warning light TESLA MODEL S 2020 Owner's Manual

Overview
Interior Overview
1. Interior door handles ( Opening Doors from the Interior on page 12)
2. Traffic-Aware Cruise Control ( Traffic-Aware Cruise Control on page 88) and Autosteer
( Autosteer on page 95)
3. High beams ( High Beam Headlights on page 56), Turn signals ( Turn Signals on page 57),
Wipers and washers ( Wipers and Washers on page 64)
4. Steering wheel buttons - left ( Using Left Steering Wheel Buttons on page 44)
5. Instrument panel ( Instrument Panel on page 58)
6. Steering wheel buttons - right ( Using Right Steering Wheel Buttons on page 45)
7. Gear selector ( Shifting Gears on page 52)
8. Touchscreen ( Touchscreen Overview on page 4)
9. Glovebox button ( Glove Box on page 21)
10. Cabin climate control ( Climate Controls on page 128)
11. Power window switches ( Opening and Closing on page 15)
12. Exterior mirror adjustment switches ( Mirrors on page 48)
13. Seats ( Front and Rear Seats on page 25)
14. Steering column adjuster (hidden from view in the above image) ( Steering Wheel on page
44)
15. Horn ( Horn on page 46)
16. Brakes ( Braking and Stopping on page 66)
17. Accelerator pedal ( Acceleration Modes on page 74)
18. Hazard warning lights ( Hazard Warning Flashers on page 57)
19. Cup holders ( Cup Holders on page 23)
Interior Overview
2Model S Owner

Touchscreen Overview
The main components of the touchscreen are shown here. The touchscreen is used to control
many features that, in traditional cars, are controlled using physical buttons (for example,
adjusting the heating and air conditioning, headlights, etc.). You can also use the touchscreen to
customize Model S to suit your preferences.
Warning: Always pay attention to road and traffic conditions when driving. To minimize driver
distraction and ensure the safety of vehicle occupants as well as other road users, avoid using
the touchscreen to adjust settings while the vehicle is in motion.
Note: The image below is provided for demonstration purposes only. Depending on vehicle
options, software version and market region, your touchscreen may appear slightly different.
Touchscreen Overview
4Model S Owner

Front Trunk
Opening
To open the front trunk:
1. Ensure that the area around the hood is
free of obstacles.
2. Touch the associated OPEN button on the
touchscreen ( Controls > Quick Controls ),
double-click the front trunk button on the key, or touch the front trunk button on the
mobile app.
3. Pull the hood up.
When a door or trunk/liftgate is
open, the instrument panel displays
the Door Open indicator light. The
image of your Model S on the
touchscreen also displays the open
front trunk.Warning: Before opening or closing the
hood, it is important to check that the area around the hood is free of obstacles
(people and objects). Failure to do so
may result in damage or serious injury.
Note: The front trunk locks whenever closed
and you lock Model S using either the
touchscreen or externally using the key or
mobile app, you leave Model S carrying your key (if Walk-Away Locking on page 13 is
turned on), or when Valet mode is active (see Valet Mode on page 43).
Closing
The Model S hood is not heavy enough to
latch under its own weight and applying
pressure on the front edge or center of the
hood can cause damage.
To properly close the hood:
1. Lower the hood until the striker touches
the latches.
2. Place both hands on the front of the hood
in the areas shown (in green), then press
down firmly to engage the latches.
3.
Carefully try to lift the front edge of the
hood to ensure that it is fully closed.Caution: To prevent damage:

Press the interior release button to open the
front trunk, then push up on the hood.
Note: The interior release button glows
following a brief exposure to ambient light.Warning: People should never climb
inside the front trunk. Never shut the
front trunk when a person is inside.Warning: Care should be taken to ensure
that objects inside the front trunk do not
bump against the release button, causing the trunk to accidentally open.
Front Trunk
20Model S Owner

1.Hold the child safety seat by the belt path
and try to slide the safety seat from side
to side and front to back.
2. If the seat moves more than one inch
(2.5 cm), it is too loose. Tighten the belt or
reconnect the LATCH retained child safety
seat.
3. If you are unable to reduce slack, try a
different seat location or try another child
safety seat.
Child Safety Seat WarningsWarning: Extreme hazard! Do not seat a
child on the front passenger seat even if
you are using a child safety seat. This seat
has an airbag in front of it. Although this airbag is disabled when Model S detects a
lightweight passenger, do not rely on technology to protect your child.Warning: Child restraint systems are
designed to be secured in vehicle seats
by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt. Children could be
endangered in a crash if their child restraints are not properly secured in the
vehicle.Warning: According to collision statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating positions
than in the front seating positions.Warning: Do not use a forward facing
child safety seat until your child weighs
over 20 lbs (9 kg) and can sit
independently. Up to the age of two, a
child

Caution: If the brakes are not functioning
properly, stop the vehicle as soon as safety permits and contact Tesla Service.
See Park on page 52 for information on
using the Park button to stop the vehicle
in case of emergency.Warning: Always maintain a safe driving
distance from the vehicle in front of you
and be cautious in hazardous driving
conditions. Do not rely on brake disc
wiping or hydraulic fade compensation to act as a substitute for adequate braking.
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.
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 67)
in snowy or icy conditions to help maintain vehicle stability.
The Energy app displays real-time feedback
on 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 44).
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 the Battery 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:

Use the touchscreen to manually release the
parking brake (which also shifts Model S into Neutral):
1. Touch Controls > Safety & Security .
2. Press the brake pedal, then touch Parking
Brake . If Model S was previously in Park, it
shifts into Neutral.When you use the touchscreen to
manually apply the parking brake,
the red parking brake indicator lights
up on the instrument panel.If the parking brake experiences an
electrical issue, the amber parking brake indicator lights up and a fault
message displays at the top of the
instrument panel.Caution: In the unlikely event that Model S
loses electrical power, you cannot access
the touchscreen and are therefore unable to release the parking brake. Contact
Tesla.
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 Subsystems on page 194.
Additionally, Tesla recommends cleaning and
lubricating the brake calipers every year or
12,500 miles (20,000 km) if in an area where
roads are salted during winter months.
Warning: Neglecting to replace worn
brake pads damages the braking system
and can result in a braking hazard.
Braking and Stopping
Driving69

every situation and does not replace the need
to remain attentive and in control.Warning: Keep your hands on the steering
wheel at all times. If the vehicle senses your hands are not on the steering wheel,Model S sounds a chime and the hazard
warning lights

the Battery. For example, if you are sitting in
Model S and using the touchscreen while
parked and plugged in, Model S draws energy
from the wall outlet instead of the Battery.Caution: The connector end of the charge
cable can damage the paint if dropped
onto the vehicle.
During Charging
During charging, the charge port light pulses
green, and the instrument panel displays the
charging status. The frequency at which the charge port light pulses slows down as thecharge level approaches full. When charging is
complete, the light stops pulsing and is solid
green.
Note: If Model S is locked, the charge port
light does not light up.
If the charge port light turns red while
charging, a fault is detected. Check the
instrument panel or touchscreen for a
message describing the fault. A fault can
occur due to something as common as a power outage. If a power outage occurs,
charging resumes automatically when power
is restored.
Note: When charging, particularly at high
currents, the refrigerant compressor and fan
operate as needed to keep the Battery cool.
Therefore, it is normal to hear sounds during charging.
Note: Air conditioning performance is
generally not affected by charging. However,
under certain circumstances (for example, you
are charging at high currents during a
particularly warm day), the air coming from
the vents may not be as cool as expected and
a message displays on the instrument panel.
This is normal behavior and ensures that the Battery stays within an optimum temperature
range while charging to support longevity and
optimum performance.
Warning: Never spray liquid at a high
velocity (for example, if using a pressure
washer) towards the charge port while
charging. Failure to follow these
instructions can result in serious injury or
damage to the vehicle, charging
equipment, or property.
Stopping Charging
Stop charging at any time by disconnecting
the charge cable or touching Stop Charging
on the touchscreen.
Note: To prevent unauthorized unplugging of
the charge cable, the charge cable latch remains locked and Model S must be unlockedor able to recognize your key before you can
disconnect the charge cable.
To disconnect the charge cable:
1. Press and hold the button on the
connector handle to release the latch.
Alternatively, unlock the vehicle by
opening a door, using a key fob, or
touching Stop Charging on the
touchscreen. These methods unlock the
charge port as well.
2. Pull the connector from the charge port.
3. Push the charge port door closed.
Note: If Model S is equipped with a motorized
charge port door, it automatically closes shortly after you remove the charge cable.Caution: Tesla strongly recommends
leaving Model S plugged in when not in
use. This maintains the Battery at the
optimum level of charge.
Manually Releasing Charge Cable
If the usual methods for releasing a charge
cable from the charge port (using the charge
handle release button, touchscreen, or mobile
app) do not work, carefully follow these steps:
1. Ensure that Model S is not actively
charging by displaying the charging
screen on the touchscreen. If necessary,
touch Stop Charging .
2. Open the rear trunk.
3. Open the

3.Follow the onscreen instructions.Caution: Selecting the incorrect wheel
size may result in false tire pressure
warnings. If a tire pressure warning
displays, exit the vehicle, close the
rear trunk and all doors, wait for the
touchscreen to go black, then re-
enter the vehicle and ensure that the
correct wheel size is selected before
touching Reset TPMS .
Note: On some older versions of Model S,
when changing to 21" wheels, the TPMS may
generate false tire pressure warnings. Bring
Model S to a Tesla Service Center for further
adjustment.
Warning: Do not reset the TPMS sensors
in an attempt to clear tire pressure
warnings.
Replacing a Tire Sensor
If the Tire Pressure warning indicator displays frequently, contact Tesla to determine if a tire
sensor needs to be replaced. If a non-Tesla Service Center repairs or replaces a tire, the
tire sensor may not work until Tesla performs
the setup procedure.
TPMS Malfunction
Model S has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the
system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the tire pressure
indicator light. When the system
detects a malfunction, the indicator