At the Car Wash...

[Andrew Wolfe]

Car Wash problem

I took my Model S to the car wash this morning. (I know, blasphemy. I don't want to hear it)

The problem is that every time the attendant got out of the seat with the car in Neutral, the car went into park. It there a way around this? Do I need to set something differently?

 

[Jkam]

Maybe the car is trying to tell you something (i.e. don't send me through the car wash).:scared:

 

[goaliemanshark]

Perhaps we should have a car wash thread? Holy Crap is my car dirty, even after 3 days...

 

[Discoducky]

The problem is that every time the attendant got out of the seat with the car in Neutral, the car went into park. It there a way around this? Do I need to set something differently?

Nope, safety feature. Car shouldn't be moving when no one is in the drivers seat. Car washes were made for dinosaur ICE vehicles :wink:

 

[dflye]

I've taken mine to the car wash once, paid extra for the "hand wash" option to keep it off the conveyer belt. Forgot to show them how to open the frunk, have to remember that next time.

 

[Bearman]

Reading about this in another thread there might be a simple solution, try plugging in the driver seat belt and it might not go into park.

 

[KenEE]

This seems like a major problem to me. If you get 10k S's out there a lot of them are going to be put through car washes. Can't be good for either the car or the car wash to be pushing the car while in park!

And please don't say don't do it. I was at the car wash this week and saw a Panamara S go through. It IS done.
I've always either hand washed my car myself or used one of these big converyer systems.

I plan to use a mobile detailer with my S. I see him doing a great job on my neighbors mercs all the time.

BUT you know many many S owners will be putting them through Mr. Bubbles etc....

 

[Zythryn]

I use a full service detailer or a touch free car wash. I sit in the car while it is being washed, and the car sits on solid ground, no conveyor belt involved.
If the wash is only set up to wash unattended vehicles by rolling them along a conveyor belt in neutral, well I'd be looking for someone that does it differently.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

just put it in tow mode

I washed mine by hand yesterday. It is a very easy car to wash compared to most

 

[jerry33]

I washed mine by hand yesterday. It is a very easy car to wash compared to most

Because...

 

[spatterso911]

just put it in tow mode

+1. he beat me to it...

and how the heck does Zextraterrestrial have time to surf the forums when he has miles to put on his new Model S???!!

 

[jerry33]

and how the heck does Zextraterrestrial have time to surf the forums when he has miles to put on his new Model S???!!

The Model S has a browser. Don't ask, don't tell.:scared:

 

[SuperCoug]

I took my Model S to the car wash this morning. (I know, blasphemy. I don't want to hear it)

The problem is that every time the attendant got out of the seat with the car in Neutral, the car went into park. It there a way around this? Do I need to set something differently?

I've never gotten out of my car when going through a car wash. I didn't know automated washes have "attendants". Where do you go when your car is being sent through? Doesn't seem worth it to get out when it's quicker and easier to stay in.

 

[DrComputer]

The simple answer, as stated above, is to fasten the driver's seat belt. This will allow the attendant to put the car in neutral and exit without it going into park.

 

[William3]

Thanks for the tip. This was a big concern for me.

I still think it is stupid of Tesla to *ever* automatically switch from N to P.
I can't think of *any* situation where I'd want this behavior.
If I ever put the car in N then I did it for a reason.

 

[shokunin]

+1. he beat me to it...

and how the heck does Zextraterrestrial have time to surf the forums when he has miles to put on his new Model S???!!

Maybe he's driving and surfing while at stoplights looking for M5's.

 

[Andrew Wolfe]

I've never gotten out of my car when going through a car wash. I didn't know automated washes have "attendants". Where do you go when your car is being sent through? Doesn't seem worth it to get out when it's quicker and easier to stay in.

Pretty common out here in No. CA. Attendants vacuum the car, spray down and wash off any large debris, wash the inside windows, and remove any external antenna or tape down rear wipers - then they drive it to the auto-wash and get out. On the other side, they dry it and inspect it for missed spots. The good ones use fresh towels for every car.

Hand washing is discouraged here and in some places can actually get you a ticket. The autowashes recycle all of the water and are environmentally monitored while hand washing tends to send all kinds of nasty stuff into sewer drains and into the creeks and the Bay. Plenty of people do it - but you can get dirty looks from neighbors (or your own teenagers).

 

[Andrew Wolfe]

Aha - I could RTFM.

NOTE: If you use the touchscreen to release the parking brake when in P
(Park), Model S automatically shifts into Neutral. However, when you exit
Model S, it shifts into Park. To keep Model S in Neutral after exiting, power
off Model S manually using the touchscreen.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

+1. he beat me to it...

and how the heck does Zextraterrestrial have time to surf the forums when he has miles to put on his new Model S???!!

I have a car with the internet, duh. (j/k) No cell phone but...
800 miles and counting

- - - Updated - - -

Maybe he's driving and surfing while at stoplights looking for M5's.

Still haven't seen that M5 around here.
Had several people taking pictures today and someone from a car club take a picture for his blog.
Burning everything on the road, hehe

 

[dmetcalf]

I have a car with the internet, duh. (j/k) No cell phone but...
800 miles and counting

- - - Updated - - -



Still haven't seen that M5 around here.
Had several people taking pictures today and someone from a car club take a picture for his blog.
Burning everything on the road, hehe

Congrats!