NOTE:
When Model S starts, you may hear the sound of
the compressor as the air suspension system’s reservoir
fills with air.
Your Model S is equipped with Adaptive Air Suspension
that offers superior ride quality and allows you to
choose a softer or firmer ride based on your preference.
When carrying loads, the system also maintains a level
height between the front and rear. You can manually
adjust the ride height to suit your circumstances (for
example, you can raise Model S when you need extra
ground clearance, such as when driving on a steep
driveway or ramp, in deep snow, over large speed
bumps, parking curbs, etc.).
If a fault is detected that reduces the
performance of the adaptive air suspension
system, a yellow indicator lights up on the
instrument panel. If the problem persists,
contact Tesla.
If a fault is detected that disables the
adaptive air suspension system, a red
indicator lights up on the instrument panel.
Contact Tesla.
Adjusting Ride Height
CAUTION:
Before adjusting the suspension height,
ensure Model S is clear of all obstacles, above and
below.
You can manually adjust the ride height by pressing the
brake pedal touching
Controls
>
Suspension
on the
touchscreen. The ride height settings that are available
depend on your driving speed and other conditions (for
example, the suspension does not lower if a door is
open). Drag the slider to choose from these options:
•
Very High
- When set to
Very High
, the suspension
automatically lowers to the default ride height*
(
Medium
or Low) after driving approximately 100
feet (30 meters) or when driving speed reaches
15 mph (24 km/h). To maintain the Very High setting
for an unlimited distance until your driving speed
reaches the speed threshold, touch Keep until 15
mph.
•
High
- When set to
High
, the suspension
automatically lowers to the default ride height*
(Medium or Low) after driving approximately 100 feet
(30 meters) or when driving speed reaches 35 mph
(56 km/h). To maintain the
High
setting for an
unlimited distance until your driving speed reaches
the speed threshold, touch Keep until 35 mph.
NOTE:
You can also raise the suspension to
High
by
touching the
Raise Suspension
shortcut on the main
Controls window.
•
Medium
- The
Medium
setting ensures optimum
comfort and handling under all loading conditions.
•
Low
- Lowering the height can improve
aerodynamics, make it easier to load or unload cargo
and passengers, and improve handling.
*If the
Default Ride Height to Low
setting is turned off,
the ride height is adjusted between
Medium
and
Low
to
balance ride comfort with handling and range. To
optimize handling and range, turn on the
Default Ride
Height to Low
setting.
CAUTION:
Avoid driving aggressively (hard
accelerations, sharp turns, etc.) when the
suspension is set to
High
or
Very High
. Doing so
can cause vibration and increase the possibility of
damage.
Adaptive Suspension Damping
The settings associated with
Adaptive Suspension
Damping
provide real-time adjustments to the
suspension system to optimize both ride and handling.
Choose from:
•
Comfort
- Provides a gentler ride for a relaxed driving
experience.
•
Auto
- Adjusts to a wide range of roads and driving
styles, providing a fluid yet well controlled ride.
•
Sport
- Provides a firmer, more controlled ride that
increases driver engagement and connection to the
road.
•
Advanced
- Can be used to fine tune the suspension
by dragging individual sliders that adjust
Ride
Comfort
and
Handling
.
Touch
Show Suspension Data
to display detailed
information about the dampers for each wheel, including
ride height, compression and rebound values, and body
accelerations.
Use Comfort Damping in Autopilot
(if equipped) - By
default, damping automatically sets to the Comfort
setting when using Autopilot, and reverts back to your
chosen setting when Autopilot is no longer in use. Turn
this setting off to disable this feature.
NOTE:
Settings for Adaptive Suspension Damping are
disabled when Track Mode (if equipped) is engaged.
Track Mode automatically optimizes adaptive damping
settings to support aggressive driving on a closed circuit
driving course (see
Real-time Visualization
The image of your Model S on the Suspension screen
provides a real-time visualization of the status of the air
suspension system. In addition to visually showing
changes to the ride height, it displays Compression and
Rebound lines that reflect how the suspension system is
controlling the dampers for each wheel based on your
chosen settings and changing road conditions. Both are
Air Suspension
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MODEL S Owner's Manual
