Maintaining Tire Pressures
If you are not towing a trailer, keep tires inflated to the
pressures shown on the Tire and Loading Information label, even if it
differs from the pressure printed on the
tire itself. The Tire and Loading Information label is located on the center door pillar and is visible when the
front door is open.
If you are towing a trailer, do not use the tire pressures printed on the Tire and Loading Information Label.
Instead, refer to the tire pressures published in the
towing topic
(see Towing and Accessories on page 73).
NOTE: If your Model Y is fitted with Tesla accessory
wheels or tires, some information may be
different from
the labels on the vehicle.
The Tire Pressure indicator light on the
touchscreen alerts you if one or more
tires is
under-inflated.
After inflating the tire to the recommended pressure,
you must drive over
15 mph (25 km/h) for a short
amount of time to activate the Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS), which turns
off the Tire Pressure
indicator light.
If the indicator light flashes for one minute whenever
you power on
Model Y, a fault with the TPMS is detected
(see
TPMS Malfunction on page 168).
NOTE: Display tire pressures in the "Cards" area, located
toward the bottom on the left side of the touchscreen
,
as described in Touchscreen Overview on page 4. You
can also choose whether you want to display tire pressures using BAR or PSI by touching
Controls >
Display > Tire Pressure.
WARNING: Under-inflation is the most common
cause of tire failures and can cause a tire to
overheat, resulting in severe tire cracking, tread
separation, or blowout, which causes unexpected
loss of vehicle control and increased risk of injury.
Under-inflation also reduces the vehicle
1. Place the curved part of the lug nut cover tool (located in the glovebox for some vehicles, or you can use a small allen wrench) into the lowered
perimeter around the middle of the lug nut cover.
NOTE: The lug nut cover tool can also be purchased
at an auto parts store or through online retailers.
2.
Twist the lug nut cover tool so that the end of the curved part is facing away from the Tesla "T".
3.
Firmly pull the lug nut tool away from the wheel until the lug nut cover is released.
To install the lug nut cover:
1.
Align the lug nut cover into position.
2.
Push firmly on the lug nut cover until it fully snaps
into place.
CAUTION: Make sure the lug nut cover is fully
secure before driving to prevent it from falling
off.
Tire Pressure Monitoring
Each tire should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the recommended pressures that are printed
on the Tire and Loading Information label located on the
driver’s door pillar (see Maintaining Tire Pressures on
page 164). If your vehicle has tires of a different size
than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label, determine the proper tire
inflation pressure for those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a TPMS that displays a tire pressure telltale (Tire Pressure Warning) on the
touchscreen when
one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the Tire Pressure indicator light
displays on the
touchscreen to alert you about tire
pressure, stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure (see Maintaining
Tire Pressures on page 164). Driving on a significantly
under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces range
e
8Load range. Shown as Standard Load (SL) or Extra Load (XL), the load range determines how much weight
your tires can support at a
specified tire pressure. When replacing tires, only use tires of the same load range.
If towing with snow tires, ensure they are the same load range of the tires your vehicle came equipped with.
9Tire composition and materials. The number of plies in both the tread area and the sidewall area indicates
how many layers of rubber coated material make up the structure of the tire. Information is also provided on the type of materials used.10Maximum tire load. The maximum load which can be carried by the tire.11Maximum permissible inflation pressure. This pressure should not be used for normal driving.12U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN). Begins with the letters DOT and indicates that the tire meets all
federal standards. The next 2 digits/letters represent the plant code where it was manufactured, and the last
4 digits represent the week and year of manufacture. For example, the number 1712 is used to represent the 17th week of 2012. The other numbers are marketing codes used at the manufacturer’s discretion. This
information can be used to contact consumers if a tire defect requires a recall.13Treadwear grade. This number indicates the tire’s wear rate. The higher the treadwear number is, the longer it
should take for the tread to wear down. A tire rated at 400, for example, lasts twice as long as a tire rated at
200.14Traction grade. Indicates a tire’s ability to stop on wet roads. A higher graded tire should allow you to stop
your vehicle in a shorter distance than a tire with a lower grade. Traction is graded from highest to lowest as
AA, A, B, and C.15Temperature grade. The tire’s resistance to heat is grade A, B, or C, with A indicating the greatest resistance.
This grading is provided for a correctly
inflated tire, which is being used within its speed and loading limits.
Wheels and Tires
187Specifications
BeadThe inner edge of a tire that is shaped to fit to the rim and form an air tight seal. The
bead is constructed of steel wires which are wrapped, or reinforced, by the ply cords.Cold Tire PressureThe air pressure in a tire that has been standing in excess of three hours, or driven for less than one mile.Curb WeightThe weight of a standard vehicle, including any optional equipment fitted, and with the
correct
fluid levels.
Gross Vehicle WeightThe maximum permissible weight of a vehicle with driver, passengers, load, luggage,
and equipment.kPa (kilo pascal)A metric unit used to measure pressure. One kilo pascal equals approximately 0.145 psi.Maximum Inflation
Pressure
The maximum pressure to which the tire should be inflated. This pressure is given on
the tire side wall in psi (lbf/in2).
CAUTION: This pressure marked on the tire is the maximum allowed by the tire
manufacturer. It is not the pressure Tesla recommends using for Model Y.
Maximum Loaded
Vehicle WeightThe sum of curb weight, accessory weight, vehicle capacity weight, and production options weight.Production Options
WeightThe combined weight of options installed which weigh in excess of 3 lb more than the standard items that they replaced, and are not already considered in curb or accessory
weights.PSI (lbf/in2)Pounds per square inch (the unit used to measure tire pressure).Recommended Tire
Inflation Pressure
Tire inflation pressure, established by Tesla, which is based on the type of tires that are
mounted on the vehicle at the factory. This information can be found on the Tire and
Loading Information label located on the door pillar.RimThe metal support for a tire, or tire and tube, upon which the tire beads are seated.Vehicle Capacity
WeightThe number of seats multiplied by 150 lbs plus the rated amount of load/luggage.
Load Carrying Definitions
Normal occupant weight68 kilograms (150 lbs) times the number of occupants specified in the second column
of the tables for calculating load limits (see
Vehicle Loading on page 179).
Occupant distributionDistribution of occupants in a vehicle.Passenger car tireA tire intended for use on passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, and trucks, that have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or less.Rim diameterNominal diameter of the bead seat.Rim size designationRim diameter and width.Rim type designationThe manufacturing industry
CarcassThe tire structure, except tread and sidewall rubber which, that when inflated, bears the load.ChunkingThe breaking away of pieces of the tread or sidewall.CordThe strands forming the plies in the tire.Cord separationThe parting of cords from adjacent rubber compounds.CrackingAny parting within the tread, sidewall, or inner liner of the tire extending to cord material.Extra load tireA tire designed to operate at higher loads and higher inflation pressure than the
corresponding standard tire.GrooveThe space between two adjacent tread ribs.Inner linerThe layer(s) forming the inside surface of a tubeless tire that contains the inflating medium
within the tire.Inner liner
separationThe parting of the inner liner from cord material in the carcass.Load ratingThe maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given inflation pressure.Maximum load
ratingThe load rating for a tire at the maximum permissible inflation pressure for that tire.Measuring rimThe rim on which a tire is fitted for physical dimension requirements.Open spliceAny parting at any junction of tread, sidewall, or inner liner that extends to the cord material.Outer diameterThe overall diameter of an inflated new tire.Overall widthThe linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, including
elevations due to labeling, decorations, or protective bands or ribs.PlyA layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.Ply separationA parting of rubber compound between adjacent plies.Pneumatic tireA mechanical device made of rubber, chemicals, fabric and steel or other materials, that,
when mounted on an automotive wheel, provides the traction and contains the gas or
fluid
that sustains the load.
Radial ply tireA pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at substantially 90
degrees to the center line of the tread.Reinforced tireA tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher inflation pressures than the
corresponding standard tire.Section widthThe linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, excluding
elevations due to labeling, decoration, or protective bands.SidewallThe portion of a tire between the tread and bead.Sidewall separationThe parting of the rubber compound from the cord material in the sidewall.Snow tireA tire that attains a traction index equal to or greater than 110, compared to the ASTM
E1136-93 (re-approved 2003, incorporated by reference, see
For more information on tire pressure and inflation, see
Tire Care and Maintenance on page 164.
(VCSEC_a228)
Air pressure in tires very low
PULL OVER SAFELY - Check for