Putting the car in neutral

[cbruner]

I realize this is a newbie question, but when going through a touchless car wash it says to put the car in neutral and then the tracks drag the car forward through the wash.

How do you guys do it? As far as I know there is no neutral on a model 3.

Do you just accelerate in time with the wash, or do you go into towing mode, or something else?

 

[Az_Rael]

If you hold the stalk at the first detent above D it will put the car in Neutral. Just dont push past the first detent or it puts you in R

 

[C141medic]

I realize this is a newbie question, but when going through a touchless car wash it says to put the car in neutral and then the tracks drag the car forward through the wash.

How do you guys do it? As far as I know there is no neutral on a model 3.

Do you just accelerate in time with the wash, or do you go into towing mode, or something else?

Huh? Last time I checked my car it had a neutral selection. Try that or tow mode. Believe either would work.

 

[Falcon3]

Owners manual page 41.
Neutral
Push the lever up or down to the first position
and hold it there for more than 1 second to
shift into Neutral. Neutral allows Model 3 to
roll freely when you are not pressing the brake
pedal.
If Model 3 is in Park and you use the
touchscreen to release the parking brake
(Controls > Safety & Security), Model 3 shifts
into Neutral (see Parking Brake on page 50).
Model 3 automatically shifts into Park when
you exit. To leave Model 3 in Neutral, use the
touchscreen to engage Transport Mode (see
Instructions for Transporters on page 146).

 

[JBare]

I just went thru one the other day to get the salt off and luckily the carwash guy saw me frantically reading manual and moving from D to R to P so he knocked on the window and showed me how to do it

 

[DrDabbles]

How do you guys do it? As far as I know there is no neutral on a model 3.

Please do yourself a favor. Read the owner's manual. It is available online, on the main screen of the car, and you have a printed copy. I really can not stress this enough. If you have no idea how to put the vehicle in neutral, then I imagine the manual will be full of revelations for you.

 

[run-the-joules]

I realize this is a newbie question, but when going through a touchless car wash it says to put the car in neutral and then the tracks drag the car forward through the wash.

How do you guys do it? As far as I know there is no neutral on a model 3.

Do you just accelerate in time with the wash, or do you go into towing mode, or something else?

I wash my car by hand or at a self-service booth (sprayer only, no brush). I've had my bad experience with an automated touchless wash with a previous car, don't need to subject myself to another.

 

[PoitNarf]

No way in hell will my 3 ever be subjected to any automatic car wash.

 

[C141medic]

Okay, thread hijack time. What’s wrong with brushless car washes? Thought they were the preferred way to wash vs brush car washes?

 

[JBare]

Please do yourself a favor. Read the owner's manual. It is available online, on the main screen of the car, and you have a printed copy. I really can not stress this enough. If you have no idea how to put the vehicle in neutral, then I imagine the manual will be full of revelations for you.

There is a lot of good info in there but for some reason I couldn't comprehend their description to move to neutral.

 

[JBare]

Okay, thread hijack time. What’s wrong with brushless car washes? Thought they were the preferred way to wash vs brush car washes?

I typically try to avoid these too, just had no other option and couldn't deal with that nasty road salt sitting on the white anymore. While I've never had a bad experience that's a lot of pressure shooting all over your car, assuming it could chip the paint (water) or loosen up door seals?

 

[C141medic]

I typically try to avoid these too, just had no other option and couldn't deal with that nasty road salt sitting on the white anymore. While I've never had a bad experience that's a lot of pressure shooting all over your car, assuming it could chip the paint (water) or loosen up door seals?

According to Tesla it’s ok, so if anything like that happened it’d be covered under warranty:

The Model 3 Owner's Manual says: "Caution: If washing in an automatic car wash, use Touchless car washes only. These car washes have no parts (brushes, etc.) that touch the surfaces of Model 3. Using any other type of car wash could cause damage that is not covered by the warranty." It also cautions to not use high pressure power washers on the cameras or parking sensors.

 

[_m3_]

Neutral
Push the lever up or down to the first position and hold it there for more than 1 second to shift into Neutral. Neutral allows Model 3 to roll freely when you are not pressing the brake pedal.

If Model 3 is in Park and you use the touchscreen to release the parking brake (Controls > Safety & Security), Model 3 shifts into Neutral (see Parking Brake on page 55). Model 3 automatically shifts into Park when you exit.

To leave Model 3 in Neutral, use the touchscreen to engage Transport Mode (see Instructions for Transporters on page 163).

Sometimes change is good and sometimes change just for the sake of change is not good. Just like Apple's removal of the headphone jack, Tesla changing the way PNDR work from ICE cars is not very good. However, I do like how the parking brake is engaged (automatically) when shifting into P (and when stepping out of car).

 

[run-the-joules]

Okay, thread hijack time. What’s wrong with brushless car washes? Thought they were the preferred way to wash vs brush car washes?

The track system chewed up the rims of a couple very expensive wheels on one of my previous cars. Swore them off forever after that.

 

[lonewolf313]

I realize this is a newbie question, but when going through a touchless car wash it says to put the car in neutral and then the tracks drag the car forward through the wash.

How do you guys do it? As far as I know there is no neutral on a model 3.

Check out the video from Kim @ Like Tesla on Youtube

The section regarding "Neutral on a Model 3" starts at 2 min 14 sec

 

[lonewolf313]

Sometimes change is good and sometimes change just for the sake of change is not good. Just like Apple's removal of the headphone jack, Tesla changing the way PNDR work from ICE cars is not very good. However, I do like how the parking brake is engaged (automatically) when shifting into P (and when stepping out of car).

Another way to turn on the Parking Brake on a Model 3 is by pressing the tip of the right stalk to place the car into "Park" and then re-pressing and holding the park button again for around 2 sec. This will activate the "Parking Brake" on the Model 3

Watch the Youtube video by Kim @ Like Tesla - Hidden Features.

It is the first tip at around the 36 sec mark

 

[AndyNeely]

When putting the car in neutral, watch out for auto parked, especially in a car wash.

I put my Model 3 through a car wash. My seatbelt was off and I put it in neutral. The wash started pulling the car through the wash. In about 20 feet, it auto parked and gave me a message that it was preventing a roll away. The car wash stopped and I finally got into neutral and was pulled another 20 feet. It auto parked again and stopped the wash again. I got it back into neutral and put on my seat belt. I made it through the wash.

I went through the wash again. I put my seatbelt ON; I put it in neutral and it went through fine.

I went through again. I turned Creep Mode OFF and put car in drive, and it went through wash fine.