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9 Things You Need to Know About Your Tesla Model 3 or Y Before Delivery

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It just might be one of the most exciting days of your life: Tesla Delivery Day. While there might be a lot to learn about your Tesla down the road, here are some quick tips to help you get from the Tesla Service Center to back home in a breeze!

1. UNLOCK AND LOCK

There are a few different ways you can do this.

  1. You get a black key card with your Tesla. Hold it up to the b pillar right under the camera and your car will unlock. The lights will blink and mirrors will fold out with the unlock. Do the same thing to lock and the mirrors will fold back in.
  2. You can set up your phone as your keycard in the app. It’ll walk you through these instructions. Once that is set up, as soon as you walk to your car and try to open the door, it’ll unlock for you. 
  3. Simply unlock and lock in the controls section of the app.
  4. The Model 3 and Y don’t come with key fobs, but you can purchase them from Tesla.

2. GETTING IN AND OUT 

  • Exterior: Use your thumb to push into the larger part of the handle and the rest of the door handle will pop out. Grab it and you can open the door. 
  • Interior: Press the button on top of the door handle with your thumb to open.

3. DRIVER PROFILES 

Creating different driver profiles is ideal if you have more than one person driving it often. You can create personalized placements for the steering wheel, mirrors, and seats with this feature. Simply press your name under driver profiles, and you’re back in your best seat.

  1. Controls
  2. Profile icon at the top
  3. Driver Profile Settings
  4. Add new driver and put in name
  5. Adjust mirrors, steering wheel, and seat. Make sure to save after each adjustment. 

4. FRUNK CLOSE 

If you switched from an ICE car, it’s easy to assume letting go and slamming is the way to go, but it’s far from it. Carefully close with two hands, applying even pressure on either side of the T. If uneven, you could risk it not latching properly or a dent.

5. ADJUSTING LIFTGATE OPENING HEIGHT FOR TRUNK

  1. After opening your trunk, move the liftgate to a good level for you.
  2. Press and hold the close button for 3 seconds until it makes a ‘ding’ noise.
  3. Press again to close.
  4. You can open it back up to test and make sure it is now at your desired height.

6. FORMAT USB FOR SENTRY MODE 

For 2022 Models, the USB is located in the glovebox. In order to use Sentry Mode right away, you need to format the drive and turn on the cameras.

  1. Controls
  2. Safety
  3. Format USB drive
  4. Once complete, go to Controls
  5. Turn on Sentry

7. HOW TO START TESLA 

  1. While holding the brake, place your key card on the center console, between the cupholders and the arm rest. Once you tap it there, you can then put it in your cupholder or somewhere safe.
  2. You can also start it from the app in controls if needed.
  3. Once your phone is connected as your keycard, it’ll be ready to go as soon as you get in with it.

Now you’re set to use the stalk to shift to the right gear and hit the road.

8. AUTOPILOT 

You must calibrate the cameras for first time use: 

  1. Controls
  2. Service
  3. Camera Calibration

Tips:

  • Once on the road, you can press the stalk down once for cruise control and twice for autopilot.
  • Scroll incrementally on the right dial of your steering wheel for 1 mph changes, and flick the dial for 5 mph changes.
  • Control the distance between cars in front of you by pushing that same dial right or left. On the bottom left of the screen, you’ll see the car distance changing.

To disengage autopilot:

  1. Tap down once on the stalk
  2. Press brake
  3. With both hands, slightly jerk wheel. This is only recommended for situations where you need to get out of it quickly.

9. CHARGE

Your service center can be pretty far away from your home, so these are some ways to make your first charging experience a breeze.

  1. Before hitting the road, look at the Supercharger route on the map to find superchargers. It’ll also let you know how much charge you’ll have left when reaching your destination. 
  2. Simply back in to the charger, press the button on the charger handle to open the port, and plug in. The T will blink green when charging. You’ll pay automatically in your Tesla app with whatever card you have on file.
  3. After you charge, press the button again to release. The T will turn white, and it’s now safe to remove and hang back up. 
  4. There is more info in our charging video, especially if you need non-tesla chargers. 

BONUS: REGENERATIVE BRAKING 

Aka: regen braking. You’ll hear this term a lot. Quick info:

  • Purpose: save energy and range 
  • Because of this feature, you tend to only use one foot for the accelerator, because once you let off the pedal, the car slows immediately as if you were pushing the brake. 
  • However, when your charge is full, it doesn’t work because it doesn’t need to save energy anymore. There’s no more range for you to acquire.

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Check out our Delivery Day Checklist before you pick up too! This guide will give you a quality checklist to review before leaving the lot. 

A STEP FURTHER

If you get home, and you have other questions about protecting, customizing, & maintaining your ride, here are a few tips below:

HOW DO I WASH IT?

DO I NEED PPF? 

HOW DO I PERSONALIZE MY TESLA?