Car Wash Mishap

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Anonymous

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I took my Bolt for a car wash today and had issues getting it into neutral. User error!:) The track was dragging my car in while I was trying to shift into neutral and the attendant kept yelling, "put it in neutral! Put in park! Brake!" The opposite force of my braking and the force of the track caused some major jerking. I was so unbelievably upset! Dont car washes have safety mechanisms against this? I'm so worried the incident has screwed up my alignment? Brakes? Please someone tell me my Bolt is okay!:)

-Raven
Portland, OR
 
Ravenrose said:
I took my Bolt for a car wash today and had issues getting it into neutral. User error!:) The track was dragging my car in while I was trying to shift into neutral and the attendant kept yelling, "put it in neutral! Put in park! Brake!" The opposite force of my braking and the force of the track caused some major jerking. I was so unbelievably upset! Dont car washes have safety mechanisms against this? I'm so worried the incident has screwed up my alignment? Brakes? Please someone tell me my Bolt is okay!:)
Click to expand...

There is a section in the user manual about car washes - read it. Try pages 207 & 208 {- "To shift into N (Neutral)" and "Car Wash Mode" -}
 
I refuse to use the drag through car washes.

The touchless ones where the wand goes around you do just fine.
 
Been wondering about this, but is there any difference between just shifting the car to neutral than on "car wash mode"? The only difference I can see is that there's a caution in the manual saying the vehicle is not designed to stay in Neutral for extended periods of time. Not sure how long that is, but I would think going through a car wash is fast enough.
 
Xelus said:
Been wondering about this, but is there any difference between just shifting the car to neutral than on "car wash mode"? The only difference I can see is that there's a caution in the manual saying the vehicle is not designed to stay in Neutral for extended periods of time. Not sure how long that is, but I would think going through a car wash is fast enough.
Click to expand...
Well, yeah - of course you have to put it in neutral. The issue with the Bolt (and some other modern cars with electric parking brakes) is that it will apply the parking brake by itself if you get out of the car. It's a "safety feature".
 
The issue with the Bolt (and some other modern cars with electric parking brakes) is that it will apply the parking brake by itself if you get out of the car. It's a "safety feature".
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No, I think it's an actual Safety Feature. Leaving a car while it's in neutral, with no brake applied, is dangerous in 90% of the situations in which it can occur.
 
LeftieBiker said:
The issue with the Bolt (and some other modern cars with electric parking brakes) is that it will apply the parking brake by itself if you get out of the car. It's a "safety feature".
Click to expand...
No, I think it's an actual Safety Feature. Leaving a car while it's in neutral, with no brake applied, is dangerous in 90% of the situations in which it can occur.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I understand the reason - but for the other 10% of situations it's a real PITA. And heaven help the poor shmuck who gets used to the car doing this for him and then has to drive something with a manual parking brake.
 
SeanNelson said:
LeftieBiker said:
No, I think it's an actual Safety Feature. Leaving a car while it's in neutral, with no brake applied, is dangerous in 90% of the situations in which it can occur.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I understand the reason - but for the other 10% of situations it's a real PITA. And heaven help the poor shmuck who gets used to the car doing this for him and then has to drive something with a manual parking brake.
Click to expand...

The only reason such a feature exists is that many people do not use the parking brake when parking. Such habits seem to be most common with people who drive only automatic transmission cars, even though driver education tells students to use the parking brake when parking in all cars.

The Bolt's electronic parking brake control is obviously placed (on the center console, where the hand operated parking brake levers typically are on other cars) and intuitive to use (pull up to use the parking brake, push down to release it).
 
Car wash mode (basically setting it so that it stays in N) is described on page 208 of the owner's manual at https://my.chevrolet.com/content/dam/gmownercenter/gmna/dynamic/manuals/2017/Chevrolet/BOLT%20EV/Owner%27s%20Manual.pdf . Basically, you have to press the brake pedal, open the driver's door, and then shift to N. This is with the car on or in service mode.
 
You only need car wash mode if you're leaving the vehicle while it's going through the wash. If you're just sitting in it and riding through you can just shift to N and it'll go just fine.
 
There’s an easy way to avoid mishaps at the car wash:
1. Put the shifter in Park and get out of the car.
2. Engage the driver’s seat belt.
3. Get back in and drive up to the car wash. (You will be sitting on the seat belt at this point).
4. Put the shifter in Park or Neutral as instructed by the car wash attendant.
5. Leave the fob in the car and and exit the vehicle. Tell the attendant to leave the seat belt engaged.
6. The engaged seat belt seems to disable the safety interlock with the door. So once the vehicle is placed in Neutral it stays there irrespective of what happens to the door.
 
Ravenrose said:
I'm so worried the incident has screwed up my alignment? Brakes? Please someone tell me my Bolt is okay!:)
Click to expand...
Lots of talk about car wash mode, but I'm not sure anyone answered the question. ;-)

Obviously, you'd have to take the car to your dealer to know for sure, but I'd be willing to bet your brakes and alignment are OK.

I wouldn't be too worried about it (unless it dragged it through the whole car wash! :) ), but I'd just watch it for a bit.
Make sure it's not pulling too much to one side, etc..

Fingers crossed.

desiv
 

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