
6 minute read
1. Exterior lights (Lights on
Controlling Lights
Touch Controls > Lights on the touchscreen to control the lights. 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, you will notice interior lights, marker lights, tail lights, door handle lights, and puddle lights that 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. 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.
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 temporarily 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. 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. • ON: Exterior lights turn on. Warning: Always ensure that your headlights are on during low visibility conditions. Failure to do so may result in a collision. 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 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 manually 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 (only available on Model S equipped with
Autopilot components), your vehicle automatically switches from high beam headlights to low beam headlights when there is light detected in front of Model S.
See High Beam Headlights on page 55. 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 S in low lighting conditions. See
Headlights After Exit on page 55. 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. In the U.S. only, these lights turn off to conserve energy when you turn the Range mode setting on (see Controls on page 107 or Driving Tips to Maximize Range on page 75).
High Beam Headlights
Push the left-hand steering column lever away from you to turn the high beam headlights on continuously. To cancel, pull the lever towards you. To briefly flash the high beam headlights, pull the lever 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 > 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 lever 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 on and is detecting light in front of Model S. When light is no longer detected, the high beams will automatically turn back on. Warning: Auto High Beam is an aid only and is subject to limitations. It is the driver's responsibility to make sure that the headlights are always adjusted as appropriate for the weather conditions and driving circumstances.

Headlights After Exit
When you stop driving and park Model S in low lighting conditions, the exterior lights remain on. They automatically turn off after one minute or when you lock Model S. You can turn this feature on and off by touching Controls > Lights > Headlights After Exit. When Headlights After Exit is off, the headlights turn off when you engage the Park gear 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. The Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS) operates whenever headlights are on. If Model S isn't moving, or is moving in reverse, the adaptive headlights do not activate. This prevents the lights from inadvertently blinding other drivers.
If the AFS fails, the instrument panel displays an alert. Contact Tesla Service.