Hidden features, tips, and emergency access

Model Y tips

Hidden features & Easter eggs

• Rainbow Road

  Quickly tap the scroll wheel on the right side of the steering wheel down four times while driving. The road on the driving visualization turns into a moving rainbow for a few seconds.

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• Mars navigation

  On the map screen, tap the small icon in the corner that switches terrain data a few times in a row and the display swaps Earth's map for the surface of Mars.

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• Santa Mode

  Say "Ho ho ho" (or "Ho ho ho, not funny") to the voice assistant and the car plays along with a holiday-themed response. It's seasonal and most reliable in December.

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• Rainbow charge port light

  Press the charge port release button repeatedly in quick succession (about ten times) and the charge port's LED cycles through rainbow colors instead of its usual white or green.

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• Emissions Testing mode (aka fart mode)

  In the Toybox menu, Emissions Testing lets you tap a seat on the touchscreen to trigger a fart sound from that seat's speaker, with a menu of differently named sound effects to choose from.

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• Romance Mode

  Also in the Toybox, Romance Mode shows an animated fireplace on the screen, plays ambient music, and turns on the seat and cabin heat -- Tesla's tongue-in-cheek take on a fireplace video.

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• Boombox

  Boombox plays a sound of your choice out of the external pedestrian-warning speaker while parked -- useful for a bit of showmanship, though it's meant to be used responsibly and not while driving.

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• Caraoke

  With a Premium Connectivity subscription, the Caraoke app streams karaoke tracks with on-screen lyrics, with or without the lead vocal track, playable through the cabin speakers.

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• Volume and climate can go to 11

  A small nod to Spinal Tap: several volume and climate sliders in the interface go one notch past the expected maximum, to 11.

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• Camp Mode screensaver

  When Camp Mode is left idle, some software versions show a partially hidden illustration of a Cybertruck in the background of the display -- a small cross-model nod rather than a functional feature.

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Tips

• Restart a frozen touchscreen

  If the center touchscreen freezes or misbehaves, press and hold both steering wheel scroll buttons at the same time until the screen goes black, then let go -- it reboots in under a minute without needing to put the car in park.

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• Customize the scroll wheel long-press

  Go to Controls > Display > Scroll Wheel Function to choose what a long-press of the left scroll wheel does -- popular picks are opening the glovebox, saving dashcam footage, or adjusting cabin temperature.

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• Set a daily charge limit, not 100%

  For everyday driving, set the charge limit around 70-80% in the Charging menu and save 100% for road trips. Keeping it home-charged in that range is easier on long-term battery health than routinely charging to full.

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• Set up a driver profile per person

  Driver profiles save seat position, mirrors, steering feel, climate preferences, and Autopilot behavior per person, and switch automatically when your phone key is recognized.

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• Software updates need your home Wi-Fi

  Make sure the car connects to your home Wi-Fi network when parked -- most over-the-air software updates download much faster (and reliably) over Wi-Fi than cellular.

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• Know the 12V battery warning signs

  A small 12V (or, on Cybertruck, 48V-fed low-voltage) battery runs the car's electronics and typically lasts 3-8 years depending on climate and driving habits. Watch for a "Low voltage battery -- service soon" alert, dim interior lights, or a slow wake-up from sleep, and get it checked promptly -- once it fully dies, the car won't unlock normally.

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Emergency access

• Manual door release -- front doors

  A flat handle just ahead of the window switches pulls straight up to mechanically release the front door -- the same design used on current Model 3. Manual releases are meant only for when the car has no power; use the normal handles otherwise.

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• Manual door release -- rear doors

  Find the small panel in the rear door's map pocket (marked with a triangle-and-car icon), remove it to expose a loop, and pull the loop toward the front of the car.

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• Jump-starting a dead 12V battery

  Jump-start terminals are behind the tow-hook cover on the front bumper -- press the top-right area of the cover to pop it open and connect a portable jump starter's cables to the exposed terminals. Don't leave the jump pack connected at the bumper terminals for more than about 30 seconds. Once the frunk pops, a maintenance cover near the firewall leads to the main 12V battery if a fuller jump is needed. Exact steps can vary by model year -- the glovebox-referenced owner's manual (or tesla.com/ownersmanual) has the version for your specific car, and Tesla Roadside Assistance can talk you through it or come do it for you.

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