[monetnj]

In the manual, for the 4WD it has a warning about either towing the car with a flat bed or using a wheel dolly. I assume for tranmission reasons. I recently put my car through one of those car washes where you put the car in neutral and get out. I noticed the DRLs weren't on as it was going through, which means the car must have been turned off in neutral by one of the car wash employees. Could this hurt the transmission? I see that the manual says the car can be towed by the eyelet mounts at slow speeds for short distances. I am hoping the car wash falls under the same sort of exception.

 

[OCInsomniac]

If going through a 100' long automatic carwash in neutral was harmful, I would have burned up the trannys/rear diffs on my last three AWD Subarus long ago. Living in the rust belt where the highway depts. salt the roads whenever the weatherman just hints a snow forecast, I get my vehicles washed at least once a week through a touchless system. Never had any problems, the short distance traveled in neutral at crawling speed won't hurt anything.

OC

 

[John E Davies]

I see that the manual says the car can be towed by the eyelet mounts at slow speeds for short distances. I am hoping the car wash falls under the same sort of exception.

Yes, don't worry about it. Just don't let the tow truck driver haul the vehicle 5 or 10 miles on 2 wheels - that may be VERY harmful to the drivetrain.

John Davies
Spokane WA

 

[flyingn]

I too have been going thru carwashes for years with no ill effects either