tow TESLA MODEL Y 2020 Owner´s Manual

Overview................................................................2
Interior Overview.............................................................................2
Exterior Overview............................................................................3
Touchscreen Overview..................................................................4
Opening and Closing.........................................8
Keys.......................................................................................................8
Doors...................................................................................................13
Windows............................................................................................15
Rear Trunk.........................................................................................16
Front Trunk.......................................................................................18
Interior Storage and Electronics...............................................21
Seating and Safety Restraints.....................25
Front and Rear Seats...................................................................25
Seat Belts.........................................................................................29
Child Safety Seats.........................................................................32
Airbags..............................................................................................37
Driving..................................................................44
Driver Profiles.................................................................................44
Steering Wheel..............................................................................46
Mirrors...............................................................................................48
Starting and Powering Off........................................................49
Gears...................................................................................................51
Lights.................................................................................................53
Car Status.........................................................................................56
Wipers and Washers....................................................................59
Braking and Stopping.................................................................60
Traction Control.............................................................................63
Park Assist.......................................................................................64
Vehicle Hold....................................................................................66
Getting Maximum Range...........................................................67
Rear View Camera........................................................................69
Dashcam...........................................................................................70
Pedestrian Warning System......................................................72
Towing and Accessories.............................................................73
Cold Weather Best Practices....................................................79
Autopilot...............................................................81
About Autopilot..............................................................................81
Tra

1.
Exterior lights (Lights on page 53)
2.
Autopilot camera (About Autopilot on page 81)
3.
Front door handle (Using Exterior Door Handles on page 13)
4.
Key card sensor (Keys on page 8), Autopilot camera (About Autopilot on page 81)
5.
Rear door handle (Using Exterior Door Handles on page 13)
6.
Charge port (Charging Instructions on page 157)
7.
Autopilot cameras (About Autopilot on page 81)
8.
Exterior mirrors (Mirrors on page 48)
9.
Radar sensor (hidden from view) (About Autopilot on page 81)
10.
Hood/front trunk (Front Trunk on page 18)
11.
Front tow eye cover (Instructions for Transporters on page 193)
12.
Wheels and tires (Wheels and Tires on page 185)
13.
Rear trunk (Rear Trunk on page 16)
14.
Rear view camera (Rear View Camera on page 69)
15.
Rear tow eye cover (Instructions for Transporters on page 193)
Exterior Overview
3Overview

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.
Opening Hood with No Power
In the unlikely event that Model Y has no 12V power, you
will be unable to open the front trunk using the touchscreen, key fob, or mobile app. To open the front trunk in this situation:
NOTE: The following will not open the front trunk if
Model Y is locked and has 12V power.
1.
Locate an external 12V power supply (such as a
portable jump starter).
2.
Release the tow eye cover by pressing firmly on the
top right perimeter of the cover until it pivots inward, then gently pulling the raised section toward you.
NOTE: Depending on production date, either the
positive or negative terminal may be attached to the tow eye cover.
3.
Pull the two wires out of the tow eye opening to
expose both terminals.
4.
Connect the 12V power supply

NOTE: Applying external 12V power to these
terminals only releases the hood latches. You cannot
charge the 12V battery using these terminals.6.
Turn on the external power supply (refer to the manufacturer’s instructions). The hood latches are immediately released and you can now open the
hood to access the front trunk area.
7.
Disconnect both cables, beginning with the black
negative (-) cable.
8.
If pulling the vehicle onto a flatbed truck, do not
replace the tow eye cover yet. If necessary, replace the tow eye cover by inserting the wires into the tow eye opening and aligning the tow eye cover into
position and turning it into place.
Front Trunk
20MODEL Y OWNER

Open the center console door below the touchscreen
and lift the phone dock upward to access the front USB ports.
Two additional USB ports are located in the rear of the center console (on vehicles manufactured since
approximately June 2020, these ports are USB-C). These ports charge USB-connected devices but do not communicate with the vehicle.
NOTE: Power is available whenever the vehicle is
considered "awake". The vehicle may be awake for
many reasons. For example, when using features such as Summon, or when features such as Cabin Overheat
Protection, Keep Climate On, Dog Mode,
Sentry Mode,
etc. are enabled. The vehicle is also awake whenever the 12V battery is being charged or is in use, during HV charging, when the vehicle is communicating with the mobile app, etc. Leaving an accessory plugged in does not deplete the 12V battery.
NOTE: Use USB 3.0 compliant cables to connect a
device to a USB port. Using non-compliant cables can result in slower charging, potential connection problems or degraded performance.
NOTE: Do not connect multiple devices using a USB
hub. This can prevent connected devices from charging or from being recognized by Media Player
, Sentry
Mode, Dashcam, etc.
Installing Phone Charging Cable
To make it easy to connect your phone while keeping
the console free of clutter, you can install a phone charging cable in
Model Y.
NOTE: The phone dock supports two phones side-by-
side.
To install a phone charging cable:
1.
Open both center console doors in front of the cup
holders.
2.
Remove the rubber mat from the phone dock.
3.
Lift the phone dock to access the USB ports.
4.
Release the cover from the base of the phone dock by sliding it to the left.
5.
Plug the USB connector on the phone charging cable into a USB port.
6.
Insert the phone end of the charging cable through the bottom of the phone dock and route the cable through the securing tabs towards the bottom of the phone dock.
Interior Storage and Electronics
22MODEL Y OWNER

Wearing Seat Belts
Using seat belts and child safety seats is the most
effective way to protect occupants if a collision occurs.
Therefore, wearing a seat belt is required by law in most jurisdictions.
Both the driver and passenger seats are equipped with three-point inertia reel seat belts. Inertia reel belts are automatically tensioned to allow occupants to move
comfortably during normal driving conditions.
To
securely hold child safety seats, all passenger seating
positions are equipped with an automatic locking
retractor (ALR) that, by pulling the seat belt beyond the
length needed for a typical adult occupant, locks the
belt into place until the seat belt is unbuckled.
The seat belt reel automatically locks to prevent
movement of occupants if
Model Y experiences a force
associated with hard acceleration, braking, cornering, or
an impact in a collision.
Seat Belt Reminders
The seat belt reminder on the
touchscreen alerts you if a seat belt for
an occupied driver or passenger seat is
unbuckled. If the belt remains
unbuckled, the reminder
flashes and an
intermittent chime sounds. If all
occupants are buckled up and the
reminder stays on, re-buckle seat belts
to ensure they are correctly latched.
Also remove any heavy objects (such as a briefcase) from an unoccupied seat. If
the reminder light continues to stay on, contact Tesla.
You can temporarily mute a seat belt reminder
associated with a rear seating position. This is useful in situations when you are carrying an object in a rear seat
that triggers the seat belt reminder alert. To mute the reminder, touch the associated seat on the seat belt reminder card that displays on the touchscreen when a seat belt reminder alert is active. When a reminder is muted, the seat belt reminder icon is replaced by a seat icon. Touch the seat again to unmute the reminder. The reminder is disabled for the current drive only.
WARNING: Seat belts must be worn by
passengers in all seating positions. Do not disable
a seat belt reminder when the seating position is
occupied by a passenger.
To Fasten a Belt
1.
Ensure correct positioning of the seat (see Correct
Driving Position on page 25).
2. Draw the belt out smoothly, ensuring the belt lays
flat across the pelvis, chest and mid-point of your
collar bone, between the neck and shoulder.
3.
Insert the latch plate into the buckle and press together until you hear a click indicating it is locked
in place.
4.
Pull the belt to check that it is securely fastened.
5.
Pull the diagonal part of the belt toward the reel to
remove excess slack.
To Adjust the Shoulder Anchor
Height
Model Y is equipped with an adjustable shoulder anchor
for each front seat to ensure that the seat belt is positioned correctly. The seat belt should lay
flat across
the mid-point of your collar bone while in the correct driving position
(see Correct Driving Position on page
25). Adjust the height of the shoulder anchor if the seat
belt is not positioned correctly:
1.
Press and hold the button on the shoulder anchor to release the locking mechanism.
2.
While holding the button, move the shoulder anchor up or down as necessary so that the seat belt is
positioned correctly.
3.
Release the button on the shoulder anchor so that it
locks into position.
Seat Belts
29Seating and Safety Restraints

5. If you turn on Auto High Beam, your vehicle
automatically switches from high beam headlights to low beam headlights when light is detected in front of
Model Y. See High Beam Headlights on page 54.
6.
If you turn on Headlights after Exit, the exterior
lights remain on for a short period of time after you stop driving and park
Model Y in low lighting
conditions. See
Headlights After Exit on page 54.
7.
If you turn on Steering Wheel Lights, the arrows
associated with the scroll buttons are backlit in low ambient lighting conditions.
Reading Lights
There are two reading lights in the second row seating
area, both above the door and next to the coat hangers (see
Coat Hangers on page 23). Turn an individual
reading light on or
off by pressing its lens. The reading
light will automatically turn
off when Model Y powers
off.
High Beam Headlights
Push the turn signal stalk away from you and release to turn the high beam headlights on continuously. To cancel, push the stalk away from you again.
To briefly flash the high beam headlights, pull the stalk
towards you and release.
The high beam headlights can automatically switch to low beam when there is light detected in front of
Model
Y (for example, from an oncoming vehicle). To turn this
feature on or
off, go to Quick Controls or touch
Controls > Lights > Auto High Beam.
NOTE: Your chosen setting is retained until you
manually change it.
In situations where Auto High Beam is turned on but
the high beams are turned
off because light is detected
in front of
Model Y, you can temporarily turn on the
high beams by pulling the turn signal stalk toward you.
The following indicator lights are visible on the touchscreen to show the status of the headlights:
Low beam headlights are on.
High beam headlights are on and Auto
High Beam is disabled or currently
unavailable.Auto High Beam is enabled and high
beams are on.
Model Y is ready to turn
off the high beams if light is detected.
Auto High Beam is enabled but high beams are not on because light is
detected in front of
Model Y. When light
is no longer detected, high beams
automatically turn back on.
WARNING: Auto High Beam is an aid only and is
subject to limitations. It is the driver

Low beam headlights are on.
High beam headlights are on and Auto
High Beam is disabled or currently
unavailable.Auto High Beam is enabled and high
beams are on.
Model Y is ready to turn
off the high beams if light is detected.
See
High Beam Headlights on page 54.
Auto High Beam is enabled but high beams are not on because light is
detected in front of
Model Y. When light
is no longer detected, high beams
automatically turn back on. See
High
Beam Headlights on page 54.
This indicator flashes amber when the
electronic stability control systems are actively minimizing wheel spin by
controlling brake pressure and motor
power. See
Traction Control on page
63. If this indicator stays illuminated, a
fault is detected (contact Tesla
immediately).
Electronic stability control systems are no longer minimizing wheel spin. See
Traction Control on page 63.
Trailer mode (if equipped) is active (see
Towing and Accessories on page 73).Vehicle Hold is actively applying the brakes. See
Vehicle Hold on page 66.
A door or trunk is open. See Doors on
page 13, Rear Trunk on page 16, or Front
Trunk on page 18.
Appears when some of the stored energy in the Battery may not be available due to cold weather conditions. If
Model Y is
plugged in, you can heat your Battery by
turning on climate control with the
mobile app. The snowflake icon
disappears when the Battery is
su

The towing package includes a 2" x 2" (5 cm x 5 cm)
hitch receiver that can support an accessory carrier (for bicycles, skis, snowboards, etc.) or tow a trailer.
Installing and Using a Carrier
When using the tow package to carry accessories, the 2"
x 2" (5 cm x 5 cm) square hitch receiver is designed to
support vertical loads of up to
160 lbs (72 kg). Ball
mounts that are compatible with the square receiver
must be purchased separately.
To install and use an accessory carrier, you must first
attach the ball mount to the hitch receiver (see
Attaching and Removing the Ball Mount on page 76).
Then, follow the instructions provided by your accessory
carrier. Observe all regulations and legal requirements in your state or region that apply to carrying accessories.
The Model Y towing package includes the wiring
necessary for using an accessory carrier equipped with lights (see
Electrical Connections on page 77). The
package also includes Trailer Mode software compatibility (see
Trailer Mode on page 75).
NOTE: Go to http://www.tesla.com to purchase
accessories for your vehicle. Although third-party products are available, Tesla recommends and supports
only Tesla-approved products (see
Parts and
Accessories on page 177). The accessory products
available for your vehicle may vary based on market
region. Before attempting to install a non Tesla-
approved carrier, review the product information to ensure compatibility.
NOTE: When not in use, the ball mount should be
removed and stored in a dry location to prevent dust and corrosion. Keep the dust cover over the hitch housing to prevent dirt and debris from entering (see
Attaching and Removing the Ball Mount on page 76).
NOTE: Tesla assumes no responsibility for damage or
injuries resulting from installing and using an accessory carrier, for any omissions in the instructions accompanying an accessory carrier, or for your failure to follow the instructions. Damage caused by using an accessory carrier is not covered by the warranty.
Carrying Accessories
The hitch receiver is designed to support vertical loads
up to
160 lbs (72 kg). When carrying bicycles, skis, or
other items on the
Model Y hitch, always check to
ensure that the maximum weight is not exceeded. When calculating weight, remember to include the weight of
the accessory carrier.
For example, assuming the carrier
weighs 40 lbs (18 kg), the weight threshold is su

NOTE: Loss of trailer lights when towing may be the
result of a fault in the trailer wiring or excessive power
consumption by the lights connected to the trailer output(s). When this occurs, a Trailer Mode icon
appears on the touchscreen. Fix any issues with the wiring and/or reduce the number of lights connected to the trailer output(s), then toggle Trailer Mode
off and
on again.
CAUTION: Always ensure that the trailer electrical
cable does not contact or drag on the ground and
there is enough slack in the cable to allow for
turns.
WARNING: Use only the electrical connections
designed by Tesla. Do not attempt to directly
splice or attempt to connect a trailer’s electrical
wiring using any other method. Doing so can
damage the vehicle