TESLA MODEL 3 2018 Owner's Guide

Folding Rear Seats
Model 3 has a split rear seat that can fold
forward.
Before folding, remove items from the seats
and the rear footwell. To allow the rear seat
backs to fold completely
flat, you may need to
move the front seats forward.
To fold a rear seat, pull the corresponding
lever and fold the seat forward.
Raising Rear Seats
Before raising a rear seat, make sure that the
seat belts are not trapped behind the backrest.
Pull the seat back upward until it locks into
place.
To
confirm that the seat back is locked in the
upright position, try pulling it forward.
Warning: Always ensure the seat backs
are locked in their upright position.
Failure to do so increases the risk of injury.
Head Supports
The front seats and outer rear seats include
integrated head supports that are not adjustable.
The rear center seat includes an adjustable head support that can be raised, lowered, or
removed. The head support should always be
raised and locked into position (so that the
center is aligned with the center of the ears) when occupied by a passenger that is not in a
child safety seat.
The head support in the rear center seat
should always be lowered when a seat belt
retained child safety seat is installed. See
Raising/Lowering the Rear Center Head Support on page 19.
Warning:
Ensure that all head supports
are positioned correctly before sitting in, or operating, Model 3 to minimize the risk
of severe injury or death in the event of a
collision.
Raising/Lowering the Rear Center Head
Support
To raise the head support, lift it until you hear
it click into place. Push down on the head support to ensure that it is secure.
To lower the head support, press and hold the button on the outer base of the right post and
press the head support down.
Front and Rear Seats
Seating and Safety Restraints19

Removing/Installing the Rear Center Head
Support
To remove the head support:
1. Raise the head support (see Raising/
Lowering the Rear Center Head Support on page 19).
2. Press and hold the button on the outer
base of the right post.
3. Insert a short,
flat object (such as a smallflat head screwdriver) into the opening on
the inside base of the left post and pull
the head support upwards.
To install the head support:
1. With the front of the head support facing
forward, insert both posts into the corresponding holes on the backrest.
2. Press down on the head support until you
hear it click into place.
3. Pull up on the head support to ensure that
it is secure.
Warning: Ensure that the head
support is installed properly before
anyone occupies the rear center seat.
Failure to do so increases the risk of injury or death if a collision occurs.Seat Heaters
The front and rear seats are equipped with
heating pads that operate at three levels from
3 (highest) to 1 (lowest). To operate the seat
heaters, see Operating Seat Heaters on page
89.Warning: To avoid burns resulting from
prolonged use, individuals who have
peripheral neuropathy, or whose capacity
to feel pain is limited because of diabetes,
age, neurological injury, or some other
condition, should exercise caution when
using the climate control system and seat heaters.
Seat Covers
Warning: Do not use seat covers in Model
3. Doing so could restrict deployment of
the seat-mounted side air bags if a collision occurs. It can also reduce theaccuracy of the occupant detection
system.
Front and Rear Seats
20Model 3 Owner

Wearing Seat BeltsUsing 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) that, by
pulling the seat belt beyond the length
needed for a typical adult occupant, locks the
belt into place until the seat belt is unbuckled
(see Installing Seat Belt Retained Child Seats
on page 26).
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.
The seat belt reminder on the
touchscreen alerts you if a seat belt
for an occupied seat is not fastened. If the belt remains unfastened, the
reminder
flashes and an intermittent
chime sounds. If all occupants are
buckled up and the reminder stays
on, re-fasten 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.
To Fasten a Belt
1. Ensure correct positioning of the seat (see
Correct Driving Position on page 18).
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
18). 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
so that the seat belt is positioned correctly.
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 downwards to check that it is locked into position.
Seat Belts
Seating and Safety Restraints21

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
effectivenessof 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 120.
Seat Belt WarningsWarning: 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 (see Child
Safety Seats on page 24). Always follow
the child safety seat manufacturer

Guidelines for Seating Children
Your Model 3 seat belts are designed for adults and larger children. You must restrain infants and small children in the rear row seats only, and you must use a suitable child safety seat appropriate
for the child

Choosing a Child Safety Seat
All children age 12 and under should ride in the rear (second row) seats. Always use a child safety
seat suitable for a young child

Seating Larger ChildrenIf a child is too large to
fit into a child safety
seat, but too small to safely fit into the
standard seat belts, use a booster seat
appropriate for the child

Install LATCH child safety seats in the
outboard seating positions only. Use only a seat belt retained seat in the center position.
To install a LATCH child safety seat, slide the
safety seat latches onto the anchor bars until
they click into place. Carefully read and follow
the instructions provided by the child safety
seat manufacturer.
Once installed, test the security of the installation before seating a child. Attempt to twist the child safety seat from side to side
and try to pull it away from the seat, then
check to ensure the anchors remain securely
in place.
Note: Lower LATCH anchors should not be
used with child seats or booster seats that
have an integrated safety belt in situations
where the combined weight of the child plus
the child restraint is more than 65 lbs (29 kg). In these situations, use the safety belt instead.
Attaching Upper Tether Straps If an upper tether strap is provided, attach its
hook to the anchor point located on the shelf behind the rear seating positions.Warning: Tighten upper tether straps
according to the instructions provided by
the manufacturer of the child safety seat.Warning: USE ONLY SEAT BELT
RETAINED CHILD SAFETY SEATS IN THE
CENTER SEATING POSITION.
To access an anchor point, press down on the
back of its cover.
Child Safety Seats
Seating and Safety Restraints27

For dual-strap tethers, position a strap oneach side of the head support.
For single-strap tethers at the outboard
seating positions, run the strap over the outside-facing side of the head support (i.e.
same side of the head support as the seat belt
retraction mechanism).
For a single-strap tether in the center seating
position, fully lower the head support (see Raising/Lowering the Rear Center HeadSupport on page 19) and run the strap over
the top center of the head support.
Testing a Child Safety Seat
Before seating a child, always make sure the
child safety seat is not loose:
1. Hold the child safety seat by the belt path
and try to slide the safety seat from side
to side and front to back.
2. If the seat moves more than one inch
(2.5 cm), it is too loose. Tighten the belt or
reconnect the LATCH retained child safety
seat.
3. If you are unable to reduce slack, try a
different seat location or try another child
safety seat.
Child Safety Seat Warnings
Warning: Extreme hazard! Do not seat a
child on the front passenger seat even if
you are using a child safety seat. This seat
has an airbag in front of it. Although this airbag is disabled when Model 3 detects a
lightweight passenger, do not rely on
technology to protect your child.Warning: Child restraint systems are
designed to be secured in vehicle seats
by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt. Children could be
endangered in a crash if their child restraints are not properly secured in the
vehicle.Warning: According to collision statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating positions
than in the front seating positions.Warning: Do not use a forward facing
child safety seat until your child weighs
over 20 lbs (9 kg) and can sit
independently. Up to the age of two, a
child