This is a complete guide on how to put Tesla in car wash mode.
Car wash mode on your Tesla is a modern and very helpful feature that was introduced with update 2021.24.4.
What is it for? With just a few taps on the touchscreen, you can turn on Car Wash Mode in your Tesla to trigger the necessary checklist that creates a safe environment for your car when passing through an automated car wash or when you decide to wash your Tesla yourself in the backyard of your home.
In this article, we’ll help you learn all the information you need to know about the Tesla car wash mode.
We’ll tell you what it is, how it works, where to press to turn it on and off, and how to use it properly.
Let’s not linger too long in the introduction and get to the point.
What is Tesla Car Wash Mode
Car wash mode is a great feature of Tesla’s new electric cars that have been introduced with the release of one of the many software updates. Car wash mode is actually an option to alternately turn the car settings on or off during a manual wash or when you go through an automated wash.
What Does Car Wash Mode on Tesla Do
Car wash mode on the updated Tesla locks all windows, closes the vehicle’s charging port, temporarily removes the windshield wipers, turns off Sentry mode, and locks the doors and parking sensors.
You’ll be able to see two more options on the car wash mode display: Screen Cleaner Mode and Folding Mirrors, so you don’t have to look everywhere to use these settings separately. It’s a mere detail, but it’s nice that the company cares about its customers. Here is how to clean tesla seats.
The car wash mode is also equipped with an interesting option called Enable Free Roll, which puts the car in neutral. It’s often turned on during visits to automatic car washes. It keeps the parking brake from starting, especially if you’re outside the car.
Here’s a full list of what the Tesla car wash mode turns on or off:
- Windows are blocked
- The charging port closes
- The trunk also closes tightly
- The screen shows the status of the trunk, both front, and rear
- Automatic windshield wipers stop working
- Sentry mode is disabled
- The parking alert does not work
- Climate control mode status is displayed.
How To Enable Car Wash Mode on Tesla
To activate the car wash mode in your Tesla, you will need to follow a few simple steps.
The most important prerequisite is that your vehicle is in the parked position.
Start the Tesla touch panel and do the following taps. Go to Control, then to Service, and finally to Car Wash Mode.
A box will appear where you need to press Enter Car Wash Mode.
You’re all done – this starts Tesla Car Wash Mode and will display the option for each checklist setting.
Some options, such as Sentry mode, silencing the parking warning system, and closing the windows and charging ports, will be done on their own, without any help from you. And things like whether the trunk is open or closed, or whether the mirrors are folded will show up on the screen for you to decide what to leave on and what to turn off.
Here’s an example. If you own a pre-2020 Model 3, the car won’t close the trunk itself, but it will display the trunk status so you can see if you were able to close it before the wash or if it was accidentally left open.
You don’t want water leaking into the trunk and getting all your stuff wet.
How to Enable Free Roll in Tesla Car Wash Mode
Wash mode also has another useful option that gives you the opportunity to make your life easier and not have to put the Tesla in neutral while you wash your car. You can do this directly from the touchscreen, as part of the checklist.
If you’ve turned on car wash mode, you’ll be able to see the Enable Free Roll option on the screen, which you can activate to start the free roll and bring the car into neutral to pass the automatic car wash mode without impacting the car’s bodywork.
By default, the Enable Free Roll feature is grayed out. To activate it, apply the brake and put the car in Drive mode. At the time the desired button appears in front of your eyes, press it. The color will change from gray to blue, this will mean that the desired mode is started.
How to Exit Car Wash Mode
There are two ways you can turn off the car wash mode on your Tesla.
First way. Find Exit Car Wash Mode on the screen, and your car will do all the work for you.
Second way. Start driving at your normal speed, and car wash mode will turn off automatically when you reach a speed limit of ten miles per hour.
Is Car Wash Mode Useful
The introduction of a special function to turn on all the necessary vehicle options en masse with just one button when you decide to wash your Tesla saves you a lot of free time.
The appearance of a checklist on the main screen also serves as a good reminder of what else you need to turn on or off when your car is dirty and you’re about to wash it.
Among other things, you get one less thing to worry about, especially if you often forget to turn something off before washing.
You might argue, of course, that this is a mere trifle, but if you’ve been using a Tesla for a long time and subject your car to regular washing, this upgrade will save you effort and wasted time.
You might think that there’s nothing innovative about this feature since you can make your own changes to the car’s settings before you wash it. This, of course, is correct. You may well be able to manually deal with turning off the necessary settings.
The important thing here is that you do not need to make a huge number of presses, and just solve all the problems through a single button. Agree that this is much more convenient.
Is Car Wash Mode Available on All Tesla Models
Of course, car wash mode is built into all Tesla models, just for some models, you will have to install the appropriate system update. If your Tesla is updated automatically, you have nothing to worry about at all, because the necessary options are already installed.
When this feature was being tested, it was only included in updates for the Tesla Model 3. But it was later introduced in other cars of the company until it was extended to every car.
Can Teslas Go Through a Car Wash
It goes without saying that you can bring your Tesla in for a car wash. However, there are a few subtle points that we would like to pay close attention to. To begin with, you should not go to those automatic car washes that use hard brushes. They easily strip the paintwork of the Tesla. We advise you to use an automatic touchless car wash.
Many people wash their own cars and do not use automatic car washes. If you happen to have to, find out all the details of the place you come to.
Tesla’s are not always well painted and the paint is easy enough to wipe off or knockdown. If it doesn’t matter to you, then you can take your chances. But we would advise you to refrain from automated washes to save money on repainting the car’s bodywork.
Before an automated wash, make sure to strictly turn on the car wash mode. Never forget to do this. All the settings will turn on automatically, and you’ll just have to enjoy the peace of mind while your car takes a water treatment.
Another nuance you should keep in mind is that the car wash mode temporarily turns off the Sentry mode. When this mode is turned off, your car will stop recording any damage it has sustained. So if you take your car to the car wash and go about your business, keep this in mind and figure out how to take care of your car’s safety while you’re away.
7 Setbacks Of Handwashing A Tesla
Although this is the safest type of washing for a Tesla, there are some disadvantages. But it is worth saying, these disadvantages do not apply to just one Tesla, it affects owners of absolutely any car, which is why many drivers never wash the car by hand.
The main problems with hand washing a Tesla are having the time, the right weather, and your experience, which affects the quality.
A manual wash will take you a huge amount of time and effort compared to an automatic one, and you are unlikely to be able to wash your car in difficult weather conditions. The quality of the wash will also depend on you, so if you do it poorly, you will simply miss important places.
Hand washing your car gives you the assurance of gentle handling, you will definitely not damage the paint or one of the parts.
If you have very little time or you just don’t feel like doing anything today, you can find appropriate companies that hand wash your Tesla, or pay someone to help you with this problem. As a reminder, this is the most proper way to wash your Tesla, so it will cost a lot more than an automatic wash.
Well, next we will detail why a manual Tesla wash brings with it not only pluses but also a number of weighty minuses.
Water consumption when washing by hand
You’re going to start paying quite a bit for water, especially if you wash your Tesla very often. If you frequently have to drive your car to places that are very dirty or dusty, your water bill will soon become unimaginable.
Time Wasted
If you take automatic washing into account, then hand washing takes not just a lot of time, but a very large amount of it. You simply may not have that much free time to do everything manually.
Availability of space near your home
Unless you own a large lot or a huge garden, you are unlikely to be able to properly wash your Tesla by getting to every dirty corner of your car.
Handwashing is incompatible with winter
In places where winter temperatures drop well below freezing, water can turn to ice right during the car wash procedure. Many places even turn off the water in the street taps during the winter. It will be quite problematic for you to wash your car without using a hose because you will have to lug buckets from home by hand.
Little pleasure
We know many people who really enjoy washing the car. It even brings them some relaxation, because they are immersed in the process. But if you’re not one of those people, hand washing can become a very tedious and boring affair, which will obviously have a bad effect on your mood.
Having the equipment
In order to do manual car washing, you will need to buy a certain set of special equipment. This may increase your costs, but certainly not as much as repainting the electric vehicles after an automatic wash.
Physical strength and flexibility
During a manual car wash, you will often try to get into hard-to-reach places, which will require you to exert a considerable amount of strength. If you have a bad back or just haven’t exercised in a while, you’ll have a lot of discomforts washing your car by hand.
As we have already understood from the above, a manual car wash has enough problems and obstacles of its own. Let’s now take a closer look at an automatic car wash to finally decide how we should proceed.
Advantages of an Automated Car Wash
An automated car wash is comfortable and doesn’t waste a lot of your time. It can even save you a lot of money compared to buying detergents and special equipment for a manual wash. To wash your Tesla properly by hand, you will have to spend a lot of money.
At a minimum, you will need to buy microfiber cloths and the right soap for your car. On top of that, you will spend a huge amount of water, which can also hurt your budget a lot.
However, it is worth saying that all the spending on car wash equipment and water costs will still save you from a more expensive car painting procedure.
This is due to the fact that the paint on your Tesla often suffers during an automatic car wash, which leads to unpleasant consequences. We’ll cover this in more detail below.
Disadvantages of Washing Your Car at an Automatic Car Wash
Often these car washes use large, hard brushes and rollers to clean your car. These things are very likely to cause damage to the paint on your Tesla, as they accumulate dirt particles from cars that have been here before you.
Also, these devices can damage or break off some parts of the car altogether. Side mirrors and windshield wipers can be severely damaged. We recommend choosing a touchless car wash that has no brushes or rollers.
Contactless washes will also ensure that the sensors on your Tesla remain intact. Even then, however, you may damage your car. Some car washes may use chemicals that are too strong to remove dirt. They can also corrode the paint and even discolor it.
They also remove the wax coating in addition to the dirt, which is also bad for the appearance of the car. This is why many people choose to hand wash because of its high safety.
Also, when you drive through an automatic car wash, there is a great risk that your car will slip somewhere or even go astray. This will damage the rims on your wheel.
Pressure Washing
You can wash your Tesla with a pressure washer. But you should be careful not to get water on the car’s sensors. This can cause significant damage to them and make them malfunction. After an inattentive wash, they often begin to malfunction and display information incorrectly. That being said, this option is much better than an automatic car wash.
Such washes are also useful because they don’t damage the paint on the car or scratch its parts.
A safer option, according to most car owners, is considered water from buckets and a microfiber rag. This helps in cases where the car is not heavily soiled.
Nuances When Washing a Tesla Car
Don’t forget to wipe your Tesla vehicle thoroughly after you have finished washing it. If you don’t, a large amount of dust is sure to stick to the car’s wet finish. There may also be water stains left behind if you don’t wipe the car down and just leave it to dry out in the fresh air.
Always wash your Tesla from top to bottom. The bottom of the car is always much dirtier than the top. By washing the car from the top down, you’re getting rid of the accumulated dirt and then getting rid of it altogether.
If your car has been repainted, you shouldn’t rush to wash it. It takes about a month for the paint to take well. Then you can wash your car.
Video: How to Put Tesla in Car Wash Mode
In this video, the test of Car Wash Mode in Tesla Model 3, a walkthrough of how you should use this software when using an automatic car wash with your Tesla.
How to Wash a Tesla Manually
How do you know if your car is well washed or if it may have been harmed? Pay attention not only to the result of the wash but also to the process itself. It should include a pre-wetting of the body with water or a special composition from a low-pressure sprayer.
If this phase is absent (sometimes it is excluded from “complexes” for the sake of cheapening) or you see that the foam or shampoo is applied for the show and then begins to wash out without giving auto chemical enough time for reaction (active period in compositions is different, but it rarely is shorter than 2-4 minutes), or a car stays in foam almost until it dries – then it is better to find another service.
The correct technology is as follows. The car body is first wetted, then the wheel arches are washed under great pressure, then the shampoo (foam) is applied and the dirtiest spots are scrubbed with a special soft brush.
After that the mixture is given a few minutes to “work”, and then all the “chemistry” is thoroughly rinsed off with demineralized water (osmosis). In the end, usually use a microfiber to dry everything washed.
In summer – it is highly desirable under the roof or in the shade so that the water does not have time to dry out before it is wiped off. In the same way, you should wash the car on your own, on a “self-wash”.