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Adjusting Exterior Mirrors
Adjust the exterior mirrors by touching ControlsQuick
Controls and selecting the Mirrors icon. Press the left
scroll button on the
steering wheel to choose whether
you are adjusting the
Left or Right mirror. Then use the
left scroll button as follows to adjust the selected mirror to its desired position:
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Starting
When you open a door to enter Model 3, the
touchscreen powers on and you can operate all controls.
To drive
Model 3:
1.
PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL - Model 3 powers on and
is ready to drive.
2.
SELECT A GEAR - move the gear stalk down for
Drive or up for Reverse (see
Gears on page 50).
NOTE: If the PIN to Drive feature is enabled (see PIN to
Drive on page 140), you must also enter a valid PIN on
the touchscreen before you can drive
Model 3.
Everything you need to know when driving Model 3
displays on the touchscreen.
Drive Disabled - Requires Authentication
If Model 3 does not detect a key when you press the
brake (a key fob or phone key is not detected or two
minutes have passed since you used the key card), the touchscreen displays a message telling you that driving requires authentication.
If you see this message, place the key card in either
phone dock where the RFID transmitter can read it. The
two-minute authentication window restarts and you can
start
Model 3 by pressing the brake pedal.
A number of factors can affect whether Model 3 can
detect a phone key or key fob (for example, the device
Page 51 of 248
NOTE: Restarting the touchscreen using the scroll
buttons does not power
Model 3 off and on.
Power Cycling the Vehicle
If your vehicle demonstrates unusual behavior or a nondescript alert is present, you can try power cycling
the vehicle to potentially resolve the issue.
1.
Shift into Park.
2.
On the touchscreen, touch Controls > Safety &
Security > Power Off.
3.
Wait for at least two minutes without interacting with the vehicle. Do not open the doors, touch the brake
pedal, touch the touchscreen, etc.
4.
After two minutes have passed, press the brake pedal
or open the door to wake the vehicle.
Starting and Powering Off
49Driving
Page 52 of 248
Shifting Gears
When Model 3 is in Park, you must press the brake pedal
to shift to another gear.
Move the drive stalk 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 drive stalk 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).
Neutral
Push the drive stalk 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.
NOTE: You must press the brake pedal to shift out of
Neutral if driving slower than approximately
5 mph (8
km/h).
Model 3 automatically shifts into Park when you leave
the driver
Page 53 of 248

Controlling Lights
Touch Controls > Lights on the touchscreen to control
the lights.
In addition to the lights that you can control from the
touchscreen,
Model 3 has convenience lights that
operate automatically based on what you are doing. For example, in low ambient lighting conditions, the interior lights, marker lights, tail lights, and puddle lights turn on when you unlock
Model 3, when you open a door, and
when you shift into Park. They turn
off after a minute or
two or when you shift into a driving gear or lock
Model
3.
NOTE: The image below is provided for demonstration
purposes only. Depending on vehicle options, software
version and market region, your touchscreen may appear
slightly different.
1.
Exterior lights (headlights, tail lights, side marker
lights, parking lights, and license plate lights) are set
to
AUTO each time you start Model 3. When set to
AUTO, exterior lights automatically turn on when
driving in low lighting conditions. If you change to a
different setting, lights always revert to AUTO on
your next drive.
Touch one of these options to temporarily change the exterior light setting:
Page 54 of 248

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 3. See High Beam Headlights on page 52.
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 3 in low lighting conditions.
See
Headlights After Exit on page 52.
7.
If you turn on Steering Wheel Lights, the arrows
associated with the scroll buttons are backlit in low ambient lighting conditions.
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
3 (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 3, you can temporarily turn on the high
beams by pulling the turn signal stalk toward you.
NOTE: For vehicles manufactured after approximately
April 27, 2021,
Auto High Beam is automatically enabled
when Autosteer is engaged.
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 3 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 3. 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
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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 3 also emits a
clicking sound.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lights up on the touchscreen when a turn
signal is operating.
Model 3 also emits a
clicking sound.
WARNING: When actively using Traffic-Aware
Cruise Control, engaging a turn signal can cause
Model 3 to accelerate in specific situations (see
Overtake Acceleration on page 84).
WARNING: When actively using Autosteer,
engaging a turn signal can cause Model 3 to
change lanes (see Auto Lane Change on page
88).
Hazard Warning Flashers
To turn on the hazard warning flashers, press the button
located above the rear view mirror. All turn signals
flash.
Press the button again to turn off the hazard warning
flashers.
NOTE: Hazard warning flashers operate even when
Model 3 cannot detect a key.
Lights
53Driving
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Overview
The touchscreen displays the status of Model 3 at all
times. What you see depends on whether the vehicle is: