
About This Manual
This manual provides a comprehensive list of fault codes and their definitions, complete with necessary illustrations and tables for the Tesla Model S. The electronic book is available in PDF format and includes 108 pages in English.
Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Alerts
A Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) is an alphanumeric identifier for a fault condition identified by the On-Board Diagnostic System (SAE International). While DTCs are commonly used in automotive diagnostics, Tesla's diagnostic process primarily relies on event-based troubleshooting via alerts.
An alert is a notification from the electronic control unit (ECU) indicating an event of interest. This can include faults, abnormal behavior, normal behavior, specific use cases (such as shifting with the foot off the brake or driving with a door open), and many other events. Unlike traditional fault-based troubleshooting, Tesla alerts focus on events.
Alerts can trigger specific behaviors or messages on the User Interface (UI) to inform the driver of actions needed due to the event. For example, if the vehicle detects that the hood is unlatched, it can alert the driver with a UI message in addition to a traditional telltale. The UI may display a telltale, make a sound, change its appearance, or show a message, depending on the associated UI behavior.
Note: Some alerts are specific to certain vehicles, configurations, or markets. These alerts correspond to firmware version 2017.48.8 and may change with new firmware updates. New firmware versions are released regularly, and not all vehicles receive updates simultaneously, so a single firmware version may not apply to all vehicles at any given time.
Here are a few examples taken from the manual that show signal descriptions and notifications
Signal Name: APP_w009_aebFault
Shown to Customer: True
Debug Text: APP_w009_aebFault
User Message: Automatic Emergency Braking Is Disabled
Chime / Notification Behavior
- Behavior Name: CLUSTER_NO_CHIME
- Shown on Cluster: False
- Sound Repeated: False
- Sound Name: ALERT_SOUND_NONE
- Icon Type: ALERT_ICON_WARNING
Signal Name: APP_w225_lcDegradedVisSpeedLmt
Shown to Customer: True
Debug Text: APP_w225_lcDegradedVisSpeedLmt
User Message: Autosteer Max Speed Is Limited: Contact Tesla Service for Manual Calibration
Chime / Notification Behavior
- Behavior Name: CLUSTER_SINGLE_CHIME
- Shown on Cluster: False
- Sound Repeated: False
- Sound Name: ALERT_SOUND_CHIME
- Icon Type: ALERT_ICON_WARNING
Signal Name: BMS_f001_HW_Over_Current
Shown to Customer: True
Debug Text: BMS_f001_HW_Over_Current
User Message: Car Needs Service: PULL OVER SAFELY
Chime / Notification Behavior
- Behavior Name: CLUSTER_SINGLE_CHIME_BATTERY_CUTOFF
- Shown on Cluster: False
- Sound Repeated: False
- Sound Name: ALERT_SOUND_CHIME
- Icon Type: ALERT_ICON_WARNING
PDF Format and Accessibility
To work with the factory file, we recommend using the Adobe Acrobat Reader application. If necessary, you can print individual pages or the entire manual.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or suggestions, please write to us.