TESLA MODEL S 2018 Owner's Manual 

7.Displays
Manually control the brightness and the DAY (light background) or NIGHT (dark background)
setting of the touchscreen and instrument panel. When set to AUTO, the brightness changes
automatically between day and night brightness based on ambient lighting conditions. When
Auto-adjust is checked, the displays are further adjusted based on both the surroundings and
by learning your preferences (i.e. it remembers the type of manual adjustments you make).
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: The Displays settings can also be accessed from the Controls screen.
8. HomeLink (if equipped)
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 133).
9. Driver Assistance
If Model S is equipped with Driver Assistance components, you can control the features that provide a safer and more convenient driving experience (see About Driver Assistance on page
73).
10. Service & Reset
Turn various service-related features on and
off:

Overview of Climate Controls
The climate controls are always available at the bottom of the touchscreen. By default, climate control is set to Auto, 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 (see Customizing Climate Control on page 112).
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, heated wipers, and heated steering wheel by touching Controls > Cold Weather (see Controls on page 104). When equipped with the optional
executive rear 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. 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. Touch the fan icon to customize and automate climate control settings (See Customizing
Climate Control on page 112.)
4. The windshield defroster distributes air
flow to the windshield. Touch once to turn on, touch a
second time to operate the heating and fan at their maximum level, and touch a third time to
turn
off and restore the air distribution, heating, and fan to their previous settings.
5. Turn climate control system on/off.
Note: The label on this button says Keep Climate On if you have set the climate control system
to maintain your temperature settings when parked (see Customizing Climate Control on
page 112).
6. The rear window defroster warms up the rear window for 15 minutes, then automatically shuts
off. Exterior side mirrors are also heated.
Note: Depending on date of manufacture and options selected at time of purchase, some
vehicles are not equipped with a heater in the exterior side mirrors.
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
Using the Touchscreen111

Customizing Climate ControlThe climate control system is designed to automatically provide optimum comfort in most
situations. All you need to do is set the desired temperature, and the air conditioning, air
recirculation, air distribution, and fan speed automatically maintain your selected temperature. You can even keep the climate control system on while you are away from the vehicle so that the
selected temperature is maintained.
To override the automatic setting, touch AUTO to customize individual settings. Then touch the
setting you want to change. When you change a setting, the AUTO icon turns from blue to gray
and RESET AUTO displays instead. Touch RESET AUTO to change all settings on the panel back to
their defaults. Or, you can touch AUTO associated with any individual setting to change it back to
its default.
In addition to the five settings shown above (and described below), if Model S is in Park, a Climate
Timer displays below the above popup (see Keep Climate On on page 114).
1. Touch RESET AUTO to change all settings back to their default values.
2. Touch A/C ON or A/C OFF to turn the air conditioning on and
off, respectively. Turning it offreduces cooling, but saves energy.
Because Model S runs much quieter than a gasoline-powered vehicle, you may notice the
sound of the A/C compressor as it is operating. To minimize noise, reduce the fan speed.
Climate Controls
112Model S Owner

3.Choose how air is drawn into Model S:Outside air is drawn into Model S (see Ventilation on page 115). Although
less efficient than recirculating the air in very hot or cold climate
conditions, this setting draws more air into the rear seating areas, and is
recommended when occupants are seated in the Tesla built-in rear facing
child seats.Air inside Model S is recirculated. This prevents outside air (traffic fumes)
from entering, but reduces dehumidifying performance. Recirculating the
air is the most
efficient way to cool the front cabin area. To prevent the
windshield from fogging in some conditions, briefly change the setting
every hour to draw in outside air.
If your Model S is equipped with the HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate
Air) filter, you can ensure the best possible quality of air inside the cabin.
When selected, outside air is drawn in and filtered through the medical-
grade HEPA filter in addition to the secondary filtration systems. The
HEPA filter is extremely effective at removing particles, including
pollution, allergens, bacteria, pollen, mold spores, and viruses. Both the
HEPA
filter and the secondary filtration system also contain activated
carbon to remove a broad spectrum of odors and gases. When you
engage the HEPA option, the fan operates at the highest speed. In
addition, the positive pressure inside the cabin minimizes the amount of
outside air that can leak into the vehicle.
Note: Some gases, such as carbon monoxide, are not
effectively removed
by activated carbon.
4. Choose where air flows into the cabin. You can choose more than one location:
Foot-level ventsFace-level ventsWindshield vents
Note: When air is directed to the foot-level vents, approximately one third of the air continues
to flow to the windshield vents to assist in defogging. However, when air is directed to the
face-level vents, no air flows to the windshield because the air flowing through the face-level
vents may be adequate to assist in defogging the windshield.
5. Touch the arrows to set the speed of the fan.
Note: Adjusting the fan speed may change the selected setting for how air is drawn into
Model S in order to increase or reduce
airflow. If you set the fan speed very high (for example,
setting 10), Model S may automatically switch from drawing in outside air to recirculating air to achieve the high air
flow. Touch RESET AUTO to reset all settings to their default values.
Climate Controls
Using the Touchscreen113

Keep Climate OnThe Keep Climate On settings allows you to
keep your climate control system running as
long as the vehicle is in Park, even after you

Ventilation
Outside air is drawn into Model S through the
grill in front of the windshield. Keep the grill
clear of obstructions such as leaves and snow.
To direct the
flow of air inside Model S, move
the interior vents up, down, or from side to
side.
Note: You can direct the outer face level vents
toward the side windows to help defrost or
defog them.
Cabin Air Filter
Model S has an air
filter that prevents pollen,
industrial fallout, road dust and other particles
from entering through the vents. Tesla
replaces the air
filter at the regularly
scheduled maintenance intervals of every
12 months, or every 20,000 km.
Cabin Overheat Protection The climate control system can reduce cabin
temperatures in extremely hot ambient conditions for a period of up to twelve hours
after you exit Model S. When enabled, air
conditioning turns on when cabin
temperatures exceed 40

Climate Control Operating Tips

Note: If Model S is equipped with Smart Air
Suspension, you may hear the sound of the
compressor when Model S starts, as the system

Note: Manually lowering the suspension to
Standard or Low while at a saved location also
removes 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

Overview
Touch the Media Player application to listen to
Internet radio, stream music or podcasts (if
available), or play audio
files from a Bluetooth
or USB-connected device. You can play AM (if
equipped), FM (if equipped), and DAB radio (if your vehicle is equipped with the optionalsound package).
Available source content displays across the
top of Media Player: Radio, Spotify, TuneIn, and Phone. An additional source, USB,
displays when you insert a
flash drive into a
USB connection (see USB Connections on
page 122). You can browse the content
available on Media Player by touching asource, or you can use Search to
find specificcontent (see Searching within Media Player on
page 119).
The Now Playing view, which displays at thebottom of Media Player, enables you to controlwhat