traction control TESLA MODEL S 2018 Owner's Manual 

Overview............................................................. 2
Interior Overview.........................................................................2
Exterior Overview....................................................................... 3
Opening and Closing..................................... 4 Doors............................................................................................... 4Windows.........................................................................................9Rear Trunk.................................................................................... 10 Front Trunk...................................................................................13Glove Box......................................................................................15Sunroof.......................................................................................... 16Cup Holders................................................................................. 17
Seating and Safety Restraints................... 18 Front and Rear Seats............................................................... 18Seat Belts...................................................................................... 21 Child Safety Seats.................................................................... 24
Tesla Built-In Rear Facing Child Seats............................... 31 Airbags......................................................................................... 35
Driving...............................................................39 Driver
Profiles............................................................................ 39
Steering Wheel........................................................................... 41 Mirrors.......................................................................................... 44Starting and Powering
Off.................................................... 45
Gears............................................................................................. 46 Instrument Panel.......................................................................47 Lights.............................................................................................53Wipers and Washers............................................................... 58Brakes........................................................................................... 60Traction Control........................................................................ 63Park Assist.................................................................................. 64 Vehicle Hold............................................................................... 66Acceleration Modes................................................................. 67
Trip Information........................................................................ 69Getting Maximum Range...................................................... 70Rear View Camera.................................................................... 72
Driver Assistance.......................................... 73
About Driver Assistance........................................................ 73
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control............................................... 76
Autosteer..................................................................................... 82 Auto Lane Change................................................................... 85
Autopark...................................................................................... 87 Lane Assist................................................................................... 91Collision Avoidance Assist.................................................... 93Speed Assist............................................................................... 97
Using the Touchscreen............................... 99 Touchscreen Overview........................................................... 99
Controls...................................................................................... 104 Settings.......................................................................................107Climate Controls........................................................................ 111Smart Air Suspension............................................................. 117
Media and Audio...................................................................... 119 Phone...........................................................................................124 Maps and Navigation............................................................. 126Calendar.......................................................................................131Security Settings..................................................................... 132 HomeLink

IndicatorDescription
Parking lights (side marker lights, tail lights, and license plate lights) are on. See
Lights on page 53.Front fog lights (optional). See Lights on page 53.Rear fog lights. See Lights on page 53.Adaptive Front Lighting (if equipped). See Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS)
on page 56.Electronic stability control systems are actively minimizing wheel spin by
controlling brake pressure and motor power (indicator flashes). See Traction
Control on page 63. If this indicator stays illuminated, a fault is detected (contact
Tesla immediately).A Smart Air Suspension fault is detected. Contact Tesla. See Smart Air Suspension
on page 117.A brake system fault is detected or the brake fluid level is low. See Brakes on page
60. Contact Tesla immediately.Airbag safety. If this indicator does not flash on briefly when Model S prepares to
drive, or if it remains on, contact Tesla immediately. See Airbag Warning Indicator
on page 37.An ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) fault is detected. See Brakes on page 60.
Contact Tesla immediately.Instrument Panel
48Model S Owner

Braking SystemsWarning: Properly functioning braking
systems are critical to ensure safety. If you experience a problem with the brake
pedal, brake caliper, or any component of
a Model S braking system, contact Tesla
immediately.
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 beaware 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).
Automatic Emergency Braking automatically
applies full braking in situations where a
collision is considered imminent (see Automatic Emergency Braking on page 94).
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
replace the brake pads, 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 170.
Warning:
Neglecting to replace worn
brake pads damages the braking system
and can result in a braking hazard.
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 reducing or
removing pressure from the accelerator pedal
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 when your foot is
completely
off the accelerator pedal at
highway speeds), the brake lights turn on to
alert others that you are slowing down.
Brakes
60Model S Owner

Warning: In snowy or icy conditions
Model S may experience traction loss
during regenerative braking, particularly
when in the Standard setting and/or not
using winter tires. Tesla recommends
using the Low setting (see To Set the
Regenerative Braking Level on page 61)
in snowy or icy conditions to help maintain vehicle stability.
The Energy app displays real-time feedbackon the amount of energy being gained by
regenerative braking. You can also display the
power meter on either side of the instrument
panel by choosing Energy using the scroll
button on the steering wheel (see Steering
Wheel on page 41).
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. For example, regenerative braking may be limited if theBattery is already fully charged or if the
ambient temperature is too cold.
Note: If regenerative braking is limited, a
dashed yellow line displays on the power
meter.
To Set the Regenerative Braking Level
You can use the touchscreen to change the
level of regenerative braking:
1. Touch Controls > Driving > Regenerative
Braking .
2. Choose from two levels:

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 on.
Under normal conditions, it should remain on
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: 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.Warning: Traction control cannot prevent
collisions caused by driving dangerously
or turning too sharply at high speeds.
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
48 km/h or slower. Slip Start automatically
disables when the speed exceeds 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:

software reset 110
software updates 136specificationscargo volume 168
dimensions 167
exterior 167
interior 167
motor 169
subsystems 169
tires 171
weights 168
wheels 171
speed assist 97
speed limit warning 97
Sport acceleration (performance dual motor)
67
stability control 63
Standard acceleration 67
starting 45
Statutory Plate 165
steering
specifications 169
steering wheeladjusting position 41
adjusting sensitivity 41
buttons 41
heated 41
scroll wheels 41
steering, automatic
82
summer tires 151
Summon 87
sunroof 16
superchargingdescribed 146
idle fees 146
pay-per-use fees 146
suspension 118
suspension specifications 170
T
telematics 183
temperatureBattery (high voltage), limits 140
cabin, controls for 111
heated steering wheel 43
outside 47
tie-down straps 180
tilt detection 132
Tire and Loading Information label 165
tire noise 151
Tire Pressure Monitoring SystemFCC certification 186
overview of 152
tire pressures, checking 148
tiresall-season 151
balancing 149
chains 151tires (continued)inspecting and maintaining 149
pressures, how to check 148
replacing 150
replacing a tire sensor 152
rotation 149
specification 171
summer 151
tire markings 172
winter 151
toll system transponders, attaching 163
tolls, avoiding 128
torque
specifications 169
touch up body 156
touchscreenclean mode 155
cleaning 155
Controls 104
overview 99
Settings 107
software updates 136
tow eye, locating 179
Tow mode 179
towing 179
towing a trailer 166
towing instructions 179
TPMSFCC certification 186
overview of 152
traction control 63
trademarks 182
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control 76Traffic-Based Routing 128
trailer hitches 166
transmission
specifications 169
transponders, attaching 163
transporting 179
trip chart 70
trip meter 69
trip overview 128
trip planner 128
trunk, front 13
trunk, rearchild protection lock 7
disabling interior handle 7
TuneIn radio 121
turn signals 56
Typical range 107
U ultrasonic sensors 73
Unlock on Park 4
unlocking and locking doors 4
unlocking when key doesn