warning TESLA MODEL S 2017 (UK)  User Guide

Disabling the Passenger Front
Airbags
When a child is seated in the front passenger
seat (even when the child is seated in a child safety seat or booster seat), you must disable
the passenger front airbags to prevent them
from injuring the child if a collision occurs.
Note: Rear seats are the preferred location for
seating children in child safety seats.
To turn
off the front and side airbags on the
passenger side of the vehicle, touch Controls
> Settings > Safety & Security > Passenger
Front Airbag .
The OFF status of the front passenger airbag
displays in the upper right corner of the
touchscreen. (When the airbag is ON, no status is displayed on the touchscreen.)
If the airbag is on, even if you have turned itoff (or vice versa), contact Tesla immediately.
Note: Model S has a capacitive touchscreen and may not respond to your touch if you are
wearing standard gloves. If the touchscreen is
not responding, remove gloves or wear gloves
with conductive
fingertips for use with
capacitive touchscreens.
Warning: Never seat a child in a child
safety seat or a booster seat on the front
passenger seat when the airbag is
activated. Doing so can cause serious injury or death.Warning: If the passenger airbag control
does not appear to be functioning, do not
seat a passenger in the front seat.
Contact Tesla immediately to have the
vehicle inspected and if necessary,
repaired.Warning: Do not use seat covers on
Model S. Doing so could restrict
deployment of the side air bags if an
accident occurs.
Inflation Effects
When airbags inflate, a fine powder is
released. This powder can irritate the skin and
should be thoroughly
flushed from the eyes
and from any cuts or abrasions.
After
inflation, the airbags deflate to provide a
gradual cushioning effect for the occupants
and to ensure the driver

Airbag Warning IndicatorThe airbag indicator on the
instrument panel remains lit if the airbag system is malfunctioning. The
only time this indicator should light
up is
briefly when Model S firstpowers up, in which case it turns offwithin a few seconds. If it remains lit,
contact Tesla immediately and do
not drive.
Airbag Warnings
Warning: No objects should be placed
over or near the air bag on the instrument panel, because any such objects couldcause harm if the vehicle is in a crash
severe enough to cause the air bag to
inflate.
Warning: All occupants, including the driver, should always wear their seat belts,
whether or not an airbag is also provided
at their seating position, to minimize the
risk of severe injury or death in the event
of a collision.Warning: Front seat occupants should not
place their arms over the airbag module,
as an
inflating bag can cause fractures or
other injuries.
Warning: Do not use seat covers on
Model S. Doing so could restrict
deployment of the side air bags if an
accident occurs. It can also reduce the
accuracy of the occupant detection
system, if equipped.Warning: Airbags inflate with
considerable speed and force, which can
cause injury. To limit injuries, ensure that occupants are wearing seat belts and are
correctly seated, with the seat positioned as far back as possible.Warning: Do not use a child safety seat or
seat young children on a seat with an
operational airbag in front of it. Doing so
can cause injury or death if the airbag
inflates.
Warning: To ensure correct inflation of the
side airbags, maintain an unobstructed
gap between an occupant

Adjusting PositionAdjust the steering wheel to the desireddriving position by moving the control on the
left side of the steering column. Using this
control, you can move the steering wheel forward and backward and up and down.Warning: Do not make adjustments while
driving.
Adjusting Sensitivity
You can adjust the feel and sensitivity of the
steering system to suit your personal
preference:
1. On the touchscreen, touch Controls. 2. Choose a steering option:

IndicatorDescription
An ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) fault is detected. See Brakes on page 57.
Contact Tesla immediately.The parking brake is manually applied. See Parking Brake on page 58.A parking brake fault is detected. Contact Tesla. See Parking Brake on page 58.Vehicle Hold is actively applying the brakes. See Vehicle Hold on page 62.Tire pressure warning. The pressure of a tire is out of range. If a fault with the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is detected, the indicator flashes. For a TPMS
fault, contact Tesla. See Tire Care and Maintenance on page 139.A door or trunk is open. See Doors on page 4, Rear Trunk on page 10, or Front
Trunk on page 12.A seat belt for an occupied seat is not fastened. Note: Depending on the date of
manufacture, rear seating positions may not be equipped with a seat belt
reminder.See Seat Belts on page 19.The front passenger

IndicatorDescription
Model S is in Tow mode and can roll freely. It does not automatically shift into Park
when you exit. See Instructions for Transporters on page 173.Flashes green when the left turn signal is operating. Both turn signal indicatorsflash green when the hazard warning flashers are operating.Flashes green when the right turn signal is operating. Both turn signal indicatorsflash green when the hazard warning flashers are operating.Instrument Panel
48Model S Owner

5. If Model S is equipped with a coil suspension system, you can adjust the angle of theheadlights to accommodate the load you are carrying. You may need to lower the angle of theheadlights to avoid blinding oncoming drivers in situations when you are carrying a
significantamount of weight in the rear trunk. After touching LEVEL, drag the slider to the desiredposition:
0Headlights are not lowered. No change is needed when all front and rear seats are
occupied and only the front trunk is laden.1Headlights are lowered one level. Suitable when the front and rear seats are occupied and the rear trunk is laden.2Headlights are lowered two levels. Suitable when carrying heavy loads.
Note: Headlight adjustments are not available if Model S is equipped with Smart Air
Suspension because Model S levels automatically.
6. Exterior lights (headlights, tail lights, side marker lights, parking lights, and license plate lights) are set to AUTO each time you start Model S.
AUTOExterior lights automatically turn on when driving in low lighting
conditions. If you change to a different setting, lights always revert to this
AUTO setting on your next drive.
Touch one of these options to temporarily change the exterior light setting:
OFFExterior lights turn off until you manually turn them back on or until the
next time you drive Model S. If daytime running lights are required in your
region, the exterior lights used for this purpose do not turn
off.Only the side marker lights, parking lights, tail lights and license plate
lights turn on.Exterior lights turn on.
Note: Model S has a series of lights along the lower rim of the headlights, also referred to as
"signature" lights. These lights automatically turn on whenever Model S is powered on and a driving gear is engaged.
Warning: Always ensure that your headlamps are switched to AUTO or ON, as
appropriate, during all low visibility conditions. Failure to do so may result in a collision.
Lights
Driving53

High Beam HeadlightsPush the left-hand steering column lever away
from you. To cancel, pull the lever toward you.
If Model S is equipped with Driver Assistance
components (see About Driver Assistance on
page 68), and you have purchased the
optional Autopilot Tech Package, the high
beam headlights can automatically switch to low beam when there is light detected in front
of Model S (for example, from an oncoming vehicle or street lights). To turn this feature on,touch Controls > Auto High Beam .
Note: Your chosen setting is retained until you manually change it. It can also be saved in
your driver
profile.
In situations where high beams are turned offbecause Auto High Beam is turned on and light is detected in front of Model S, you can
temporarily turn on high beams by pulling the
lever all the way toward you.
The following indicator lights are visible on the
instrument panel when high beams are turned
on:
High beams are turned on and the
Auto High Beam setting is turned
off.
High beams are currently turned on,
and Auto High Beam is ready to turn
off the high beams if light is
detected in front of Model S.
High beams are temporarily turnedoff because Auto High Beam is on
and is detecting light in front of
Model S. When light is no longer
detected, the high beams will
automatically turn back on.
To flash the headlight high beams, pull the
lever fully toward you and release.
Warning: Auto High Beam is an aid only and is subject to limitations. It is the
driver

The turn signals stop operating when canceledby 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.Warning: If Model S is equipped with both
Autopilot hardware and the optional
Autopilot Tech Package, and
Traffic-
Aware Cruise Control is active, engaging
a turn signal can cause Model S to accelerate when using
Traffic-AwareCruise Control in specific situations (see
Overtake Acceleration on page 73).
Warning: If Model S is equipped with both
Autopilot hardware and the optional
Autopilot Tech Package, and Autosteer is active, engaging a turn signal can cause
Model S to change lanes (see Auto Lane
Change on page 79).
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 button 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
Driving55

Braking Systems
Model 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 firststart 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).
If Model S is equipped with Autopilot
hardware, Automatic Emergency Braking
automatically applies full braking in situations
where a collision is considered imminent (see
Automatic Emergency Braking on page 89).
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 S 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 stop
the squealing, 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 Brakes on page 165.
Warning: Neglecting to replace worn
brake pads results in damage to the
braking system and can create a braking
hazard.
Brakes
Driving57

How It WorksThe traction control system constantly
monitors the speed of the front and rear
wheels. If Model S experiences a loss of
traction, the system minimizes wheel spin by
controlling brake pressure and motor power.
By default, the traction control system is
always active. Under normal conditions, it should remain active to ensure maximum
safety.This indicator flashes on the
instrument panel 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: Traction control cannot prevent
accidents caused by driving dangerously
or turning too sharply at high speeds.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.
Allowing Wheel Slip
To allow the wheels to spin at a limited speed,
you can enable Slip Start. Slip Start can be
enabled only when Model S is moving 30 mph
(48 km/h) or slower. Slip Start automatically
disables when the speed exceeds 50 mph
(80 km/h).
Under normal conditions, Slip Start should not
be enabled. Enable it only in circumstances where you deliberately want the wheels tospin, such as: