How do I wash my Prius 4

unless you're a purist, the brushless car washes are fine.

 

There are automated car washes where the car sits still and the brushes and sprays move around it. Better I think. That said, ours has survived being run thru a conventional wash at the dealership once or twice.

Personally I would look for a DIY hand wash if possible, just because you can do a better job than machines. Friend or relative with a house with driveway, for example.

 

I wash mine at the "quarter" car wash and wipe it down myself.

 

The regular car wash is fine. Leave the car on in natural. The car is low but the track that pulls the car is lower.

 

I've never used a car-wash (they're rare here). When we had water restrictions a few years ago, we weren't allowed to wash a car with a hose, but could use a bucket. I'd ¼ fill one bucket with soapy H20, the other ½ full with plain H20 - microfibre cloths in each and an old bathroom towel - I could wash and dry the car in a short time, doing a panel at a time starting from the top. It was quicker than getting a hose out and I still do it that way, particularly on hot days as I can do it in the shade in the garage.

 

I prefer to wash mine by hand but often don't because it's a process. If I get rained on one day, assuming the next day or two is supposed to be sunny I'll run it through a car wash. I tend to use the ones where you park and the sprayers move around the car. I strongly prefer touchless but I've ended up in ones with brushes before. The only bad experience I had in one was with my truck with a fixed antenna. I didn't think of pulling off the antenna ahead of time so it got bent. Easily straightened and that lasted for a year or so until I happened to be at a u-pull-it salvage yard for something else. Happened to see a similar enough truck so I swiped the antenna off of it. I think they charged me $2 for it. In cars like the Prius without a mast antenna I wouldn't be too worried about it. Touchless or not, just tuck in the mirrors and put it in park, let the system move around you then out you go.

From what I have read here the problem can be with the washes that pull you throw the systems because you have to put the car into neutral and there is not an easy way to do this and shut the car off. (everything I've read is you stop, turn it off, turn it to accessory, hit the brake, shift to neutral then turn off the brake, no time for that in a car wash) What happens, as I understand it, is if if you enter the car wash with a low battery, it could potentially drain low. Without the car in park or drive the Prius cannot start the ICE to recharge the battery. The battery could run so low that it cannot start the ICE once out of the wash and placed into drive or park. So I guess if you have to use one of those, leave the car in drive for as long as possible and be sure you have a full charge before pulling into the wash. I might take my car to one of those washes in the near future as it has a lot of bugs on the front of it right now and I don't feel like getting out there with the bug and tar remover myself, but I am hesitant. I don't believe I've seen anyone do it with a Gen 4 and the lithium battery yet, but my understanding is that on the old lead battery if you kill it there is a rebalancing process for the cells you must go through and it looks like a chore. Safest thing is probably to do it by hand, if you can't then use a touchless system that moves around the car. Here in Colorado almost every gas station has one.

 

I just wash it in the normal car wash - I choose ones from quality brand names.
I did it also with my Gen3, never a problem.
Leave the car in N and turn off the wipers.
They say to fold the mirrors, I never did it as the new car washes are really delicate.
And because now there is a sharkfin antenna, I don't need to remove that anymore.
I wipe it down in the end with a microfiber cloth in some specific areas I know water will not manage to clean well (below the spoiler) and where I know water will remain and leave marks, like on the rear bumper. I also wipe clean the wheels - they never come super clean and it is ok like that, I prefer that to harsh scrubbing from whatever car wash (which doesn't do it in any case).

 

In the 55 years that I have owned cars, I have never used a car wash. Before I owned my first car, I earned my pocket money by washing cars. I guess that the habit has stayed with me ever since.

 

When I was young and foolish I'd run us through the car wash very occasionally. But not in decades now. My take: beside possible perils of automated car washes, if that's all you use, regularly, you're not getting the corners cleaned properly, the wheel wells for example, which can accumulate grit and winter's road salt. Also, if there's any dings or scratches, you'll be blithely unaware of them, till rust has a foothold.

(I'm starting to like the "first posting hang up": when it hangs I'll start finding spelling errors, screwed up syntax, lol.)

 

With or without clothes?

 

I cannot wash my car on my own. It is illegal to do so (waste of water). So either automatic car wash or self service ones. A bucket, etc. not an option.

 

We had a carwash ban last summer due to a water shortage. Basically just illegal to be using a hose, so I washed ours one day while it was raining, worked good.

 

PS: I wouldn't even know where to wash it with a hose - I don't have one and it is not allowed to wash anything in the garage court in the back of the building where I live...

 

In North America some townhouse or apartment complexes will have a car wash area with hose connections. Definitely not as easy/convenient as a house with a driveway, though. Similar issues for PIP owners.

 

And how much do you pay yourself ?

 

I used to get paid 1 shilling when I started, but it went up to 2s 6d as I got more proficient. These days, if I am lucky, I get a cold beer after washing the car.

 

I get life time free wash at dealer so I just take it there every other week.

 

I hand wash using a waterless car wash product, it means I only use a bucket of water and cleaning product is nontoxic so all better for the environment.

 

To get through the dry summer months here, 2-3 automatic car washes do.

Around late fall to early spring we get most of our rain. Timed with the weather forecast to know when the last few hours of rain is due for a few days and the weather does a good job. Just leave the car in the driveway, soap down with a sponge, rain rinse, and drive back into the garage for a streak free dry by evaporation. Only requires a few minutes worth of work and no extra water.