2021 Tesla Model 3 Cold Weather Best Practices Owners Manual

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.

Perform the following to remove ice from the door handle:

1. If your vehicle is equipped with black door handles, press the frontmost part of the door handle to initially try to release light or moderate ice buildup.
   

   

2. Forcefully press the rear-most part of the door handle to try to open the door handle.
3. 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.
4. Aiming for the rearmost end of the wide part of the door handle, use the bottom of your fist to forcefully bump the door handle. Increase the intensity of the bumps as necessary, repeating steps 1 through 3 until the ice is removed and the door handle can be opened.
   CAUTION

   Never bump the vehicle so hard as to cause a dent; the force used should be similar to knocking on your neighbor’s front door.

   

5. Once the door handle is able to move, open and close it a few more times to release any remaining ice buildup. Make sure the door handle is fully pressed in (retracted) prior to entering the vehicle, and check that the door is fully closed before driving away.

In severe winter conditions, applying WD-40 to door handle pivot pins can help prevent ice buildup that might immobilize the handle. Consider applying WD-40 to the door handle pivot pins if you are expecting freezing rain, heavy snow, or icy conditions. Reapply as needed.

To apply WD-40 to the door handle pivot pin:

1. Open the door handle and prop it open using a folded towel or other soft material.
2. Attach the provided straw to the nozzle of the WD-40 bottle.
3. Put on eye protection.
4. Place the end of the straw next to the pivot pin and spray it for approximately one second, taking care not to accidentally spray other components.
   Note

   Rest the end of the straw on the top of the spring around the pivot pin to better aim the spray.
   Warning

   Make sure eye protection is worn when performing this step.

   

5. Remove the towel or other soft material used to prop the door handle open.
6. Pivot the door handle in and out approximately ten times.
7. For a second time, place the end of the straw next to the pivot pin and spray it for approximately one second, taking care not to accidentally spray other components.
   Note

   Rest the end of the straw on the top of the spring around the pivot pin to better aim the spray.
8. Remove the towel or other soft material used to prop the door handle open.
9. Pivot the door handle in and out approximately ten times.
10. Perform this procedure on the other three-door handles.

• On the mobile app, navigate to Climate > Defrost as mentioned previously. Your vehicle heats the driver and passenger windows to melt ice that could prevent windows from moving.
• Model 3 automatically makes a slight adjustment to the position of the windows to make it easier to open doors in cold temperatures.
• Use the mobile app to schedule a service appointment for Tesla to provide a hydrophobic coating to your windows for a nominal fee.

If ice buildup is expected when parking, turn off Auto-Fold Mirrors. Touch Controls > Auto-Fold. Ice can prevent exterior side mirrors from folding or unfolding.

If you expect snow or ice to build up when parked, touch Controls > Service > Wiper Service Mode. This raises wipers against the windshield so they can defrost when the windshield defrosts (see Wipers and Washers). You can also turn on wiper defrosters (if equipped). See Climate Controls.

• Use winter tires to increase traction in snowy or icy conditions. You can purchase winter tires on http://www.tesla.com (see Seasonal Tire Types).
• Tire chains provide additional traction when driving in snowy or icy conditions. Check local regulations to determine if tire chains are recommended or required during winter months. See Using Tire Chains for more information.

Your vehicle’s tire pressures will drop in cold ambient temperatures. If the TPMS indicator light appears, inflate the tires before driving. The tires will lose one PSI for every 10° F (6° C) drop in the outside temperature (see Tire Care and Maintenance). Proper tire pressures help protect tires from potholes and improve range when properly inflated.

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 Regenerative Braking).

By using Trip Planner (see Trip Planner) to 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.

To ensure optimal Autopilot performance, keep the sensors free of snow, ice, mud, and dirt (see About Autopilot).

When parked, plug in Model 3 and use the Schedule settings, available on both the charging and climate control screens, to set a time when you want to precondition Model 3 (see Scheduled Charging and Scheduled Departure). Your vehicle determines the appropriate time to begin charging so it is complete during off-peak hours and the cabin and Battery are warm by your set departure time. For more information, see Scheduled Charging and Scheduled Departure.

• 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 Manually Releasing Charge Cable.
• Use the mobile app to precondition your vehicle to help thaw ice on the charge port latch so that the charge cable can be removed or inserted (see Mobile App).