TESLA ROADSTER 2008 User Guide

Exterior
2-3
Your vehicle at a glance
Exterior overview1. Roof. See Removable roof, page 7-9 .
2. Charging port door. For details on vehicle charging, see the manual titled “Charging Your Vehicle” provided in your owners pack age.
3. Wheels and tires. See Wheels and tires, page 11-4.
4. Exterior door release. See Exterior door release, page 4-4.
5. Emergency door unlock. See Emergency unlocking, page 4-5.
6. Wheel bolts. See Removing the wheel, page 10-6.
7. Trunk lock. See Opening the trunk, page 4-6.
8. Vehicle recovery eye. See Attaching the vehicle recovery eye, page 10-14.
9. Headlights. See Exterior lights, page 6-7.
10. Exterior mirrors. See Exterior rear view mirrors, page 7-3.
Roadster OHB.book Page 3 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Interior2-4
Your vehicle at a glance
InteriorTR0050
i1
2
3
4
567
8
12
14
15
1617 10
11
13
9
Roadster OHB.book Page 4 Thursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Interior
2-5
Your vehicle at a glance
Dashboard overview1. Touch Screen. See Touch Scr een Users Manual provided in your owners package .
2. Turn signals, headlight high beam and cruise control. See Exterior lights, page 6-7 and Cruise control, page 6-9.
3. Instruments. See Instruments, page 6-11.
4. Windshield wiper and washer. See Windshield wiper and washer, page 6-8.
5. Hazard warning light switch. See Hazard warning, page 6-10.
6. Heating and air conditioning. See Interior temperature control, page 7-4.
7. Gear selector. See Selecting gears, page 6-3.
8. Traction control switch. See Traction control, page 6-6.
9. Accessory power socket. See Accessory power socket, page 7-7.
10. Horn. See Horn, page 6-10 .
11. Starter switch. See Starting the vehicle, page 6-3.
12. Hood release. See Opening and closing the hood, page 9-3.
13. Trunk release. See Opening the trunk, page 4-6.
14. Instrument panel illumination control. See Instrument panel lighting, page 6-14.
15. Exterior lights master switch. See Exterior lights, page 6-7.
16. Power windows. See Operating the windows, page 7-2.
17. Central door locking. See Central door locking, page 4-4.
Roadster OHB.book Page 5 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

3-1
Seating and safety restraints
SeatsSeat adjustment 3-2
Seat belts General information 3-3
Seat belt safety instructions 3-3
Using the seat belts 3-3
Seat belt reminder 3-4
Wearing seat belts during pregnancy 3-4
Seat belt tensioners 3-4
Caring for seat belts 3-4
Child seats and restraints 3-5
Airbag system General information 3-6
How the system works 3-6
Deployment effects 3-6
Obstruction of airbags 3-7
Airbag warning indicator 3-7
Airbag warning labels 3-7
Using child seats 3-7
Passenger airbag deactivation 3-7
Airbag service information 3-8
Roadster OHB.book Page 1 Thursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Seats3-2Seating and safety restra
ints
Seating and Safety Restraints
Seat adjustment
WARNING: Never adjust the driver’s
seat while your vehicle is moving.
U n ex p e c t e d o r s u d d e n s e at m ove m e n t co u l d
result in an accident.
S
Driver’s seat positionTo adjust the forward/rearward position of
the driver’s seat, raise the bar beneath the
front of the seat and slide the seat to the
required position. Release the bar to lock the
TR0001
12
seat into position. Ensure that the seat is
locked in position before driving, by trying to
slide the seat forward.
To reduce the risk of injury in the event of an
accident, Tesla recommends the following
when adjusting seat position:
• Adjust the seat so that you can press the
foot pedals fully to the floor with your
knees slightly bent.
• Make sure that you can comfortably reach
the top of the steering wheel.
• Ensure a distance of at least 10 inches (25
cm) between the steering wheel and your
breastbone. The airbag will not provide
adequate protection if you sit closer.
• Fasten your seat belt correctly.Lumbar supportAdjust lumbar support using the inflator bulb
located on the outside front edge of the
driver’s seat 1 or on the inside front edge of
the passenger seat 2 .
To increase lumbar support, squeeze the bulb
repeatedly until sufficie nt support is obtained.
To reduce the amount of support, press the
button located on the clamp between the
hose and the inflator bulb.Head restraintsEach seat is provided with a head restraint.
The head restraints are integral with the seats
and therefore can not be adjusted or
removed.
Roadster OHB.book Page 2 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Seat belts
3-3
Seating and s afety restraints
Seat beltsGeneral information
WARNING: Seat belts should be worn
by all occupants, for every journey no
matter how short. Failure to do so greatly
increases the risk of death or serious injury in
the event of an accident.
S
It is an established fact that seat belts provide
good protection in accidents. Therefore
wearing a seat belt is required by law in most
states.
Both the driver and passenger seating
positions are equipped with three-point
inertia reel seat belts. Inertia reel belts are
tensioned automatically and allow freedom
of movement during normal driving
conditions.
The belt reel automatically locks, preventing
movement of occupants, whenever your
vehicle experiences the force associated with
hard acceleration, braking, cornering or on
impact in a collision. The reel may also lock
when driving on steep hills or slopes.Seat belt safety instructions
WARNING: Ensure that all seat belts are
worn correctly. An improperly worn
seat belt increases the risk of death or serious
injury in the event of a collision.
S
WARNING: Seat belts are designed to
bear upon the bony structure of the
body, and should be worn low across the
pelvis, over the shoulder and across the
chest. Avoid wearing the lap section of the
belt across the abdominal area.
S
WARNING: Always adjust the belt to
remove slack. Seat belts worn too loose
can result in injuries because they allow
excessive forward movement in an
accident.
S
WARNING: Do not wear seat belts over
hard, fragile or sharp items in clothing,
such as pens, keys, eyeglasses, etc. In an
impact, the pressure from the seat belt on
such items can cause them to break, which in
turn may cause serious injury.
S
WARNING: Seat belts should not be
worn with any part of the strap
twisted.SWA R N I N G : E a c h b e l t a s s e m b l y m u s t b e
used by only one occupant. It is
dangerous to put the belt around a child
being carried on an occupant’s lap.
S
WARNING: It is essential that seat belts
that have been worn in an accident are
replaced, even if damage to the assembly is
not obvious. The belt anchors must also be
checked.
S
WA R N I N G : C a r e m u s t b e t a k e n t o a v o i d
contaminating the seat belt webbing,
and seat belt mechanisms with any
chemicals, liquids, grit, dirt or cleaning
products. If a seat belt fails to retract or latch
into the buckle, it must be replaced
immediately.
S
WARNING: No modifications or
additions should be made that prevent
the seat belt mechanism from taking up slack, or that prevent the seat belt being
adjusted to remove slack. A slack belt greatly
reduces the level of occupant protection.
S
Using the seat beltsFastening the belt1. Ensure that the seat is correctly
positioned.
2. Take hold of the latch plate and pull it slowly across your chest and lap.
3. Insert the latch plate into the buckle and press down until you hear a “click” that
indicates it is securely locked into place.
4. Pull the belt to check that it is securely fastened.
5. Position the belt so that it is worn low across the front of the pelvis, and across
the chest and shoulder.TR0139
Roadster OHB.book Page 3 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Seat belts3-4
Seating and safety restraints
6. Pull the diagonal part of the belt towards the retractor to remove excess slack.Releasing the beltRelease the seat belts by pressing the red
button on the buckle. The belt retracts
automatically.Seat belt reminder
The seat belt warning indicator in the
instrument panel illuminates
whenever the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled.
Also, an audible sound will be heard for six
seconds if the starter switch is turned to the
ON position and the drivers seat belt is
unbuckled.
Wearing seat belts during
pregnancy
WARNING: Pregnant woman should
always wear seat belts to protect
themselves and th eir unborn child.
S
WARNING: Never place anything
between you and the seat belt to
cushion the impact in the event of an
accident.
S
The lap portion of the belt should be worn as
low as possible across the hips, not the waist.
Position the diagonal part of the belt
between the breasts and to the side of the
abdomen.
If you have any concerns about wearing seat
belts, contact your doctor.
Seat belt tensioners
WARNING: If the seat belt
pre-tensioners have been activated
once, they must be replaced. After any
accident, always have the airbags, seat belt
pre-tensioners and any associated
components checked and, if necessary,
replaced by Tesla Motors.
S
The seat belts are equipped with
pre-tensioners that activate in conjunction
with the airbags and provide additional
protection in the event of a severe frontal
impact on your vehicle.
The pre-tensioners automatically retract the
seat belt buckle, reducing any slack in both
the lap and diagonal portions of the belts,
resulting in reduced forward movement of
the occupant. Following an accident in which the
pre-tensioners have been activated, the seat
belts continue to function as restraints and
must be worn if you drive your vehicle.
Caring for seat belts
WARNING: Regularly check the
condition of both belts. Replace seat
belts if you notice any damage to the belt
webbing, fittings, retractor mechanisms or
buckles.S
Three tests for checking seat belts:
1. With the seat belt fastened, give the webbing nearest the buckle a quick pull.
The buckle should remain securely
locked.
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 must lock automatically
and prevent further unreeling.
If a seat belt fails any of these tests, contact
Tesla Motors immediately.
For seat belt cleaning information, see Seat
belts, page 9-8 .
TR0140
Roadster OHB.book Page 4 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Seat belts
3-5
Seating and s afety restraints
Child seats and restraintsCurrently, child seats and restraints are not
approved for use in your vehicle. Until these
are available, Tesla Motors strongly
recommends that children are not carried as
passengers in your vehicle.
WARNING: The seat belts fitted to your
vehicle are designed to secure adult
sized passengers only.
S
WA R N I N G : C h i l d r e n under age 12 and
those weighing less than 80 lb (36 kg)
are not of sufficient size to be carried safely
wearing a standard seat belt of the type
fitted to your vehicle.
S
WARNING: It is dangerous for children
to travel in any type of vehicle without
being restrained by a harness, child seat, or
restraint system suitable for both their age
and size.
S
WARNING: Never let a passenger hold a
child on his or her lap while your vehicle
is moving. The passenger cannot protect the
child from injury in a collision.
S
Roadster OHB.book Page 5 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Airbag system3-6Seating and safety restra
ints
Airbag systemGeneral informationThe airbag for the driver is located in the
padded hub of the steering wheel. The airbag
for the passenger is located on the
dashboard. These are indicated by the word
AIRBAG on the trim.
Provided the occupants are correctly seated
and the seat belts are properly worn, the
airbags provide additional protection to the
chest and face of the occupants in the event
of a severe frontal impact.
Note: Airbags inflate and deflate very quickly
and will not protect occupants against the
effects of secondary impacts that may occur.
How the system works
WARNING: The airbags are a
supplemental restraint system
providing additional protection in certain
types of collisions only - they do not replace
the need to wear a seat belt.
S
Operation of the airbag system depends on
the rate at which your vehicle's passenger
compartment changes speed as a result of a
collision.
In the event of a collision, the airbag control
unit monitors the rate of deceleration
induced by the collision to determine
whether the airbags should be deployed.
When deployed, airbags inflate instantly, with
considerable force accompanied by a loud
noise. The inflated bag, together with the
seat belt restraint system, limit the movement
of the occupants, thereby reducing the risk of
injury to the head and upper torso.
TR0082
1
2
The airbag system is not designed to operate
as a result of:
• Rear collisions
• Minor front impacts
• Minor side impacts
• Heavy braking
• Driving over bumps or potholes
It follows, therefore, that significant superficial
damage can occur without the air bags
deploying or, conversely, that a relatively small
amount of structural damage can cause the
airbags to be deployed.Deployment effects
WARNING: Following inflation, some
airbag system components are hot. Do
not touch until they have cooled.
S
WARNING: The airbag module inflates
with considerable speed and force. An
inflating airbag can cause facial abrasions and
other injuries. To limit these injuries, ensure
that occupants are correctly seated, with the
seat as far back as is practical, and are
wearing seat belts.
S
WARNING: The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance of 10 inches
(25 cm) between an occupant’s chest and the
driver’s airbag module.
S
When the airbags are deployed, a fine powder
is released. This is not a malfunction. However,
the powder may irritate the skin and should be
thoroughly flushed from the eyes and from
any cuts or abrasions on the skin.
Roadster OHB.book Page 6 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Airbag system
3-7
Seating and s afety restraints
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 the airbags have been deployed, always
have the airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and
any associated components checked and, if
necessary, replaced by Tesla Motors.
After any accident, always have the airbags,
seat belt pre-tensioners and any associated
components checked and, if necessary,
replaced by Tesla Motors.Obstruction of airbags
WARNING: Do not allow passengers to
obstruct the operation of the airbags
by placing feet, knees or any other part of the
body, or any other objects in contact with, or
in close proximity to, an airbag module.
S
WARNING: Do not attach or position
items on an airbag cover which could
interfere with the inflation of the airbag or be
propelled inside your vehicle and injure
occupants.
S
Airbag warning indicator
A warning indicator in the instrument
panel alerts you of any malfunction of
the airbag system.
The components of the system being
monitored include: the airbag modules, the
seat belt pre-tensioners, the airbag control
unit and the airbag wiring harness.
When the starter switch is turned to the ON
position, the airbag control unit monitors the
readiness of the system’s electrical circuits.
Contact Tesla Motors if:
• The warning indicator fails to illuminate
when the starter switch is turned to the
ON position.
• The warning indicator fails to extinguish
within approximately six seconds after
the starter switch is turned to the ON
position.
• The warning indicator illuminates while
your vehicle is being driven.
Airbag warning labels
WARNING: Extreme hazard! Do not use
a rearward facing child restraint on a
seat protected by an airbag in front of it.
Doing so increases the risk of death or
serious injury when the airbag deploys.
S
Airbag warning information is printed on the
driver’s and passenger’s sun visor.Using child seats
WARNING: Currently, child seats and
restraints are not approved for use in
your vehicle. Until these are available, Tesla
Motors strongly recommends that children
are not carried as passengers in your vehicle,
and that you do not fit any type of child seat
into your vehicle. Death or serious injury may
occur if the child is too close to the
dashboard when the airbag inflates.
S
Passenger airbag deactivation
WARNING: Your vehicle is fitted with an
airbag system that has no provision for
switching off or deactivating the passenger
airbag.S
!WARNING
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occurChildren 12 and under can be killed by the airbagNEVER put a rear facing child seat in the frontSit as far back as possible from the air bagALWAYS use SEAT BELTS and CHILD RESTRAINTS
TR0138
Roadster OHB.book Page 7 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM