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Car Wash Techniques (To leave it idling or not)


Buster1
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What do you guys do when/if you take your Hybrid to a car wash where 'they' drive it to the wash tunnel, drying area, etc, etc?

 

Forgoing any coments about car washes in general, handwashing, touchless, etc etc. I usually handwash in my driveway, but every so often I go to the nearby carwash.

 

My local wash that I go to sometimes, is down hill from me, so when I get there and pull in, the car us usually in EV mode as I get out. I have found that the 16 yr old who places my order for a wash then drives the car off, usually gets very confused about hybrid Ops. I usually leave it 'running' and just tell them its a hybrid and that it's 'running.' One time I turned it off and got out, and the teenager who got in must have sat there for 3 minutes trying to start the car before I came back and told him it was running. :banghead:

 

What do you guys do. Is it better to let them try to start it (14 times), or leave it running and have them try to start it anyway...or some combo of all the above?

 

Thanks.

 

Buster

 

PS I always take the antenna off too.

Edited by Buster1
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What do you guys do when/if you take your Hybrid to a car wash where 'they' drive it to the wash tunnel, drying area, etc, etc?

 

Forgoing any coments about car washes in general, handwashing, touchless, etc etc. I usually handwash in my driveway, but every so often I go to the nearby carwash.

 

My local wash that I go to sometimes is down hill from me, so when I get there and pull in the car us usually in EV mode as I get out. I have found that the 16 yr old who places my order for a wash then drives the car off, usually gets very confused about hybrid Ops. I usually leaving it 'running' and just tell them its a hybrid and that it's 'running.' One time I turned it off and got out, and the teenager who got in must have sat there for 3 minutes trying to start the car before I came back and told him it was running. :banghead:

 

What do you guys do. Is it better to let them try to start it (14 times), or leave it running and have them try to start it anyway...or some combo of all the above?

 

Thanks.

 

Buster

 

PS I always take the antenna off too.

There are two options: 1) Turn off AC and leave the car "On" and tell them to put it in"N" and don't turn off key. Put it in "D" to drive out. 2) Put car in "N" when in the track and turn off key. Car MUST be put in "P" and key turned to start to turn car on and get the "GREEN" on icon. Since many car wash people don't speak English, you may have a problem either way.

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I had to drive a friend's Prius today in a semi-emergency situation, and I couldn't figure out anything. It had been sitting there, apparently he had the keys in an ambulance, finally I just stepped on the gas and it went. The tiny gear shift in a Prius is hard to figure out what gear it is in, and you can have push button start, I have no use for it as a "feature". I remember the first go around with push button start in the 40's, a key start was then and is still today an upgrade in my opinion. At least the FFH makes a serious attempt at not confusing people who are used to standardized features.

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What do you guys do when/if you take your Hybrid to a car wash where 'they' drive it to the wash tunnel, drying area, etc, etc?

 

Forgoing any coments about car washes in general, handwashing, touchless, etc etc. I usually handwash in my driveway, but every so often I go to the nearby carwash.

 

My local wash that I go to sometimes, is down hill from me, so when I get there and pull in, the car us usually in EV mode as I get out. I have found that the 16 yr old who places my order for a wash then drives the car off, usually gets very confused about hybrid Ops. I usually leave it 'running' and just tell them its a hybrid and that it's 'running.' One time I turned it off and got out, and the teenager who got in must have sat there for 3 minutes trying to start the car before I came back and told him it was running. :banghead:

 

What do you guys do. Is it better to let them try to start it (14 times), or leave it running and have them try to start it anyway...or some combo of all the above?

 

Thanks.

 

Buster

 

PS I always take the antenna off too.

 

I have had my car washed twice at a car wash. Both times I turned the ignition off and then I showed the guy writing up my order how to start the car. They had no problem starting it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

My wife took the car to the car wash for the first time today. After reading this thread I asked what she did. She left the car running when the guy took over the car. Then at the end, she stood next to the car to offer help if the guy didn't know how to get the car going. Apparently he got it going on the second try and just before she was going to offer assistance.

Edited by emileg
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I am anal about having anyone else get behind the wheel of my car, even when dropping it at the dealer for an oil change. I avoid the car washes where someone has to drive my car through it. When I spend time to get my seat, mirrors and steering wheel in just the right spot, I don't want someone messing it all up. At least on my Flex I have the seat memory, but the Fusion doesn't. Dontatouchamycar!!

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I had to drive a friend's Prius today in a semi-emergency situation, and I couldn't figure out anything. It had been sitting there, apparently he had the keys in an ambulance, finally I just stepped on the gas and it went. The tiny gear shift in a Prius is hard to figure out what gear it is in, and you can have push button start, I have no use for it as a "feature". I remember the first go around with push button start in the 40's, a key start was then and is still today an upgrade in my opinion. At least the FFH makes a serious attempt at not confusing people who are used to standardized features.

 

I used to own one of those things. It does have a goofy shifter, but the push button start is nice, no key to fumble with to start it, just walk up to the car, touch the door handle to unlock it, climb in, push a button and away you go. I had a Hyundai Veracruz that was the same way, touch a button on the door handle to unlock, climb in and twist the start knob. If you really wanted to you could insert the key into it though. My mom has an MKS with the push button start and really likes it too, no key to fumble with or dig out of her purse, in fact she has it attached to her purse now so she can just touch the lock/unlock, drop her purse on the floor and drive away.

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