release TESLA MODEL S 2012 Owner Safety Information

5OWNER SAFETY INFORMATION
INFLATION EFFECTSWhen airbags inflate, a fine powder is released. This powder can irritate
the skin and should be thoroughly flushed from the eyes and from any cuts
or abrasions.
After inflation, the airbags will deflate to provide a gradual cushioning effect
for the occupants and to ensure the driver’s forward vision is not obscured.
If airbags have inflated, or if your vehicle has been in an accident, always
have the airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and any associated components
checked and, if necessary, replaced by Tesla.
In a collision, in addition to airbags inflating:
• doors unlock and the door handles extend
• hazard warning lights switch on
• interior lights switch on
• battery power is disabled
To restore Battery power, use the touchscreen to turn the vehicle OFF, then
turn it back on again by pressing the brake.
WARNINGS:
All occupants, including the driver, should always wear their seat belts
whether or not an airbag is also provided at their seating position to
minimize the risk of severe injury or death in the event of a crash.
Front seat occupants should not place their arms over the airbag module,
as an inflating bag can cause fractures or other injuries.
Airbags inflate with considerable speed and force, which can cause
injury. To limit injuries, ensure that occupants are wearing seat belts and
are correctly seated, with the seat as far back as possible. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends a minimum
distance of 10 inches (25 cm) between an occupant’s chest and an airbag.
Do not use a child safety seat or seat young children on a seat with an
operational airbag in front of it. Doing so can cause serious injury or death
if an airbag inflates.
To ensure correct inflation of the side airbags, maintain an unobstructed
gap between an occupant’s torso and the side of Model S.
Passengers should not lean their heads against the doors. Doing so can
cause injury if a curtain airbag inflates.
Do not allow passengers to obstruct the operation of an airbag by placing
feet, knees, or any other part of the body on or near an airbag.
Do not attach or place objects on or near the frontal airbag modules, the
side of the front seats, the headliner at the side of the vehicle, or near any
other airbag cover that could interfere with inflation of the airbag system.
Any such objects could cause harm if the vehicle is in a crash severe
enough to cause the airbag to inflate.
Following inflation, some airbag components are hot. Do not touch until
they have cooled.
AIRBAGS

6OWNER SAFETY INFORMATIONSEAT BELTS
USING SEAT BELTSSeat belts and child safety seats are the most effective means of
protecting occupants if a collision occurs. Therefore, wearing a seat belt
is required by law in most jurisdictions.
Both the driver and passenger seating positions are equipped with three-
point inertia reel seat belts. Inertia reel belts are tensioned automatically
to allow occupants to move comfortably during normal driving conditions.
The belt reel automatically locks to prevent movement of occupants when
Model S experiences a force associated with hard acceleration, braking,
cornering or an impact in a collision. To fasten a belt1. Ensure correct positioning of the seat.
2. Draw the belt out
smoothly, ensuring the
belt lays flat across the
pelvis, chest and mid-
point of the collar bone
between the neck and
shoulder.
3. Insert the latch plate into
the buckle and press
down until you hear a
“click” indicating it is
locked in place.
4. Pull the belt to check that it’s securely fastened.
5. Pull the diagonal part of the belt towards the reel to remove excess
slack.
To release a beltHold the belt near the buckle to prevent the belt from retracting too quickly,
then press the button on the buckle. The belt retracts automatically. Wearing seat belts when pregnantDo not put the lap portion or shoulder portion of
the seat belt over the abdominal area. Wear the
lap portion 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.Seat belt reminder
The seat belt reminder on the instrument panel alerts you
if the seat belt for an occupied front seat is not fastened.
If the belt remains unfastened, this reminder flashes, and
you’ll hear an intermittent chime.
Seat belt pre-tensionersThe front seat belts are equipped with
pre-tensioners that work in conjunction with
the airbags in a severe frontal collision. The
pre-tensioners automatically retract both the seat
belt buckle and the seat belt webbing, reducing
slack in both the lap and diagonal portions of the
belts, resulting in reduced forward movement of
the occupant. Once the seat belt pre-tensioners
have been activated, they must be replaced. After any accident, have the
airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners, and any associated components checked
and, if necessary, replaced.

12OWNER SAFETY INFORMATIONREAR FACING CHILD SEATS
OPENING THE TESLA REAR FACING CHILD SEATSIMPORTANT! Rear facing seats are child restraint systems and must only
be used for children over 37 “ (94 cm) tall and weighing between 35 and
77 lbs (16.2 to 35.2 kg). Always ensure the top of the child’s head can not
contact the vehicle and that the child is seated comfortably with the seat
belts positioned and latched correctly. Follow all instructions provided and
do not use supplemental child restraint systems in these seats.
The rear facing child seats are folded into the floor of the trunk. Follow
these steps to open:
1. Remove cover from the trunk floor.2. Pull the yellow strap attached to the seat to lift up the seat assembly.
3. Push the seat assembly into position and make sure the retaining
catches engage.
4. Check that the seat base is securely retained by trying to pull the rear
of the seat assembly towards you.
5. Pull the retaining bracket towards you to release.6. Fold the head supports towards you.
7. Raise the seat back to the upright position and push until it locks into
position.8. Check that the seat back and seat base are securely retained in the
upright position by trying to pull the seat back towards you.
WARNING: The rear facing seats are child safety seats. They are not
intended to seat adults or children outside the height and weight ranges
provided above.
WARNING: Follow all instructions and heed all warnings related to the rear
facing child seats. Failure to do so can compromise occupant safety.

13OWNER SAFETY INFORMATION
STORING THE TESLA REAR FACING CHILD
SEATS
CAUTION:
Before folding the seats, fasten the seat belts to prevent them
from getting trapped in the seat mechanism and being damaged.
1. Pull the handle to release the seat back and pull the seat back fully
forward.2. Push the lever to release the head supports from the seat back, then
fold back onto the seat.
3. Pull the retaining bracket upwards to secure seat assembly.4. Pull strap at the rear of the seat to release the seat base from the
trunk floor.
5. Fold seat assembly into trunk floor.6. Replace cover on trunk floor.
REAR FACING CHILD SEATS

14OWNER SAFETY INFORMATIONREAR FACING CHILD SEATS
SEATING A CHILD IN THE TESLA REAR FACING CHILD SEATS
WARNING: The rear facing seats are child safety seats. They must only be used for children over 37 “ (94 cm) tall and weighing between 35 and 77 lbs (16.2
to 35.2 kg). Ensure the top of the child’s head can not contact the vehicle. Do not use supplemental child restraint systems in these seats. Follow all instructions
provided.
Releasing1. Release the seat belts by
pressing the button on the buckle.
2. Release the chest clip.
3. Separate the two halves of the
seat restraint.
Fastening1. Position the child in the
seat with arms through the
loops of the seat belts.
2. Connect the two halves
of the seat belt and latch
together.
3. Insert the seat belt tongue
latch into the buckle
and ensure it is securely
fastened.
4. Adjust the shoulder belts so that they run over the top of the child’s
shoulders and away from the face.
5. Connect the chest clip.
6. Pull the lower straps until the child is securely held in the seat.

17OWNER SAFETY INFORMATION
MAINTAIN PROPER TIRE PRESSURESCheck tire pressures monthly when tires are cold and Model S has been parked
for over three hours. Inflate tires to the Tesla recommended inflation pressures,
printed on the Tire and Loading Information Label (see page 16). These
recommended pressures provide optimum ride and handling characteristics.
WARNINGS: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 Battery range and tire tread life.
Check tire pressures using an accurate pressure gauge when tires are
cold. It takes only one mile of driving to warm up the tires sufficiently to
affect tire pressures. Parking the vehicle in direct sunlight or in high ambient
temperatures can also affect tire pressures. If you must check warm tires,
expect increased pressures. Don’t let air out of warm tires in an attempt
to match recommended cold tire pressures. A hot tire at or below the
recommended cold tire inflation pressure is dangerously under-inflated.
To check and adjust tire pressures1. Remove the valve cap, then firmly press the tire gauge onto the valve.
2. If required, add air to reach the recommended pressure.
3. Re-check pressure by removing and re-attaching the tire gauge.
4. If you added too much air, release air by pushing on the metal stem in the
center of the valve. Re-check and adjust if necessary.
5. Screw the valve cap back on to prevent dirt from entering (periodically
inspect the valve cap for damage such as cracking).TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)Each tire should be checked monthly when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.)As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale
when one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to the proper pressure.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure. Under-iinflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread
life, and may affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire maintenance, and
it is the driver’s responsibility to maintain correct tire pressures, even if under-
inflation has not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indicator light
to indicate when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator light is combined with the low tire pressure
telltale. When the sytem detects a malfunction, the telltale flashes for
approximately one minute and then remain continuously illuminated. This
sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the
malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator light is illuminated, the system may not be
able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one
or more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function properly.
The tire pressure warning on the instrument panel alerts you
if one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Stop
and check tire pressures as soon as possible, and inflate to
the recommended pressures
.
NOTE: The warning light does not turn off immediately after you adjust tire
pressures. It turns off when you drive Model S above 25 mph (40 km/h) for
more than 10 minutes with tires at the recommended pressures.
TIRE PRESSURES

18OWNER SAFETY INFORMATION
Punctured tiresA puncture eventually causes the tire to lose pressure, which is why it’s
important to check tire pressures frequently. Permanently repair or replace
punctured or damaged tires as soon as possible. Don’t drive with a punctured
tire, even if it isn’t deflated. A punctured tire can deflate suddenly at any time.
Your tubeless tires may not leak when penetrated, provided the object remains
in the tire. If, however, you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while
driving, or you suspect your tire or vehicle has been damaged, immediately
reduce your speed. Drive slowly, while avoiding heavy braking or sharp
steering and when safe to do so, stop the vehicle. Arrange to have the vehicle
transported to a tire repair center, or to Tesla, to have tires inspected and, if
necessary, repaired. Flat spotsIf the vehicle is stationary for a long period in high temperatures, tires can form
flat spots. When the vehicle is driven, these flat spots cause a vibration which
gradually disappears as the tires get warm and regain their original shape. To
minimize the flat spots during storage, inflate tires to the maximum pressure
indicated on the tire wall, then, before driving the vehicle, release air to adjust
tire pressure to the recommended levels. Driving In Low Ambient TemperaturesTire performance reduces in low ambient temperatures, resulting in less grip
and an increased susceptibility to damage from impacts. Performance tires
can temporarily harden when cold, causing you to hear rotational noise for
the first few miles until the tires warm up. Contact Tesla Motors for winter tire
recommendations.
WARNING: Defective tires are dangerous. Do not drive if a tire is damaged,
excessively worn, or is inflated to an incorrect pressure. The safety of the
vehicle and occupants will be adversely affected. Check tires regularly for wear
and to ensure there are no cuts, bulges or exposure of the ply/cord structure.
TEMPORARY TIRE REPAIRAs an option, you can purchase a tire repair kit from Tesla (this kit is included
only if you purchased your Model S in Maryland or Rhode Island). This kit is
designed to temporarily repair a small tire puncture just long enough for you to
drive slowly to the nearest tire repair location. Follow the instructions provided
on the kit and heed all warnings.
WARNING: Do not use any tire liquid or aerosol tire sealant other than a tire
repair kit purchased as an accessory from Tesla. Other types can cause tire
pressure sensors to malfunction.
INSPECTING AND MAINTAINING TIRESTire wearThe Model S is originally fitted with tires that have wear indicators moulded
into the tread pattern. When the tread has been worn down to 1/16”, (1.6 mm)
the indicators start appearing at the surface of the tread pattern, producing
the effect of a continuous band
of rubber across the width of the
tire. Replace a tire as soon as an
indicator band becomes visible
or the tread depth reaches the
minimum permitted by law.Tire rotation, balance
and wheel alignmentTesla recommends rotating the tires every 6,000 miles. After rotating, always
check and adjust tire pressures.
Unbalanced wheels (sometimes noticeable
as vibration through the steering) affects vehicle handling and tire life. Even
with regular use, wheels can get out of balance. Therefore, they should be
balanced as required. If tire wear is uneven (on one side of the tire only) or
becomes abnormally excessive, check the alignment of wheels.
TIRE MAINTENANCE