warning TESLA MODEL Y 2020 Owner´s Manual
Page 63 of 232
WARNING: Always maintain a safe driving
distance from the vehicle in front of you and
exercise caution when driving conditions are
hazardous. Do not rely on brake disc wiping or
hydraulic fade compensation to act as a
substitute for adequately applying the brakes.
Hydraulic Boost Compensation
Model Y is equipped with a brake booster that provides
a mechanical advantage that
effectively activates the
brakes when the brake pedal is pressed. Hydraulic boost
compensation provides mechanical assist in the event of a brake booster failure. If a brake booster failure is detected, the brake pedal may feel harder to press and you may hear some noise when you press the brake
pedal. To stop the vehicle, apply adequate steady force on the brake pedal without releasing or "pumping" them. Exercise caution while driving and maintain a safe
distance as brake pedal responsiveness and braking performance may be degraded.
Regenerative Braking
Whenever Model Y is moving and your foot is off the
accelerator, regenerative braking slows down
Model Y
and feeds any surplus energy back to the Battery.
By anticipating your stops and reducing or removing
pressure from the accelerator pedal to slow down, you
can take advantage of regenerative braking to increase
driving range. Of course, this is no substitute for regular
braking when needed for safety.
NOTE: If regenerative braking is aggressively slowing
Model Y (such as when your foot is completely off the
accelerator pedal at highway speeds), the brake lights turn on to alert others that you are slowing down.
NOTE: Installing winter tires with aggressive compound
and tread design may result in temporarily-reduced regenerative braking power. However, your vehicle is
designed to continuously recalibrate itself, and after changing tires it will increasingly restore regenerative braking power after some moderate-torque straight-line accelerations. For most drivers this occurs after a short period of normal driving, but drivers who normally
accelerate lightly may need to use slightly harder accelerations while the recalibration is in progress.
WARNING: In snowy or icy conditions Model Y
may experience traction loss during regenerative
braking.
The amount of energy fed back to the Battery using regenerative braking can depend on the current state of the Battery. For example, regenerative braking may be
limited if the Battery is already fully charged or if the
ambient temperature is too cold.
NOTE: If regenerative braking is limited, a dashed line
displays on the energy bar (see
Driving Status on page
57).
Stopping Mode
Regenerative braking decelerates Model Y whenever you
release the accelerator pedal when driving. You can
choose what you want
Model Y to do once the driving
speed has been reduced to a very low speed (almost at
a stop) and both the accelerator pedal and brake pedal
are released. While in Park, touch
Controls > Driving >
Stopping Mode and choose from these options:
Page 64 of 232
WARNING: Do not rely on regenerative braking
and your chosen Stopping Mode to keep you and
your vehicle safe. Various factors such as driving
with a heavy vehicle load, on a steep hill, or on wet
or icy roads affect deceleration rate and the
distance at which Model Y will come to a stop.
Drive attentively and always stay prepared to use
the brake pedal to stop as appropriate based on
tra
Page 65 of 232
How It Works
The traction control system constantly monitors the
speed of the front and rear wheels. If
Model Y
experiences a loss of traction, the system minimizes wheel spin by controlling brake pressure and motor power. By default, the traction control system is on. Under normal conditions, it should remain on to ensure maximum safety.
This yellow indicator flashes on the
touchscreen whenever the traction
control system is actively controlling
brake pressure and motor power to
minimize wheel spin. If the indicator stays on, a fault is detected with the
traction control system. Contact Tesla
Service.
WARNING: Traction control cannot prevent
collisions caused by driving dangerously or
turning too sharply at high speeds.
Disabling Traction Control
Under normal conditions, the traction control system should remain on. Turn it
off only in circumstances
where you deliberately want the wheels to spin, such as:
Page 66 of 232
How Park Assist Works
Model Y has several sensors designed to detect the
presence of objects. When driving slowly in Drive or
Reverse (for example, when parking), the sensors alert
you if an object is detected in close proximity of your
Model Y. Objects are only detected in the direction of
the gear you selected; front objects in Drive, rear objects in Reverse.
WARNING: You may not be alerted if Model Y
rolls freely in the opposite direction of the gear
you selected (for example, you will not receive an
alert if Model Y rolls backwards down a hill while
in Drive).
The sensors are activated when driving slower than
5 mph (8 km/h).
NOTE: Rear sensors are disabled when a bicycle is
detected or
Model Y is in trailer mode.
WARNING: Never depend on Park Assist to inform
you if an area you are approaching is free of
objects and/or people. Several external factors
can reduce the performance of Park Assist,
causing either no readings or false readings (see
Limitations and False Warnings on page 65).
Therefore, depending on Park Assist to determine
if Model Y is approaching an obstruction can
result in damage to the vehicle and/or objects,
and can potentially cause serious injury. Always
inspect the area with your own eyes. When
reversing, perform shoulder checks and use all
mirrors. Park assist does not detect children,
pedestrians, bicyclists, animals, or objects that are
moving, protruding, located too far above or
below the sensors, or too close or too far from the
sensors. Park Assist is for guidance purposes only
and is not intended to replace your own direct
visual checks. It is not a substitute for careful
driving.
Visual and Audio Feedback
When you shift to Reverse, the Park Assist view displays on the
touchscreen, showing objects that are in close
proximity to the front and rear of
Model Y. This view
closes when you shift into Drive unless an object is detected close to the front of
Model Y, in which case
the Park Assist view closes automatically when your driving speed exceeds
5 mph (8 km/h). When reversing,
visual feedback also displays on the touchscreen, immediately below the camera view (see
Rear View
Camera on page 69). You can manually close the park
assist view on the touchscreen by touching the
X in the
upper corner.
When driving with the Camera app displayed on the touchscreen, you can switch to the Park Assist view
when driving at speeds below
5 mph (8 km/h). Touch
the button located in the upper left corner of the Camera app window. This is useful if you need
assistance with parallel parking.
Park Assist
64MODEL Y OWNER
Page 67 of 232
If chimes are turned on (see Controlling Audible
Feedback on page 65), an audible beep sounds as you
approach an object. You can temporarily mute the chime by pressing the scroll button on the left side of the steering wheel or by touching the mute button on the bottom left corner of the Park Assist view.
NOTE: If a sensor is unable to provide feedback, the
touchscreen displays an alert message.
CAUTION: Keep sensors clean from dirt, debris,
snow, and ice. Avoid using a high pressure power
washer on the sensors and do not clean a sensor
with a sharp or abrasive object that can scratch or
damage its surface.
CAUTION: Do not install accessories or stickers on
or near the parking sensors.
Controlling Audible Feedback
You can use Park Assist with or without audible feedback. To turn chimes on or
off, touch Controls >
Safety & Security > Park Assist Chimes.
To mute the chimes temporarily, press the scroll button on the left side of the steering wheel or touch the mute button in the corner of the Park Assist view. The chimes
are muted until you shift into a
different gear or drive
over
5 mph (8 km/h).
Limitations and False Warnings
The parking sensors may not function correctly in these situations:
Page 71 of 232
Camera Location
Model Y is equipped with a rear view camera located
above the rear license plate.
Whenever you shift into Reverse, the touchscreen displays the view from the camera. Lines show your
driving path based on the position of the steering wheel. These lines adjust appropriately as you move the
steering wheel.
Model Y also displays images from the side cameras. To
view these images, simply swipe
upward when the view
from the rear view camera is displayed.
NOTE: Visual feedback from the parking sensors also
appear on the
touchscreen (see Park Assist on page
64).
To display the view from the cameras at any time:
Touch the camera icon on the "Cards"
area on the touchscreen.WARNING: Never depend on the cameras to
inform you if the area behind you is free of
objects and/or people when reversing. The
cameras may not detect objects or barriers that
can potentially cause damage or injury. In
addition, several external factors can reduce the
performance of the cameras, including a dirty or
obstructed lens. Therefore, depending on the
cameras to determine if Model Y is approaching
an obstruction can result in damage to the vehicle
and/or objects, and can potentially cause serious
injury. Always inspect the area with your own
eyes. When reversing, perform shoulder checks
and use all mirrors. Use the cameras for guidance
purposes only. It is not intended to replace your
own direct visual checks and is not a substitute
for careful driving.
Cleaning a Camera
To ensure a clear picture, the camera lens must be clean
and free of obstructions. Remove any buildup of dirt by
occasionally wiping the camera lens with a soft damp cloth.
CAUTION: Do not use chemical-based or abrasive
cleaners. Doing so can damage the surface of the
lens.
Rear View Camera
69Driving
Page 74 of 232
The Pedestrian Warning System (if equipped) causes
Model Y to emit sound when driving below 20 mph (32
km/h). Electric vehicles operate quietly and this sound
helps to alert pedestrians of your oncoming vehicle. The
sound, which activates whenever
Model Y is shifted out
of Park, gets louder as speed increases.
NOTE: The Pedestrian Warning System is not available in
vehicles manufactured prior to September 2020.
WARNING: If sound cannot be heard, pedestrians
may not be aware of your oncoming vehicle, which
may increase the likelihood of a collision resulting
in serious injury or death. If the Pedestrian
Warning System is not operating, immediately
contact Tesla.
Pedestrian Warning System
72MODEL Y OWNER
Page 80 of 232
NOTE: Loss of trailer lights when towing may be the
result of a fault in the trailer wiring or excessive power
consumption by the lights connected to the trailer output(s). When this occurs, a Trailer Mode icon
appears on the touchscreen. Fix any issues with the wiring and/or reduce the number of lights connected to the trailer output(s), then toggle Trailer Mode
off and
on again.
CAUTION: Always ensure that the trailer electrical
cable does not contact or drag on the ground and
there is enough slack in the cable to allow for
turns.
WARNING: Use only the electrical connections
designed by Tesla. Do not attempt to directly
splice or attempt to connect a trailer’s electrical
wiring using any other method. Doing so can
damage the vehicle
Page 88 of 232
WARNING: Tra
Page 90 of 232
WARNING: Do not hold the drive stalk up for more
than one second. Doing so cancels Tra