In addition to the lights that you can control from the touchscreen, Model S has convenience lights that turn on and off automatically based on what you are doing. For example, interior lights, marker lights, tail lights, door handle lights, and puddle lights turn on when you unlock Model S, when you open a door, and when you shift into Park. They turn off automatically after a minute or two or when you shift into a driving gear or lock Model S.
1. Exterior lights (headlights, tail lights, side marker lights, parking lights, and license plate lights) are set to AUTO each time you start Model S. When set to AUTO, exterior lights automatically turn on when driving in low lighting conditions. If you change to a different setting, lights always revert to AUTO on your next drive.
Touch one of these options to change the exterior light setting:
OFF: Exterior lights turn off until you manually turn them back on or until the next time you drive. If daytime running lights are required in your region, the exterior lights used for this purpose are always on when Drive gear is engaged.
PARKING: Only the side marker lights, parking lights, tail lights and license plate lights turn on.
ON: Exterior lights turn on.
NOTE: If daytime running lights are required in your region, the exterior lights used for this purpose are always on whenever a driving gear (Drive or Reverse) is engaged.
CAUTION: Be sure the headlights and rear lights are on during low visibility conditions (for example, when it is dark, foggy, snowy, or the road is wet, etc.). The rear tail lights are off while daytime running lights are on. Failure to do so can cause damage or serious injury.
NOTE: To comply with local traffic regulations when crossing from a left-hand traffic region to a righthand traffic region, and vice versa, headlights should be adjusted. If you plan to drive to a region that requires headlights to be adjusted, schedule a service appointment using the mobile app.
2. If equipped, touch to turn the fog lights on or off. Fog lights operate only when low beam headlights are on. When headlights are turned off, fog lights also turn off.
The rear fog indicator displays on the instrument panel whenever rear fog lights are on.
The front fog indicator displays on the instrument panel whenever the optional front fog lights are on.
NOTE: Depending on the market region and vehicle options, your vehicle may not be equipped with front and/or rear fog lights.
NOTE: In some regions, there is no control for the front fog lights. They operate in conjunction with the headlights and turn on only in situations where low beam headlights are on.
3. Turn the interior dome (map) lights on or off. If set to AUTO, all interior dome lights turn on when you unlock Model S, open a door upon exiting, or shift into Park.
NOTE: You can also manually turn an individual dome light on or off by pressing its lens. If you turn a dome light on, it turns off when Model S powers off. If Model S was already powered off when you manually turned the light on, it turns off after 60 minutes.
4. If you turn on AMBIENT LIGHTS, interior ambient lights turn on whenever the headlights are on.
5. If you turn on Auto High Beam (available only on a Model S equipped with Autopilot components), headlights automatically switch from high beam headlights to low beam headlights when light is detected in front of Model S. See High Beam Headlights on page 46.
6. If you turn on Headlights after Exit, the exterior lights remain on for one minute after you stop driving and park Model S in low lighting conditions. See Headlights After Exit on page 46.
NOTE: Model S has lights along the rim of the headlights, also referred to as "signature" lights. These lights automatically turn on whenever Model S is powered on and a driving gear is engaged.
High Beam Headlights
Push the turn signal stalk away from you to turn the high beam headlights on continuously. To cancel, pull the stalk towards you.
To briefly flash the high beam headlights, pull the stalk towards you.
The high beam headlights can automatically switch to low beam when there is light detected in front of Model S (for example, from an oncoming vehicle). To turn this feature on or off, touch Controls > Quick Controls > AUTO HIGH BEAM or Controls > Lights > AUTO HIGH BEAM.
NOTE: Your chosen setting is retained until you manually change it.
In situations where high beams are turned off because AUTO HIGH BEAM is turned on and light is detected in front of Model S, you can temporarily turn on high beams by pulling the stalk all the way toward you.
The following indicator lights are visible on the instrument panel to show the status of the headlights:
Low beam headlights are on.
High beam headlights are on. Illuminates when high beams are on but the Auto High Beam setting is turned off or if the Auto High Beam setting is turned on but is temporarily unavailable.
High beams are currently turned on, and Auto High Beam is ready to turn off the high beams if light is detected in front of Model S.
High beams are temporarily turned off because Auto High Beam is operating and light is detected in front of Model S. When light is no longer detected, high beam headlights automatically turn back on.
Warning
Auto High Beam is a convenience only and is subject to limitations. It is the driver's responsibility to make sure that headlights are always appropriately adjusted for weather conditions and driving circumstances.
Rear Reading Lights
Model S is equipped with a reading light on each side of the rear seats, located above the door and next to the coat hangers (see Coat Hangers). To turn a reading light on or off, press its lens. If you leave a reading light turned on, it automatically turns off when Model S powers off.
Headlights After Exit
When you stop driving and park Model S in low lighting conditions, exterior lights temporarily remain illuminated. They automatically turn off after one minute or when you lock Model S whichever comes first.
To turn this feature on and off, touch Controls > Lights > Headlights After Exit. When Headlights After Exit is off, the headlights turn off immediately when you engage Park and open a door.
Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS)
If equipped, the Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS) automatically adjusts the beam of the headlights to improve your driving view. Electric sensors measure driving speed, steering angle and yaw (the rotation of the car around the vertical axis) to determine the optimum position of the headlights based on current driving conditions. For example, to improve visibility while driving on winding roads at night, the AFS casts the beam in the direction of the curve. When low beam headlights are turned on and when driving at lower speeds, AFS improves lateral illumination to increase the visibility of pedestrians and curbs, and to improve visibility when turning at a dark intersection, into a driveway, or when making a u-turn.
If the AFS fails, the instrument panel displays an alert. Contact Tesla Service.
Turn Signals
Move the turn signal stalk up (before turning right) or down (before turning left). The turn signals flash three times or continuously, depending on how far up or down you move the stalk. Lightly push the stalk up or down for a three-flash sequence. For a continuous signal, push the stalk fully up or down.
The turn signals stop operating when canceled by the steering wheel, or when you return the stalk to the central position.
WARNING: When actively using Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (if equipped), engaging a turn signal can cause Model S to accelerate in specific situations (see Overtake Acceleration on page 80).
WARNING: When actively using Autosteer (if equipped), engaging a turn signal can cause Model S to change lanes (see Auto Lane Change on page 85).
Hazard Warning Flashers
To turn on the hazard warning flashers, press the button located on the side of the touchscreen closest to the steering wheel. All turn signals flash. Press again to turn off.
NOTE: Hazard warning flashers operate even without a key nearby.
