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Another Carwash Question

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by hubsm, Aug 9, 2013.

  1. hubsm

    hubsm Junior Member

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    I keep seeing posts regarding carwashes and the smart key, but they all seem to be about a situation where you get out of the car and someone else drives it through. The carwash I go to has me ride through. How do you deal with the lock/unlock/lock/unlock problem when you, and the smart key, are in the car going through the wash? BTW, I just bought a 2012 Prius 5 (not V), and have not run it through a car wash yet.
     
    #1 hubsm, Aug 9, 2013
  2. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    why not just wash it yourself? it takes only 30 mins...
     
    #2 NutzAboutBolts, Aug 9, 2013
    Merkey likes this.
  3. hubsm

    hubsm Junior Member

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    Thanks, but that is not the solution I was asking for.
     
    #3 hubsm, Aug 9, 2013
  4. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    I take mine through a touchless car wash every now and then and have never had an issue. Not sure of the unlock/lock problem you speak of.

    With you in the car with the fob it should not be a problem.
     
    #4 jdcollins5, Aug 9, 2013
    Feri likes this.
  5. hubsm

    hubsm Junior Member

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    The owners manual says that if the door handle gets wet while going through a carwash (how would you avoid that?) it will cause the doors to repeatedly lock and unlock. They recommend having the electronic key at least 6 feet away from the car to avoid this problem. I don't see how this can happen when I am in the car. Here is a direct quote from the manual:

    ●If the door handle becomes wet while the electronic key is within the
    effective range, the door may lock and unlock repeatedly. Place the key
    in a position 6 ft. (2 m) or more separate from the vehicle while the vehicle is being washed. (Take care to ensure that the key is not stolen.)
     
    #5 hubsm, Aug 9, 2013
  6. longislandprius

    longislandprius New Member

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    how is that different than a rain storm?!
     
    #6 longislandprius, Aug 9, 2013
  7. rdgrimes

    rdgrimes Senior Member

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    Having the fob inside or in range with a wet door handle can and does cause repeated lock/unlock, but its unpredictable. It isn't really a problem though, just a nuisance. I can think of good reasons to avoid auto washes, but this isn't one of them. If the wash guys need to drive the car in and out, just leave it in the car.
     
    #7 rdgrimes, Aug 9, 2013
  8. macman408

    macman408 Electron Guidance Counselor

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    I think it's normally a problem only if the key is outside the car. It may be a problem if the key is in a location where it might be picked up as outside the car (say, in your left hand near the window). It's a problem I encounter when washing my own car, but not while it's getting wet and I'm inside. (We're two-thirds water, so when the car detects a key on the outside and a bunch of water, it figures that water is a hand reaching to touch the handle.)

    If you do find it to be a problem, and relocating the key within the car doesn't help, then about your only possible workaround would be to remove the battery from the fob, or wrap the fob in tinfoil, so that it could not transmit a radio signal to the car.
     
    #8 macman408, Aug 10, 2013
  9. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    I get that a lot while washing the car with the SKS key in my pocket . It's really annoying.

    SCH-I535
     
    #9 xliderider, Aug 10, 2013
  10. Greg C

    Greg C Junior Member

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    I don't think the car will try to lock if the 'key' is in the car, rather you might get the scream and the message 'KEY IS IN THE VEHICLE'. I have learned not to have the key in my pocket when I wash the car as it will lock and unlock repeatedly when you wash the door handles. Unless the car wash has the brush system or is chamois filament type you should not have a problem if you ride in the car. Automatic car washes are thin on the ground in Oz now, people who get their car washed like to enjoy a cup of coffee while someone else does it these days. That would require some thinking about though
     
    #10 Greg C, Aug 10, 2013
  11. hubsm

    hubsm Junior Member

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    Thanks for all the input. I guess I will just try it and see how it goes. I replaced a Blizzard Pearl Lexus with a Blizzard Pearl Prius. I did not see any visible damage to the finish on the Lexus for 5 years, so I am not too concerned about that issue. I just worried about the locking thing that may not be an issue if I am in the car - we'll see. Anyway, thanks again for the help.
     
    #11 hubsm, Aug 10, 2013
  12. Feri

    Feri Active Member

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    Sydney siders aren't really in Oz the rest of us have lots of automatic carwashes!:D
     
    #12 Feri, Aug 10, 2013
  13. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    The manual is describing washing the car with the fob outside of the car but within range. It is saying to move the fob outside the range. Mine does this all of the time when I am washing the car.

    That is totally different than the fob being inside the car driving through a car wash.
     
    #13 jdcollins5, Aug 10, 2013
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  14. Eclipse1701d

    Eclipse1701d Prius Enthusiast

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    The SKS lock/unlock function is disabled while you are inside the vehicle, or else the doors would lock and unlock continually while driving in the rain... If the car is on and you are inside and driving through a car wash, the car doesn't know the difference between "rain" and "artificial rain", ie. the car wash...
     
    #14 Eclipse1701d, Aug 10, 2013
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  15. Delta Flyer II

    Delta Flyer II Active Member

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    I've never run my car through a car wash, however, I do know when I am washing and I have the water pressure to high around the handle it will occasionally beep, but its not all the time. The pressure has to be exactly in the right spot.
     
    #15 Delta Flyer II, Aug 17, 2013
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