brake TESLA MODEL S 2017 User Guide

Canceling and Resuming
To manually cancel
Traffic-Aware Cruise
Control, briefly push the cruise control lever
away from you or press the brake pedal. The
speedometer icon on the instrument panel
turns gray to indicate that cruise control is not
actively controlling your speed.
To resume cruising at the previously set speed,briefly pull the cruise control lever toward you.
Note: Depending on date of manufacture,
some Model S vehicles have a button on the end of the cruise control lever. Pressing this
button when cruise control is active cancels
cruise control.
Note: When
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
cancels, Model S does not coast. Instead,
regenerative braking slows down Model S in
the same way as when you move your foot
offthe accelerator when driving without cruise control (see Regenerative Braking on page
55).
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
cancels, or may not be available, in the
following situations:

Note: If you press the brake when Autopark is
actively parking Model S, the parking process pauses until you press the Resume button onthe touchscreen.
Note: Autopark detects potential
perpendicular parking spaces that are at least
9.5 feet (2.9 meters) wide with a vehicle
parked on each side. Autopark detects parallelparking spaces that are at least 20 feet (6
meters), but less than 49 feet (15 meters) long.
Autopark does not operate on angled parking spaces.Warning: Never depend on Autopark tofind a parking space that is legal, suitable,
and safe. Autopark may not always detect
objects in the parking space. Always
perform visual checks to
confirm that a
parking space is appropriate and safe.
Warning: When Autopark is actively
steering Model S, the steering wheel
moves in accordance with Autopark

alert and always pay attention to the area
in front of Model S so you can anticipate whether any action is required.Warning: Forward Collision Warning does
not operate when Model S is traveling less than 4 mph (7 km/h).Warning: Forward Collision Warning does
not provide a warning when the driver is already applying the brake.
Automatic Emergency Braking
The forward looking camera and the radar
sensor are designed to determine the distance
from any object (vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle,
or pedestrian) traveling in front of Model S.
When a frontal collision is considered
unavoidable, Automatic Emergency Braking is designed to apply the brakes to reduce the
severity of the impact, even if you are already
applying the brakes.
When Automatic Emergency Braking applies
the brakes, the instrument panel displays a visual warning and you

1. CloseTouch 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, orto remove a previously saved auto-raising location (see Smart Air Suspension on page 106).
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 172 and Jacking and Lifting on page 156).
4. Driving

Note: Manually lowering the suspension toStandard or Low while at a saved location alsoremoves the auto-raising location.
Automatic Lowering
When Model S is moving above typical
driveway or parking lot speeds, Smart Air
Suspension automatically lowers ride height to improve aerodynamics and handling. For most
average speed driving, the suspension is
automatically set to Standard. As described
above, when you make manual height adjustments, the suspension automatically
lowers at increased driving speeds.
When carrying loads, Smart Air Suspension
also maintains a level height between the front
and rear.
You can adjust the speed at which the Air
Suspension automatically transitions to the LOW ride height by touching Controls >Suspension > Automatic Lowering on the
touchscreen. This setting is saved to your
Driver
Profile.
Note: You can temporarily override the ride
height by pressing the brake pedal, touching
an air suspension control in Controls >
Suspension, and then manually choosing a
ride height. Your suspension

Cleaning the ExteriorTo prevent damage to the paint, immediately
remove corrosive substances (bird droppings, tree resin, dead insects, tar spots, road salt,
industrial fallout, etc). Do not wait until
Model S is due for a complete wash. If
necessary, use denatured alcohol to remove
tar spots and stubborn grease stains, then
immediately wash the area with water and a
mild, non-detergent soap to remove the
alcohol.
Follow these steps when washing the exterior
of Model S:
1. Rinse Thoroughly Before washing,
flush grime and grit from
the bodywork using a hose. Flush away
accumulations of mud in areas where
debris easily collects (such as wheel
arches and panel seams). If salt has been used on the highways (such as during
winter months), thoroughly rinse all traces of road salt from the underside of thevehicle.
2. Hand Wash
Hand wash Model S using a clean soft
cloth and cold or lukewarm water
containing a mild, good quality car
shampoo.
3. Rinse with Clean Water
After washing, rinse with clean water to
prevent soap from drying on the surfaces.
4. Dry Thoroughly and Clean Exterior Glass
After washing and rinsing, dry thoroughly
with a chamois.
Clean windows and mirrors using an automotive glass cleaner. Do not scrape,
or use any abrasive cleaning
fluid on glass
or mirrored surfaces.
Cautions for Exterior CleaningCaution: Do not use windshield treatmentfluids. Doing so can interfere with wiper
friction and cause a chattering sound.Caution: Do not use hot water and
detergents.Caution: In hot weather, do not wash in direct sunlight.Caution: If using a pressure washer,
maintain a distance of at least 12" (30 cm)
between the nozzle and the surface of
Model S. Keep the nozzle moving and do
not concentrate the water jet on any one
area.Caution: Do not aim water hoses directly
at window, door or hood seals, or through
wheel apertures onto brake components.Caution: Avoid using tight-napped or
rough cloths, such as washing mitts.Caution: If washing in an automatic car
wash, use Touchless car washes only. These car washes have no parts (brushes,
etc.) that touch the surfaces of Model S.
Using any other type of car wash could
cause damage that is not covered by the
warranty.Caution: Do not use chemical based
wheel cleaners. These can damage the
finish on the wheels.
Caution: Avoid using a high pressure
power washer on the rear view camera or
parking sensors (if equipped) and do not
clean a sensor or camera lens with a
sharp or abrasive object that can scratch
or damage its surface.
Cleaning
148Model S Owner

Checking Brake FluidWarning: Contact Tesla immediately if you
notice increased movement of the brake
pedal or a
significant loss of brake fluid.Driving under these conditions can result in extended stopping distances or
complete brake failure.
The Brake indicator on the
instrument panel 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.
Fluid Level Check
Tesla checks the brake
fluid level at the
regularly scheduled maintenance intervals. To
check it yourself, park Model S on level
ground. When Model S is cool, remove the
maintenance panel (see Removing the
Maintenance Panel on page 153).
Check the fluid level visually by looking at the
outside marks on the side of the reservoir
without removing the
filler cap.
The brake
fluid level should always be
between the MIN and the MAX marks.
Note: Although brake
fluid level drops slightly
during normal use as a result of brake pad
wear, it should not drop below the MIN mark.
Topping Up the Brake Fluid
Do not top up your brake
fluid. Tesla service
does this when you bring Model S in for
regular servicing. The following instructions
are provided for information purposes and future reference only:
1. Clean the filler cap before removing to
prevent dirt from entering the reservoir.
2. Unscrew the cap and remove.
3. Top up the reservoir to the MAX mark using brake
fluid meeting DOT3specifications.4. Replace the filler cap.
Warning: Only use new fluid from a sealed
air-tight container. Never use previously
used
fluid or fluid from a previously
opened container

Brakes
Type
4-wheel anti-lock braking system (ABS)
with Electronic Brake Force Distribution,
Integrated Advanced Stability Control and
Electronic Accelerator pedal actuated
regenerative braking systemCalipersFour piston fixedRotor Diameters (ventilated)Front: 13.98”/355 mm
Rear: 14.37”/365 mmFront Rotor thicknessNew: 1.26”/32 mm
Service limit: 1.18”/30 mmRear Rotor thicknessNew: 1.10”/28 mm
Service limit: 1.02”/26 mmFront Brake Pad Thickness (excluding back plate)New: 0.354”/9.0 mm
Service limit: 0.078”/2 mmRear Brake Pad Thickness (excluding back plate)New: 0.315”/8.0 mm
Service limit: 0.078”/2 mmElectronic Parking Brake (EPB) Pad Thickness
(excluding back plate). Electronic calipers self-
adjust for pad wear.New: 0.216”/5.5 mm
Service limit: 0.039”/1 mmParking brakeElectrically actuated parking brake
calipers
Suspension
FrontIndependent, double wishbone, air spring
or coil spring/telescopic damper, sway barRearIndependent, multi-link, air spring or coil
spring/telescopic damper, sway bar (air
suspension vehicles only)
Battery - 12V
Rating33 amp-hr or higherVoltage and Polarity12V negative (-) ground
Subsystems
164Model S Owner

Use a Flatbed OnlyUse a
flatbed trailer only, unless otherwisespecified by Tesla. Do not transport Model S
with the tires directly on the ground.
Caution: Damage caused by transporting is not covered by the warranty.Caution: To transport Model S, follow theinstructions exactly as described next.
Disable Self-Leveling (air
suspension vehicles only)
If Model S is equipped with Smart AirSuspension, it automatically self-levels, even
when power is
off. To prevent damage, you
must activate Jack mode to disable self- leveling:
1. Touch Controls > Suspension on the touchscreen.
2. Press the brake pedal, then touch Very High to maximize height.
3. Touch Jack.
When Jack mode is active,
Model S displays this indicator
light on the instrument panel,
along with a message telling you
that active suspension is
disabled.
Note: Jack mode cancels when Model S is
driven over 4.5 mph (7 km/h).
Warning: Failure to activate Jack mode on
a Model S equipped with Smart Air Suspension can result in the vehicle
becoming loose during transport, which
may cause
significant damage.
Activate Tow Mode
Model S may automatically shift into Park
when it detects the driver leaving the vehicle,
even if it has previously been shifted into Neutral. To keep Model S in Neutral (which
disengages the parking brake), you must use
the touchscreen to activate Tow mode:
1. Shift into Park.
2. Press the brake pedal, then on the touchscreen, touch Controls > Settings >
Service & Reset > Tow Mode.When Tow mode is active, Model S
displays this indicator light on the
instrument panel, along with a
message telling you that Model S is
free-rolling.
Note: Tow mode cancels when Model S is
shifted into Park.
Caution: If the electrical system is not
working, and you therefore cannot
release the electric parking brake,
attempt to quick start the 12V battery. For
instructions, call Tesla. If a situation
occurs where you cannot disengage the
parking brake, use tire skids or transport Model S for the shortest possible distance
using wheeled dollies. Before doing so,
always check the dolly manufacturer

AABS (Anti-lock Braking System) 54
Acceleration (dual-motor) 95
access panel, removing 153accessoriesinstalling 157
plugging into power socket 112
adaptive headlights 51
air circulation 103
air conditioning 102
air distribution 103
air
filter 105
air suspension 107
air vents 105
airbags 31
alarm 122
all-season tires 141
always connected, setting 62
anti-lock braking (ABS) 54
audioplaying files 108
steering wheel buttons 37
volume control 108
Auto High Beam 51
Auto Lane Change 76
auto-raising suspension 106
automatic emergency braking 85
Autopark 78
Autopilot 65
Autosteer 73
average range 62
B backup camera 64
battery (12V)complete discharge 130specifications 164Battery (high voltage)care of 130
coolant 153
specifications 165
temperature limits 130
battery (key), replacing 5
blind spot warning 83
Bluetoothdevices, playing audio files from 111
general information 113
phone, pairing and using 113
body repairs 157
body touch up 150
brake
fluid replacement 137
brakesautomatic in emergencies 85fluid level 154
overview of 54
specifications 164
brightness of displays 98
C Cabin Overheat Protection setting 98
cabin temperature control 102
Calendar app 120
California Proposition 65 177
camera (rear view) 64
car cover 150
car washes 148
cargo volume 162
carpets, cleaning 149
CE
certifications 179
CHAdeMO 129
chains 141
change of ownership 101
charge port 131
charge port light 134
chargingcharge settings 135
components and equipment 128
instructions 131
public charging stations 129
scheduling 135
status of 136
charging locations, finding 116
child protectiondisabling liftgate and rear door handles 7
disabling rear window switches 9child seatscleaning 149
installing and using 22
Tesla built-in rear facing 27
cleaning 148
climate controls 102
Cold Weather controls 95
collision avoidance assist 85
console12V power socket 112
cup holders 16
USB ports 111
consumption chart 62
contact informationroadside assistance 171
Tesla 178coolantBattery, checking level of 153
Battery, replacement interval 137
copyrights 175, 176
Creep 95
cruise control 67
cup holders 16
D
dashboard overview 2
Index
Index181