilot will be unable to maneuver onto the off-ramp and as a result, the navigation
system will re-route you to your destination.Warning: Navigate on Autopilot may not
always attempt to exit at an off-ramp or
change lanes, even when an exit or lane
change is determined by the navigation
route. Always remain alert and be prepared to manually steer onto an off-
ramp, or make a lane change to prepare
for, or to exit at, an off-ramp or
interchange.
Be Ready to Assist
When attempting to change lanes or
maneuver Model 3, or when approaching
construction zones, Navigate on Autopilot
may be unable to determine the appropriate
driving lane (for example, complex clover leafs
and multi-lane off-ramps) and the touchscreen
displays an alert indicating that Navigate on
Autopilot is trying to maneuver and may
require assistance. When you see the
message, be prepared to take immediate
action to ensure that it is safe and appropriate
to complete the lane change or maneuver.
Limitations
Autosteer and its associated functions are
particularly unlikely to operate as intended
when:
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
Speed Assist
How Speed Assist Works
Model 3 displays a speed limit on the
touchscreen and you can choose if and how
you are warned when you exceed the speed
limit. You can touch this speed limit sign to automatically change the set speed to thedetected speed limit (including any offsets
that you have set). Also, instead of using the detected speed limit, you can base warnings
on an arbitrary speed limit that you enter manually.
In situations where Model 3 is unable to
determine a speed limit, or if Speed Assist is
uncertain that an acquired speed limit is
accurate, the touchscreen may not display a
speed limit sign and warnings do not take effect.
If you set the speed limit warning to Display
(see Controlling Speed Assist on page 114)
and exceed the determined speed limit, the
speed limit sign on the touchscreen increases
in size.
If you set the speed limit warning to Chime
(see Controlling Speed Assist on page 114)
and exceed the determined speed limit, the
speed limit sign on the touchscreen increases
in size and Model 3 also sounds a warning
chime.
Note: Speed limit warnings go away after ten
seconds, or when Model 3 slows down below
the specified limit.
Warning:
Do not rely on Speed Assist to
determine the appropriate speed limit or driving speed. Always drive at a safe
speed based on traffic and road
conditions.Controlling Speed Assist
To adjust the Speed Limit Warning setting,
touch Controls > Autopilot > Speed Limit
Warning , then choose one of these options:
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