[jbsjbs]

Took the new van for its first car wash today to get the road salt off of it before adding more road salt tomorrow. Our preferred car wash has shifted to a covid-safe drive-yourself mode and I was a bit nervous about how the car would respond given all the various lane guidance / traction control / parking sensors / etc.

Sure enough the dash looked like a Christmas tree, lots of beeps but thankfully nothing that caused it to brake (I left the engine on but put the car in neutral).

It made me think that it'd be worth assembling a checklist of things to do when preparing to drive through the car wash. Would love any suggestions here. It also made me think that a 10-minute "car wash mode" would be handy to make the car easy to drive an not lock up when either driving it yourself or handing it over to someone to drive into the car wash.

So:

1. turn off traction control
2. turn off parking sensors
3. what else?

 

[raghu4026]

Turn off the car and leave it in neutral

 

[warubozu]

Don't know about the 2021 but on the 2020 pressing and holding the TRAC/VSC button for 3 seconds turns it off and also disables the pre-collision system.

 

[jbsjbs]

Turn off the car and leave it in neutral

I left the car on but put it in neutral. I haven't tried, but can you in fact turn off the car with the gear shift not in park?

 

[jbsjbs]

Don't know about the 2021 but on the 2020 pressing and holding the TRAC/VSC button for 3 seconds turns it off and also disables the pre-collision system.

I'll try that out. This was sort of what I was getting at -- I was/am concerned that some system would detect part of the car wash as an imminent collision and apply brakes, and I'd then either damage the car wash track or cause the car wash pulley to damage/drag the vehicle.

 

[YoungDad]

I left the car on but put it in neutral. I haven't tried, but can you in fact turn off the car with the gear shift not in park?

If the car is stopped, what systems could become a problem in a car wash?

 

[raghu4026]

I left the car on but put it in neutral. I haven't tried, but can you in fact turn off the car with the gear shift not in park?

Sure you can. The dash will complain that the shifter is not in park, thats all.

 

[jbsjbs]

If the car is stopped, what systems could become a problem in a car wash?

My main (only) concern was that the car doesn't think it's stopped (in fact it's not stopped). The car is rolling forward. This may sound silly/dumb/ignorant but there are so many different systems/sensors/etc in the vehicle that I honestly have no idea whether there's anything that could, when the car appears to be rolling forward and about to crash into something, proactively apply the brakes to avoid the "collision".

I only found one reference to emergency braking, on page 321 of the owner's manual, but it's not clear in what scenarios "Automatic Emergency Braking" can be applied.

Obviously car washes are nothing new and I assume that the clever folks at Toyota have made sure we can go through a variety of car washes safely, but there was a LOT of activity and beeping from the dash display yesterday and I just want to make it as smooth and non-startling a process as possible.

 

[rebel7254]

Turn off everything. Been a while since I read through the manual, but I'm pretty sure it tells you to turn off the features when going through an automatic car wash. But the tips are in each individual section where the features are described...it doesn't have any sort of checklist where it's all in one place. That sounds like a pretty good idea though

 

[Jim19939]

Turn off everything. Been a while since I read through the manual, but I'm pretty sure it tells you to turn off the features when going through an automatic car wash. But the tips are in each individual section where the features are described...it doesn't have any sort of checklist where it's all in one place. That sounds like a pretty good idea though

Pages 402-403 of the Owner Manual address carwashes. It addresses such things as folding the mirrors and turning off rain=sensing windshield wipers. It does not directly tell you to shut if off and put it in neutral. However, it definitely assumes that because to keep the smart key at least 6 feet away from the vehicle. It addresses potential problems if the smart key is in the vehicle.

 

[Jim19939]

Pages 402-403 of the Owner Manual address carwashes. It addresses such things as folding the mirrors and turning off rain=sensing windshield wipers. It does not directly tell you to shut if off and put it in neutral. However, it definitely assumes that because to keep the smart key at least 6 feet away from the vehicle. It addresses potential problems if the smart key is in the vehicle.

They also said to disable the power doors and hatch. Wouldn't that be a spectacle with the windshield wipers going and the doors wide open!

 

[Jim19939]

They also said to disable the power doors and hatch. Wouldn't that be a spectacle with the windshield wipers going and the doors wide open!

Here is a discussion about hybrid Toyotas in a car wash.
Hybrid in a track Car Wash - Neutral | Toyota Nation Forum

They recommend putting it in Neutral. However, according to the 2021 Sienna Owners Manual (p. 240) the shift lever can be shifted from Park only when the power switch in ON, the brake pedal is depressed and the shift release lever is pushed.

However, the Manual (p. 236) discusses stopping the hybrid system in a position other than Park. It says "The power switch will not be OFF but instead turned to ACC." Turning the power switch to ACC when the hybrid system ON and the shift lever in Neutral may be a workaround for the car wash. In Neutral, the Engine will be off and the power to both Motor Generators will be off. You would need to make sure all of the accessories are off so as not to drain the 12 volt battery.

 

[Jim19939]

Here is a discussion about hybrid Toyotas in a car wash.
Hybrid in a track Car Wash - Neutral | Toyota Nation Forum

They recommend putting it in Neutral. However, according to the 2021 Sienna Owners Manual (p. 240) the shift lever can be shifted from Park only when the power switch in ON, the brake pedal is depressed and the shift release lever is pushed.

However, the Manual (p. 236) discusses stopping the hybrid system in a position other than Park. It says "The power switch will not be OFF but instead turned to ACC." Turning the power switch to ACC when the hybrid system ON and the shift lever in Neutral may be a workaround for the car wash. In Neutral, the Engine will be off and the power to both Motor Generators will be off. You would need to make sure all of the accessories are off so as not to drain the 12 volt battery.

These people say just drive in and put it in neutral. The engine may start if HV battery drops too low. First fold your mirrors and turn off any systems that may actuate such as rain-sensing wipers, automatic doors, pre-collision system (which could alarm and put the brake on), etc. This sounds like the easiest and best answer.
NOTE: the title is misleading:
Better turn car off if go through car wash | Toyota RAV4 Forums (rav4world.com)

 

[Bigbinger]

FWIW, I've driven mine through the wash with no precautions taken, and no issues so far. I keep forgetting to do the power door button, and the mirrors and all the sensors. I put it in neutral and cross my fingers. It beeps at me a lot that there are things in close proximity, but it hasn't attempted to slam on the brakes, or open the side doors. I imagine that because I'm in it with the key that the doors won't fly open.

 

[Sienna9816]

I usually turn off everything on the MID. It is easier than to try to remember what matters and what doesn't, and same when turning everything back on. I also turn off wipers, put it in neutral, and power-fold side mirrors. I guess VSC OFF and Power door off would be smart too.

I had only one anomaly so far. Last time I went there, we sat in Neutral a minute longer than usual before the belt caught on. Few minutes into the car wash, I got an alert on MID about protecting HV Battery in Neutral. I got rid of the warning before taking a picture, or actaully reading what it said. It's still running so I might do the same thing next time too if it happens

 

[Alabama XL40]

Most vehicles with TSS or equivalent technologies don’t have any issues with car washes. The indicators might flash at you, but I’ve driven this Sienna through the car wash machine he same way I did my ‘06 tundra: vehicle on, put it in neutral, foot off the brake.

The parking proximity sensors go nuts but you can mute them by pressing “OK” on the steering wheel. I’ve never had the automatic brake go off in the car wash. Parking lots, garage at home, driving through tallish grass, yes, but not a car wash. YMMV

 

[Sienna9816]

One more thing. Turn Off Brake-Hold. I had it on first time I went for car wash in Sienna. The conveyer belt tab slipped thru under my wheels before I realized it was the brake-hold. I forgot the exact sequence, but the brake-hold must have stayed active eventhough I had moved the gearshift to neutral.

 

[drewcam888]

I usually turn off everything on the MID. It is easier than to try to remember what matters and what doesn't, and same when turning everything back on. I also turn off wipers, put it in neutral, and power-fold side mirrors. I guess VSC OFF and Power door off would be smart too.

I had only one anomaly so far. Last time I went there, we sat in Neutral a minute longer than usual before the belt caught on. Few minutes into the car wash, I got an alert on MID about protecting HV Battery in Neutral. I got rid of the warning before taking a picture, or actaully reading what it said. It's still running so I might do the same thing next time too if it happens

The engine won't come on and charge the battery when it is low in neutral.

 

[Piet]

Turn off all the sensors and you’ll be fine.

 

[datsa noydb]

I had no idea the Gen 4 was that much different than Gen 3 when regarding a drive-through car wash.

I never even gave it ANY thought in my Gen 3. Just drove up to where the attendant was directing the front wheel between the rails, stopped when directed, then put it in Neutral and left my hands off the wheel. I have not heard any beeping from sensors during the wash process, and I do not have rain-sensing wipers or kick-style door openers.

Not sure about all those 'safety' systems, but others, like the high beams and crash detection, are not enabled until you reach a minimum speed. That speed might be different for different systems, but I doubt any of them would be active at the low speeds of a car wash.

.