My 2016 Prius 4 has a pre collision system. The first time I took the car through a conveyer belt type car wash, the collision system engaged when it encountered the cleaning cloth things that hang from the ceiling and my car braked and was rear ended by the car behind me (no damage). I learned my lesson and turned off the system the next few times I went though the car wash and had no problems. Yesterday, however, the pre collision system stopped my car again in the same spot in the car wash even though I had turned it off. This time, I remembered at the last minute and turned off the pre collision as I was entering the car wash. Does anyone know if there is a delay between when the system is turned off and when it actually disengages? That is the only explanation I can come up with as to why car braked even though I had turned the system off. This experience has me spooked and now I'm wondering if my days of using this type of car wash are over.
There's the other automated kind, where the car rolls in and then stops, and a frame passes by the car. Safer for Prius.
I find that the conveyor wash service here is far superior in finish and therefore I've used it 3 time. Never had the brakes apply automatically, only problem was one of the small inserts on the lower front skirt got whipped out. You simply MUST ensure your car is in Ready state and select Neutral before the conveyor drags you in.
Good question. I definitely remember putting it in drive at the end of the car wash. Am I positive it wasn't already in drive? No. I have been through this car wash countless times but I was so focused on turning off the pre-collision feature that I can't be sure that I put it in neutral. But I'm wondering, even if it was in drive, would the pre-collision system still engage if I had it turned off?
Had you been in Drive in the wash, I think you might have noticed the creep when the electric motor received power from the HV battery. This always happens unless your foot is hard on the brake pedal while Drive is selected.
Is this kind of car wash safer for reasons other than the pre-collision system? I had my old Prius for 10 years and never had a problem taking it through this car wash. Was I living life on the edge without knowing it? Someone gave me a gift book of free car washes and I still have a couple left. I guess I will have to re-gift them and switch to the other type of car wash you are talking about. The problem is that those car washes don't have people to dry your car and I'm lazy.
"Neutral" is intended for situations exactly like that AND the collision avoidance features should automatically shut OFF. If you can prove that they are not disabled in N, then you have a failure that needs to be fixed.
Thank you. That's good to know. Maybe I will give this car wash another try on a day that it isn't so crowded and wouldn't have to worry about getting rear ended again. If the problem happens again, I'll be sure to have the system checked out.
Next time, you might also want to consult with the car wash staff to insure sufficient room behind, and about their experiences with other customers with this feature.
FWIW, almost all automatic car washes struggle to clean below the rear spoiler. Hand washing is going to be more thorough, but I. compromise with a human push service ahead of the conveyor belt
On CBC radio the other day they were discussing the history of the treadmill, which currently is seeing a resurgence as an exercise device. Perhaps 200 years back in England it was introduced, as an alternative to capital punishment. It's come a long way, lol. Anyway, there was the point made: that by simply re-introducing some chores, and purposely making some aspects of everyday life more arduous, we could be getting more, and more effective exercise. And getting things accomplished, and likely saving money, to boot. Things like manually opening garage doors, using stairs instead of escalator, hand-washing dishes, cooking instead of take-out, parking further back in the lot, that sort of thing. A big one: getting a dog. Anyway, this was on the radio while I was reading this thread, got me thinking: hand washing the car is just another example. Good exercise (if you're careful with your back), and does a much more thorough job. And you will notice the scratches and dings, can address them with the touch-up paint.
