lights TESLA MODEL S 2014 (North America) User Guide

1.If you turn on DOME lights, interior dome
(map) lights turn on when you unlock
Model S, open a door upon exiting, or shift into P (Park). They turn off after 60
seconds, when you lock Model S, or when you shift into a driving gear.
You can also turn an individual dome light
on or off by pressing its lens. If you
manually turn a dome light on, it turns off
when Model S powers off. If Model S was
already powered off when you manually
turned the light on, it turns off after 60
minutes.
2. If you turn on AMBIENT lights, the lights
on the door armrests turn on whenever
the headlights are on.
3. DRL (Daytime Running Lights) operate
only when driving with the headlights off.
In jurisdictions where required by law (Canada), daytime running lights can not
be turned off.
4. If Model S is equipped with optional front
fog lights, touch to turn them on or off.
The Front Fog indicator displays
on the instrument panel
whenever the optional front fog
lights are on.
The fog lights operate only when the
headlights are on. Whenever headlights
are turned off, fog lights also turn off.
5. Exterior lights are set to AUTO each time
you start Model S. Touch these options to
temporarily change the exterior light
setting:
OFFAll exterior lights
(headlights, tail lights, side
marker lights, parking
lights, and license plate
lights) turn off until you
manually turn them back
on or until the next time
you drive Model S.PARKINGOnly the side marker
lights, parking lights, tail
lights and license plate
lights turn on.ONAll exterior lights
(headlights, tail lights, side
marker lights, parking
lights, and license plate
lights) turn on.AUTOAll exterior lights
(headlights, tail lights, side
marker lights, parking
lights, and license plate
lights) turn on
automatically when
driving in low lighting
conditions. If you change
to a different setting,
lights always revert to this
AUTO setting on your
next drive.
Note: Optional fog lights operate
automatically whenever the headlights are
on. When headlights are off, fog lights are
also off.
Lights
Driving47

Headlight High BeamsPush the left-hand steering column lever away
from you. To cancel, pull the lever toward you.The high beam indicator lights up on
the instrument panel whenever high
beams are on.
To flash the headlight high beams, pull the
lever fully toward you and release.
Headlights After Exit
When you stop driving and park Model S in
low lighting conditions, the exterior lights
automatically turn on. They automatically turn
off after two minutes or when you lock Model S.
You can turn this feature on and off using the
touchscreen. Touch Controls > Settings >
Vehicle > Headlights After Exit .
Cornering Lights
If Model S is equipped with the optional tech
package, LED cornering lights broaden the beam of the headlights whenever you drive
through a corner.
Lights
48Model S Owner's Manual

Turn SignalsMove the left-hand steering column lever up(before turning right) or down (before turning
left).
The turn signals stop operating when
canceled by the steering wheel, or when you return the lever to the central position.
The corresponding turn signal
indicator lights up on the instrument
panel when a turn signal is
operating. You also hear a clicking
sound.
Lane Change Flash
To indicate a lane change, quickly press the
lever up or down against the spring pressure, then release. The corresponding turn signal
flashes three times.
Hazard Warning Flashers
To turn on the hazard warning flashers, press
the switch located on the side of the
touchscreen closest to the steering wheel. All
turn signals flash. Press again to turn off.
Note: Hazard warning flashers operate even
without a Model S key nearby.
Lights
Driving49

WipersTo wipe the windshield, rotate the end of the
left-hand steering column lever away from
you. You can choose from four levels:
• 1st: Auto with low rain sensitivity.*
• 2nd: Auto with high rain sensitivity.*
• 3rd: Continuous, slow.
• 4th: Continuous, fast.
For a single wipe, press and release the end of the lever.
If the wipers are set to Auto and the sensor
detects no water, the wipers do not wipe.
When you operate the wipers, headlights automatically turn on (if they are not onalready).
*Model S has a rain sensor located on the
inside of the windshield at the base of the interior mirror. When wipers are set to Auto,
the frequency at which they wipe depends on
how much water the sensor detects. When
wipers are set to the 2nd level, the sensor is
more sensitive.
To extend the life of wiper blades, remove ice from the windshield before turning wipers on.
Ice has sharp edges that can damage the
rubber on the blades.
Periodically check and clean the edge of the
wiper blade. If damaged, replace the blade
immediately. For details on checking replacing
wiper blades, see Wiper Blades and Washer
Jets on page 112.
Caution:
In harsh climates, ensure that the
wiper blades are not frozen or adhered to
the windshield.De-icing Wipers
To make wiper blades easy to access so you
can remove any ice and snow, shift Model S
into Park, then use the touchscreen to move
them to the service position. Touch Controls >
Settings > Vehicle > Service Mode > ON .
When parking in cold outdoor climates, it is helpful to leave Model S with the wipers in the
service position. In this position, they are
closer to the defrost vent, allowing you to thaw them by directing air from the climatecontrol system towards the windshield.
If Model S is equipped with the cold weather
option, you can de-ice wipers by touching
Controls > Cold Weather > Heated Wipers .
This control heats the wipers for 15 minutes
and then automatically turns off.
Note: Wipers automatically return to their
normal position when you shift Model S out of
Park.
Washers Press the button on the end of the left
steering column lever to spray washer fluid
onto the windshield. You can press this button at two levels. Press partially for a single wipe,without any washer fluid. Press fully for bothwipe and wash. When washing the windshield,
the wipers will perform two wipes after you
release the button, then a third wipe a few seconds later.
Periodically top up washer fluid (see Topping
Up Washer Fluid on page 116).
De-icing Washer Nozzles
If Model S is equipped with the cold weather
option, washer nozzles have de-icers that turn on whenever the ambient temperature nearsfreezing, or when you turn on the heatedwipers ( Controls > Cold Weather > Heated
Wipers ). The washer de-icers turn off when
the heated wipers turn off (after 15 minutes),
provided the temperature is warm enough to
prevent freezing.
Wipers and Washers
50Model S Owner's Manual

Always drive at a safe speed based on
traffic and road conditions.Caution: If your Model S is equipped with
Speed Assist, you must take your vehicle to Tesla Service if a windshield
replacement is needed. Failure to do so
can cause Speed Assist to malfunction.
Controlling Speed Assist
To turn Speed Assist on or off, and control
how it works, touch Controls > Settings >
Driver Assistance > Assistance Level , then
choose an assistance level:
• Off. The speed limit is not displayed.
• Display . Speed limit information visually
displays on the speedometer and when you exceed the limit, a speed limit sign
displays in the center of the instrument panel, and the speedometer displays theexcess speed in gray.
• Chime . In addition to the visual display, an
audible chime sounds whenever you
exceed the speed limit.
You can also specify how the speed limit is
determined:
• Relative . The speed limit is determined
automatically based on detected traffic
signs and GPS data. If desired, you can set
a speed limit offset (+ or -) if you want to
be alerted only when you exceed the
speed limit by a specified amount. For example, you would increase the offset to+10 mph if you only want to be alerted
when you exceed the speed limit by 10 mph.
• Absolute . Manually specify any speed limit
between 20 and 140 mph (30 and
240 km/h).
Note: GPS data is not always accurate. The
GPS can misjudge the road's location and
provide the speed limit for a directly adjacent
road that may have a different speed limit. For example, The GPS can assume Model S is on a
freeway when it’s actually on a nearby surface
street, and vice versa.
Limitations and Inaccuracies Speed Assist may not be fully functional or
may provide inaccurate information in these
situations:
• Visibility is poor and speed limit signs are not clearly visible (due to heavy rain,
snow, fog, etc.).
• Bright light (oncoming headlights or direct sunlight) is interfering with thecamera's view.
• Model S is being driven very close to a vehicle in front of it which is blocking the
camera's view.
• The windshield area in the camera's field of view is obstructed (fogged over, dirty,
covered by a sticker, etc.).
• Speed limit signs are concealed by objects.
• The speed limits stored in the GPS database are incorrect or outdated.
• Model S is being driven in an area where GPS data is not available.
• Traffic signs do not conform to standard recognizable formats.
• A road or a speed limit has recently changed.
Speed Assist
52Model S Owner's Manual

How Lane Departure Warning
Works
If Model S is equipped with Driver Assistance
features, a camera mounted on the windshield
behind the interior rear view mirror monitors
the markers on the lane you are driving in. If a
front wheel passes over a lane marking and
the associated turn signal is off, you feel three
slight vibrations in the steering wheel.
Lane Departure Warning operates only when
Model S is traveling over approximately
30 mph (50 km/h).Warning: Never depend on Lane
Departure Warning to inform you of
unintentionally driving outside of the
boundaries of the driving lane. Several
external factors can reduce the
performance of Lane Departure Warning,
causing either no readings or false
readings. Therefore, depending on this
system to stay within the boundaries of the driving lane can result in serious injury
or death. Lane Departure Warning is for
guidance purposes only. Always keep
your eyes on the road when driving. It is
the driver's responsibility to stay alert,
drive safely, ensure the vehicle stays in
the traveling lane, and be in control of the
vehicle at all times.Caution: If your Model S is equipped with
Lane Departure Warning, you must take
your vehicle to Tesla Service if a
windshield replacement is needed. Failure
to do so can cause Lane Departure
Warning to malfunction.Controlling Lane Departure
Warning
To turn Lane Assist on or off, touch Controls >
Settings > Driver Assistance > Lane Departure
Warning .
Limitations and Inaccuracies
Lane Departure Warning can not always
clearly detect lane markings and you may experience unnecessary or invalid warnings inthese situations:
• Visibility is poor and lane markings are not clearly visible (due to heavy rain, snow,fog, etc.).
• Bright light (oncoming headlights or direct sunlight) is interfering with thecamera's view.
• Model S is being driven very close to a vehicle in front of it which is blocking thecamera's view.
• The windshield area in the camera's field of view is obstructed (fogged over, dirty,covered by a sticker, etc.).
• Lane markings are excessively worn or have been adjusted due to road
construction.
• Lane markings are changing quickly (for example, lanes branching off, crossing
over, or merging).
• The road is narrow or winding. • Objects or landscape features are casting strong shadows on lane markers.
Lane Departure Warning
Driving53

Braking SystemsModel S 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 instrument panel when you first
start Model S. 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 instrument panel displays this
indicator at any time other than
displaying briefly when you first start
Model S, 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 be aware 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).
Brake Wear
Model S brake pads are equipped with wearindicators. A wear indicator is a thin metalstrip 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 stop
the squealing, contact Tesla Service.
Warning: Neglecting to replace worn
brake pads results in damage to the
braking system and can create a braking
hazard.
Brakes
58Model S Owner's Manual

Regenerative Braking
Whenever Model S is moving and your foot is off the accelerator, regenerative braking slows
down Model S and feeds any surplus energy
back to the Battery.
By anticipating your stops and simply removing your foot from the accelerator 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 S, such as on a steep descent,
brake lights turn on to alert other road users
that you are slowing down.
The power meter on the instrument panel displays real-time feedback on the amount of
energy being gained by regenerative braking.
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. If regenerative braking is limited, a dashed yellow line
displays on the power meter. For example,
regenerative braking may be limited if the
Battery is already fully charged or if the
ambient temperature is low.
To Set the Regenerative Braking Level
You can use the touchscreen to change thelevel of regenerative braking:
1. Touch Controls > Driving > Regenerative
Braking .
2. Choose from two levels:
•
Standard . Provides the maximum
amount of regenerative braking. When you release the accelerator,
Model S slows down faster, reducing
the need to use the brakes.
• Low . Limits the amount of
regenerative braking. When you
release the accelerator, Model S takes longer to slow down and coastsfurther.
Parking Brake The parking brake automatically engages
whenever you shift Model S into Park, and
releases whenever you shift into any other
gear.
Note: The parking brake operates on the rear
wheels only, and is independent of the foot-
operated brake system.
Use the touchscreen to manually release the parking brake (which also shifts Model S intoNeutral):
1. Touch Controls > E-Brake & Power Off .
2. Press the brake pedal, then touch Parking
Brake. If Model S was previously in Park, it
shifts into Neutral.
The parking brake indicator lights up on the instrument panel whenever
you use the touchscreen to manually
apply the parking brake.If an electrical issue occurs with the
parking brake, an amber parking
brake fault message displays at the
top center of the touchscreen.Caution: In the unlikely event that
Model S loses electrical power, you
cannot release the parking brake.
Brakes
Driving59

1.Status bar
The top line displays provides shortcuts to
Charging, HomeLink, Driver Profiles,
vehicle information (the Tesla “T”),
software updates, Bluetooth ®
, and Wi-Fi
settings. The status symbols show outside
temperature, network signal strength,
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi settings, passenger
airbag status, and time. If an alert icon
(exclamation mark) is displayed, touch it
to see warning messages that are in
effect.
Note: The airbag status symbol displays
only when Model S is powered on.
2. Apps
There are several ways to display an app
in the main viewing area:
• Tap the app’s icon to display it in the top viewing area. If the app is alreadydisplayed, a second tap displays it infull-screen view (only some apps have a full-screen mode).
• Drag the app’s icon directly onto the top or bottom viewing area.
• Touch and hold the app’s icon to display a popup that lets you choose
whether to display the app in the top or bottom of the main viewing area.Media. See Media and Audio on
page 77.Maps/Navigation (if equipped).
See Using Maps on page 81.Calendar. See Calendar on page
85.Energy. See Getting Maximum
Range on page 57.Web. Access the Internet using
the web browser (if equipped).Camera. Display the area behind
Model S. This area also displays
automatically whenever you shift
into Reverse. See Rear View
Camera on page 64.Phone. See Phone on page 83.
3.Main viewing area
The main viewing area changes
depending on the app you have chosen
(in the example, the Nav and Media apps
are displayed). For some apps (such as
Nav and Web), you can zoom in and out
using standard touchscreen finger
gestures.
4. Maximize/minimize app
Touch the small rectangle to expand the
associated app to fill the entire main
viewing area (some apps are not
expandable). Touch again to display two
apps in half-screen view.
5. Controls
Touch to access all Model S controls and settings (doors, locks, lights, etc).
6. Climate controls (see Climate Controls on
page 72).
7. Volume control
Touch the up and down arrows to
increase or decrease the volume of the
speakers. You can also adjust the volume
using the scroll wheel on the left side of
the steering wheel.
8. Reverse the position of the two currently
displayed apps.Warning: Paying attention to road and
traffic conditions must always be the
driver's highest priority. To ensure the
safety of vehicle occupants as well as other road users, using the touchscreenshould be done only when road andtraffic conditions permit.
Touchscreen Overview
66Model S Owner's Manual

1.Close
Touch the circled X in the top left corner
of a window to close it (or you can touch anywhere outside the window).
2. Sunroof
If Model S is equipped with a sunroof,
touch to adjust its position (see Sunroof
on page 15).
3. Driving
• Suspension If Model S is equipped with Smart AirSuspension, touch to manually raise orlower Model S (see Smart Air
Suspension on page 75). Model S
must be powered on, or you must
press the brake pedal before you can change suspension settings. Smart Air
Suspension causes Model S to self- level, even when powered off.
Therefore, when lifting or towing, you
must disable self-leveling (see Jack
Mode on page 76 and Jacking and
Lifting on page 124).
• Steering mode
Adjust the amount of effort requiredto turn the steering wheel. Sport feels
more responsive whereas Comfort
feels easier to drive and park (see
Steering Wheel on page 36).
• Regenerative braking
When you release the accelerator
when driving, regenerative braking slows Model S and feeds any surplusenergy back to the Battery. If set to
Low, Model S does not slow down as
quickly, but you may experience less
range (see Regenerative Braking on
page 59).
Note: Regardless of the setting, the
energy gained by regenerative
braking is reduced if the Battery is full, or if it is extremely cold or hot(the surplus energy is used to heat orcool the Battery).
• Traction Control
If you turn off Traction Control, a
warning message displays on the
instrument panel. The off setting stays
in effect for the current drive only (see Traction Control on page 60).
• CreepWhen on, Model S slowly moves
forward when in Drive and backward in Reverse when you release the brake
(similar to a conventional vehicle with an automatic transmission). You can
adjust this setting only when Model S is in Park.
4. Cold Weather
If Model S is equipped with the cold weather option, you can control all seatheaters and the heated wipers. Note that
you can also control the front driver and
passenger seats using the main climate
control panel located on the bottom of
the touchscreen (see Climate Controls on
page 72).
5. Trips
View and reset the trip meters that
summarize how far you have driven (see
Trip Information on page 56).
6. Displays
Manually control the touchscreen’s
brightness and control its Day (light
background) or Night (dark background)
setting. When set to Auto, the
touchscreen automatically changes
between the Day and Night setting
depending on the ambient lighting
conditions. You can also put Model S into
an energy saving mode so it consumes
less energy when not in use (see Getting
Maximum Range on page 57). Note that
the Displays settings can also be accessed
from the Settings screen.
7. E-Brake & Power Off
You can manually:
• Apply and release the parking brake (see Parking Brake on page 59).
• Power off (see Powering Off on page
40).
• Keep Model S in Neutral by activating Tow Mode (see Leaving Model S in
Neutral - Tow Mode on page 41).
8. Doors & locks (see Using Interior Door
Handles on page 6)
9. Lights (see Lights on page 46)Warning:
Do not read the touchscreen
while driving. Doing so increases the
likelihood of a collision. Everything you need to know when driving is displayed
on the instrument panel.
Controls
68Model S Owner's Manual