Inflation EffectsWARNING: When airbags inflate, a fine powder is
released. This powder can irritate the skin and
should be thoroughly flushed from the eyes and
from any cuts or abrasions.
After inflation, the airbags deflate to provide a gradual
cushioning
effect for the occupants and to ensure the
driver’s forward vision is not obscured.
If airbags have inflated, or if your vehicle has been in a
collision, your vehicle requires servicing before it will power up. In addition, your airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and any associated components must be checked, and if necessary, replaced. Contact Tesla
Service immediately.
In a collision, in addition to the airbags inflating:
5. If you turn on Auto High Beam, your vehicle
automatically switches from high beam headlights to low beam headlights when light is detected in front of
Model Y. See High Beam Headlights on page 54.
6.
If you turn on Headlights after Exit, the exterior
lights remain on for a short period of time after you stop driving and park
Model Y in low lighting
conditions. See
Headlights After Exit on page 54.
7.
If you turn on Steering Wheel Lights, the arrows
associated with the scroll buttons are backlit in low ambient lighting conditions.
Reading Lights
There are two reading lights in the second row seating
area, both above the door and next to the coat hangers (see
Coat Hangers on page 23). Turn an individual
reading light on or
off by pressing its lens. The reading
light will automatically turn
off when Model Y powers
off.
High Beam Headlights
Push the turn signal stalk away from you and release to turn the high beam headlights on continuously. To cancel, push the stalk away from you again.
To briefly flash the high beam headlights, pull the stalk
towards you and release.
The high beam headlights can automatically switch to low beam when there is light detected in front of
Model
Y (for example, from an oncoming vehicle). To turn this
feature on or
off, go to Quick Controls or touch
Controls > Lights > Auto High Beam.
NOTE: Your chosen setting is retained until you
manually change it.
In situations where Auto High Beam is turned on but
the high beams are turned
off because light is detected
in front of
Model Y, you can temporarily turn on the
high beams by pulling the turn signal stalk toward you.
The following indicator lights are visible on the touchscreen to show the status of the headlights:
Low beam headlights are on.
High beam headlights are on and Auto
High Beam is disabled or currently
unavailable.Auto High Beam is enabled and high
beams are on.
Model Y is ready to turn
off the high beams if light is detected.
Auto High Beam is enabled but high beams are not on because light is
detected in front of
Model Y. When light
is no longer detected, high beams
automatically turn back on.
WARNING: Auto High Beam is an aid only and is
subject to limitations. It is the driver
WARNING: Proceed with caution when adjusting
headlights. Tesla has carefully calibrated the
position of the headlights to be in an optimum
position for most driving scenarios. Tesla
recommends that you do not adjust headlights
unless you are familiar with how headlights should
be adjusted. Once adjusted, you will be unable to
automatically restore them to their originally
calibrated position. Contact Tesla for assistance
when adjusting headlights.
Turn Signals
The turn signals flash three times or continuously,
depending on how far up or down you move the stalk.
Lightly push the turn signal stalk up or down for a
three-
flash sequence. For a continuous signal, push the stalk
fully up or down.
The turn signals stop operating when canceled by the steering wheel, by moving the stalk in the opposite direction, or lightly pushing the stalk in the same
direction once more.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lights up on the touchscreen when a turn
signal is operating.
Model Y also emits a
clicking sound.
WARNING: If you have purchased an optional
Autopilot package and Tra
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 Y braking system,
contact Tesla immediately.
Model Y 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 briefly flashes yellow
on the
touchscreen when you first start
Model Y. 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. Drive cautiously and avoid
heavy braking.
If the touchscreen displays this red brake
indicator at any time other than
briefly
when you first start Model Y, a brake
system fault is detected, or the level of
the brake
fluid is low. Contact Tesla
immediately. Apply steady pressure and
keep the brakes
firm to bring the vehicle
to a stop when safe to do so.
If the touchscreen displays this yellow
brake indicator at any time, a brake booster fault is detected. Apply steady
pressure and keep the brakes
firm to
bring the vehicle to a stop when safe to do so. Hydraulic Boost Compensation will be active (see
Hydraulic Boost
Compensation on page 61).
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 be aware 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 is designed to automatically brake in situations where a collision is
considered imminent (see
Automatic Emergency
Braking on page 115).
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.
CAUTION: In emergency situations, if the brakes
are not functioning properly, press and hold the
Park button on the drive stalk to bring the vehicle
to a stop. Do not use this method to stop the
vehicle unless absolutely necessary.
Brake Disc Wiping
To ensure your brakes remain responsive in cold and
wet weather,
Model Y is equipped with brake disc
wiping. When cold and wet weather is detected, this
feature repeatedly applies an imperceptible amount of brake force to clear away water from the surface of the brake discs.
Hydraulic Fade Compensation
Your vehicle is also equipped with hydraulic fade
compensation. This feature assists in monitoring brake
system pressure and ABS activity for instances of lower
brake performance. If lower brake performance is
detected (for example, as a result of brake fade, or cold
or wet conditions), you may feel the brake pedal pull away from your foot, detect some noise, and notice a strong increase in vehicle braking. Continue to press the
brake pedal without releasing or "pumping" them
WARNING: Always maintain a safe driving
distance from the vehicle in front of you and
exercise caution when driving conditions are
hazardous. Do not rely on brake disc wiping or
hydraulic fade compensation to act as a
substitute for adequately applying the brakes.
Hydraulic Boost Compensation
Model Y is equipped with a brake booster that provides
a mechanical advantage that
effectively activates the
brakes when the brake pedal is pressed. Hydraulic boost
compensation provides mechanical assist in the event of a brake booster failure. If a brake booster failure is detected, the brake pedal may feel harder to press and you may hear some noise when you press the brake
pedal. To stop the vehicle, apply adequate steady force on the brake pedal without releasing or "pumping" them. Exercise caution while driving and maintain a safe
distance as brake pedal responsiveness and braking performance may be degraded.
Regenerative Braking
Whenever Model Y is moving and your foot is off the
accelerator, regenerative braking slows down
Model Y
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 Y (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 Y
may experience traction loss during regenerative
braking.
The amount of energy fed back to the Battery using regenerative braking can depend on the current state of the Battery. 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
57).
Stopping Mode
Regenerative braking decelerates Model Y whenever you
release the accelerator pedal when driving. You can
choose what you want
Model Y to do once the driving
speed has been reduced to a very low speed (almost at
a stop) and both the accelerator pedal and brake pedal
are released. While in Park, touch
Controls > Driving >
Stopping Mode and choose from these options:
WARNING: Do not rely on regenerative braking
and your chosen Stopping Mode to keep you and
your vehicle safe. Various factors such as driving
with a heavy vehicle load, on a steep hill, or on wet
or icy roads affect deceleration rate and the
distance at which Model Y will come to a stop.
Drive attentively and always stay prepared to use
the brake pedal to stop as appropriate based on
tra
How It Works
The traction control system constantly monitors the
speed of the front and rear wheels. If
Model Y
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 yellow indicator flashes on the
touchscreen 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: Traction control cannot prevent
collisions caused by driving dangerously or
turning too sharply at high speeds.
Disabling Traction Control
Under normal conditions, the traction control system should remain on. Turn it
off only in circumstances
where you deliberately want the wheels to spin, such as:
How Park Assist Works
Model Y 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 Y. 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 Y
rolls freely in the opposite direction of the gear
you selected (for example, you will not receive an
alert if Model Y rolls backwards down a hill while
in Drive).
The sensors are activated when driving slower than
5 mph (8 km/h).
NOTE: Rear sensors are disabled when a bicycle is
detected or
Model Y is in trailer mode.
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 the performance of Park Assist,
causing either no readings or false readings (see
Limitations and False Warnings on page 65).
Therefore, depending on Park Assist to determine
if Model Y 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 Y. This view
closes when you shift into Drive unless an object is detected close to the front of
Model Y, 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 69). 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.
Park Assist
64MODEL Y OWNER