Whether your Tesla is running into issues, and you’ve stumbled across this guide, or you just want to know what to do in case it happens in the future, this guide will advise you step by step on how to reboot your Tesla and hopefully fix whatever issues you’re running into.
The 4 steps to reboot a Tesla are:
- Stop the car, close all doors, and put it in park
- Navigate to Controls > Safety and Security, and select Power Off
- Wait about 5 minutes while not touching any of the controls
- Press the brake pedal to finish the rebooting process
As you can see, rebooting is fairly straightforward, but depending on your model of Tesla, the methods may differ slightly. For a more in-depth look at each model and guides on soft reboots as well as hard reboots, make sure to read on below.
When Should You Reboot Or Reset Your Tesla?
Error Messages
Tesla usually does a good job of telling you when something isn’t quite right. If you have any error messages that aren’t very specific as to what’s at fault, a reboot may help resolve the issue. If you’re having any issues with connectivity, whether that’s maps or even media streaming, a reboot will usually clear up those issues.
Unresponsive Touchscreen
If the touchscreen becomes unresponsive or isn’t registering your inputs correctly, you can attempt a full reboot to fix it. If you don’t have access to the touchscreen as a result, you can simply hold both scroll wheel buttons until the display turns off. It will come back on in a few seconds and that usually sorts it out.
Software Updates
Sometimes a software update can go wrong or will seem to stop progressing. I would recommend just waiting a bit first to see if it resolves itself, but otherwise, you could then perform a reboot. If all else fails, I recommend taking your car to a professional to see if there are deeper underlying issues.
Tesla Soft vs Hard Reboot
Soft Reboot
A soft reboot of your Tesla is essentially a restart of all the electronics without the need to open up the car. This means that the components keep their charge, avoiding the need to discharge or recharge. A soft reboot should always be your first angle of attack when it comes to any issues you suspect are related to the electronics in the car.
The Tesla model S and X can perform a soft reboot specifically for the instrument cluster and touchscreen. This can be particularly useful if you have already diagnosed that the issue lies within any of these components.
Hard Reboot
A hard reboot should only be done if a soft reboot failed to resolve your issue. To perform a hard reboot of your Tesla, you need to physically disconnect the 12 volt battery from the Tesla itself and wait for the electronic systems in the car to discharge fully before reconnecting the battery. Generally, you should have your vehicle serviced by a professional if you think it needs a hard reboot.
Hard reboots are dangerous as you need to disconnect the terminal from the post on the battery, and if it touches the body of the car or touches the terminal the situation can very quickly turn sour. This is why it’s important that you have sufficient knowledge of batteries and safety before performing a hard reboot.
How To Reboot Tesla Model 3
4 Steps To Soft Reboot Model 3
1. Stop The Car
Bring the car to a stop, ensure that all the doors are closed, and put the vehicle in park.
2. Power Off
On the touchscreen display, navigate to Controls > Safety and Security, and select Power Off. This will begin the reboot process.
3. Don’t Touch Anything
You must not touch any of the controls or push any pedals while the car is rebooting. This will take a few minutes.
4. Press The Brake
After at least two minutes have passed, push the brake pedal to finish the reboot process or simply open a door.
6 Steps To Hard Reboot Model 3
1. Disable CC
Disable the climate control system.
2. Access The Battery
Open the front trunk and remove the under-hood storage unit to reveal the 12 V battery and turn off the car.
3. Disconnect The Battery
With extreme caution, disconnect the ground and don’t let it touch the post or the body of the car. Insulate the terminal to avoid accidental grounding.
4. Access The Wire Harness
Open the rear passenger side door and lift up the seats. Take out the foam cover to reveal the wire harness.
5. Disconnect The Harness
Disconnect and unplug the harness.
6. Wait 5 Minutes
Wait for about 5 minutes before working your way backward and reassembling everything.
NOTE: Only attempt a hard reboot of your Tesla Model 3 if you fully understand how to do so safely. If you think your Tesla needs a hard reboot, we advise you visit your local service center instead. This can be a very dangerous process if you don’t know what you’re doing, and you could void your warranty.4 Steps To Reboot Tesla Model S
4 Steps To Soft Reboot Model S
1. Stop The Car
Bring the car to a stop, ensure that all the doors are closed, and put the vehicle in park.
2. Power Off
On the touchscreen display, navigate to Controls > Safety and Security, and select Power Off. This will begin the reboot process.
3. Don’t Touch Anything
You must not touch any of the controls or push any pedals while the car is rebooting. This will take a few minutes.
4. Press The Brake
After at least two minutes have passed, push the brake pedal to finish the reboot process or simply open a door.
6 Steps To Hard Reboot Model S
1. Disable CC
Disable the climate control system.
2. Access The Battery
Open the front trunk and remove the under-hood storage unit to reveal the 12 V battery.
3. Disconnect The Battery
With extreme caution, disconnect the ground and do not let the terminal and post touch, and don’t let the terminal touch the body of the car.
4. Disconnect FR Loop
Disconnect the first responder loop and wait a few minutes.
5. Reconnect
Reconnect the 12 V battery ground and first responder loop.
6. Put It Back Together
Put the storage unit or top panels back in place.
NOTE: Only attempt a hard reboot of your Tesla Model S if you fully understand how to do so safely. If you think your Tesla needs a hard reboot, we advise you visit your local service center instead. This can be a very dangerous process if you don’t know what you’re doing, and you could void your warranty.Model S Instrument Cluster & Touchscreen Reboot
1. Push The Scroll Wheels
Push and hold the two scroll wheels located on the steering wheel at the same time until the screen goes dark, then release both.
2. Let The Screen Reset
The screen will reset after about a minute, indicating that the screen and instruments have been rebooted.
4 Steps To Reboot Tesla Model Y
4 Steps To Soft Reboot Model Y
1. Stop The Car
Bring the car to a stop, ensure that all the doors are closed, and put the vehicle in park.
2. Power Off
On the touchscreen display, navigate to Controls > Safety and Security, and select Power Off. This will begin the reboot process.
3. Don’t Touch Anything
You must not touch any of the controls or push any pedals while the car is rebooting. This will take a few minutes.
4. Press The Brake
After at least two minutes have passed, push the brake pedal to finish the reboot process or simply open a door.
6 Steps To Soft Reboot Model Y
1. Disable CC
Disable the climate control system.
2. Access The Battery
Open the front trunk and remove the under-hood storage unit to reveal the 12 V battery and turn off the car.
3. Disconnect The Battery
With extreme caution, disconnect the ground and don’t let it touch the post or the body of the car. Insulate the terminal to avoid accidental grounding.
4. Access The Wire Harness
Open the rear passenger side door and lift up the seats. Take out the foam cover to reveal the wire harness.
5. Disconnect The Harness
Disconnect and unplug the harness.
6. Wait 5 Minutes
Wait for about 5 minutes before working your way backward and reassembling everything.
Note: Only attempt a hard reboot of your Tesla Model Y if you fully understand how to do so safely. If you think your Tesla needs a hard reboot, we advise you visit your local service center instead. This can be a very dangerous process if you don’t know what you’re doing, and you could void your warranty.
4 Steps To Reboot Tesla Model X
4 Steps To Soft Reboot Model X
1. Stop The Car
Bring the car to a stop, ensure that all the doors are closed, and put the vehicle in park.
2. Power Off
On the touchscreen display, navigate to Controls > Safety and Security, and select Power Off. This will begin the reboot process.
3. Don’t Touch Anything
You must not touch any of the controls or push any pedals while the car is rebooting. This will take a few minutes.
4. Press The Brake
After at least two minutes have passed, push the brake pedal to finish the reboot process or simply open a door.
6 Steps To Hard Reboot Model X
1. Disable CC
Disable the climate control system.
2. Access The Battery
Open the front trunk and remove the under-hood storage unit to reveal the 12 V battery.
3. Disconnect The Battery
With extreme caution, disconnect the ground and do not let the terminal and post touch, and don’t let the terminal touch the body of the car.
4. Disconnect FR Loop
Disconnect the first responder loop and wait a few minutes.
5. Reconnect
Reconnect the 12 V battery ground and first responder loop.
6. Put It Back Together
Put the storage unit or top panels back in place.
NOTE: Only attempt a hard reboot of your Tesla Model Y if you fully understand how to do so safely. If you think your Tesla needs a hard reboot, we advise you visit your local service center instead. This can be a very dangerous process if you don’t know what you’re doing, and you could void your warranty.Model X Instrument Cluster & Touchscreen Reboot
1. Push The Scroll Wheels
Push and hold the two scroll wheels located on the steering wheel at the same time until the screen goes dark, then release both.
2. Let The Screen Reset
The screen will reset after about a minute, indicating that the screen and instruments have been rebooted.
Final Thoughts
The reboot process for most Tesla cars is very simple and should resolve most electronic issues. The hard reboot process can be dangerous due to the exposed battery, and I would advise just bringing the car to a professional for a service of the vehicle if you think your Tesla needs a hard reboot.