tires TESLA MODEL 3 2020 Owner's Manuals

Exterior Overview
1.Exterior lights ( Lights on page 58)
2. Autopilot camera ( About Autopilot on page 84)
3. Front door handle ( Using Exterior Door Handles on page 15)
4. Key card sensor ( Keys on page 9), Autopilot camera ( About Autopilot on page 84)
5. Rear door handle ( Using Exterior Door Handles on page 15)
6. Charge port ( Charging Instructions on page 157)
7. Autopilot cameras ( About Autopilot on page 84)
8. Exterior mirrors ( Mirrors on page 52)
9. Radar sensor (hidden from view) ( About Autopilot on page 84)
10. Hood/front trunk ( Front Trunk on page 21)
11. Tow eye cover ( Instructions for Transporters on page 199)
12. Wheels and tires ( Wheels and Tires on page 190)
13. Rear view camera ( Rear View Camera on page 75)
14. Rear trunk ( Rear Trunk on page 19)
Exterior Overview
Overview3

Caution: If the brakes are not functioning
properly, stop the vehicle as soon as safety permits and contact Tesla Service.
See Park on page 56 for information on
using the Park button to stop the vehicle
in case of emergency.Warning: Always maintain a safe driving
distance from the vehicle in front of you
and be cautious in hazardous driving
conditions. Do not rely on brake disc
wiping or hydraulic fade compensation to act as a substitute for adequate braking.
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.
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 3 may experience traction loss
during regenerative braking, particularly
when in the Standard setting and/or not
using winter tires. Tesla recommends
using the Low setting (see To Set the
Regenerative Braking Level on page 66)
in snowy or icy conditions to help maintain vehicle stability.The amount of energy fed back to the Battery
using regenerative braking can depend on the
current state of the Battery and the charge
level setting that you are using. 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 63).
To Set the Regenerative Braking Level
You can use the touchscreen to change the
level of regenerative braking:
1. Touch Controls > Driving > Regenerative
Braking .
2. Choose from two levels:

Note: The parking brake operates on the rear
wheels only, and is independent of the pedal-
operated brake system.
Warning: In snowy or icy conditions the
rear wheels may not have sufficient
traction to prevent Model 3 from sliding
down a slope, particularly if not using winter tires. Avoid parking on hills in
snowy or icy conditions. You are always responsible for parking safely.Warning: Your Model 3 may display an
alert if the road is too steep to safely park
on, or if the parking brakes are not
properly engaged. These alerts are for
guidance purposes only and are not a
substitute for the driver’s judgment of safe parking conditions, including specific
road or weather conditions. Do not
depend on these alerts to determine
whether or not it is safe to park at any location. You are always responsible for
parking safely.When you use the touchscreen to
manually apply the parking brake,
the red parking brake indicator lights
up on the touchscreen.If the parking brake experiences an
electrical issue, the amber parking brake indicator lights up and a fault
message displays at the top of the
touchscreen.Caution: In the unlikely event that Model 3
loses electrical power, you cannot access
the touchscreen and are therefore unable to release the parking brake without first
jump starting Model 3 (see Instructions
for Transporters on page 199).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.
Brakes must be periodically inspected visually by removing the tire and wheel. For detailed
specifications and service limits for rotors and
brake pads, see Subsystems on page 188.
Additionally, Tesla recommends cleaning and
lubricating the brake calipers every year or
12,500 miles (20,000 km) if in an area where
roads are salted during winter months.Warning: Neglecting to replace worn
brake pads damages the braking system
and can result in a braking hazard.
Braking and Stopping
68Model 3 Owner

Regenerative Braking
Regenerative braking may be limited if the Battery is too cold. As you continue to drive,
the Battery warms up and regenerative power
increases (see Regenerative Braking on page
66).
Note: Limited regenerative braking can be
avoided if you allow enough time to precondition your vehicle or use scheduleddeparture before your drive, as mentioned
previously.
Note: Installing winter tires may result in
temporarily reduced regenerative braking
power but Model 3 will recalibrate itself to correct this after a short period of driving.
Blue Snow

Tire Care and Maintenance
Maintaining Tire Pressures
Keep tires in

Checking and Adjusting Tire PressuresFollow these steps when tires are cold andModel 3 has been stationary for over three
hours:
1. Refer to the Tire and Loading Information
label located on the driver’s center door
pillar for the target tire pressure.
2. Remove the valve cap.
3. Firmly press an accurate tire pressure
gauge onto the valve to measure pressure.
4. If required, add or remove air to reach the
recommended pressure.
Note: You can release air by pressing the
metal stem in the center of the valve.
5. Re-check pressure using the accurate tire
gauge.
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as necessary until
the tire pressure is correct.
7. Reinstall the valve cap to prevent dirt from
entering. Periodically check the valve for
damage and leaks.Inspecting and Maintaining Tires
Regularly 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 in

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 yourspeed. 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 that has not been repaired, even if the puncture has not caused the tire to
de

Asymmetric Tires
Model 3 tires are asymmetric and must be
mounted on the wheel with the correct
sidewall facing outward. The sidewall of the
tire is marked with the word OUTSIDE. When
new tires are installed, make sure that the tires
are correctly mounted on the wheels.Warning: Road holding is seriously
impaired if the tires are incorrectly
installed on the wheels.
Removing and Installing Aero Covers
If your Model 3 is equipped with aero covers,
you must remove them to access the lug nuts.
To remove an aero cover:
1. Grasp the aero cover firmly with both
hands.
2. Pull the aero cover toward you to release
the retaining clips.
To install an aero cover:
1. Align the aero cover into position so that
the notch at the base of the Tesla "T" is aligned with the tire

As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a TPMS that displays a
tire pressure telltale (Tire Pressure Warning)
on the touchscreen when one or more of your
tires is significantly under- or over-in

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.Seasonal Tire Types
Summer Tires
Your vehicle may be originally equipped with high performance summer tires or all season
tires. Tesla recommends using winter tires if
driving in cold temperatures or on roads
where snow or ice may be present. Contact
Tesla for winter tire recommendations.Warning: In cold temperatures or on snow
or ice, summer tires do not provide
adequate traction. Selecting and installing the appropriate tires for winter conditions
is important to ensure the safety and
optimum performance of your Model 3.
All-Season Tires
Your Model 3 may be originally equipped with all-season tires. These tires are designed to
provide adequate traction in most conditions
year-round, but may not provide the same level of traction as winter tires in snowy or icy
conditions. All-season tires can be identified
by “ALL SEASON" and/or "M+S” (mud and
snow) on the tire sidewall.
Winter Tires
Use winter tires to increase traction in snowy
or icy conditions. When installing winter tires,
always install a complete set of four tires at
the same time. Winter tires must be the same
diameter, brand, construction and tread
pattern on all four wheels. Contact Tesla for
winter tire recommendations.
Winter tires can be identified by a
mountain/snow