Automatic Carwash - Neutral vs. Roll

[Electric > Gas]

I have researched this a lot and have watched several videos on this. Almost all advise points to doing things like:

1. folding in mirrors
2. put wipers in manual mode
3. put car into neutral
4. DO NOT lift butt from seat or unbuckle or the car could (depends who you ask) go into Park which would be awful for obvious reasons.
5. When done, light touch brake, shift to Drive, and drive away.

I've done this three times and it's pretty intimidating because the car isn't always easy to get into neutral. Also, at the end of the wash there are only about four feet between me and the car behind me and I have to flawlessly hit the brake and shift to drive or I'll get rear-ended.

Somewhere in this forum a genius named UCIBtheG said he created a profile names "Car Wash" that automated many of the steps above. The part I LOVE about his idea but am afraid to try is to change from HOLD to ROLL so he can keep the car in Drive the entire time. That solves the two scariest parts of the wash - no need to shift to Neutral and no need to hit brake to shift back into Drive at the end. The only thing to remember is to not hit the gas pedal since the car would be in Drive.

My question is this - have any of you actually used ROLL mode in a car wash? If so, does it truly work the same as being in Neutral does? I'd love to hear from others that have done this successfully before I give it a try.

By the way, I'm fully aware Tesla doesn't approve of automatic carwashes and I really don't want this to evolve into people pointing out the evils of automatic washes and/or bragging about how they hand wash their Tesla. I want to know real world experiences for other people (like me) who have made the horrible decision to use an automatic wash and are not amazing enough to hand wash their car.

 

[jpfive]

I have researched this a lot and have watched several videos on this. Almost all advise points to doing things like:

1. folding in mirrors
2. put wipers in manual mode
3. put car into neutral
4. DO NOT lift butt from seat or unbuckle or the car could (depends who you ask) go into Park which would be awful for obvious reasons.
5. When done, light touch brake, shift to Drive, and drive away.

I've done this three times and it's pretty intimidating because the car isn't always easy to get into neutral. Also, at the end of the wash there are only about four feet between me and the car behind me and I have to flawlessly hit the brake and shift to drive or I'll get rear-ended.

Somewhere in this forum a genius named UCIBtheG said he created a profile names "Car Wash" that automated many of the steps above. The part I LOVE about his idea but am afraid to try is to change from HOLD to ROLL so he can keep the car in Drive the entire time. That solves the two scariest parts of the wash - no need to shift to Neutral and no need to hit brake to shift back into Drive at the end. The only thing to remember is to not hit the gas pedal since the car would be in Drive.

My question is this - have any of you actually used ROLL mode in a car wash? If so, does it truly work the same as being in Neutral does? I'd love to hear from others that have done this successfully before I give it a try.

By the way, I'm fully aware Tesla doesn't approve of automatic carwashes and I really don't want this to evolve into people pointing out the evils of automatic washes and/or bragging about how they hand wash their Tesla. I want to know real world experiences for other people (like me) who have made the horrible decision to use an automatic wash and are not amazing enough to hand wash their car.

I can endorse the five steps you listed. They are spot on. I discovered step 4 by accident while stretching to put my wallet back in my pocket. As far as ROLL goes, most car washes specify neutral, not D. Probably for a reason. I wouldn't want to be responsible for damage to their system. At the end of the wash, allow the car to roll ahead slightly as the conveyor pushes it off, then push the brake and engage D. I use automated car washes often, and now on my second Tesla. Never had a bad experience.

 

[HeyEph]

Following this, as I am also intimidated on entry and exit every time.

 

[davraker]

My concern is mostly entry, as the wide tires/rims will have the likely chance of getting scraped up. Maybe in time this won’t matter as the rims will already be rashed. But for now, they are mainly pristine.

 

[jcanoe]

In another thread there is a discussion regarding the Tesla wipers. It appears that when the Tesla vehicle is not in Drive the wipers will stop, this would apply to Neutral. This is easy to confirm; the next time it is raining shift to Park or Neutral and confirm that the wipers have stopped. So one less thing to have to remember if you take the Tesla vehicle through an automatic car wash.

Since taking delivery of my Model Y this past June I have been washing my Tesla by hand using a soap foam cannon, 1600 PSI power washer, wash mitt and the two bucket method with a grit guard. Now that it is getting too cold to wash by hand I have switched to using Optimum No Rinse (ONR) Wash and Shine, once a week. Using ONR I can wash the Model Y, parked inside my garage, in about a half an hour. If I need to wash off road salt, when it is too cold to turn on the water to the hose bib, I plan to use the high pressure wand at the local car wash and then use ONR to finish.

Shortly after receiving my Model Y, I asked a Model 3 owner whose vehicle looked very clean how they washed their Tesla. They said they washed their Model 3 at home or at the nearby automatic car wash. They said it was their second Model 3, they never had an issue with damaging the paint, wheels etc. at the automatic car wash. I have used this automatic car wash with other vehicles I have owned, it is not a touch less wash.

My Tesla Vehicle Washing Protocol
1st year; new car - no way I would ever use an automated car wash; hand wash only
After 1st year - thinking about using an automated car wash, continuing to wash car at home
After 2nd year - might use an automated car wash in winter, otherwise continue to wash car at home
After 3rd year - would use an automated car wash, sometimes wash car at home
After 4th year - meh, who cares; do whatever is most convenient

 

[frankvb]

I did not fold the mirrors - for those who recommend that, why is this better?

 

[jcanoe]

I did not fold the mirrors - for those who recommend that, why is this better?

Usually the Car Wash will post a set of instructions such as removing antennas, any loose exterior automotive accessories. This includes folding in any side mirrors that can fold. This is most important for trucks as the side mirrors stick way out especially if the vehicle is configured for towing a long trailer. I have owned vehicles that had mirrors that could fold, those with fixed mirrors.

 

[52 16 57 39]

No first hand experience yet... but as ski season approaches - I’ll be heading into an auto car wash soon - so I’m reading and educating.

 

[aronth5]

Touchless car wash only that way I don't have to worry about anything.

 

[jcanoe]

Touchless car wash only that way I don't have to worry about anything.

Model Y owners who have taken their Tesla through a touchless car wash report that the process leaves a brown stain or sometimes a rainbow pattern on the blackout trim parts; perhaps you have not had the issue. The stain is supposedly caused by the high pH detergents used in the touchless wash and can be easy or difficult to remove, based on reports.

 

[aronth5]

Model Y owners who have taken their Tesla through a touchless car wash report that the process leaves a brown stain or sometimes a rainbow pattern on the blackout out trim parts; perhaps you have not had the issue. The stain is supposedly caused by the high pH detergents used in the touchless wash and can be easy or difficult to remove, based on reports.

I haven't had that problem

 

[TomServo]

While I haven’t need to use a car wash, I wish Tesla would include a CAR WASH mode in the Service section.

 

[52 16 57 39]

Automatic car wash mode! Perfect!

 

[NudleBoy]

I go to the nearest and cheapest car wash, which is an automatic roll car wash that is on a rail and is a touch car wash. I could care less about swirls, and I've already curbed my winter rims so I don't care. It's a lot better than having the car rust after salt build up over the winter. I also detail my car extensively in the summer. In the summer, I hand wash.

 

[artnalex]

 

[jcanoe]

Thanks. Ronny's Car Wash - Now featuring elephant brushes.

The video makes a key point; you can set the side mirrors to always fold when you are a specific location. If you always use the same car wash, location you only need to set this once and the Model Y will remember to always fold the mirrors when you are in the queue at the car wash.

All you have to do, when taking your Tesla vehicle through an automatic car wash, is to do what you have always done. Following the directions of the car wash team, when they tell you to then put, keep the vehicle in Neutral while the vehicle is on the roller track.

 

[jsight]

I did not fold the mirrors - for those who recommend that, why is this better?

I've used a auto-wash once on one of my other cars without knowing to fold the mirrors. The wash folded one of them backwards. Its a manual fold and this was harmless, but I'm not sure what the impact would be on power mirrors.

It also put a tiny scratch just behind the passenger compartment. This was not a large vehicle either, and I obviously didn't use a wash like this again afterwards.

 

[M3BlueGeorgia]

I did not fold the mirrors - for those who recommend that, why is this better?

Side mirrors should always be folded for an automatic car wash.

Having said that, when we last went through a car wash (rare event for us) the side mirrors automatically folded in when we were at the kiosk to pay for the wash (15 yds before the main entrance) and then automatically unfolded at the exit.

Getting into neutral is easy, but remembering how to do it is hard:
...With foot on break, and while in Park, partially press down the right stalk and hold for 2 seconds.

 

[Electric > Gas]

Getting into neutral is easy, but remembering how to do it is hard:
...With foot on break, and while in Park, partially press down the right stalk and hold for 2 seconds.

As you enter the wash you would be in drive (to inch up), not Park, correct? If you are in Drive you don't need to hit the brake and you gently push the stalk upward (not hard enough to shift to Reverse) until it goes into Neutral.

Next time I go I think I'm going to try the Car Wash Profile I set to see how ROLL mode works - it seems much easier.

 

[Snow Drift]

If you stay inside the car, set it to Neutral so that the car stops engaging the transmission/motor and free rolls. If you stay in Drive (Roll not Creep) the motor/transmission is not turning the axel/wheels which could theoretically damage the differential and transmission, etc.

If you exit the car, (how we do it here, the car goes on a roller and is pushed along while you watch from inside a building), once the car is on the track have the attendant set it to Transport Mode (Tow Mode) so that the car free rolls and will not apply the parking brake. My local place knows how to do it on their own.

Transport Mode:

1. Press and hold the brake pedal, then on the touchscreen, touch Controls > Service > Towing. The touchscreen displays a message reminding you how to properly transport Model Y.
   
   
2. Press and hold the Transport Mode button until it turns blue. Model Y is now free- rolling and can slowly be rolled (no faster than walking speed) or winched.

A person can now exit the car, close the door and walk away. The car will turn off the screen and roll through the wash. At the end the attendant gets back in, shifts to park and drive off the track.

I tried to use Transport Mode while I stayed inside the car once and half way through the wash the car changed to park, jumped the roller and caused the car wash to stop. Very embarrassing lol. I didn't move my butt, I just think the car realized that I was still in the car and Transport Mode is for when you exit. It doesn't do that when in Neutral if I stay in the car.