Autopilot - Tesla MODEL 3 Owner's Manual

Cold Weather Best Practices
Regenerative Braking
Regenerative braking can be limited if the Battery is too
cold. As you continue to drive, the Battery warms up
and regenerative power increases (see
Braking on page 62).
NOTE: Limited regenerative braking can be avoided if
you allow enough time to precondition your vehicle or
use scheduled departure before your drive, as
mentioned previously.
NOTE: Installing winter tires can result in temporarily
reduced regenerative braking power but after a short
period of driving, Model 3 recalibrates to correct this.
Blue Snowflake Icon
A blue snowflake icon appears on your
touchscreen when some of the stored energy
in the Battery is unavailable because the
Battery is cold. This portion of unavailable
energy displays in blue on the Battery meter.
Regenerative braking, acceleration, and
charging rates may be limited. The snowflake
icon no longer displays when the Battery is
sufficiently warmed.
Warming the Battery Before
Supercharging
By using Trip Planner (see
navigate to a Supercharger, Model 3 pre-heats the
Battery to ensure when you arrive at the Supercharger,
the Battery temperature is optimal and ready to charge.
This reduces the amount of time it takes to charge.

Autopilot

To ensure optimal Autopilot performance, keep the
sensors and radar free of snow, ice, mud, and dirt (see
About Autopilot on page
After Driving
Leave Model 3 plugged in when not in use. This uses
the charging system, rather than the Battery itself, to
keep the Battery warm (see
page 155).
Scheduled Departure
When parked, plug in Model 3 and set a time when you
want your vehicle to be ready to drive. Your vehicle
determines the appropriate time to begin charging so
that charging is complete and the cabin and Battery are
warm by your set departure time. For more information,
see Scheduled Charging and Scheduled Departure on
page 159.
78
Regenerative
Trip Planner on page 132) to
80).
Battery Information on
Charge Port
• If your charge port latch freezes in place and a
charging cable becomes stuck in the charge port, try
manually releasing the charge cable. See
Releasing Charge Cable on page
• Use the mobile app to precondition your vehicle on
HI to help thaw ice on the charge port latch so that
the charge cable can be removed or inserted (see
Mobile App on page 150).
NOTE: If your charge port latch is frozen in place, it may
not lock the charging cable in place when inserted, but
it can still charge at a slow AC rate even if the latch is
not engaged.
Storage
If you leave Model 3 parked for an extended period of
time, plug it into a charger to prevent normal range loss
and to keep the Battery at an optimal temperature.
Your vehicle is safe to stay plugged in for any length of
time.
When not in use, Model 3 enters a sleep mode to
conserve energy. Reduce the number of times you
check your vehicle's status on the mobile app, as this
automatically wakes up your vehicle and starts normal
energy consumption.
Removing Ice From Door Handle
In severe winter conditions, ice buildup within the door
handle can prevent the door handle from opening. The
process for freeing a Model 3 door handle is slightly
different than other door handles; you can usually
remove the ice with a few forceful bumps to the door
handle using the bottom of your fist.
CAUTION: Remove any jewelry or objects that
can damage the paint prior to performing the
procedure, and do not attempt to use tools or
excessive force.
NOTE: Preemptively applying WD-40 to the door
handle pivot pins can help prevent ice buildup inside
your door handle. See Applying WD-40 to Door Handle
Pivot Pins on page for instructions.
Perform the following to remove ice from the door
handle:
1. Forcefully press the rear-most part of the door
handle to initially try to open the door handle and
release light or moderate ice buildup.
2. Working in a circular pattern around the perimeter
of the door handle, use the bottom of your fist to
forcefully bump the door handle to break and
release the ice buildup.
Manually
157.
MODEL 3 OWNER'S MANUAL