Model X automatically shifting into Park in tunnel of car wash!

[Polar993]

My wife gets her Model X washed regularly at our local car wash. She actually has the unlimited monthly plan, so in the winter she brings it through the car wash avg 2 times per week. The car wash she frequents is a hand wash tunnel where you get out of your car and an automated track sends your car through the tunnel while 10 people hand wash various parts of the car.

The manager of the car wash has been instructing my wife to stay in her car while it's in the tunnel, and not get out like everyone else. He told her that they have been having issues with Teslas automatically shifting into Park while traveling through the tunnel. My wife didn't question the manager, but over the past two months of regular visits to the car wash, she never experienced the Model X automatically shifting from Neutral to Park.....UNTIL YESTERDAY!!!

My wife was in the Model X, in the tunnel, car was in Neutral getting propelled by the track when all of a sudden the car shifted into Park all by itself! It totally took her by surprise and she kind of panicked a bit, not knowing what to do! She put her foot on the brake pedal, then shifted back into Neutral as quick as possible so the car behind her wouldn't hit her!

Now she is totally freaked out and doesn't want to bring the car to the car wash. This is a problem!

Have you guys experienced this? Apparently it's a known problem for Teslas at the Splash Car Wash in Greenwich, CT.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[ntam]

If she moves around in the car and lift her body up from the seat, Tesla vehicles will shift to park automatically. There is a weight sensor on the seat cushion. There have been many cases reported when the drivers in reverse turned their heads and inadvertently lift their butts off the seats, the car would go to park.

 

[forzawq]

Yes it's a safety feature. IIRC it will not shift to park if you buckle up.

 

[Zaphod]

As others state, it is most likely the sensor in the seat that caused it thinking someone left the seat. You should enable "tow mode" to prevent this from happening. Read in the manual how to turn it on and off or I'm sure if you do search here, should come up with info as well.

 

[gaswalla]

Yes... tow mode.

 

[ytwytw]

I do car wash every day with car wash pass, never have such issue.

Must be buckle up and sit tight without lifting body up.

I learn that during car wash too

 

[Polar993]

Wow, learn something new on this forum every day!

Thanks for the great info.

So if I understand this....if you put the car in Tow Mode, you can place the car in Neutral and get out of it while it goes through the tunnel by itself?

 

[Lloyd]

If you put it in tow mode it's gonna roll once the foot is off the brake. Be careful!

 

[boaterva]

If you put it in tow mode it's gonna roll once the foot is off the brake. Be careful!

Wouldn’t this be the same as any other car being pulled through the wash in neutral? I haven’t used one of these in ages but I recall they get in the car, put it in drive and move it out to dry it off, vacuum, etc.

How is a Tesla in tow mode different?

 

[Zaphod]

Wouldn’t this be the same as any other car being pulled through the wash in neutral? I haven’t used one of these in ages but I recall they get in the car, put it in drive and move it out to dry it off, vacuum, etc.

How is a Tesla in tow mode different?

Tow mode needs to be disabled first before it can be put in drive or reverse. Either select tow mode on the screen again or push the park button on the end of the stalk first. It won't let you put it in drive if still in tow mode.

 

[FlyF4]

Wow, learn something new on this forum every day!

Thanks for the great info.

So if I understand this....if you put the car in Tow Mode, you can place the car in Neutral and get out of it while it goes through the tunnel by itself?

Yes, correct. You better be on a flat surface. Actually, it would be better to ignore what they say and stay OUT of the car. The person sensors can cause this problem.
Frankly speaking, I would never take my X to any car wash. I put a coating on the car and wash it myself. I'm not going to trust any machine rolling it through a car wash. No telling what it might do to my car.

 

[ElectricTundra]

In places in the U.S. with lots of snow cars can get extremely dirty very quickly from the combination of salt and gook thrown up on cars and with temps oven below freezing for months at a time it's not really much fun to wash outside...

I don't use tunnel washes with our Teslas nor with a couple of previous cars for a number of reasons. I only use the drive in and park touchless washes. E.G., the ones where the machine goes back and forth. Better for the car, much less stress for me.

 

[mknox]

I don't use tunnel washes with our Teslas nor with a couple of previous cars for a number of reasons. I only use the drive in and park touchless washes. E.G., the ones where the machine goes back and forth. Better for the car, much less stress for me.

I too "learned the hard way" when I consciously unbuckled and lifted my butt to get something out of my pocket. As soon as I did it I realized my mistake!

There are a few tunnel washes in my neck of the woods that use a giant conveyor belt to pull you through rather than wheel guides, and you can select soft cloth or touchless as you enter. Like those a lot.

 

[Yinn]

Tow mode needs to be disabled first before it can be put in drive or reverse. Either select tow mode on the screen again or push the park button on the end of the stalk first. It won't let you put it in drive if still in tow mode.

Highlight this and try tow mode in a parking lot first!! The first time I did it, I couldn't get it out of tow mode quickly.

 

[Xcelerator]

Before I learned about the fragility of Tesla's paint, I used an auto car wash for a few months. I've had this happen a few times. One thing that seemed to help, though I thought this never made any sense why it would, push the button that makes the rear view mirrors fold in. Once I started doing that, the car stayed in neutral for every wash I did. I would have loved an update that was "car wash mode" that basically turned off every sensor for 5 minutes or until you turned it back to regular mode. The car was clearly reacting to the crazy stimulus of inside of a car wash.

 

[ABC2D]

Before I learned about the fragility of Tesla's paint

Ohhh, nooo, not that again.

push the button that makes the rear view mirrors fold in. Once I started doing that, the car stayed in neutral for every wash I did

What?

The car was clearly reacting to the crazy stimulus of inside of a car wash.

The post make sense now.

 

[d21mike]

My car wash is a hand wash at the start. But it has auto rinse and spray on wax type options. Anyway, I noticed they have a guy ride in my car going thru the wash. First couple times I though they just wanted to check out the car . Then found out it was to keep it in Neutral. I did read about Tow Mode but have not told them to try it.

 

[Jjmboni]

This just happened to me today at a car wash! So after reading this thread, I took the car home and played with it in my driveway.

If the car is in Neutral AND YOUR SEAT BELT IS ON, you can move up and out of your seat no problem, the Tesla will not shift out of Neutral.
If the car is in Neutral and your seat belt is OFF, the car will instantly shift into Park if you get out of your seat.

As an experiment, I tried putting my seat belt on behind me and then putting the car in Neutral. It stayed in neutral while I climbed out of the seat, but as soon as I opened the driver's side door, it went into Park.

So if you stay in the car, you can go through a car wash in Neutral and as long as you have your seat belt on you can move anywhere you want. But if you need to go through those car washes that have you get out, then you'll need to figure out Tow Mode (I didn't play with that)

 

[Jillmark99]

I used to have a Model S that would shift into park at the car wash on the conveyor while rolling in neutral even though I always had my seatbelt on. I used to just lightly keep my foot on the brake just enough to activate the brake lights. It also used to happen if rolling down my driveway. Scared the crap out of my wife when it threw itself into park.

 

[Yinn]

This just happened to me today at a car wash! So after reading this thread, I took the car home and played with it in my driveway.

If the car is in Neutral AND YOUR SEAT BELT IS ON, you can move up and out of your seat no problem, the Tesla will not shift out of Neutral.
If the car is in Neutral and your seat belt is OFF, the car will instantly shift into Park if you get out of your seat.

As an experiment, I tried putting my seat belt on behind me and then putting the car in Neutral. It stayed in neutral while I climbed out of the seat, but as soon as I opened the driver's side door, it went into Park.

So if you stay in the car, you can go through a car wash in Neutral and as long as you have your seat belt on you can move anywhere you want. But if you need to go through those car washes that have you get out, then you'll need to figure out Tow Mode (I didn't play with that)

I had the same experience as @Jillmark99 so there must have been a change or it's just an inconsistency. For me, seat belt on, mid car wash I went to grab my wallet and the car shifted into park. Never took off my seatbelt.