TESLA MODEL S 2015 Manual PDF

Camera LocationModel S is equipped with a rear view camera
located above the rear license plate.
Whenever you shift into Reverse, the
touchscreen displays the view from the
camera.
Note: If Model S is equipped with the optional
Park Assist feature, visual feedback from the
parking sensors displays below the camera image. See Park Assist on page 66.
Warning:
Never depend on the rear view
camera to inform you if the area behind
you is free of objects and/or people when
reversing. The camera may not detect
objects or barriers that can potentially cause damage or injury. In addition,several external factors can reduce the
performance of the camera, including a dirty or obstructed lens. Therefore,
depending on the rear view camera to determine if Model S is approaching anobstruction can result in damage to the
vehicle and/or objects, and can
potentially cause serious injury. Always
inspect the area with your own eyes.
When reversing, perform shoulder checks
and use all mirrors. Use the camera for
guidance purposes only. It is not intended to replace your own direct visual checks
and is not a substitute for careful driving.Cleaning the Camera
To ensure a clear picture, keep the camera
lens clean, and free of obstructions. Remove any buildup of dirt by occasionally wiping the
camera lens with a soft damp cloth.Caution: Do not use chemical-based or
abrasive cleaners. Doing so can damage
the surface of the camera lens.
Rear View Camera
Driving71

The Big PictureThe main components of the touchscreen are shown here. To manually control the brightness and
contrast, touch Controls > Displays . When set to Auto, the touchscreen changes between the Day
(light background) and Night (dark background) setting depending on ambient lighting
conditions.
Note: The following illustration is provided for demonstration purposes only. Depending on
vehicle options, software version and market region, your touchscreen may appear slightly
different.
Touchscreen Overview
72Model S Owner's Manual

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 85.Maps and Navigation (if
equipped). See Using Maps on
page 90.Calendar. See Calendar on page
93.Energy. See Getting Maximum
Range on page 70.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 71.Phone. See Phone on page 88.
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 80).
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
Using the Touchscreen73

Controlling Model S FeaturesTouch Controls on the bottom corner of the touchscreen to control and customize all main
features of Model S.
Note: The following illustration is provided for demonstration purposes only. Depending on
vehicle options, software version and market region, the options available on the Controls screen
may be different.
Controls
74Model 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. Suspension
If Model S is equipped with Smart Air
Suspension, touch to manually raise or lower Model S, or to remove a previously
saved auto-raising location (see Smart Air
Suspension on page 83). Model S must
be powered on and 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 towing or
lifting, you must disable self-leveling (see
Instructions for Transporters on page 150
and Jacking and Lifting on page 132).
4. Driving
• 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 37).
• Acceleration (Dual Motor vehicles only)
Choose an acceleration level. Sport is the standard level of acceleration and allows you to maximize driving range(see the Range Mode setting below).
Choose Insane if you want to increase
peak torque by approximately 50 per cent. If you choose Insane, the Range
mode setting, if on, automatically turns off.
• Creep
When on, Model S slowly movesforward 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.
• Traction ControlTo allow the wheels to spin on a
standard single motor Model S, you can turn off traction control. On a dualmotor Model S, you can enable Slip
Start. If you turn off Traction Control
(or enable Slip Start), a warning
message displays on the instrument
panel. Traction control turns off for
the current drive only. On dual motor
vehicles, traction control is
automatically turned on again when the speed exceeds 40 mph
(64 km/h). See Traction Control on
page 54.
• Regenerative braking
When you release the accelerator
when driving, regenerative braking
slows Model S and feeds any surplus
energy 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 53).
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 or
cool the Battery).
• Range Mode
If on, Model S conserves energy by
limiting the power of the climate
control system. Cabin heating and
cooling may be less effective, but seat
heaters turn on to compensate. In
Dual Motor vehicles, Range Mode can
be turned on only when acceleration
is set to Sport (see above).
5. Cold Weather
If Model S is equipped with the cold
weather option, you can control all seat heaters as well as the heated wipers andsteering wheel. Heaters that are turned on
are displayed in red. To turn off all seat
heaters, touch All Off. 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 80).
6. Trips
View and reset the trip meters that
summarize how far you have driven (see
Trip Information on page 69).
7. Displays
Controls
Using the Touchscreen75

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 Day and Night brightness
depending on the ambient lighting
conditions. To disable the touchscreen
momentarily for cleaning purposes, touch
Clean Mode . 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
70). Note that the Displays settings can
also be accessed from the Settings screen.
8. E-Brake & Power Off
You can manually:
• Apply and release the parking brake (see Parking Brake on page 53).
• Power off (see Powering Off on page
41).
9. Doors & Locks (see Using Interior Door
Handles on page 6)
10. Lights (see Lights on page 47)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
76Model S Owner's Manual

Customizing Model STouch the Settings tab on the Controls window to adjust Model S to suit your preferences.Note: The following illustration is provided for demonstration purposes only. Depending on
vehicle options, software version, and market region, the options available on the Settings screen
may be different. For example, in many regions, the “Language & Units” tab is called “Units &
Format.”
Settings
Using the Touchscreen77

1.Adjust settings associated with installed
apps (applications). Settings associated with apps that are either unavailable on
your Model , or have no settings that you
can adjust at this time, are grayed out.
2. Manage driver profiles (see Driver Profiles
on page 36).
3. Units & Format
Adjust how Model S displays:
• Distance: Miles or km can be shown on the range display, speedometer,
energy chart, trip meters, Google map searches and navigation routes.
• Time Format: 12 or 24 hour.
• Temperature: o
C or o
F.
• Energy & Charging: Display remaining energy and charging units as either a
percentage of battery energy
remaining, or as an estimate of the
distance that you can drive. When you choose Distance, you can display
mileage based on either:
• Rated - based on EPA testing.
• Ideal - assumes ideal driving conditions based on driving at a
steady speed of 55 mph
(89 km/h) on a flat road, and using no additional energy (seat
heaters, air conditioning, etc).
Note: When anticipating when you
need to charge, use range estimates as a general guideline only.
4. Vehicle
• Drive-away Door Lock: If on, all doors automatically lock whenever you
drive Model S over 5 mph (8 km/h)
(see Drive-away Locking on page 7).
• Walk-away Door Lock: If on, all doors automatically lock when you walkaway from Model S, carrying the key with you (see Walk-away Locking on
page 7). Available only if Model S is
equipped with the optional tech
package.
• Child-Protection Lock: If on, safety locks prevent the rear doors and theliftgate from being opened from
inside Model S.• Auto-Present Handles: If on, door handles extend automatically
whenever you approach Model S carrying a key, whether locked orunlocked (see Using Exterior Door
Handles on page 6). Note that to
preserve battery life, Model is
designed to temporarily disable the
Auto-Present Handles feature when
the key has been out of range for
more than 48 hours, or if the key
remains within range for five minutes
after all doors have been closed.
• Headlights After Exit: If on, headlights stay on for two minutes after you exit,
or until you lock Model S (see
Headlights After Exit on page 50).
• Mirror Auto-Tilt: If on, exterior mirrors tilt downward when reversing (see Mirrors on page 40). Available only if
Model S is equipped with the optional tech package.
• Mirror Auto-Fold: If on, exterior mirrors fold when you lock Model S
with the key or walk-away locking. They extend automatically when you
return to Model S. Available only if
Model S is equipped with both folding mirrors (newer models) and the
optional tech package. For newer
Model S vehicles, you can also fold
mirrors manually by touching the
center mirror control button (see
Mirrors on page 40).
• Ionizer: If on, the air ionizer freshens the air in the cabin.
• Smart Preconditioning: If on, Model S predicts your driving schedule and
adjusts the temperature of the cabin and the Battery so the vehicle is
comfortable and ready to drive. It may take some time for Model S to
learn your driving habits.
5. Safety & Security
Turn various safety and security features
on and off:
• Active safety devices Model S is equipped with, such as Park Assist
Chimes (see Park Assist on page 66).
• Alarm, and security options Model S is equipped with (see Security Settings
on page 95).
• Remote access by Tesla’s mobile applications (see Mobile App on page
100).
6. Displays
Settings
78Model S Owner's Manual

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 Day and Night brightness
depending on the ambient lighting
conditions. To disable the touchscreen
momentarily for cleaning purposes, touch
Clean Mode . 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
70). Note that the Displays settings can
also be accessed from the Controls
window.
7. HomeLink
If the HomeLink feature is available in your region, use it to control RF-enabled
garage doors, lights, or security systems
(see HomeLink ®
Universal Transceiver on
page 96).
8. Driver Assistance
If your vehicle is equipped with Driver Assistance features, you can control
features that can provide a safer driving experience
• Lane Departure Warning: If on, the steering wheel vibrates if a front
wheel passes over a lane marking and
the associated turn signal is off (see
Lane Departure Warning on page 57).
• Overtake Acceleration: If on when Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is
operating, Model S accelerates when you engage the turn signal to indicate
a move into the passing lane (see Traffic-Aware Cruise Control on page
60).
• Speed Assist: Control how speed limits are determined and how
warnings are issued when you exceed the speed limit (see Speed Assist on
page 55).
• Forward Collision Warning: Control when warnings display on the
instrument panel if Model S detects a
vehicle, bike, or pedestrian ahead and
a collision is considered likely unless
you take immediate corrective action
(see Forward Collision Warning on
page 58).
9. Service & Reset
Turn various service-related features on
and off:• Service Mode: If on, moves wiper blades to the service position to make
them easier to access when replacing
them. Model S must be in Park. See
Wiper Blades and Washer Jets on
page 121.
• Tire Pressure Monitor: Touch Reset
Sensors to reset the TPMS sensors
after replacing a wheel (see Resetting
the TPMS Sensors on page 113).
• Tow Mode: Activate Tow Mode to keep Model S in Neutral (see Leaving
Model S in Neutral - Tow Mode on
page 42).
• Factory Reset: Touch Erase & Reset to
erase all personal data (saved addresses, music favorites, etc.) and
restore all customized settings to
their factory defaults.
10. Manual
Display this owners manual.Warning: Do not read the touchscreen
while driving. Doing so increases the
likelihood of a collision.
Naming Model S
To further personalize your Model S, you can
name it. The name you give your Model S will appear in the mobile app. To name your
Model S, touch the Tesla “T” at the top center
of the touchscreen, then touch Name Your
Vehicle .
When you save, Name Your Vehicle is
replaced by the name you provided. You can
touch the name at any time to rename your
Model S.
Erasing Personal Data
You can erase all personal data (saved
addresses, music favorites, imported contacts,
HomeLink programming, etc.) and restore all
customized settings to their factory defaults.
This is useful when transferring ownership of
Model S. Touch Settings > Service & Reset >
Factory Reset > Erase & Reset . Before erasing,
Model S verifies your credentials by
prompting you to enter the user name and
password associated with your MY TESLA
account.
Settings
Using the Touchscreen79

Overview of Climate ControlsThe climate controls are always available at the bottom of the touchscreen. By default, climate
control is set to Auto On, which maintains optimum comfort in all but the most severe weather conditions. When you adjust the temperature, the system automatically adjusts the heating, air
conditioning, air distribution, air circulation, and fan speed to maintain your selected temperature.
To override these settings, touch Auto On (see Customizing Climate Control on page 81).
The fan, heating, and air conditioning systems are powered by the Battery. Therefore, prolonged use decreases driving range.
Note: The following illustration is provided for demonstration purposes only. Depending on
vehicle options, software version, market region, and settings, the information displayed may be
slightly different.1. The front seats are equipped with heating
pads that operate at three levels from 3
(highest) to 1 (lowest).
When operating, the indicator turns red
and displays the setting number.
Note: If Model S is equipped with the
optional cold weather package, you can
also control seat heaters in the rear seats
as well as heated wipers by touching
Controls > Cold Weather (see Controls on
page 74). When equipped with executive seats, you can control the seat and the
backrest separately in each second row
passenger seat.
2. Touch the up or down arrow to set the
cabin temperature (from LO, 63° F to
HI, 90° F/LO, 17° C to HI, 32° C). To apply
a temperature setting to both the driver
and passenger side at the same time,
touch SYNC TEMP on the temperature
popup that appears when you touch an
arrow.
3. Automatic/Manual climate control (see
Customizing Climate Control on page
81).4. The windshield defroster distributes air
flow to the windshield and operates the
heating and fan at their maximum level.
Touch once for Normal Defrost and twice
for Max Defrost. When on, touch again to
turn off and restore the air distribution,
heating, and fan to their previous settings.
5. Turn climate control system on/off.
6. The rear window defroster warms up the
rear window* for 15 minutes, then
automatically shuts off.
*If Model S is equipped with the optional
tech package, exterior side mirrors are
also heated.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.
Climate Controls
80Model S Owner's Manual