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 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 disable a seat belt reminder associated with a rear seating position. This is useful when you are carrying an object in a rear seat that
triggers the seat belt reminder alert. To disable the
reminder, touch the associated seat on the seat belt reminder popup message that displays on the touchscreen when a seat belt reminder is active. When a reminder is disabled, the seat belt reminder icon is replaced by a seat icon, for the current drive only. Touch the seat again to re-enable the reminder.
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 25).
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
25). 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, to correctly position the seat belt.
3.
Release the button on the shoulder anchor so that it
locks into position.
4.
Without pressing the button, pull on the seat belt webbing and attempt to move the shoulder anchor
downward to check that it is locked into position.
Seat Belts
29Seating and Safety Restraints
WARNING: Ensure that the seat belt is positioned
correctly and that the shoulder anchor is locked
into position before driving. Riding in a moving
vehicle with the seat belt positioned incorrectly or
with the shoulder anchor not locked into position
can reduce the effectiveness of the seat belt in a
collision.
To Release a Belt
Hold the belt near the buckle to prevent the belt from
retracting too quickly, then press the button on the
buckle. The belt retracts automatically. Ensure there is
no obstruction that prevents the belt from fully
retracting. The belt should not hang loose. If a seat belt
does not fully retract, contact Tesla.
Wearing Seat Belts When Pregnant
Do not put the lap or shoulder sections of the seat belt over the abdominal area. Wear the lap section of the
belt as low as possible across the hips, not the waist. Position the shoulder portion of the belt between the
breasts and to the side of the abdomen. Consult your doctor for
specific guidance.
WARNING: Never place anything between you and
the seat belt to cushion the impact in the event of
a collision.
Seat Belt Pre-tensioners
The front seat belts are equipped with pre
2. With the belt unfastened, unreel the webbing to its limit. Check that unreeling is free from snags, and
visually check the webbing for wear. Allow the webbing to retract, checking that retraction is
smooth and complete.3.
With the webbing half unreeled, hold the tongue plate and pull forward quickly. The mechanism should lock automatically and prevent further unreeling.
If a seat belt fails any of these tests, contact Tesla immediately.
For information about cleaning seat belts, see Seat Belts
on page 185.
Seat Belt Warnings
WARNING: Seat belts should be worn by all
occupants at all times, even if driving for a very
short distance. Failure to do so increases the risk
of injury or death if a collision occurs.
WARNING: Secure small children in a suitable child
safety seat as described in the Child Safety Seat
topic. Always follow the child safety seat
manufacturer
Controlling Lights
Touch Controls > Lights on the touchscreen to access all
light controls, both interior and exterior.
You can also pull the turn signal stalk toward you to
display a popup that provides quick access to exterior lights. For example, you can turn the headlights on or
off
continuously (overriding the default Auto High Beam
setting). The lights popup allows you to adjust all
exterior light settings, including parking lights, fog lights
(if equipped), etc. The setting you choose is retained for
the current drive only.
NOTE: If the touchscreen is already displaying the full
Controls screen for lights, pulling the turn signal stalk does not display the quick access popup.
In addition to the lights 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, when you shift or lock
Model 3. Use these settings
to control your vehicle
Braking SystemsWARNING: Properly functioning braking systems
are critical to ensure safety. If you experience a
problem with the brake pedal, brake calipers, or
any component of a Model 3 braking system,
contact Tesla immediately.
Model 3 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 amber on
the
touchscreen when you first start Model
3. 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 3, 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.
The touchscreen displays this amber brake
indicator if a brake booster fault is detected. Apply steady pressure and keep the brakes
firm to stop the vehicle when
safety permits. 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).
CAUTION: Automatic Emergency Braking (see
Automatic Emergency Braking on page 112) may
intervene to automatically brake in situations
where a collision is considered imminent.
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.
Dynamic Brake Lights (if equipped)
If you are driving over 30 mph (50 km/h) and brake
forcefully
(or if Automatic Emergency Braking engages),
the brake lights
flash quickly to warn other drivers that
Model 3 is rapidly slowing down. If Model 3 stops
completely, the hazard warning lights
flash. Flashing
continues until you press the accelerator or manually press the hazard lights button to turn them
off (see
Hazard Warning Flashers on page 55).
NOTE: Dynamic brake lights will not flash while Track
Mode is enabled (see
Track Mode on page 69).
NOTE: When towing a trailer (if applicable), the brake
lights on the trailer also operate as described above,
even when the trailer is not equipped with a separate
braking system.
WARNING: When towing a trailer (if applicable),
always increase your following distance. Sudden
braking may result in skidding, jack-knifing, and
loss of control.
Brake Disc Wiping
To ensure brakes remain responsive in cold and wet
weather,
Model 3 is equipped with brake disc wiping.
When cold and wet weather is detected, this feature repeatedly applies an imperceptible amount of brake
force to remove water from the surface of the brake discs.
Braking and Stopping
60MODEL 3 Owner
WARNING: Autosteer is not designed to, and will
not, steer Model 3 around objects partially in a
driving lane and in some cases, may not stop for
objects that are completely blocking the driving
lane. Always watch the road in front of you and
stay prepared to take immediate action. It is the
driver
About the Security System
If Model 3 does not detect an authenticated phone, key
fob, or key card and a locked door or trunk is opened, an
alarm sounds. The headlights and turn signals also
flash.
To deactivate the alarm, press any button on the mobile
app or tap your key card or key fob against the card reader located
just below the Autopilot camera on the
driver
NOTE: If equipped with an early generation charge port,
the charge port remains unlocked whenever the vehicle
is not charging and in a cold ambient temperature below
41