Car Wash and putting car in Neutral

Same thing happened to me last week during the first time through the car wash. I just ignored the warnings and the car made it through just fine. There is probably (don’t have the manual with me) a method to disable the sensors, but the only one I was the least concerned about was the front collision sensor applying the brakes because I was only 8 feet or so behind the car ahead.

 

Avoid the pull-along style carwashes, use the kind where the car drives in and stop, and the apparatus moves. That resolves the issue you mentioned, and avoids the further issue, that the hybrid battery can be run down to dangerously low levels. Maybe not an issue with the Plug-Ins though.

The traditional pull-along style car washes were designed anticipating a car could be off and in Neutral, which is not the case with the Prius unfortunately.

 

huh......I go to the car wash all the time, (the kind that pushes the car along while the brushes wash the car) and have never had nary a peep out of my car (2012 PIP, 2015 PIP and now my 2017 Prime) when I arrive at the car wash I wait for the car wash attendant to direct me in pointing left or right if I'm not directly in the track of the car wash traction device. once he gives me the thumbs up I apply the brake momentarily and shift into neutral, easy peasy

 

I guess the “worry” is that forward collision sensor would see the brushes, and chamois strips, and apply the brakes. I made it through the one time I went through the tunnel, but still wonder if the brakes will lock next time?

Craig

 

Can you turn those sensors off?

Off-topic, but if your sole method of cleaning the car is via these car washes, you'll be missing the corners, wheel wells, and any scrapes/dings that might require touch-up.

 

Yes

 

Looks like page 478 of the manual discusses turning the brake assist off. I’ll try to test this next time I’m out.

 

You would -think- the car would know it's not actually moving and wouldn't apply the brakes. Maybe I'm expecting too much?

 

You have been fortunate then. People have run down the 12 volt battery because it is not being charged when the car is in Neutral.

 

Guess I’m not following this. How can the 12V battery be run down during the 5 minutes it takes for the car to go through a drive-thru car wash?

 

Lights, radio, heating fan, MID, ECUs. Some ECUs must be 12 volt since they can get confused when the battery is too low.

 

heating is using heat pump from traction battery even in neutral

 

I have an "All you can wash" monthly plan at our local automatic car wash. Never had a problem, however, I do have to ignore the beeps as the brushes pass around the car. Never have the brakes come on in over 20 washes. Only thing I have to remember is to turn off the rain sensing wipers to avoid damage from the brushes.

 

lol, yup, I forget every time , when the car washer guy sprays the windshield with his sprayer I then say, "oops!"

 

Actually the 12V battery is still being charged in "N", but the traction battery isn't. Best to turn off A/C before entering. It's the only large load on the traction battery. Though with a PIP or Prime you'd think the traction battery is big enough to take it.

 

In most "normal" situations it won't.
But if you enter with a weak, worn out battery OR you keep high draw accessories running.......then you might have a problem.

I think this is so rare that even mentioning it is crying wolf when there is none.

Edit: And as someone else mentioned, I think the problem really was depleting the HV battery if you entered with it low.

 

Just don't worry about it. Put the car into N and let the beepers beep. I do it a couple of times every week. No problem.

 

For a few years, I had been going to a touchless car wash where I could park my car and let the machine go around.
Well, this year's "upgraded" car wash included... BRUSHES!!
So I decided to use a different one with a track. I turned off the pre-collision system, along with the clearance sonar, and rain-sensing windshield wipers (and a few other things that I don't think mattered), and put it in to neutral. No warnings, no buzzers, no glitches, no problems.