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Drive Thru Car Wash / Safety features

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carwash
13K views 53 replies 20 participants last post by  Sasquatch 
#1 ·
Has anyone taken vehicle thru a automatic car wash? If so do you have to turn off all the safety features? like Automatic braking and such... And what else do I need to do? Thank you
 
#6 ·
Yeah, I learned that the hard way this Winter after water soaked the cabin filter on my Taurus which then completely froze cutting off all air circulation in the cabin. Fog started to build inside all windows and windshield to the point I had to stop, clean them and then drive home with the windows down in freezing temperatures.
 
#7 ·
Yikes! Something else that can happen is the cowl is not designed to drain monsoons, so if it's set to fresh air, it can come right in the ducting and leak out of all of the ducting seams. Lots of stuff behind the dash you don't want to get wet or corroded!
 
#12 ·
All I do is hold the shifter upwords without any buttons pushed for literally 1 second and it goes into neutral and stays.

To get out of neutral coming out of the autowash, I need to lightly press on the brake and slide shifter down once and I drive away.

Note. I don't not use the auto brake 'feature'.
 
#16 ·
So.. I tried the double-neutral step provided several times and I never get the Neutral mode activated message. Is it possible that it was removed via a later update? I just got the vehicle on 05/06. Curious if anyone else with a more recent production model can still do this.

DRK
 
#28 ·
This does help - it is what I've been doing too!
This tag was attached to the shift lever when I drove away from the dealer. It amazed me (not really!) the dealer didn't spend some time on this with the 'tutorial' he provided when we picked up the car.
 

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#30 ·
Interestingly enough, I STILL have not taken the PF through a car wash (I've been washing it myself in my driveway). I am apprehensive with some of the guys I see setting up the cars for entry to the car wash (I take my other cars through). However, I did find one car wash, where the guy actually told me he knew exactly how the Nissan worked. If and when I go, I will try his first.
Or, alternatively, I can take it to the unmanned automatic car wash where they expect you to stay in your car. That may be the best place (for me) to go first!
 
#33 ·
That is interesting @DyingStar (and @DRK-PTHFNDR). The first time I took the PF through the car wash (a week and a half ago), the car wash's main guy, who accepts the car at the entrance way, showed me that first, he connects the driver's seat belt. Then he took it to the automatic feed, put it in neutral, closed the door and let it go through. I followed it on its route and it went through without an issue. I was a little uneasy but, it all worked! This was my one experience (so far), with the Pathfinder and the car wash. I am not sure what the seat belt is all about...
 
#36 ·
Hi @Deanna - good question! I am sorry to hear this happened to you - pretty frightening stuff!
When I pull up to the car wash, I put the car in park and then stand there and watch the attendant as he connecst the drivers seat belt, drive the car up to the 'feed' point, put the car in NEUTRAL, and then exit the car.
When the car comes out of the car wash, I walk over (while the guys start drying the car, etc), and shut the car off. (They always leave the car running and put the car in PARK).
When they are all finished, I get into the car, readjust the seats and mirrors (they always seem to move them), start the car (release the brake, deactivate the START/STOP feature (my normal routine), and then pull away. I have not had an issue at all.
Do you think this might work for you?
 
#38 ·
What were they thinking when they thought up this "circus act" of putting the Pathfinder in Neutral (not to mention the Idling Stop System that CAN'T be disabled and going into Reverse means moving the shifter FORWARD)...?:unsure::unsure::unsure:

I've used the Neutral Hold once (after a couple of attempts), but I do miss a traditional shifter like on previous Nissan's...:(
 
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#39 · (Edited)
It is a circus, there is no doubt about that, @Lightfoot025 but (and there always seems to be a but!), I was as skeptical as anyone when I first got the car. Now, I have had the car a year (3/30/23 was a year), and I am happy to say, it works fine in the car wash. The attendants were more familiar with the system than I was, so I didn't go through a car wash for the first 6 months. Now, I don't give it a second thought. I do stay with the lead car wash guy when I approach, just to make sure everything is kosher. I've never had an issue. My buddy, who has a 2021 Rogue, with the same transmission/shifter, is also a believer now!
I think Nissan could've done this much, much better but (there's that but, again!), this is what it is and it has been working for me!
 
#41 ·
True enough, it does indeed work as I've got it down & easy. I just feel like I missed the transition from the '15s & '19s Nissan SUVs to the newer models in regards to the "gear shifters"...
 
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#43 ·
That's a great suggestion, @DRK-PTHFNDR. The (closest), car wash I use, requires me to exit the vehicle, so I comply. Even when I'm just having the exterior done, they still don't permit me to stay in the car.
However, there is one car wash (about 15 minutes away, for which I would be able to stay in the vehicle. It's the only one like it around here. All they do is the 'automatic' car wash tunnel - they have no staff to do what full service car washes do. I keep meaning to get up there. When I do, I will be happy to use your technique and stay in the car!
 
#44 ·
That's what I did when I used the car wash for the first time.

Down here in GA, we don't have too many car wash tunnels that mandate the occupants to exit the vehicle. We have an alarming rate of automobile theft that is only increasing nowadays, and any kind of service that requires the driver to leave the vehicle is frowned upon by LEOs and Insurance Agencies (drive-thru car washes, valet parking locations, and even some car repair centers).

I can see the "intent" behind how Nissan wanted to modernize and simplify the whole neutral hold thing, but it's the "execution" of the plan that has me a bit annoyed...
 
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