Have you ever gotten into your Tesla, ready to hit the road, only to realize your side mirrors are completely out of whack? It's a common scenario, especially if someone else has been driving your car or you've just picked it up from service. Properly adjusted side mirrors are crucial for safe driving, giving you a clear view of your blind spots and surroundings. So, let's dive into a comprehensive guide on how to perfectly adjust those Tesla side mirrors!
Step 1: Get Ready to Adjust!
Alright, before we even touch a button, let's get ourselves in the perfect position. This is more important than you might think!
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Seat Yourself Properly: First things first, get comfortable in your driver's seat. Adjust your seat to your usual driving position – where your feet comfortably reach the pedals and your hands naturally rest on the steering wheel. This is crucial because your mirror adjustments need to be relative to your standard driving posture. If you adjust your mirrors while slouching or sitting unusually, they won't be right when you're actually driving.
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Power On Your Tesla: Make sure your Tesla is powered on. You don't need to be in drive, but the car needs to be awake for the touchscreen controls to be active.
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| How To Adjust Side Mirrors Tesla |
Step 2: Accessing the Mirror Controls on Your Touchscreen
Your Tesla's intuitive touchscreen is where all the magic happens for mirror adjustments.
2.1 Navigating to the Controls
Once you're settled and your Tesla is powered on, look at your large central display.
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Tap the 'Controls' Icon: You'll typically find a car icon or a 'Controls' tab at the bottom left of your touchscreen. Give that a tap. This will bring up a menu with various settings for your vehicle.
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Locate the 'Quick Controls' or 'Mirrors' Section: Within the 'Controls' menu, you'll see several options. Look for a section related to 'Quick Controls' or directly 'Mirrors'. On most Tesla models (like the Model 3 and Model Y), once you tap 'Controls', you'll see a visual representation of your car, and directly above the steering wheel icon, you'll often see the mirror adjustment controls.
2.2 Understanding the Mirror Icons
Once you're in the mirror adjustment screen, you'll see icons representing your left and right side mirrors. They usually look like miniature mirrors with arrows indicating directions.
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Left Mirror Selection: To adjust the driver's side mirror, tap on the icon representing the left mirror.
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Right Mirror Selection: To adjust the passenger's side mirror, tap on the icon representing the right mirror.
Step 3: The Art of Precision Mirror Adjustment ✨
Tip: Break down complex paragraphs step by step.
Now for the actual adjustment! This step requires a bit of finesse to get it just right.
3.1 Adjusting the Left (Driver's Side) Mirror
Let's start with the driver's side mirror.
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Select the Left Mirror: On your touchscreen, ensure the left mirror icon is highlighted or selected.
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Using the Scroll Wheel: Your Tesla uses the left scroll wheel on your steering wheel to make these precise adjustments. Yes, the same one you might use for volume or cruise control!
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Up/Down Motion: To move the mirror up or down, scroll the left scroll wheel up or down.
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In/Out Motion: To move the mirror inward (towards the car) or outward (away from the car), press the left scroll wheel left or right.
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The "Barely See Your Car" Rule: The goal here is to adjust the mirror so that you can just barely see the side of your own car when you lean your head slightly towards the window. If you see too much of your car, you're missing out on crucial road visibility. If you can't see any of your car, you might have too large a blind spot right next to your vehicle. Think of it as having the smallest sliver of your rear fender visible, just enough to orient yourself.
3.2 Adjusting the Right (Passenger's Side) Mirror
The process for the passenger's side mirror is identical to the driver's side.
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Select the Right Mirror: Tap on the right mirror icon on your touchscreen to select it.
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Using the Scroll Wheel: Again, use the left scroll wheel on your steering wheel.
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Up/Down Motion: Scroll up or down to move the mirror vertically.
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In/Out Motion: Press the scroll wheel left or right to move the mirror horizontally.
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Applying the Same Rule: Apply the same "barely see your car" rule. When looking at your passenger side mirror, you should just barely see the side of your car. This ensures maximum visibility of the lane next to you.
Step 4: Testing Your Adjustments and Saving Them
Once you've made your adjustments, it's time to confirm they're perfect.
4.1 Quick Check for Blind Spots
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Visual Scan: After adjusting both mirrors, do a quick visual scan. Do you have a good view of the lanes next to you? Can you see vehicles approaching from behind in both mirrors without large gaps in your field of vision?
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The "Overlap" Principle: Ideally, your side mirrors should offer a slight overlap with your rearview mirror's field of vision. This minimizes blind spots. When a car leaves your rearview mirror, it should almost immediately appear in your side mirror.
4.2 Saving Your Driver Profile (Crucial for Multiple Drivers!)
Tip: Review key points when done.
This is a fantastic feature of Teslas! If you share your car with others, or even if you just want to ensure your settings are saved, this is vital.
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Access Driver Profiles: On the touchscreen, go back to the main 'Controls' menu. You should see an icon at the top, often representing a person, which indicates 'Driver Profiles'. Tap on this.
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Select Your Profile: If you already have a profile set up (e.g., "John Doe"), make sure it's selected. If you don't, you can create a new one.
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Save Current Settings: Once your profile is active, your Tesla automatically saves your current mirror positions (along with seat, steering wheel, and other preferences) to that profile. This means the next time you select your profile, your mirrors will automatically adjust to your preferred settings! Isn't that neat?
Step 5: Understanding Mirror Auto-Tilt in Reverse ↩️
Tesla's mirrors have a clever feature that many owners appreciate: auto-tilt in reverse.
5.1 What is Auto-Tilt?
When you shift your Tesla into reverse, the side mirrors can automatically tilt downwards. This gives you a better view of curbs, parking lines, and low obstacles, making parking much easier and preventing curb rash on your beautiful wheels!
5.2 Enabling/Disabling and Adjusting Auto-Tilt
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Navigate to Mirror Settings: Go back to 'Controls' -> 'Mirrors' on your touchscreen.
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Toggle Auto-Tilt: You'll usually see an option or a checkbox labeled "Mirror Auto-Tilt" or "Auto-Dim & Fold" with a sub-option for "Auto Tilt." Tap to enable or disable this feature.
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Customizing Tilt Position: This is a neat trick! If auto-tilt is enabled, put your Tesla in reverse. The mirrors will tilt down. While in reverse, you can manually adjust the tilted position using the left scroll wheel. Once you shift out of reverse, the car will remember this custom tilted position for future reversing maneuvers. Pretty smart, right?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Tesla Side Mirrors
How to fold Tesla side mirrors?
You can fold Tesla side mirrors by going to 'Controls' -> 'Mirrors' on your touchscreen and tapping the "Fold Mirrors" button. They will also auto-fold when you lock the car if enabled in settings.
QuickTip: Skim the ending to preview key takeaways.
How to unfold Tesla side mirrors?
To unfold, go to 'Controls' -> 'Mirrors' on your touchscreen and tap the "Unfold Mirrors" button. They will also auto-unfold when you unlock the car or shift into drive if the auto-fold setting is enabled.
How to enable auto-folding mirrors on Tesla?
Go to 'Controls' -> 'Vehicle' -> 'Mirrors' and look for an option like "Auto-Fold Mirrors" or "Mirror Auto-Fold." Toggle this setting on.
How to adjust Tesla Model 3 side mirrors?
Adjust Tesla Model 3 side mirrors by going to 'Controls' -> 'Mirrors' on the touchscreen, selecting the left or right mirror, and using the left scroll wheel on the steering wheel to move them.
How to adjust Tesla Model Y side mirrors?
Adjust Tesla Model Y side mirrors exactly like the Model 3: 'Controls' -> 'Mirrors' on the touchscreen, select a mirror, and use the left scroll wheel on the steering wheel for adjustments.
How to turn off mirror auto-tilt on Tesla?
QuickTip: Pause to connect ideas in your mind.
Navigate to 'Controls' -> 'Mirrors' on your touchscreen and uncheck or toggle off the "Mirror Auto-Tilt" option.
How to set up driver profiles for mirror settings on Tesla?
Go to 'Controls' -> 'Driver Profiles' on your touchscreen, select an existing profile or create a new one, and your current mirror settings (and other preferences) will be automatically saved to that profile.
How to reset Tesla mirror settings to default?
There isn't a direct "reset to default" button for mirrors. The easiest way is to manually adjust them to a central position, or if you have a driver profile, it should revert to the last saved settings when selected.
How to clean Tesla side mirrors effectively?
Use a soft microfiber cloth and a glass cleaner specifically designed for automotive use. Spray the cleaner on the cloth first, then wipe the mirrors to avoid overspray on the car's paint.
How to troubleshoot if Tesla side mirrors are not responding?
First, ensure your Tesla is powered on and awake. If they're still unresponsive, try a soft reboot of the touchscreen (hold both scroll wheels on the steering wheel until the screen goes black). If the issue persists, contact Tesla service.
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