Center Console
In addition to housing an RFID transmitter that reads key fobs and key cards (see
Key Card on page 7), the center
console includes cup holders, two storage
compartments, and
a wireless phone charger.
To open the main storage compartment, pull its cover upward. Open the front storage compartment by sliding its cover forward.
Second Row Console
Your Model 3 has a rear console integrated in the center
of the second row seat back. Pull the console down to
access the rear cup holders, or use it as an armrest.
Glovebox
To open the glovebox, touch Controls > Glovebox on the
bottom corner of the touchscreen. The glovebox automatically opens and its light turns on.
To close the glovebox, push it upward until it clicks into its closed position.
For additional glovebox security, touch Controls >
Safety & Security > Glovebox PIN to set a 4-digit PIN
(see
Glovebox PIN on page 140).
NOTE: If you leave the glovebox open, its light
eventually turns
off.
NOTE: The glovebox locks whenever closed and you
lock
Model 3 using the mobile app, key card, you leave
Model 3 carrying your phone key (if Walk-Away Door
Lock is turned on), or if Valet mode is active (see
Valet
Mode on page 43). It does not lock when Model 3 is
locked by touching the lock icon on the touchscreen.
WARNING: When driving, keep the glovebox
closed to prevent injury to a passenger if a
collision or sudden stop occurs.
USB Ports
Model 3 has two USB ports located in the front
compartment of the center console. These ports can be used to:
Correct Driving Position
The seat, head support, seat belt and airbags work
together to maximize your safety. Using these correctly ensures greater protection.
Position the seat so you can wear the seat belt correctly, while being as far away from the front airbag as possible:
1.
Sit upright with both feet on the floor and the seat
back reclined no more than 30 degrees.
2.
Make sure you can easily reach the pedals and that your arms are slightly bent when holding the steering wheel. Your chest should be at least
10 inches
(25 cm) from the center of the airbag cover.
3.
Place the shoulder section of the seat belt mid-way between your neck and your shoulder. Fit the lap section of the belt tightly across your hips, not across your stomach.
Model 3 seats include integrated head supports that
cannot be adjusted or removed.
Adjusting the Front Seats1.
Move seat forward/backward and adjust the seat
Wearing Seat Belts
Using seat belts and child safety seats is the most
effective way to protect occupants if a collision occurs.
Therefore, wearing a seat belt is required by law in most jurisdictions.
Both the driver and passenger seats are equipped with three-point inertia reel seat belts. Inertia reel belts are automatically tensioned to allow occupants to move
comfortably during normal driving conditions.
To
securely hold child safety seats, all passenger seating
positions are equipped with an automatic locking
retractor (ALR) feature that, by fully extracting the seat
belt (beyond the length needed for a typical adult
occupant), locks the belt into place until the seat belt is
unbuckled.
The seat belt reel automatically locks to prevent
movement of occupants if
Model 3 experiences a force
associated with hard acceleration, braking, cornering, or
an impact in a collision.
Seat Belt Reminders
The seat belt reminder on the touchscreen
alerts you if a seat belt for an occupied driver or passenger seat is unbuckled. If
the belt remains unbuckled, the reminder
flashes and an intermittent chime sounds.
If all occupants are buckled up and the
reminder stays on, re-buckle seat belts to
ensure they are correctly latched. Also
remove any heavy objects (such as a
briefcase) from an unoccupied seat. If the
reminder light continues to stay on,
contact Tesla.
You can temporarily mute a seat belt reminder
associated with a rear seating position. This is useful in situations when you are carrying an object in a rear seat
that triggers the seat belt reminder alert. To mute the reminder, touch the associated seat on the seat belt reminder card that displays on the touchscreen when a seat belt reminder alert is active. When a reminder is muted, the seat belt reminder icon is replaced by a seat icon. Touch the seat again to unmute the reminder. The reminder is disabled for the current drive only.
WARNING: Seat belts must be worn by passengers
in all seating positions. Do not disable a seat belt
reminder when the seating position is occupied by
a passenger.
To Fasten a Belt
1.
Ensure correct positioning of the seat (see Correct
Driving Position on page 23).
2. Draw the belt out smoothly, ensuring the belt lays flat
across the pelvis, chest and mid-point of your collar
bone, between the neck and shoulder.
3.
Insert the latch plate into the buckle and press together until you hear a click indicating it is locked
in place.
4.
Pull the belt to check that it is securely fastened.
5.
Pull the diagonal part of the belt toward the reel to
remove excess slack.
To Adjust the Shoulder Anchor
Height
Model 3 is equipped with an adjustable shoulder anchor
for each front seat to ensure that the seat belt is positioned correctly. The seat belt should lay
flat across
the mid-point of your collar bone while in the correct driving position
(see Correct Driving Position on page
23. Adjust the height of the shoulder anchor if the seat
belt is not positioned correctly:
1.
Press and hold the button on the shoulder anchor to release the locking mechanism.
2.
While holding the button, move the shoulder anchor up or down as necessary so that the seat belt is
positioned correctly.
3.
Release the button on the shoulder anchor so that it
locks into position.
Seat Belts
27Seating and Safety Restraints
To access an anchor point, press down on the back of its
cover.
For dual-strap tethers, position a strap on each side of
the head support.
For single-strap tethers at the outboard seating positions, run the strap over the outside-facing side of the head support (same side of the head support as the
seat belt retraction mechanism).
For a single-strap tether in the center seating position,
fully lower the head support
(see Head Supports on
page 24) and run the strap over the top center of the
head support.
Testing a Child Safety Seat
Before seating a child, always make sure the child safety seat is not loose:
1.
Hold the child safety seat by the belt path and try to slide the safety seat from side to side and front to back.
2.
If the seat moves more than one inch (2.5 cm), it is
too loose. Tighten the belt or reconnect the
LATCH
retained child safety seat.
3.
If you are unable to reduce slack, try a different seat
location or try another child safety seat.
Child Safety Seat Warnings
WARNING: Extreme hazard! Do not seat a child on
the front passenger seat even if you are using a
child safety seat. This seat has an airbag in front of
it. Although this airbag is disabled when Model 3
detects a lightweight passenger, do not rely on
technology to protect your child.
WARNING: Child restraint systems are designed to
be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap
belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt. Children could
be endangered in a crash if their child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle.
WARNING: According to collision statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seating
positions.
WARNING: Do not use a forward facing child
safety seat until your child weighs over 20 lbs (9
kg) and can sit independently. Up to the age of
two, a child
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:
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
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
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. See
High Beam Headlights on page 52.
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. See
High Beam Headlights on
page 52.
This indicator flashes amber when the
electronic stability control systems are actively minimizing wheel spin by
controlling brake pressure and motor
power. See
Traction Control on page 61.
If this indicator remains on, a fault is detected and you should immediately contact Tesla.
Electronic stability control systems are no longer minimizing wheel spin. On a Rear Wheel Drive vehicle, the traction control system has been turned
off, or on an All-
Wheel Drive vehicle, Slip Start has been
enabled. See
Traction Control on page
61.
Vehicle Hold is actively applying the brakes. See
Vehicle Hold on page 64.
A door or trunk is open. See Doors on
page 11, Rear Trunk on page 14, or Front
Trunk on page 16.
A blue snowflake appears when some of
the energy stored in the Battery may not be available due to cold weather
conditions. During these cold weather
conditions, charging rates may also be limited. If
Model 3 is plugged in, you can
heat your Battery by turning on climate control with the mobile app. The
snowflake
disappears when the Battery is sufficiently
warm.
Vehicle power is currently being limited
because the energy remaining in the
Battery is low, the vehicle