2023 TESLA MODEL Y Owners Manual

Starting
When you open a door to enter Model Y, the
touchscreen powers on and you can operate all controls.
To drive
Model Y:
1.
Press the brake pedal - Model Y powers on and is
ready to drive.
2.
Select a drive mode - move the drive stalk down for
Drive or up for Reverse (see
Shifting on page 56).
NOTE: If the PIN to Drive feature is enabled (see PIN to
Drive on page 138), you must also enter a valid PIN on
the touchscreen before you can drive
Model Y.
Everything you need to know when driving Model Y
displays on the touchscreen.
Drive Disabled - Requires Authentication
If Model Y 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 behind the
cup holders where the RFID transmitter can read it. The
two-minute authentication period restarts and you can start
Model Y by pressing the brake pedal.
A number of factors can affect whether Model Y can
detect a phone key or key fob (for example, the device

How to Shift
When Model Y is in Park, you must press the brake pedal
to shift.
Move the drive stalk up or down to shift into different
drive modes.
If you try to shift when it is prohibited by the current
driving speed, a chime sounds and the drive mode does
not change.
Reverse
Push the drive stalk all the way up and release. You can only shift into Reverse when
Model Y is stopped or
moving less than
5 mph (8 km/h).
Neutral
Neutral allows Model Y to roll freely when you are not
pressing the brake pedal:

WARNING: 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.
WARNING: It is the driver

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 Y 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 Y, 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 Y. Use these settings
to control your vehicle

Reading Lights
There are two reading lights in the second row seating
area, both above the door and next to the coat hangers (see
Coat Hangers on page 26). Turn an individual
reading light on or
off by pressing its lens. The reading
light will automatically turn
off when Model Y powers
off.
High Beam Headlights
By default, Auto High Beam is enabled to allow high
beam headlights to automatically switch to low beam
when there is light detected in front of
Model Y (for
example, from an oncoming vehicle). To control this
feature, touch
Controls > Lights > Auto High Beam or
touch
Auto on the lights popup that displays on the
touchscreen when you pull the turn signal stalk toward
you.
NOTE: Auto High Beam is automatically enabled when
Autosteer is engaged. To switch to low beam headlights, push the turn signal stalk forward and release.
Auto High
Beam is re-enabled every time Autosteer is activated.
In situations where high beam headlights are off (for
example, lights are turned
off, or Auto High Beam is
active and light is detected in front of
Model Y) or you
are driving in daylight, you can temporarily turn on high
beams by pulling the turn signal stalk toward you. When
you release, high beam headlights turn
off (unless of
course, Auto High Beam is engaged and light is not detected in front of you). To
briefly flash the high beam
headlights, pull the turn signal stalk towards you and immediately release.
NOTE: Your chosen setting is retained until you manually
change it.
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 Y 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 Y. 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

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.
If Controls > Lights > Automatic Turn Signals is set to
Auto Cancel, turn signals cancel automatically when
Model Y detects completion of a maneuver such as a
merge, lane change, or a fork in the roadway. If
Automatic Turn Signals is set to Off, you must cancel
the turn signal manually by using the turn stalk.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lights up on the touchscreen when a turn
signal is operating.
Model Y also emits a
clicking sound.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lights up on the touchscreen when a turn
signal is operating.
Model Y also emits a
clicking sound.
WARNING: When actively using Traffic-Aware
Cruise Control, engaging a turn signal can cause
Model Y to accelerate in specific situations (see
Overtake Acceleration on page 94).
WARNING: When actively using Autosteer,
engaging a turn signal can cause Model Y to
change lanes (see Auto Lane Change on page 98).
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 Y cannot detect a key.
NOTE: The hazard warning light button is illuminated
whenever
Model Y is powered on.
Condensation in Head or Tail Lights
Due to weather changes, humidity levels, or recent exposure to water (such as a car wash), condensation may occasionally accumulate in your vehicle

Overview
The touchscreen displays the status of Model Y at all
times. What you see depends on whether the vehicle is:

Parking lights are on (side marker
lights, tail lights, and license plate lights) . See
Lights on page 58.
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 Y is ready to turn
off the high beams if light is detected.
See
High Beam Headlights on page 59.
Auto High Beam is enabled but high beams are not on because light is
detected in front of
Model Y. When
light is no longer detected, high beams
automatically turn back on. See
High
Beam Headlights on page 59.
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
69. 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 69.
Trailer mode (if equipped) is active (see
Towing and Accessories on page 79).
Vehicle Hold is actively applying the brakes. See
Vehicle Hold on page 72.
A door or trunk is open. See Doors on
page 14, Rear Trunk on page 18, or
Front Trunk on page 20.
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 Y 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.
Appears when regenerative braking is limited. See
Regenerative Braking on
page 66 for more information.
Vehicle power is currently being limited
because the energy remaining in the
Battery is low, the vehicle