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:
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
Wheel Specifications (Factory)
Wheel DiameterLocationWidth (in)Offset (mm)19"Front/Rear9.54520"Front/Rear9.54521"Front9.54021"Rear10.548Lug Nut Torque129 lb. ft (175 Nm)Lug Nut Socket Size21 mmNOTE: For instructions on how to jack/lift Model Y, see Jacking and Lifting on page 176.
Tire Specifications (Factory)
Tire SizeLocationSize19"Front/Rear255/45R1920"Front/Rear255/40R2021"Front255/35R2121"Rear275/35R21Tire pressures vary depending on the type of tires fitted. Refer to the tire pressures printed on the Tire and
Loading Information label. This label is located on the center door pillar and is visible when the
driver’s door is
open (see
Maintaining Tire Pressures on page 164).
Winter tires can be purchased from a Tesla service center or may be available for purchase on the Tesla web site.
Wheels and Tires
185Specifications
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