We're finally starting to see a break in the weather. It's getting warmer (however inconsistently) and we're getting signs that spring is right around the corner. Many people who purchased vehicles recently I thinking the same thing cool I can't wait to get my car washed. There's no better feeling than driving around in the good weather and a spotless new car.Your new car also has more technology than any vehicle you've ever driven before, including advanced safety features that will go along way toward preventing accidents. But sometimes these advanced safety features can get a little overzealous and make going to the car wash a little more tricky than it has been in the past.When taking your new vehicle to a car wash there are some things you should remember for more pleasant experience.
- Make sure you know how to put the car in neutral. This might sound silly especially if you've been driving for decades but automakers have been invading different styles and configurations for you to change gears. Some vehicles have electronic shifters that move in a paddle motion, other brands have begun using an electronic pushbutton transmission. Some brands will go as far as to not let the vehicle roll while in neutral and less certain criteria are met, such as a seatbelt being buckled. No matter what layout you have in your car, take a moment in the low pressure situation to make sure you know how to put your car in neutral.
- Disable your pre-collision system. When your vehicle is being pulled through car wash sometimes your pre-collision system decides to intervene. The sensors and forward facing camera see the brushes of the car wash and maybe even the vehicle in front of you at the car wash and can't determine that this isn't a danger situation, and it may decided to intervene. Learn where in your settings menu to turn this feature off for your car wash and remember to turn it back on again for the ride home.
- Disable your automatic ( or "rain sensing") windshield wipers. Newer cars with this feature can tell if it's raining and how much it's raining and automatically put on your windshield wipers to compensate. And that's kind of amazing. But when you're in the car wash your wipers will react to the water and go bananas. I received more than one phone call from a customer who has told me they forgot to disable this feature before they went into the car wash and either ripped the windshield wipers off their car or burnt out the motor on the cars wipers. Know how to turn this off and make sure you do before you get in line at the car wash.
