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Dangers of a Grand Cherokee in a Car Wash

52K views 96 replies 47 participants last post by  moparado 
#1 ·
Has anybody here ever heard of not being able to get your Grand Cherokee washed at an automatic car wash because they will refuse to wash it? I tried searching for this issue in these forums, but found nothing here. I never brought a vehicle with the key-less entry and push button start into a car wash. It seems that the car wash places need to have the engine turned off and the shift in Neutral. This is not really possible with the automatic transmission vehicles we have without uses the emergency manual over ride that lets you move the shifter into N with the engine not running. I wanted to get my new 2017 Grand Cherokee washed, and just Googled about if/how to give the Key Fob to the wash attendant, etc. and came up with this: These 33 Vehicles Need Special Help To Drive Through a Car Wash | BestRide There is a section showing the Chrysler, RAM and Grand Cherokee vehicles. My Jeep doesn't have the rotary shifter knob like my RAM did, but still, you cannot put into N with the engine off or turn the engine off unless the Shifter is in Park. Weird . Any experience or comments on this? I did not bring my Jeep to the car wash or call them yet to ask. It seems there may also have been some very strange accidents with Jeeps in car wash places:confused: Thanks
 
#19 ·
Some time ago someone actually used radioactive tracers to determine if manual [spray type], manual [hand wash], or automatic car washes actually wore off more paint.
If my feeble elderly brain is correct, the automatic surprisingly resulted in the least paint loss. [I still hand wash or use non-contact spray anyway].

The automatic types have the nasty habit of offering a choice of an inadequate wash and underbody clean cycle or insist on spraying gunk all over your vehicle that not only dulls the wax job, but can trap crap against your paint---which I suspect the simplistic test would consider "better".

Since the original topic of the shiftless shifter and people who don't know what a parking brake is has been beaten to death multiple times here, perhaps a segue into comments regarding people who sufficiently disdain their vehicle that they would use them is appropriate....but that has been beaten to death as well.
 
#4 ·
MaxGroup, Thanks for the quick reply. For a manual wash, I just do it myself at home in the driveway, but in really cold weather, I'd rather not. Also, I don't know if there are any of those manual car wash places where I live. Iv'e never noticed one. I used to see them all over the country when I traveled all the time, but not where I live. I picked up my new Jeep last week and the next day there was some snow. The towns really salted the crap out of the roads ans made my Jeep look like a salted pretzel. Today it is raining here and looks like it may have washed off a lot of the residue. Some more snow here coming this Thursday.
 
#5 ·
The jeep in the car wash issue is something that I have heard of before but havent had any issues with. In Dallas, I have used a variety of different car washes. Some will have you stay in the vehicle with it and others wont. Its a real hit or miss thing.

I think if any carwash has a major issue with your jeep, theyll just make you ride with it through the tunnel instead of letting it do the journey alone. Have never been turned away from a car wash due to the GC
 
#20 ·
Keep it turned down if you value your decals, etc.
However, even a pressure washer is a tad inconvenient with a wind chill below -30F and an inch of salt or other corrosive substances all over your vehicle--and the damn water freezes faster than you can flush it off.
 
#7 ·
We have a good touchless nearby, which is what I use when I can't wash by hand (which is unfortunately often) .. works wonders in the winter to get the salt off..

My '14 has never been through a car-scratcher.
 
#8 ·
I have a 2015 Summit that has the shifter update recall performed. The resolution for running it through a touchless car wash is simple. Either buckle the seat belt when you get out or purchase a seat belt buckle insert. They are available on e-bay. I use one all the time and never have an issue.


Sent from my iPad using JeepGarage
 
#9 ·
#11 ·
here's what I found out when I ran my new 2016 SRT through the carwash for the 1st time. The carwash system that owns the market up here has a conveyor that propels the car through the wash while the car is running in neutral. They stack the cars really close front to back, so if for some reason a car jumps the roller on the conveyor it can be nerve wracking. Anyhow, when I was through the wash and the green light lit, I tried to put the transmission in drive and it wouldn't go. Now I'm going to be that guy that jumps the rollers! I stepped on the brake (a big no, no), jumped the roller, but it did go into drive. So, my lesson learned was that I had to lightly and quickly step on the brake while shifting into drive and the problem was solved...
 
#12 ·
:thumbsup:Thanks to all of you! The search engine in this forum (with my input, lol) was unable to find any of these for me. Sorry. Now back to my original wondering, for those of you HAVE been able to get your Grand Cherokee washed in an auto carwash WITHOUT you having to sit in your vehicle, where/ what do you do with your key-fob: do you hand it to the attendant or leave in your console or glove compartment or what? Thanks again for your great responses.
 
#17 ·
where/ what do you do with your key-fob: do you hand it to the attendant or leave in your console or glove compartment or what? Thanks again for your great responses.
I just leave mine in the cup holder. Never had a problem at any auto car wash.
Also, I've never encountered one that needed the vehicle shut off while rolling through.
 
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#13 ·
Ahh! search engine requires me to put quotation marks around my words, and voila, I found those posts without hundreds and hundreds of hits with only the individual words. Some other forums don't do search requests with quote marks, in my experience.
 
#16 ·
Never had an issue with my 14 or 15.

I could care less about hand washing the vehicle. If it's real dusty I'll take it through a touch less first but other than that, it receives no special treatment. I have other things to do with my time than hand wash a 'nothing special about' vehicle that I wouldn't have more than 3 years. If it were a Rolls, that'd be a different story.
 
#18 ·
Roughly how many nanoseconds did you search?
There was a nationwide recall of the detentless style shifters, an actor killed due to failing to put the vehicle in park, massive news coverage, etc.

Hundreds if not thousands of postings here on this forum for the recall and the
sometimes heated discussions of whether or not GC owners tend to be less observant and careful than owners of more expensive vehicles using the same shifter.
 
#22 ·
My solution to this would remain "never go to a car wash where I have to leave the vehicle". None of those I use even let the driver or passengers leave the vehicle. I don't want others driving it or having access to the interior. But that's me. :)
 
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#24 ·
I can shut my engine off with tranny in N. Tranny in N first, then shut off engine.

I've never had any issue at car washes, whether manual or automatic or brushless automatic. But I can envision car washes where the JGC isn't compatible, sure I imagine it can be possible, just like Bob the OP has seen.
 
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#50 · (Edited)
Yea well don’t EVER EVER do that if you have a transfer case. I learned the hard way in my quadradrive Overland last week. Not sure why I decided to shut car off after I put it in neutral but same thing happened and the N started flashing probably warning my dumb azz to also put the transfer case in neutral as well . I didn’t and as soon as the conveyor belt or whatever was pushing me through started up my vehicle jerked and jumped violently 3 times before the operator could shut the system down. I couldn’t tell if car was moving or if the belts and chocks were just moving under my vehicle because all the windows were covered with suds but I knew it was not good because I realized my transfer case was locked and my wheels were not turning . As soon as I re-started the engine she rolled thru in neutral just fine.

I was worried that I damaged either my transmission or my transfer case because it sure didn’t feel good inside the vehicle. It seems fine tho and I have shifted into low range and back several times and it seems to be fine as well. Lesson learned though. Do NOT shut your quadra-drive transfer case equippped grand Cherokee down while it’s in neutral and being pushed through the car wash automatically. Not good and I’ll bet that’s why some carwashes have a disclaimer posted not responsible for damage to dodge Chrysler SUV vehicles.
 
#28 ·
I go to one in Baltimore often. I have seen them send it through unoccupied, and then the last time someone stayed in through the wash. I think, and I have to test, but if you start the vehicle dont buckle up, you can put it in neutral and open the door. without it going into Park
 
#29 ·
I bought this on amazon. Just keep it buckled in at all times.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005J6JRMM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I go through car wash all the time and the car wash attendants just treat the car normally. Before I bought this, there was one guy who knew the deal. He put the car on the tracks and closed the door in park. Then he would reach in with that long vacuum hose and push in the brake while putting it in neutral - all of this while reaching in through the window. First time I saw it I was impressed, but then I quickly said to myself: "This is never going to happen again. He just rubbed his shirt/jacket all against my door and probably scratched the paint"
 
#32 ·
Can someone again summarize what exactly we are supposed to do when running a JGC 4WD (two-speed transfer case) through a car wash where you sit in the car the entire time?

Do we put the transmission AND/OR the Quad-trac transfer case into neutral?

I am also curious as to what we do if we cannot sit in the car?
 
#33 ·
If you sit in the car just put it in neutral and your all set. The wash I use doesn't want you in it. They just buckle the drivers seat belt, put it in neutral and let it go through. If the belts buckled it won't auto-park.
 
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