Your Tesla touchscreen stops responding or pops up an unclear generic error code; in this situation, you have to restart Tesla. If you don’t know how to restart Tesla, don’t worry; read this article and learn how to do it.
2 Options for Tesla Restarting
Your Tesla system is unresponsive or demonstrates unusual behavior. Then, you have two options for rebooting or restarting your Tesla: the soft reboot and the hard reboot. However, the Tesla factory reset is another topic.
1. Soft Reset
A soft reset is also known as a software or full vehicle restart. It restarts the Tesla infotainment center and software while the electronics remain powered. It is just like resetting your smartphone. However, the soft reset restarts the software without cutting off your Tesla’s onboard electronics.
Furthermore, the soft reset for Tesla has two types: the touchscreen reset and the full vehicle reset. The full vehicle reset is known as the power cycling of the vehicle. It turns your Tesla off and back on with a better-engaged system.
2. Hard Reset
A hard reset is also known as a hardware restart. It disconnects the 12V battery for discharging the electronics and hooks the battery back up again. It is similar to removing and then reinserting the battery from your laptop to reset it.
NOTE: Keep in mind that you should only try the hard reboot on your Tesla if a soft reboot does not fix the issue or if you live far away from a Tesla Service Center or have experience fiddling with your Tesla’s high-voltage equipment.
How to Restart Tesla Model 3, Model Y, Model X, and Model S?
Your Tesla car requires a soft reboot (reset touchscreen or power cycling) when it is stuck on a frozen screen. But if the fault is bigger because of Tesla autopilot or charging issues, then it needs a hard reset.
Here, we have shared the steps on how to restart Tesla.
NOTE: Tesla recommends you shut your Tesla door and park it before doing the soft reset and hard reset.
Restart Tesla Touchscreen Display
- Press and hold down both scroll buttons on the steering wheel until the touch screen turns black.
- Wait approximately 30 seconds for the touchscreen and instrument clusters to refresh and restart.
- After that, if the touchscreen is still unresponsive, then try a full vehicle reset.
Power Cycling the Vehicle or a Full Vehicle Reset
Method 1
- Navigate to Controls > Safety and Security > Power Off.
- Do not touch the brake, doors, steering wheels, or touchscreen for at least 2 to 3 minutes.
- After that, press the brake or open the Tesla door.
Method 2
- Press and hold the brake pedal and buttons above the scroll wheels on either side of the steering wheel for almost 10 seconds.
- After that, the screen will turn off and then on. Once the screen turns on, release the pedal and buttons to restart Tesla.
How to Hard Reset Tesla
| Disclaimer: Do not try to hard reboot or reset the Tesla vehicles if you are unskilled with high-voltage systems. Because it can damage your vehicle, and an accidental warranty evacuation can happen. |
The mobile services perform the hard reset. But if you are far away from the mobile service centers and it is not available, use the below-mentioned method with care and don’t avoid Tesla battery life and warranty.
- Turn off the climate control system and open the driver’s window to avoid being accidentally locked out.
- Open the frunk, remove the top panel to access the 12V battery, disconnect the ground, and protect the terminal from the post to avoid contact.
- For Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X: Remove the first responder loop and wait for 2 minutes. Then, re-join the battery ground and first responder loop. After that, replace the storage unit and close the frunk.
- For Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3: Open the passenger door, attach all the backseat belts, and swipe your hand under the seats to release the clips that hold the seat down; lift the seats. Now remove the foam cover for the wire harness, disable it, and unplug it. Then, wait for at least 2 to 5 minutes and reverse the steps to replace the wire harness, foam cover, seats, 12V battery, and plastic cover in the frunk.
Is Tesla not Restarting? Try these Steps:
Now you know how to restart Tesla, but what if the above steps are not working? Use these additional steps to restart Tesla.
- Turn off anything plugged into the Tesla USB port.
- Turn off the Bluetooth connection on your smartphone when restarting Tesla.
- Remove data from the Tesla trip computer by navigating to the controls option > Trips > Reset.
- Also, remove the saved locations from the memory.
However, if all the above basic steps do not help, then contact the Tesla service center to resolve the issue.
FAQs
Q: When should I restart Tesla?
A: If the Tesla touch screen is unresponsive, functioning erratically, having network connectivity issues, software update glitches, or Tesla service tells you to turn off and then back on.
Q: What happens when you drive while restarting the Tesla?
A: Tesla recommends not driving while resetting, but you can actually do that. The driving will remain even while screens are loading during the resetting time. But when you need the screen, it will be unavailable at that time until the software loads. You will also lose the functionality of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HAVC) for a while until the software loads.
Q: What should I do when the Tesla screen reboots itself randomly?
A: If your Tesla is rebooting itself, it happen due to the memory issue; the eMMC (embedded MultiMediaCard) is probably heading to an early grave.
