I'm not sure whether the issue is with the car or the user, but when I go to an automatic car wash and need to put my new 2012 Prius 3 into Neutral, I struggle and struggle. This past weekend they had to shut down the conveyor for several minutes waiting for me to get the car into Neutral. I've tried shifting straight left, jamming the shifter left hard (it seems to rotate), moving it into Drive or Reverse and tweaking it up or down a little bit, but nothing seems to work, it always moves into Reverse or Drive instead. Its getting worse every time I try it, when I first got the car I don't recall having an issue. Very embarrassing. Anyone have any ideas or comments? Thanks!
As Cwerdna said, hold it in N for a second. It has a built-in delay so you don't accidentally bump it into N while driving. If it hasn't actually gone into N after 2 or 3 seconds, something is wrong with the switch. Take it back to the dealer for a warranty repair.
I hate to sound like a broken record but this, along with a lot of other good information, can be found in your Owner's Manual.
The owners manual is rather large and things will hide in there. I have found the help section in the back of the manual is very good at directing you to the correct page. Just a little hint.
Large is an understatement! That's why I've been using the online version, where you can search. I searched on neutral, but it didn't get me there. Perhaps user error again!
lol, the same exact thing happened to me when I first got Prius in 11. I felt pretty stupid. The lady working there had to shut down the conveyor. She was familiar with the Prius and told me to hold it in neutral for a few seconds.
I wish I'd gotten someone more knowledgeable. My guy acted like I was the biggest idiot he'd ever seen.
Side note: 2010 Prius Owner's Manual Available on PDF | Page 6 | PriusChat can be easier to read and search since it's all in one file, instead of being broken up (for some reason) into separate files. However, a bunch of changes happened for the '12 model year so the audio system stuff will likely be wrong, nav system will be totally different and some things that formerly required dealer customization via Techstream can now be done via the touchscreen on the '12.
The thread (and manuals) no longer exist (copyrighted materials). Every car comes with a paper-back manual in the glove box, and Toyota Owners Official Website: Service Coupons, Owners Manuals, Service Scheduling and More can be used any time by any Toyota owner to search manuals online. Plus, you can find the appropriate manuals (including revisions) for your model year and type, rather than looking at a now 3 year old manual.
^^^ Doh! :/ If Toyota would only create a single PDF for the owner's manual instead of breaking it out into so many separate files. It would make it a lot easier to download and search.
The guy at the car wash told me how to do it the first time. He said he has to do it several times a week with new Prius owners. There must be a lot of guys buying them, because WE never read directions, just get in and go.
I've pondered this feature for a quite a while. I would think that a delay going into drive with immediate neutral engagement would be the safer alternative. I must confess that I find the Toyota "joy stick" shifter a bit odd. Full-time Prius drivers seem to have no issues with this whatsoever, but I regularly drive other vehicles that have either a PRNDL type layout or a manual transmission and I think that this makes a difference. I noticed that the Prius C has the PRND(B?) type selector.
I never thought about putting the car in neutral since I wash the car at home. Thanks for the pointer. I'll add it to my "Prius primer" I keep in the top glovebox for my girlfriend and others who borrow my car.
OMG I'm so glad I found this thread, I cannot tell you how many times I've panicked at the automatic car wash since I've gotten my new baby! (Yes, I have read my owners manual)
Side note for car washes with Neutral: Turn off the A/C as well to reduce the chances of draining your hybrid battery (especially in hot climates). The engine won't start to recharge the battery when set to Neutral, and while the car will warn you to shift out of neutral when it gets "really low", you can avoid the situation in the first place by reducing power draw while on the conveyor.
