Tesla S 2014 User manual

MODEL S
OWNER’S MANUAL
V5.9
Cover - North America 5.8.2.fm Page 1 Thursday, January 16, 2014 3:10 PM

DOCUMENT APPLICABILITY
Features released in the most recent versions of software may not be described in this document but are
described in Release Notes. Display Release Notes on the touchscreen by touching the Tesla “T” at the top
center of the touchscreen, then touching the Release Notes link. If information provided in this document
conflicts with information in the Release Notes, the Release Notes take precedence.
ILLUSTRATIONS
The illustrations provided in this document are for demonstration purposes only. Depending on vehicle options,
software version and market region, the information displayed on the touchscreen in your Model S may appear
slightly different.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
All specifications and descriptions contained in this document are verified to be accurate at the time of printing.
However, because continuous improvement is a goal at Tesla, we reserve the right to make product
modifications at any time.
ERRORS OR OMISSIONS
To communicate any inaccuracies or omissions in this document, please send an email to:
[e-mail].
The Model S Owners Manual is available on the touchscreen.
To view it, touch CONTROLS > SETTINGS > MANUAL
(located in the lower left corner).
More information about your Model S is available at
www.teslamotors.com/mytesla.
To contact Tesla, call 1-877-79TESLA (1-877-798-3752).
©2012-2014 TESLA MOTORS, INC. All rights reserved.
All information in this document and all MODEL S® software is subject to copyright and other intellectual property
rights of Tesla Motors, Inc. and its licensors. This material may not be modified, reproduced or copied, in whole or in
part, without the prior written permission of Tesla Motors, Inc. and its licensors. Additional information is available
upon request. The following are trademarks or registered trademarks of Tesla Motors, Inc. in the United States and
other countries:
HOMELINK® and the HOMELINK® house icon are registered trademarks of Johnson Controls, Inc. Bluetooth® is a
registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. iPhone® is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Android™ and
Google Maps™ are trademarks of Google, Inc. Sirius, XM and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Sirius XM
Radio Inc. Pandora is a registered trademark of Pandora Media, Inc. Spotify is a registered trademark of the Spotify
Group. All other trademarks contained in this document are the property of their respective owners and their use
herein does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of their products or services. The unauthorized use of any
trademark displayed in this document or on the vehicle is strictly prohibited.
TESLA TESLA MOTORS TESLA
ROADSTER
MODEL S
Cover - North America 5.8.2.fm Page 2 Thursday, January 16, 2014 3:10 PM

Overview............................................2
Interior Overview........................................................................ 2
Exterior Overview.......................................................................3
Opening and Closing.....................4
Doors............................................................................................... 4
KeylessLockingandUnlocking4UsingtheKey4UsingExteriorDoorHandles5UsingInteriorDoorHandles6InteriorLockingandUnlocking6Child-protectionLock6Drive-awayLocking6Walk-awayLocking6UnlockingWhentheKeyDoesn'tWork7OpeningInteriorDoorswithNoPower7 Windows........................................................................................ 8
OpeningandClosing8LockingRearWindows8 Rear Trunk..................................................................................... 9
Opening9Closing9AdjustingtheOpeningHeight9InteriorRelease10OpeningwithNoPower10 Front Trunk...................................................................................11
Opening11Closing11InteriorEmergencyRelease12OpeningwithNoPower12 Glove Box..................................................................................... 13
OpeningandClosing13 Sunroof..........................................................................................14
OpeningandClosing14 Cup Holders.................................................................................15
OpeningandClosing15
Seating and Safety
Restraints......................................... 16
Front and Rear Seats...............................................................16
CorrectDrivingPosition16AdjustingtheDriver’sSeat16FoldingRearSeats17RaisingRearSeats17HeadSupports17SeatCovers17 Seat Belts......................................................................................18
WearingSeatBelts18WearingSeatBeltsWhenPregnant18SeatBeltPre-tensioners19TestingSeatBelts19SeatBeltWarnings20 Child Safety Seats..................................................................... 21
GuidelinesforSeatingChildren21ChoosingaChildSafetySeat21SeatingLargerChildren23InstallingChildSafetySeats23InstallingSeatBeltRetainedChildSeats23InstallingLATCHChildSeats24AttachingUpperTetherStraps25TestingaChildSafetySeat25Warnings-ChildSafetySeats26 Tesla Built In Rear Facing Child Seats..............................27
UsageRestrictions27Opening27Storing28SeatingaChild29Warnings-TeslaChildSeats30 Airbags.......................................................................................... 31
LocationofAirbags31HowtheAirbagsWork32TypesofAirbags32PassengerFrontAirbag33InflationEffects34AirbagWarningIndicator34AirbagWarnings34
Driving.............................................. 35
Driver Profiles............................................................................ 35
CreatingaDriverProfile35RestoringaDriver’sProfile35SavedDriverSettings35 Steering Wheel..........................................................................36
AdjustingPosition36AdjustingSensitivity36UsingLeftSteeringWheelButtons36UsingRightSteeringWheelButtons37UsingVoiceCommands37Horn38 Mirrors...........................................................................................39
AdjustingExteriorSideMirrors39RearViewMirror39 Starting and Powering Off................................................... 40
StartingModelS40PoweringOff40 Gears.............................................................................................. 41
ShiftingGears41LeavingModelSinNeutral-TowMode41 Instrument Panel.......................................................................42
InstrumentPanelOverview42IndicatorLights43 Lights............................................................................................ 47
ControllingLights47HeadlightHighBeams49HeadlightsAfterExit49CorneringLights49TurnSignals50HazardWarningFlashers50 Wipers and Washers................................................................51
Wipers51Washers51 Park Assist...................................................................................52
HowParkAssistWorks52VisualandAudioFeedback52ControllingAudibleFeedback52LimitationsandFalseWarnings52OtherParkingAids53 Trip Information........................................................................54
DisplayingTripInformation54 Getting Maximum Range.......................................................55
DrivingTipstoMaximizeRange55SavingEnergy55 Brakes........................................................................................... 56
BrakingSystems56BrakeWear56RegenerativeBraking57ParkingBrake57 Traction Control........................................................................58
HowItWorks58 Cruise Control............................................................................59
OperatingCruiseControl59ChangingtheCruisingSpeed59CancelingandResuming60 Hill Start Assist........................................................................... 61
Rear View Camera................................................................... 62
CameraLocation62
Using the Touchscreen.............. 63
Touchscreen Overview.......................................................... 63
TheBigPicture63 Controls........................................................................................65
ControllingModelSFeatures65 Settings........................................................................................ 67
CustomizingModelS67 Climate Controls.......................................................................70
OverviewofClimateControls70CustomizingClimateControl71Ventilation72ClimateControlOperatingTips72 Smart Air Suspension............................................................. 73
ManualHeightAdjustments73AutomaticHeightAdjustments73JackMode73 Media and Audio.......................................................................74
Overview74XMRadio74InternetRadio74Favorites75MyMusic&Devices75USBConnections7612VPowerSocket76 Phone............................................................................................ 77
Bluetooth®Compatibility77PairingaBluetoothPhone77ImportingContacts77UnpairingaBluetoothPhone77ConnectingtoaPairedPhone78MakingaPhoneCall78ReceivingaPhoneCall78InCallOptions78 Maps and Navigation.............................................................. 79
Overview79UsingMaps79StartingNavigation79DuringNavigation79FavoriteDestinations80 Security Settings....................................................................... 81
AbouttheSecuritySystem81 HomeLink®Universal Transceiver.......................................82
AboutHomeLink®82ProgrammingHomeLink®82 Connecting to Wi-Fi................................................................83
Software Updates.................................................................... 84
LoadingNewSoftware84ViewingReleaseNotes84 Mobile App..................................................................................85
ModelSMobileApp85
Charging..........................................86
Electric Vehicle Components.............................................. 86
HighVoltageComponents86ChargingEquipment87 Battery Information.................................................................88
AbouttheBattery88BatteryCare88 Charging Model S.....................................................................89
OpeningtheChargePort89PluggingIn89DuringCharging90StoppingCharging90ChargePortLight90ChangingChargeSettings91ChargingStatus92
Maintenance...................................93
Maintenance Schedule........................................................... 93
ServiceIntervals93DailyChecks93MonthlyChecks93FluidReplacementIntervals93HighVoltageSafety93 Tire Care and Maintenance.................................................. 94
MaintainingTirePressures94InspectingandMaintainingTires95ReplacingTiresandWheels96UsingTireChains97TirePressureMonitoring97 Temporary Tire Repair...........................................................99
TireRepairKit99InflatingwithSealantandAir100InflatingwithAirOnly101ReplacingtheSealantCanister102 Cleaning..................................................................................... 103
CleaningtheExterior103CleaningtheInterior104Polishing,TouchUp,andBodyRepair105UsingaCarCover105FloorMats105 Wiper Blades and Washer Jets.........................................106
CheckingandReplacingWiperBlades106CleaningWasherJets107 Fluid Reservoirs.......................................................................108
RemovingtheMaintenancePanel108CheckingBatteryCoolant108CheckingBrakeFluid109ToppingUpWasherFluid110 Fuses..............................................................................................111
FuseBoxLocations111ReplacingaFuse111FuseBox1112FuseBox2114FuseBox3116FuseBox4117 Jacking and Lifting..................................................................118
JackingProcedure118 Parts and Accessories............................................................119
Parts,Accessories,andModifications119BodyRepairs119
Specifications...............................120
Identification Labels.............................................................. 120
VehicleIdentificationNumber120EmissionControlLabel120 Vehicle Loading........................................................................121
LoadCapacityLabeling121CalculatingLoadLimits122TowingaTrailer123 Dimensions and Weights.....................................................124
ExteriorDimensions124Weights124 Subsystems............................................................................... 125
Motor125Transmission125Steering125Brakes126Suspension126Battery-12V126Battery-HighVoltage127 Wheels and Tires.....................................................................128
WheelSpecifications128WheelAlignmentValues128TireSpecifications129UnderstandingTireMarkings130UniformTireQualityGrading132WheelsandTiresGlossary133
Roadside Assistance................. 134
About Roadside Assistance................................................134
ContactingRoadsideAssistance134 Instructions for Transporters..............................................135
UseaFlatbedOnly135DisableSelf-Leveling(airsuspensionvehiclesonly)135ActivateTowMode135ConnecttheTowChain136PullOntotheTrailerandSecuretheWheels137
Consumer Information..............138
Disclaimers................................................................................ 138
VehicleTelematics/DataRecorders138QualityControl138AboutthisOwnerInformation138CaliforniaProposition65139 Reporting Concerns.............................................................. 140
ContactingTesla140ReportingSafetyDefects-US140ReportingSafetyDefects-Canada140 Declarations of Conformity..................................................141
KeyandPassiveUnlockingSystem141TirePressureMonitoringSystem141HomeLink141RadioFrequencyInformation141
Contents

1. Interior doors (Using Interior Door
Handles on page 6)
2. High beams (Headlight High Beams on
page 49), Turn signals (Turn Signals on
page 50) , Wipers and washers (Wipers
and Washers on page 51).
3. Cruise control (Cruise Control on page
59)
4. Steering wheel buttons - left (Using Left
Steering Wheel Buttons on page 36)
5. Instrument panel (Instrument Panel
Overview on page 42)
6. Steering wheel buttons - right (Using
Right Steering Wheel Buttons on page
37)
7. Gear selector (Shifting Gears on page
41)
8. Touchscreen (Touchscreen Overview on
page 63)
9. Glove box button (Glove Box on page
13)
10. Power window switches (Opening and
Closing on page 8)
11. Exterior mirror adjustment switches
(Mirrors on page 39)
12. Seats (Front and Rear Seats on page
16)
13. Steering column adjuster (Steering Wheel
on page 36)
14. Horn (Horn on page 38)
15. Brakes (Brakes on page 56)
16. Hazard warning lights (Hazard Warning
Flashers on page 50)
17. Cabin climate control (Climate Controls
on page 70)
18. Cup holders (Cup Holders on page 15)
Overview
2 Model S Owner's Manual

1. Exterior lights (Lights on page 47)
2. Door handles (Using Exterior Door
Handles on page 5)
3. Sunroof (Sunroof on page 14)
4. Charge port (Charging Model S on page
89)
5. Exterior mirrors (Mirrors on page 39)
6. Front trunk (Front Trunk on page 11)
7. Wheels and tires (Wheels and Tires on
page 128)
8. Rear view camera (Rear View Camera on
page 62)
9. Rear trunk/liftgate (Rear Trunk on page
9)
10. Parking sensors (Park Assist on page
52)
Overview
Overview 3

Keyless Locking and Unlocking
Model S has sensors that can recognize the
presence of a key. The sensors have a range
of approximately three feet (one meter).
If Model S is equipped with the optional tech
package, walking up to Model S when you
have your key with you automatically unlocks
the doors. Similarly, open the trunk by just
walking up to Model S with your key, then
pressing the switch located under the trunk’s
exterior handle.
Press a door handle, and it extends. Or, if the
AUTO-PRESENT HANDLES setting is turned
on (see Using Exterior Door Handles on page
5), door handles extend automatically.
If you turn on the walk-away locking setting
using the touchscreen, Model S locks when
you walk away carrying your key with you
(see Walk-away Locking on page 6).
Warning: To avoid any possibility of
interference between a pacemaker and
the keyless system's antennas, people
with implanted pacemakers should
ensure their pacemaker is kept at least
nine inches (22 cm) away from any
keyless drive antenna mounted in
Model S. Antenna locations are shown
below:
1. Center of the rear bumper.
2. Under the rear seats.
3. Center console.
4. Leftmost side of the dashboard.
5. Rightmost side of the dashboard.
6. Right Hand Drive vehicles only - at
the base of the left (passenger side)
windshield wiper.
7. Left Hand Drive vehicles only - at the
base of the right (passenger side)
windshield wiper.
8. Center of the front trunk.
Using the Key
To quickly familiarize yourself with the key,
think of the key as a miniature version of
Model S, with the Tesla badge representing
the front. The key has three buttons that feel
like softer areas on the surface.
1. Trunk
• Double-click to open the rear trunk.
• If Model S is equipped with a powered
liftgate, double-click to close the rear
trunk. You can also single-click to
stop the liftgate when it is moving.
2. Lock/Unlock All
• Double-click to unlock doors and the
rear trunk. Hazard warning lights flash
twice and door handles extend.
• Single-click to lock doors and trunks
(all doors and trunks must be closed).
Hazard warning lights flash once and
door handles retract.
3. Front trunk (also called the “frunk”)
• Double-click to open the front trunk.
You do not need to point the key at Model S,
but you must be within operating range
(which varies depending on the strength of
the key’s battery). If Model S is unable to
detect the key, the touchscreen displays a
message indicating that a key is not inside.
Place the key where Model S can best detect
it, which is below the 12V power socket (see
Key Not Inside on page 40).
Radio equipment on a similar frequency can
affect the key. If this happens, move the key
at least one foot (30 cm) away from other
electronic devices (phone, laptop, etc). If the
key does not work, you may need to change
its battery. If the key’s battery is discharged,
you can open Model S by following the
unlocking procedure. See Unlocking When the
Key Doesn't Work on page 7.
Opening and Closing
4 Model S Owner's Manual

Caution: Remember to bring the key with
you when you drive. Although you can
drive Model S away from its key, you will
be unable to power it back on after it
powers off.
Caution: Protect the key from impact,
high temperatures, and damage from
liquids. Avoid contact with solvents,
waxes and abrasive cleaners.
Replacing the Key Battery
The key’s battery lasts for approximately a
year. When the battery is low, a message
displays on the instrument panel. Follow these
steps to replace it:
1. Place the key, button side down, on a soft
surface.
2. Release the battery using a small flat
bladed tool.
3. Remove the battery by pushing it toward
the center of the key to release it from the
front retaining clips.
4. Insert the new battery (type CR2032) with
the ‘+’ side facing up. Avoid touching the
flat surfaces of the battery, and wipe the
battery clean before fitting. Finger marks
can reduce battery life.
5. Align the battery, then press the key and
battery together until they snap into
place.
Getting More Keys
If you lose a key or require an additional one,
contact Tesla. Model S can recognize up to
three keys.
When ordering a new key for Model S, take all
available keys with you for reprogramming.
Using Exterior Door Handles
A light press on a door handle extends it,
provided Model S detects a valid key nearby.
If Model S is equipped with the optional tech
package, you can set the door handles to
extend automatically whenever you approach
the driver’s side carrying the key. On the
touchscreen, touch Controls > Settings >
Vehicle > Auto-Present Handles > On.
Insert your hand into the handle and pull to
open the door.
Door handles retract if you do not use them
within one minute after they extend. Just
press a handle to extend it again. Door
handles also retract a minute after the last
door closes, when Model S begins moving,
and when you lock Model S.
Note: To preserve battery life, Model S is
designed to temporarily disable the Auto-
Present Handles feature when:
• The key has been out of range for more
than 48 hours.
• The key remains within range for five
minutes after all doors have been closed.
In these cases, extend the handles by
touching the driver’s door handle or pressing
the unlock button on the key. There is no need
to reset the setting. The next time you
approach Model S, provided the above
conditions do not apply, handles automatically
extend.
Whenever a door is open, the Door
Open indicator displays on the
instrument panel. The image of the
Model S on the touchscreen Controls
window also shows which door or
trunk is open.
Opening and Closing
Opening and Closing 5

Using Interior Door Handles
Pull the interior door handle toward you to
open the door.
Note: To prevent children from opening rear
doors using the interior handles, use the
touchscreen, Controls > Settings > Vehicle >
Child Protection Lock, to turn on the child-
protection locks (see Child-protection Lock on
page 6).
Interior Locking and Unlocking
From inside Model S, you can use the
touchscreen to lock or unlock doors and
trunks, provided a valid key is inside the
vehicle. Touch Controls > Lock/Unlock. The
current lock status displays on the bottom left
of the instrument panel.
Note: If a door or trunk is still open when you
lock Model S, it locks when you close it.
Child-protection Lock
Model S has child-protection locks on the rear
doors and liftgate to prevent them from being
opened using interior handles. Use the
touchscreen to turn child protection locks on
or off. Touch Controls > Settings > Vehicle >
Child Protection Lock.
Note: It is recommended that you turn child-
protection locks on whenever children are
seated in the rear seats.
Drive-away Locking
Model S can automatically lock all doors
(including the trunks) whenever your driving
speed exceeds 5 mph (8 km/h). To turn this
feature on or off, touch Controls > Settings >
Vehicle > Drive-Away Door Lock.
Walk-away Locking
If Model S is equipped with the optional tech
package, Model S doors and trunks can
automatically lock whenever you walk away
carrying the key.
To turn this feature on or off, touch Controls >
Settings > Vehicle > Walk-Away Door Lock.
Note: If all doors are closed and you double-
click the key to unlock Model S, walk-away
locking is temporarily suspended until the
next time you use the key to lock Model S.
This allows you to keep Model S unlocked in
your garage.
Opening and Closing
6 Model S Owner's Manual

Unlocking When the Key Doesn't
Work
If Model S does not unlock when you walk up
to it, or when you press the unlock button on
your key, the key’s battery may be dead. If
this is the case, you can still unlock and drive
Model S.
To unlock Model S (and disable the security
alarm), first position the key near the base of
the passenger side windshield wiper, as
shown. Then press the passenger door handle.
To drive Model S, place the key against the
center console, immediately below the 12V
power outlet, then press and hold the brake
pedal to turn Model S on.
For instructions on how to replace the key’s
battery, see Replacing the Key Battery on
page 5.
Note: It is important to position the key in the
correct position. If Model S doesn't unlock, try
adjusting the position of the key.
Note: Unlocking Model S using this method
disables walk-away locking. You must
manually re-enable walk-away locking after
replacing the key’s battery.
Opening Interior Doors with No
Power
If Model S has no electrical power, front doors
open as usual using the interior door handles.
To open the rear doors, fold back the edge of
the carpet below the rear seats to expose the
mechanical release cable. Pull the mechanical
release cable toward the center.
Opening and Closing
Opening and Closing 7

Opening and Closing
Press down on a switch to lower the
associated window all the way down. Window
switches operate at two levels. To lower a
window partially, hold the switch and release
when the window is at the desired position.
Similarly, pull a switch to raise the associated
window. This also operates at two levels—
when raising, hold the switch and release
when the window is at the desired position.
Warning: Before closing a power window,
it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure
that all occupants, especially children, do
not have any body parts extended
through the window’s opening. Failure to
do so can cause serious injury.
Warning: When leaving Model S, always
take your key with you. Leaving the key
in Model S allows all doors, windows, and
controls to be fully operational and can
cause hazardous, unauthorized or
unintentional use of Model S.
Locking Rear Windows
To prevent passengers from using the rear
window switches, press the rear window lock
switch. The switch light turns on. To unlock
rear windows, press the switch again.
Warning: To ensure safety, it is
recommended that you lock the rear
windows whenever children are seated in
the rear seats.
Warning: Never leave children
unattended in Model S.
Opening and Closing
8 Model S Owner's Manual