Touch Controls > Lights 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, 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 or lock Model S.

Exterior Lights

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. When the ambient lighting is below a certain level, exterior lights also turn on when the wipers are active. If you change to a different setting, lights always revert to Auto on your next drive.

Touch one of these options to change and retain the exterior light setting until adjusted again or the next time you drive:

OFF

Exterior lights turn off. When driving, daytime running lights may remain on based on regulations in various market regions.

Parking lights, side marker lights, tail lights and license plate lights turn on.

Low beam headlights, side marker lights, parking lights, tail lights, and license plate lights turn on.

If equipped, the headlights automatically adjust to improve your view based on your driving speed and steering angle. When driving at lower speeds with low beam headlights on, the headlights increase lateral illumination to make pedestrians and curbs more visible and to improve visibility when turning at a dark intersection, into a driveway, or when making a u-turn.

Fog Lights

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 (if equipped) are on.

The front fog indicator displays on the instrument panel whenever the optional front fog lights are on.

Dome Lights

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.

You can also manually turn an individual dome light on or off by touching 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.

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.

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 > Auto High Beam or Controls > Lights > Auto High Beam.

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.

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 headlights from inadvertently blinding other drivers.

If the AFS fails, the instrument panel displays an alert. Contact Tesla Service.

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.

When a turn signal is operating, the corresponding turn signal indicator lights up on the instrument panel and a clicking sound can be heard.

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.

Due to weather changes, humidity levels, or recent exposure to water (such as a car wash), condensation may occasionally accumulate in your vehicle’s head or tail lights. This is normal— as the weather gets warmer and humidity decreases, condensation often disappears on its own. If you notice water buildup within the exterior lenses, or if the condensation affects the visibility of the exterior lights, contact Tesla Service.