The following best practices can help ensure
that you have the best ownership experience
possible in harsh cold weather conditions.
Before Driving
Warm the cabin and Battery ahead of
departure for maximum range and
performance. There are several ways to
precondition your vehicle:
• Mobile app preconditioning: On the
mobile app, navigate to Climate > Turn On
Climate and set to HIor customize the
temperature at which you want to heat the
cabin, which also helps thaw ice on the
charge port latch and warms the Battery as
needed (see
Mobile App on page 186).
• Mobile app defrost: On the mobile app,
navigate to
Climate > Defrost to melt snow,
ice, and frost on the windshields, driver and
passenger windows, mirrors, and charge
port. The Battery also warms as needed.
NOTE: Tesla recommends activating the
climate settings at least 30-45 minutes
before departure (see
Climate Controls on
page 154). Preconditioning times depend
on outside temperature and other factors.
• Scheduled Departure: Use to preset a
time at which you want your vehicle to be
ready to drive (see
Scheduled Charging
and Scheduled Departure on page 197).
When snow and ice accumulate on your
vehicle, moving parts, such as the door
handles, windows, mirrors, and wipers can
freeze in place.
Door Handles
• If the door handles are frozen in place,
you can usually remove the ice with a few
forceful bumps to the door handle using
the bottom of your
fist. See Removing Ice
From Door Handle on page for more
information.
• To proactively prevent ice buildup, apply
WD-40 to the door handle pivot pins if you
are expecting freezing rain, heavy snow, or
icy conditions. Reapply as needed (see
Applying WD-40 to Door Handle Pivot Pins
on page ).
Windows
• On the mobile app, navigate to Climate >
Defrost as mentioned previously. Your
vehicle heats the driver and passenger
windows to help melt any ice that would
prevent the windows from moving.
• Model 3 automatically adjusts the window
positioning slightly to make it easier to
open the doors when ambient
temperatures are cold.
• Use the mobile app to schedule a service
appointment where Tesla can provide
hydrophobic coating to your windows for a
nominal fee.
Mirrors
If ice buildup is expected when parking, turn
o Auto-Fold Mirrors by navigating to
Controls > Mirrors > Auto-Fold. Ice can
prevent exterior side mirrors from folding or
unfolding.
NOTE: The side mirrors automatically heat as
needed during preconditioning or if the rear
defroster is activated.
Wipers
If snow or ice buildup is expected when
parking, navigate to
Controls > Service >
Wiper Service Mode > ON. This raises your
wipers so they are against the windshield and
they can defrost while the windshield defrosts
(see
Wipers and Washers on page 76).
Winter Tires and Tire Chains
• 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 on page 206).
• Tire chains provide additional traction
when driving in snowy or icy conditions.
Check your local regulations to see if tire
chains are recommended or required
during winter months. See
Using Tire
Chains on page 207 for more information.
Cold Weather Best Practices
104 MODEL 3 OWNER'S MANUAL
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