You’ve probably seen those TV ads featuring a dofus dad (why is it always a dad?) who is saved from a fender-bender by his self-braking car.
Turns out that same dude could have a tough time getting through a car wash.
The website BestRide.com has identified 33 cars of various makes and models that get confused and can seize up in an automated car wash because they are equipped with so-called autonomous technology such as self-braking systems, automatic parking brakes, pedestrian warnings and alerts that signal a vehicle is in the next lane.
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BestRide looked at a number of vehicles, and the reasons they may shut down vary and may not be the one you would suspect.
For example, say you pull your XC90, a luxury SUV that is one of Volvo’s best-selling vehicles, into an automated car wash tunnel on a Saturday morning. Your slip onto the rollers, but the car won’t move, even though it’s in neutral. You might think, as BestRide suggests, that a system that causes a current XC90 model to brake when there is a pedestrian in its path has kicked in.
But no. The culprit is an automated parking brake that prevents the XC90 from rolling forward or back (helpful on a hill) if the car is in park or neutral. “Pilot Assist Auto Hold Braking,” as the system is called, can be disabled, BestRide says, but scrambling to find the complicated instructions deep in the owner’s manual might not be the best way to spend a relaxing morning – especially if you have a line of other drivers behind you.
Taking what the International Car Wash Association calls “special needs” vehicles in for suds and a shower now requires owners and car wash operators to follow special instructions so the cars don’t become drenched and disabled.
And BestRide says even low-cost 2017 cars will be equipped with some autonomous safety features.
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Among the cars BestRide says could have problems going in for a clean-up are the Acura TLX, BMW 7 Series, Dodge Charger, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chrysler 200 and 300, two Ram trucks, five Lexus models, Range Rover Evoque, Mercedes-Benz models, six Subarus, six Toyotas, Tesla Model S, and a half-dozen Volvos.
It offers a handy list of instructions for correcting a stall in the car wash – and probably preventing a lot of honking behind you.
