How do you get in neutral?

[Watts_Up]

... towing mode will disengage after 20 minutes. I don't see that reflected in the Model 3 owners manual.

I read it before, but doing some search, I didn't find it anymore?
However, you can test by yourself by putting your car in Towing mode, something good to learn about,
and after 20 minutes the car will go to Park. You will also heard the horn, the same way as when the car lock itself.

 

[Watts_Up]

the car rolls forward or backward by gravity in D anyway.
The car should not care whether it is the gravity or the roller that is moving the car.

This is true if Creep mode is not activated.

Note: This is something that I find to a little bit scary while I was parked closely between two cars in parallel park in a slanted street.
In this situation, I needed to backup to move up the hill:
- So I put my feet on the brake, engage the level from Park to Reverse
- Then I removed my feet from the brake pedal and the car started to move downward because I didn't immediately accelerate,
or I might have not press enough on the accelerator because I was very close to the car behind me and didn't want to ram into.

In this kind of situation, I set now the Creep mode which allow to keep the car still even if you don't accelerate,
something similar to driving a car with an automatic transmission.

More on this subject if you are interested: Will creep keep car from rolling backward on steep hills?

Note: Otherwise I never use Creep mode, especially since I never had an automatic car and only had a manual transmission car.
Not having an emergency brake is certainly something challenging when you are used to.

 

[TomT]

If you ask in a forum such as this, you aren't really finding it out on your own...

... Yeah I should probably get around to reading the manual. Was kind of fun to explore it and discover new features on my own for a while.

 

[Big Earl]

I think that's bad for the motor? Are the rear wheels turning while being pulled through a car wash? If so it should be in neutral.

“Neutral” is just an electronic state where no power is applied to the motor(s). The motor(s) are always permanently connected to the wheels, regardless of which drive mode “PRND” the car is in.

 

[Az_Rael]

This is true if Creep mode is not activated.

Note: This is something that I find to a little bit scary while I was parked closely between two cars in parallel park in a slanted street.
In this situation, I needed to backup to move up the hill:
- So I put my feet on the brake, engage the level from Park to Reverse
- Then I removed my feet from the brake pedal and the car started to move downward because I didn't immediately accelerate,
or I might have not press enough on the accelerator because I was very close to the car behind me and didn't want to ram into.

In this kind of situation, I set now the Creep mode which allow to keep the car still even if you don't accelerate,
something similar to driving a car with an automatic transmission.

More on this subject if you are interested: Will creep keep car from rolling backward on steep hills?

Note: Otherwise I never use Creep mode, especially since I never had an automatic car and only had a manual transmission car.
Not having an emergency brake is certainly something challenging when you are used to.

Why not use brake hold in this situation? If you put the car in R then press very firmly on the brakes, brake hold engages. You are now free to move your foot to the accelerator and the car won’t roll. Easier than menu diving to turn creep on.

 

[ngogas]

To know how to go to "N" (Neutral) is certainly something critical to know.
I particular for example if you go to a car wash where your car will be moved will been wash.

- I this case you must still seat in the car while in Neutral otherwise when you will open the door to exit the car,
the car will automatically go to Park and hold the parking brake.

- If you need to move or push your car by yourself, without anyone seating inside, you can use the summon with you phone App,
or use the Towing mode, which is accessible from the car display. However the Towing mode after 20 minutes will disengage,
so the car will return to Park mode, which might not something you want while using a car wash.

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There is however a way to keep the parking brake off, in particular if you car is lift from the ground,
while servicing your tires or brakes, without having someone sitting inside the car while in Neutral:

- Here are the instructions for avoiding the car to get in Park mode when in Neutral:

1. Buckle the driver's seat belt before sitting in the seat.

2. With the key fob inside the vehicle, sit in the driver's seat and press the break pedal to turn the vehicule on.
The speedometer and PRND are now displayed on the instrument cluster.

3. Shift the vehicle into neutral. This release the parking break.

4. Without leaving the seat, and with the brake pedal still depressed, open the driver's door
and use a pen or a small screwdriver to engage the door latch to its fully closed position (second detent).
This causes the vehicule to behave as if the door is closed.

5. Exit the vehicle, it can now remain in neutral with the parking brake off.
....
Now you can work on you wheels or brakes
....
6. Later on, to release the latch, pull the interior door handle, and to engage parking brake, shift back to Park.

This is a lot of work for just a car wash. Lol

 

[Watts_Up]

This is a lot of work for just a car wash. Lol

- I assume that for a car wash, the driver stay inside the car, so just put in Neutral.
- For towing mode, I assume also that 20 minutes will be enough to move the car on top of a tow truck bed.

However, if you want to change your brake pads and have your rear wheels been able to rotate freely,
I don't think there is any other simple way to keep the car in Neutral with no one seating inside.

 

[Big Earl]

- I assume that for a car wash, the driver stay inside the car, so just put in Neutral.
- For towing mode, I assume also that 20 minutes will be enough to move the car on top of a tow truck bed.

However, if you want to change your brake pads and have your rear wheels been able to rotate freely,
I don't think there is any other simple way to keep the car in Neutral with no one seating inside.

Put it in tow mode, then unplug the parking brake calipers.