Hidden features, tips, and emergency access

Model X tips

Hidden features & Easter eggs

• Rainbow Road

  Open Toybox and turn on Rainbow Road. With Autosteer engaged, the road in the driving visualization turns into a glowing rainbow, a nod to the Mario Kart track. Cars built before 2021 can also trigger it by pulling the cruise control stalk toward you four times quickly with Autosteer on.

  Source

• Mars navigation

  Open Toybox and choose Mars. The navigation map is replaced with a rendering of the Martian surface and the car icon becomes a Mars rover. On older software you could also press and hold the car's name in the Software screen and enter the code mars.

  Source

• Santa Mode

  Open Toybox and turn on Santa Mode, or say "Ho ho ho" as a voice command. The car icon becomes Santa's sleigh and the car plays "Run Rudolph Run" by Chuck Berry. Say "Ho ho ho, not funny" instead and it switches to "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."

  Source

• Rainbow charge port light

  While the car is plugged in, press the button on the Tesla charge handle about ten times quickly. The charge port light cycles through the colors of the rainbow for a few seconds, then returns to normal. It works with the Mobile Connector, the Wall Connector, and Superchargers. On Model S and Model X the whole charge port ring changes color.

  Source

• Emissions Testing mode (aka fart mode)

  Emissions Testing, in Toybox, is Tesla's whoopee cushion. Pick a sound and the seat it should come from, then set it off from the touchscreen or with a press of the left scroll button at the right moment.

  Source

• Romance Mode

  Also in Toybox, Romance Mode turns the screen into a crackling fireplace, plays soft music, and turns up the cabin heat. It arrived in a December 2018 software update.

  Source

• Boombox

  Boombox plays sounds, from a goat bleat to applause, through the car's external pedestrian warning speaker. A 2022 recall covering about 579,000 cars limited it to Park, so it no longer works in Drive, Neutral, or Reverse. Cars without the external speaker, including many older builds, do not have it.

  Source

• Caraoke

  Open the media player and choose Caraoke to sing along with lyrics shown on the touchscreen. Tap the microphone icon to turn the lead vocals off, leaving the instrumentals and backing vocals for you to sing over.

  Source

• Volume goes to 11

  A small nod to This Is Spinal Tap: the audio volume goes to 11.

  Source

• Holiday light show

  Model X introduced the Tesla light show: the car plays Wizards in Winter by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra while the lights flash and the front doors and falcon-wing doors open and close in time with the music. Start it from Toybox, and leave about 6 feet of clear space above and around the car.

  Source

• Ludicrous+ launch animation

  On older Model X Performance cars with Ludicrous mode (such as the P90D and P100D), select Ludicrous and hold the button for about five seconds. The screen goes dark and shows a star field rushing forward, a Spaceballs-style jump to ludicrous speed, and on P100D cars it offers Ludicrous+ with a choice between "No, I want my Mommy" and "Yes, bring it on!"

  Source

Tips

• Restart a frozen touchscreen

  If the touchscreen freezes or behaves oddly, restart it only while stopped. Shift into Park, then hold down both scroll buttons on the steering wheel until the screen turns black. The Tesla logo appears after a few seconds, and the screen is back in about 30 seconds. Pressing the brake is not needed, and this restarts only the touchscreen, not the rest of the car. On 2021 and newer cars with the yoke or round wheel, the buttons are the two scroll buttons on the yoke or wheel.

  Source

• Customize the scroll wheel long-press

  Go to Controls > Display > Scroll Wheel Function and pick what a long press of the left scroll button does, or choose Ask each time to get a quick menu instead.

  Source

• Set a daily charge limit, not 100%

  Tesla recommends a daily charge limit of 90% or less, the range the charge slider labels Daily, and charging to 100% only when a long trip needs it.

  Source

• Set up a driver profile per person

  Driver profiles save seat, mirror, and steering wheel positions, plus preferences such as temperature, lights, display, navigation, and Autopilot settings. Link a profile to your key and the car picks that profile when the linked key is detected as you approach and open the driver's door. A key can carry only one profile, but one profile can have several keys.

  Source

• Software updates need your home Wi-Fi

  Connect the car to your home Wi-Fi. Tesla says Wi-Fi gives the fastest and most reliable delivery of software updates, and some updates wait for a Wi-Fi connection before they download.

  Source

• Low-voltage battery alerts

  A separate low-voltage battery runs the car's computers, locks, and lights. Cars built from 2021 on use a lithium-ion low-voltage battery designed to last much longer than the lead-acid 12V battery in earlier cars. If the car shows a low-voltage battery alert, have it checked soon: if that battery dies, the car will not unlock or wake normally and needs external power.

  Source

Emergency access

• Manual door release, front doors

  On 2015-2020 cars, the front doors open as usual with the interior handles even without power. On 2021 and newer cars, pull up the manual release in front of the window switches and push the door open. The window does not drop automatically when you do this, so open the door gently to avoid damaging the glass or trim. Use the manual release only when there is no power, and never while the car is moving.

  Source

• Manual door release, rear doors

  The falcon-wing doors are the tricky ones: carefully remove the speaker grille from the door, pull the mechanical release cable down and toward the front of the car, then lift the door open by hand. The door is heavy, so it takes some effort.

  Source

• Jump-starting a dead low-voltage battery

  Open the frunk and pull the maintenance panel straight up to release its clips. On 2021 and newer cars, the positive (+) jump post sits under a red cover behind the wiper motor and the white, rectangular fluid reservoir, and it can be hard to spot until you look around and under them. Connect the red cable to the positive post first, then the black cable to the ground point shown in the owner's manual. Turn on the jump pack and touch the screen to wake the car. When finished, disconnect the black cable first. Connecting to the wrong post or letting the leads touch can damage the car. Earlier cars use a different layout, so follow the owner's manual for your build, including its section on opening the hood with no power if the frunk will not open.

  Source

• Tow Mode for a flatbed

  Model X must go on a flatbed, not be towed with its wheels on the ground. To let it roll onto the truck, unplug the charger, keep a key inside, hold the brake pedal, and touch Controls > Service > Towing, then Enter Tow Mode. The car stays free-rolling for winching or moving it out of a parking space, at walking pace and only for a short distance. On older cars the menu name may differ, so check the owner's manual.

  Source