indicator TESLA MODEL 3 2018 Owner's Manual

Opening
To open the front trunk:
1. Ensure that the area around the hood is
free of obstacles.
2. Touch the associated OPEN button on the
touchscreen or touch the front trunk
button on the mobile app.
3. Pull the hood up.When a door or trunk is open, the
touchscreen displays the Door Open indicator light.Warning: Before opening or closing the
hood, it is important to check that the area around the hood is free of obstacles
(people and objects). Failure to do so
may result in damage or serious injury.
Note: The front trunk locks whenever closed
and you lock Model 3 using the touchscreen,
mobile app, key card, you leave Model 3
carrying your authenticated phone (if Walk-
Away Lock is turned on), or if Valet mode is
active (see Valet Mode on page 34).
Closing The Model 3 hood is not heavy enough tolatch under its own weight and applyingpressure on the front edge or center of the
hood can cause damage.
To properly close the hood:
1. Lower the hood until the striker touches
the latches.
2. Place both hands on the front of the hood
in the areas shown (in green), then press
down
firmly to engage the latches.
3. Carefully try to lift the front edge of the
hood to ensure that it is fully closed.
Caution: To prevent damage:

Passenger Front AirbagModel 3 has an occupancy sensor in the front
passenger seat that controls the status of the
airbags based on the weight of the occupant. If the passenger airbag is OFF, it will not
inflate when a collision occurs, and the
passenger airbag off indicator displays in the
top right corner of the touchscreen. If the
passenger airbag is ON, it will
inflate when a
collision occurs, and its status does not
display in the top right corner of the
touchscreen.
The Passenger Airbag Offindicator displays in the top right
corner of the touchscreen only
when the front passenger airbag
is turned
off.
Note: The occupancy sensor system meets the
regulatory requirement of FMVSS 208 and
automatically detects when
inflating the
passenger front airbags would be unnecessary
or potentially harmful.
Weight in front
passenger seatPassenger airbag
statusEmptyOFFUp to 20 lbs/9 kgOFF20-100 lbs/9-45 kg*OFF* or ON**Over 100 lbs/45 kgON***Values are approximate. A weight detected
near the threshold can cause the airbag
status to occasionally turn on and
offdepending on seating position and
physique.
**The absence of the passenger airbag
offindicator in the top right corner of the
touchscreen indicates that the passenger
airbag is ON and will
inflate in the event of a
collision.
Note: It takes approximately six seconds after
you power on Model 3 for the occupancy
sensor to report accurate status of the front
passenger airbag. As a result, when you
firstpower on Model 3, even in situations when it
should be OFF because the passenger seat is
either empty or carrying a weight of 20 lbs (9
kg) or less, the touchscreen can take up to six seconds to display the passenger airbag
offindicator. If it fails to do so, contact Tesla
service immediately and seat passengers in
the rear seating positions only.
If the passenger airbag is permanently
off,even when the seat is empty, contact Tesla
immediately.
To make sure the sensing system can correctly detect occupancy status, eliminate the
following:

Electronic stability control systems are
actively minimizing wheel spin by
controlling brake pressure and motor
power (indicator
flashes). See Traction
Control on page 51. If this indicator
stays illuminated, a fault is detected
(contact Tesla immediately).
Electronic stability control systems are
no longer minimizing wheel spin. See
Traction Control on page 51.Vehicle Hold is actively applying the
brakes. See Vehicle Hold on page
54.A door or trunk is open. See Doors on
page 9, Rear Trunk on page 12, or
Front Trunk on page 14.Flashes green when the left turn
signal is operating. Both turn signal
indicators
flash green when the
hazard warning flashers are operating.
Flashes green when the right turn
signal is operating. Both turn signal
indicators
flash green when the
hazard warning flashers are operating.
Driving Status
When Model 3 is driving (or ready to drive),
the touchscreen shows your current driving
status and a real-time visualization of the road
as detected by the Autopilot components (see About Autopilot on page 58).
Note: The following illustration is provided for
demonstration purposes only. Depending on vehicle options, software version, and market
region, the information displayed may be
slightly
different.
1. Driving speed.
2. On the energy bar, black (or white in night
brightness) represents energy being used
during acceleration and green indicates
energy being gained through regenerative
braking. A dashed line appears on the
energy bar when power available for
acceleration or power that can be gained
by regenerative braking is being limited. Model 3 limits power for many reasons.
Here are just a few examples:

To briefly flash the high beam headlights, pull
the lever towards you and release.
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.
Headlights After Exit
When you stop driving and park Model 3 in
low lighting conditions, the exterior lights
automatically turn on. They automatically turn
off after one minute or when you lock Model 3.
To turn this feature on or
off, touch Controls >
Lights > Settings > Headlights after Exit .
When Headlights After Exit is turned
off,headlights turn off when you engage the Park
gear.
Headlight Adjustments You can adjust the angle of the headlights toaccommodate the load you are carrying. For
example, in situations when you are carrying a
significant amount of weight in the rear trunk,
you may need to lower the angle of the
headlights to avoid creating glare for other
drivers. To adjust the headlights, touch
Controls > Service > Adjust Headlights , then
follow the onscreen instructions. You can
choose which headlight you would like to adjust by selecting it on the touchscreen.
Warning: Proceed with caution when
adjusting headlights. Tesla has carefully
calibrated the position of the headlights
to be in an optimum position for most
driving scenarios. Tesla recommends that
you do not adjust headlights unless you
are familiar with how headlights should
be adjusted. Once adjusted, you will be
unable to automatically restore them to their originally calibrated position.
Contact Tesla for assistance when
adjusting headlights.
Turn Signals
The turn signals
flash three times or
continuously, depending on how far up or
down you move the lever. Lightly push the
turn signal lever up or down for a
three-flashsequence. For a continuous signal, push the lever fully up or down.
The turn signals stop operating when canceled
by the steering wheel or after moving the
lever in the opposite direction.
The corresponding turn signal
indicator lights up on the
touchscreen when a turn signal is
operating. You also hear a clicking
sound.Warning: If you have purchased the
optional Enhanced Autopilot or Full Self-
Driving Capability packages and
Traffic-
Aware Cruise Control is active, engaging
a turn signal can cause Model 3 to accelerate when using
Traffic-AwareCruise Control in specific situations (see
Overtake Acceleration on page 64). If is
active, engaging a turn signal may cause
Lights
46Model 3 Owner

Braking SystemsWarning: Properly functioning braking
systems are critical to ensure safety. If you experience a problem with the brake
pedal, brake caliper, or any component of
a Model 3 braking system, contact Tesla
immediately.
Model 3 has an anti-lock braking system (ABS)
that prevents the wheels from locking when
you apply maximum brake pressure. This improves steering control during heavy
braking in most road conditions.
During emergency braking conditions, the
ABS constantly monitors the speed of each
wheel and varies the brake pressure according to the grip available.
The alteration of brake pressure can be felt as
a pulsing sensation through the brake pedal.
This demonstrates that the ABS is operating
and is not a cause for concern. Keep
firm and
steady pressure on the brake pedal while
experiencing the pulsing.
The ABS indicator flashes briefly on
the touchscreen when you first start
Model 3. If this indicator lights up at
any other time, an ABS fault has
occurred and the ABS is not
operating. Contact Tesla. The braking system remains fully operational and
is not
affected by an ABS failure.
However, braking distances may increase.
If the touchscreen displays this
indicator at any time other than
displaying
briefly when you first start
Model 3, a brake system fault is
detected or the brake
fluid level is
low. Contact Tesla immediately.
Emergency Braking
In an emergency, fully press the brake pedal and maintain
firm pressure, even on low
traction surfaces. The ABS varies the braking
pressure to each wheel according to the
amount of traction available. This prevents
wheels from locking and ensures that you stop
as safely as possible.
Warning: Do not pump the brake pedal.
Doing so interrupts operation of the ABS
and can increase braking distance.Warning: Always maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you and beaware of hazardous driving conditions.
While the ABS can improve stopping
distance, it cannot overcome the laws of physics. It also does not prevent the
danger of hydroplaning (where a layer of
water prevents direct contact between the tires and the road).
Automatic Emergency Braking automatically
applies full braking in situations where a
collision is considered imminent (see Automatic Emergency Braking on page 77).
Warning: Automatic Emergency Braking
is not designed to prevent a collision. At best, it can minimize the impact of a
frontal collision by attempting to reduce
your driving speed. Depending on Automatic Emergency Braking to avoid a
collision can result in serious injury or death.
Brake Wear
Model 3 brake pads are equipped with wear
indicators. A wear indicator is a thin metal
strip attached to the brake pad that squeals as
it rubs against the rotor when the pad wears
down. This squealing sound indicates that the
brake pads have reached the end of their service life and require replacement. To
replace the brake pads, contact Tesla Service.
Warning: Neglecting to replace worn
brake pads damages the braking system
and can result in a braking hazard.
Regenerative Braking
Whenever Model 3 is moving and your foot is
off the accelerator, regenerative braking slows
down Model 3 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 3 (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.
Warning: In snowy or icy conditions
Model 3 may experience traction loss
during regenerative braking, particularly
when in the Standard setting and/or not
using winter tires. Tesla recommends
Brakes
Driving49

How It WorksThe traction control system constantly
monitors the speed of the front and rear
wheels. If Model 3 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 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: If the above indicator remains
illuminated in situations in which you have
not enabled Slip Start (described next), the traction control system may not be
operating correctly. Contact Tesla Service immediately.Warning: Traction control cannot prevent
collisions caused by driving dangerously
or turning too sharply at high speeds.
Allowing Wheel Slip
To allow the wheels to spin at a limited speed,
you can enable Slip Start. Slip Start can be
enabled at any speed, however it is less
effective at higher speeds.
Under normal conditions, Slip Start should not
be enabled. Enable it only in circumstances where you deliberately want the wheels tospin, such as:

When Model 3 is stopped, Vehicle Hold can
continue to apply the brakes even after you
remove your foot from the brake pedal. When
driving on a hill or on a
flat surface, brake as
you normally would. After coming to a
complete stop, simply press the brake pedal
again (until the touchscreen displays the
Vehicle Hold indicator light) to enable Vehicle
Hold. You can then release the brake pedal and remain stopped, even on a hill.
This indicator displays on the
touchscreen whenever Vehicle Hold
is actively braking Model 3.
To disengage Vehicle Hold, press the
accelerator pedal or press and release the
brake pedal.
Note: Shifting into Neutral also disengages
Vehicle Hold.
Note: After actively braking Model 3 for
approximately ten minutes, Model 3 shifts into
Park and Vehicle Hold cancels. Model 3 also shifts into Park if it detects that the driver has
left the vehicle.
Vehicle Hold
54Model 3 Owner

Inspecting and Maintaining TiresRegularly inspect the tread and side walls for
any sign of distortion (bulges), foreign objects,
cuts or wear.Warning: Do not drive Model 3 if a tire is
damaged, excessively worn, or inflated to
an incorrect pressure. Check tires
regularly for wear, and ensure there are
no cuts, bulges or exposure of the ply/
cord structure.
Tire Wear
Adequate tread depth is important for proper
tire performance. Tires with a tread depth less
than 4/32” (3 mm) are more likely to
hydroplane in wet conditions and should not be used. Tires with a tread depth less than5/32” (4 mm) do not perform well in snow andslush and should not be used when driving inwinter conditions.
Model 3 is originally
fitted with tires that have
wear indicators molded into the tread pattern.
When the tread has been worn down to 4/32”
(3 mm), the indicators start to appear at the surface of the tread pattern, producing the
effect of a continuous band of rubber across
the width of the tire. For optimal performance
and safety, Tesla recommends replacing tires
before the wear indicators are visible.
Tire Rotation, Balance, and Wheel Alignment
Tesla recommends rotating the tires every
6,250 miles (10,000 km).
Unbalanced wheels (sometimes noticeable as
vibration through the steering wheel)
affectvehicle 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.
Note: When replacing only two tires, always
install the new tires on the rear.
Punctured Tires
A puncture eventually causes the tire to lose
pressure, which is why it is important to check
tire pressures frequently. Permanently repair
or replace punctured or damaged tires as
soon as possible.
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 a tire is 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 Model 3
transported to a Tesla Service Center, or to a nearby tire repair center.
Note: In some cases, you can temporarily
repair small tire punctures (under 1/4” (6
mm)) using an optional tire repair kit available
from Tesla. This allows you to slowly drive
Model 3 to Tesla or to a nearby tire repair
facility.Warning: Do not drive with a punctured
tire, even if the puncture has not caused the tire to
deflate. A punctured tire candeflate suddenly at any time.
Flat Spots
If Model 3 is stationary for a long period in
high temperatures, tires can form
flat spots.
When Model 3 is driven, these flat spots cause
a vibration which gradually disappears as the
tires warm up and regain their original shape.
To minimize
flat spots during storage, inflatetires to the maximum pressure indicated on the tire wall. Then, before driving, release airto adjust tire pressure to the recommendedlevels.
Improving Tire Mileage
To improve the mileage you get from your
tires, maintain tires at the recommended tire
pressures, observe speed limits and advisory
speeds, and avoid:

driven 15 mph (25 km/h) for longer than 10
minutes.
Replacing a Tire Sensor
If the Tire Pressure warning indicator displays frequently, contact Tesla to determine if a tire
sensor needs to be replaced. If a non-Tesla Service Center repairs or replaces a tire, the
tire sensor may not work until Tesla performs
the setup procedure.
TPMS Malfunction
Model 3 has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the
system is not operating properly.The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the tire pressure
indicator light. When the system
detects a malfunction, the indicator
flashes for approximately one minute
after Model 3 powers on, and then
remains continuously lit. This
sequence continues upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists. When the
TPMS malfunction indicator is on,
the system might not be able to
detect or signal under- and
over-
inflated tires as intended.
TPMS malfunctions can occur for a variety of
reasons, including installing replacement or
alternate tires or wheels that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check
the TPMS malfunction indicator light after replacing one or more tires or wheels on yourvehicle to ensure that the replacement tires or
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Note: If a tire has been replaced or repaired
using a
different tire sealant than the one
available from Tesla, and a low tire pressure is
detected, it is possible that the tire sensor has been damaged. Contact Tesla to have the fault
repaired as soon as possible.
Tire Care and Maintenance
118Model 3 Owner

Removing the Maintenance PanelTo check
fluid levels, remove the maintenance
panel:
1. Open the hood.
2. Pull the maintenance panel upward to
release the clips that hold it in place.
3. If checking the battery coolant, remove
the cabin intake trim panel by pulling it
upwards to release the clips that hold it in
place.
Caution: The maintenance panel protects
the front trunk from water. When re-
attaching, make sure it is fully seated.
Checking Battery Coolant
If the quantity of
fluid in the cooling system
drops below the recommended level, the
touchscreen displays a warning message. Stop
driving Model 3 as soon as safety permits and
contact Tesla.
Fluid Level Check
DO NOT REMOVE THE FILLER CAP AND DO
NOT ADD FLUID. Doing so can result in damage not covered by the warranty.
Do Not Top Up Battery Coolant
Warning: Battery coolant can be
hazardous and can irritate eyes and skin.
Under no circumstances should you
remove the
filler cap and/or add coolant.
If the touchscreen warns you that the
fluid level is low, contact Tesla
immediately.
To maximize the performance and life of the
Battery, the cooling system uses a specificmixture of G-48 ethylene-glycol coolant
(HOAT). Contact Tesla for more specificinformation about the coolant.
Checking Brake FluidWarning: Contact Tesla immediately if
you notice increased movement of the brake pedal or a
significant loss of brakefluid. Driving under these conditions can
result in extended stopping distances or complete brake failure.
The Brake indicator on the
touchscreen alerts you if the
quantity of
fluid in the brake
reservoir drops below the
recommended level. If it displays
while driving, stop as soon as safety
permits by gently applying the
brakes. Do not continue driving.
Contact Tesla immediately.
Topping Up the Brake Fluid
Do not top up your brake
fluid. The following
instructions are provided for information purposes and future reference only:
1. Clean the
filler cap before removing it to
prevent dirt from entering the reservoir.
2. Unscrew the cap and remove it.
3. Top up the reservoir to the MAX mark
using the appropriate brake
fluid.4. Replace the filler cap, ensuring it is fully
secured.
Warning: Only use new fluid from a
sealed air-tight container. Never use
previously used
fluid or fluid from a
previously opened container