Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Free roll in car wash mode

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Sadly, this is one instance where an ICE car exceeds a Tesla. Drive to Neutral, car wash, Neutral to Drive. No fancy footwork required.
Well, you could do the same in the Tesla. Just push halfway down on the gear selector to go into Neutral. You don't HAVE to use CW Mode. But then, like the ICE car, you'd want to disable the auto wipers and maybe fold in the side mirrors, all of which can be done manually. CW Mode just automates all of that (albeit clunkily).
 
Well, you could do the same in the Tesla. Just push halfway down on the gear selector to go into Neutral. You don't HAVE to use CW Mode. But then, like the ICE car, you'd want to disable the auto wipers and maybe fold in the side mirrors, all of which can be done manually. CW Mode just automates all of that (albeit clunkily).
Spot on! Car wash mode just makes it easy. In my wife's Audi Q5, I have to put it in neutral, fold mirrors, make sure the windows/moonroof are all fully closed, and turn off the annoying parking nanny alarms.
 
You could leave the Tesla Model Y in Car Wash Mode and exit the vehicle. As long as whomever moves the vehicle remains under 10 MPH Car Wash Mode will remain active. The issue is that when driving onto the rollers the car wash team member won't know how to engage either neutral using the shift lever or activate Free Roll on the Car Wash Mode screen.

You have to drive onto the rollers, then with the vehicle moving at under 1 MPH press the Free Roll button on the screen or else shift to neutral using the shift lever (not easy to do without practice or when expected to be able to do this in the moment.)
Thank you!
 
Well, you could do the same in the Tesla. Just push halfway down on the gear selector to go into Neutral. You don't HAVE to use CW Mode. But then, like the ICE car, you'd want to disable the auto wipers and maybe fold in the side mirrors, all of which can be done manually. CW Mode just automates all of that (albeit clunkily).
Just putting in neutral is all I do. I have removed the little magnet inside the charger port door, so the brushes won't cause it to open and surely break it off. Then a voice command to fold mirrors if needed.
 
Spot on! Car wash mode just makes it easy. In my wife's Audi Q5, I have to put it in neutral, fold mirrors, make sure the windows/moonroof are all fully closed, and turn off the annoying parking nanny alarms.

I think that Tesla just needs a macro. For my car wash, I have to do the 6 steps (post #11 and #14). And I always use the same brand car wash. So Tesla should add some macros so that this can be one-button automated.

Perhaps it is just me. My previous car was a 2006 Infiniti M35 which didn't all of the fancy features (folding mirrors, auto wipers, etc.). I keep my cars until they die, so I'm hoping my MYLR will last beyond the 16 years that my M35 did.

Scott

--

MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021
 
I think that Tesla just needs a macro. For my car wash, I have to do the 6 steps (post #11 and #14). And I always use the same brand car wash. So Tesla should add some macros so that this can be one-button automated.

Perhaps it is just me. My previous car was a 2006 Infiniti M35 which didn't all of the fancy features (folding mirrors, auto wipers, etc.). I keep my cars until they die, so I'm hoping my MYLR will last beyond the 16 years that my M35 did.

Scott

--

MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021
Honestly it
I think that Tesla just needs a macro. For my car wash, I have to do the 6 steps (post #11 and #14). And I always use the same brand car wash. So Tesla should add some macros so that this can be one-button automated.

Perhaps it is just me. My previous car was a 2006 Infiniti M35 which didn't all of the fancy features (folding mirrors, auto wipers, etc.). I keep my cars until they die, so I'm hoping my MYLR will last beyond the 16 years that my M35 did.

Scott

--

MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021
Honestly it’s pretty damn easy. I just did it today. Hit “service” at gate, hit “enter car wash mode” and “fold mirrors”. Pull onto belt and put car in “Neutral”. Note, this enables “free roll” mode, so you don’t need to so both.
 
my issue is the having to put your foot on the brake to get the car into neutral. every time I try to use it, the belt starts jumping the car all over the place while I'm trying to get it into neutral. last night the guy asked if I was on the brake, and I said yeah because you have to be in order to get the damn thing into neutral...and even then, the free roll button was greyed out similar to the OP here. I had to use the stalk to get it into neutral.

the entire thing is just such a pain that I almost never wash the car on the belt wash anymore. I've thought about joining their club to be able to go thru every day, but i dread doing it so much that I haven't bothered.
 
my rear wheel was lifted up to air by roller when I exit, because I have to press brake to shift from N to D. it is a stupid design to require brake to shift from N to D.
Not a stupid design at all, and it’s required for safety on any car nowadays. My wife’s Audi Q5 does it as well. The car wash I use has rollers that drop down, so no skipping under your wheel. A quick stab of the brake and flick of the lever and I’m in D to pull out.
 
my rear wheel was lifted up to air by roller when I exit, because I have to press brake to shift from N to D. it is a stupid design to require brake to shift from N to D.
I just used this yesterday and find that you only have to quickly tap the brake pedal to put it back into drive. I find C/W mode very easy to use. Have used it a few times.
 
tested it out in the parking lot before getting the car wash. Worked fine (service, car wash mode, free roll). Get in line, hit car wash mode and then “free roll” is greyed out. Wtf. Jumped the roller twice before I could get it to neutral
I have to agree with the original poster. I find car wash mode and having to hit the brake before getting into neutral a pain on conveyor car washes. Kudos to all who find it easy to do with the current system.
 
I agree that Car Wash mode is a pain. The process is:
1. Car icon​
2. Service​
3. Car Wash Mode​
4. acknowledge​
5. free roll​
And your foot has to be on the brake in order to do the last step. Kachunk kachunk kachunk as the rollers bang under the tires until the brake is pressed...

The worst bit is that when pressing the Exit Car Wash Mode button afterwards, it leaves the car in Neutral. So have to press the brake, set to Drive, then go. Always worried that car behind me will plow into me.

Sadly, this is one instance where an ICE car exceeds a Tesla. Drive to Neutral, car wash, Neutral to Drive. No fancy footwork required.

There should be one button on my MYLR to do all of these steps. ;)

Scott

--

MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021
Man, that kachunk kachunk kachunk freaked me out when I was at a paradise (never again). The guy didn't know what he was doing as I watched and heard this nightmare. I seriously thought my car got damaged because I wasn't sure what the noise was. This was a situation where the guy got out of the car.

I'm still not clear on how the rollers underneath produce such a jarring noise and jerking motions or what actually happens if someone wants to explain?
 
As a follow-up to a previous message (my post #11). I went through a conveyer-belt style car wash this morning instead of my usual roller-track style. It literally took 70 seconds to get the process to work. I did my normal process:
1. Car icon​
2. Service​
3. brake​
4. Car Wash Mode​
5. acknowledge​
6. free roll​
7. release brake​

but the car didn't stay in neutral; after a moment it went to parking Hold mode. The conveyer belt tried to drag my car, bang/bang/bang; but eventually tripped and then everything stopped. I then tried to get it into neutral manually. The wash-guy was screaming "put it in neutral". I ignored him. I could do R and D, but not N; and I do know that the Neutral detent is one-up for 2-seconds Tried a combination of brake / no-brake, up/down stalk, exited Car Wash Mode, reentered Car Wash Mode, etc. All the while, the two cars in front of me were stuck since the belt wasn't moving and everything in the wash had shut down.

This conveyer belt style was my worst experience so far. Ordinarily, I'd say that I'm an idiot but I actually do know how to push buttons, push the break pedal, and operate the gear stalk. So I assume that the two conveyer belts confused the wheels somehow (something differential?). It didn't kick me out of Car Wash Mode, but it did go to Park Hold and I couldn't re-push Free Roll (it was grayed out at this point). And recycling out of Car Wash Mode, then back in, didn't help.

Other folks have noted that they manually put it in neutral, manually fold in the mirrors, manually disable the wipers, and some even put it in tow mode.


Clearly, Car Wash Mode still needs a lot of work. I have a recent version (2022.44.25.2) and continue to have problems. So I'd like the GUI folks to spend less time adding new blinking head-light features and in-car gaming and more time actually fixing bugs. Going through a car wash shouldn't be this hard...

Scott

--

MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021
 
Last edited:
As a follow-up to a previous message (my post #11). I went through a conveyer-belt style car wash this morning instead of my usual roller-track style. It literally took 70 seconds to get the process to work. I did my normal process:
1. Car icon​
2. Service​
3. brake​
4. Car Wash Mode​
5. acknowledge​
6. free roll​
7. release brake​

but the car didn't stay in neutral; after a moment it went to parking Hold mode. The conveyer belt tried to drag my car, bang/bang/bang; but eventually tripped and then everything stopped. I then tried to get it into neutral manually. The wash-guy was screaming "put it in neutral". I ignored him. I could do R and D, but not N; and I do know that the Neutral detent is one-up for 2-seconds Tried a combination of brake / no-brake, up/down stalk, exited Car Wash Mode, reentered Car Wash Mode, etc. All the while, the two cars in front of me were stuck since the belt wasn't moving and everything in the wash had shut down.

This conveyer belt style was my worst experience so far. Ordinarily, I'd say that I'm an idiot but I actually do know how to push buttons, push the break pedal, and operate the gear stalk. So I assume that the two conveyer belts confused the wheels somehow (something differential?). It didn't kick me out of Car Wash Mode, but it did go to Park Hold and I couldn't re-push Free Roll (it was grayed out at this point). And recycling out of Car Wash Mode, then back in, didn't help.

Other folks have noted that they manually put it in neutral, manually fold in the mirrors, manually disable the wipers, and some even put it in tow mode.


Clearly, Car Wash Mode still needs a lot of work. I have a recent version (2022.44.25.2) and continue to have problems. So I'd like the GUI folks to spend less time adding new blinking head-light features and in-car gaming and more time actually fixing bugs. Going through a car wash shouldn't be this hard...

Scott

--

MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021
I don't think I've ever seen this type of carwash, with a conveyor belt vs the track system. But not sure why it would take the car out of neutral...
 
This kind, with the roller belt, works fine for me:

1673129626784.png
This kind, with the conveyor belt, is what I have problems with:
1673129669320.png

I've tried it twice now and had problems both times. Mister Car Wash, Turlock, California, Monte Vista Avenue (across from the university).


The roller belt pushes the rollers along, and the rollers push the tire (the rollers free-spin backwards while the tires rolls forwards). So the car is rolling through the car wash and all 4 wheels are doing the same thing (1 mph).

With the conveyor belt, the car is *supposed* to be stationary with respect to the belt (left side) as the belt moves along. But my car was stationary with respect to the concrete floor. Bang, bang, bang. So the wheels on the belt are supposed to the going 0 mph (with respect to the belt) while the ones on the concrete are supposed to be going 1 mph. Basically, this is the situation if the car was making a left turn (i.e. the differential allows left/right differences). My car doesn't seem to like that in Car Wash mode.

Well, at least we know that my brakes are stronger than the conveyor belt motor. :oops:

Scott

--

MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021
 
Since an update round december 2022, after exiting the car in Carwash mode with freeroll enabled, the car drops into Park as soon as the driver door is opened by the attendant so I can jump back in. But of course, the roller belt continues for 3 or 4 meters and the car is dragged (the wheels outside of the belt, that is the right ones). It was definitely not the case before.
 
Since an update round december 2022, after exiting the car in Carwash mode with freeroll enabled, the car drops into Park as soon as the driver door is opened by the attendant so I can jump back in. But of course, the roller belt continues for 3 or 4 meters and the car is dragged (the wheels outside of the belt, that is the right ones). It was definitely not the case before.
I think it's always supposed to have done that, as a safety measure, just like it goes into Park if you're in Drive and you open the driver's door.