I rarely use an automatic car wash as I worry about what they will do to the car's finish. Regardless, about once or twice each winter I just can't hold out any longer and it is still too cold for me to do my usual hand wash. The manual has numerous mentions regarding precautions for automatic car washes. Here is a snapshot of what I have gleaned from the manual. I welcome any debate on these settings as some seem a little extreme - but I asked one of the local Lexus Technology Specialists and they agreed with these settings. To be fair, I imagine they didn't want to contradict anything stated in the manual. This just seems like a lot in order to use an automatic car wash. The only time I have taken my NX through a car wash the only thing I did was turn off the rain sensing wipers (after the spray had already started because I forgot before entering the tunnel...)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Prep for automatic car wash, per owner’s manual: Lexus ~2022+ models

Press "waffle" symbol beside Climate on center display and disable:
--> 1. Intuitive parking assist
--> 2. Parking support brake
On center display, touch gear icon, scroll to “Vehicle customize,” then Door control:
--> 3. Disable “Hands free” (manual actually states “disable power back door” so you could disable both to be safe)
On driver’s door mirror control and windshield washer lever:
--> 4. Fold in mirrors using the upper left-hand button
--> 5. Place windshield wipers to off (top position – excluding mist position)

** Reset features above to original settings before driving **
_____________________________________________________________________________
In my opinion, disabling the parking assist is just to silence the noise. There are warnings about the parking support brake potentially mistaking the carwash equipment for an object in the vehicle's path and braking, thus causing the car to pop off the roller. The rear door concern may be a result of hand free feature accidentally triggering the rear door. Of course the mirrors and windshield wipers seem like common sense and are probably the only things most members here typically use.

Some of this has already been discussed, but I couldn't find anything that sort of brought it together in one list. I just wanted to offer it for anyone that may be interested - even if most of it doesn't seem to be set in stone.

 

I've also heard on a thread here that you should press the lock button on your FOB to securely lock the HV Charge Door if you have a NX450h+

This will keep the door from popping open if the carwash is not "touch free"

 

Just an alternate suggestion to using the Automatic Car Wash


We use the Rinseless Wash & Wax with very soft microfiber towels from Griot's Garage during the winter / cold months.

https://www.griotsgarage.com/rinsele...KuIPWD8VsuIA06

If my car is really muddy or dirty, I take it to a manual spray-wash and rinse off as best I can then drive home to do the Rinseless W&W.

We've also purchased A LOT of those microfiber towels mentioned (on sale of course!) from GG so we have plenty for the job.

https://www.griotsgarage.com/microfi...wels-set-of-6/

I don't know your daily commute or if your roads are heavily salted in the winters, so I understand your circumstance may vary from ours.

Our commute is relatively flat and with no hwy driving unless warranted and not many icy/snow days, but in that case we'd be sure to rinse the undercarriage off if needed.

Personally, I refuse to subject any of our Lexus vehicles to the automatic car wash as I've learned my lesson when taking prior vehicles thru them.

We use our spray canon to wash our cars during the warmer months and dry off with same towels. All products used are from Griot's Garage, but we are fortunate to be able to go to their flagship store and stock up when needed and not have to pay for shipping.

 

I have mine ceramic coated so I only use touchless car washes. I always choose the most simple option (no waxes, etc). With many previous cars, I've never had an incident where a touchless car wash opened a door or triggered the back to open. I guess I can imagine the possibility,

 

That Rinseless Wash and Wax product looks interesting. I will have to try that, but probably only on a lightly soiled car. I would think one might rub the grit in too easily if heavily soiled. They do use potassium chloride here, but they also use a lot of sand (often more like gravel) so my primary concern is winter cleaning.

 

I had not read about this, but I can easily see how it could happen. Those machines put quite a bit of pressure against the car, which could pop the door ajar, then they could snag that slightly open power door. It would be somewhat of a freak accident, but let’s be honest, all of these measures except for disabling the rain sensing wipers are basically just insurance against a freak accident. I do have the 450h+ but it would be the same concern for my RZ.

 

There are a lot of products out there and everyone has their favorites.

When I spray I let it soak as much as possible as the spray runs downward before wiping.

Usually the upper parts are not as dirty, but when wiping off the sprayed lower parts I try not to go back over with the dirt I just wiped off.

The towels are a good size and you can fold in sections the parts already used to wipe.

Either way, I’m also not trying to re-wipe clean parts with dirty towel — I go thru a lot of towels and they’re easy to just throw in the wash afterwards.

Also, as mentioned above — if the car is really dirty and too much for spray to handle, I take to manual car spray-wash and spray off dirt as best I can then drive home to do the rest.

Yes, I sometimes get lazy and it gets pretty dirty and I have considered just taking it to a detailer that won’t take it thru a car wash and will clean off the floor mats as well.

 

I use a car wash at least once a week. I've never had an issue. I fold in the mirrors, turn the wipers from auto to off, turn the climate control off and shift to neutral. I get beeps and camera images from the front and rear, but in 3.5 years I've never had an issue with anything opening or with the car braking. This has been with four different car washes.

 

I've had my 450h+ for just over a year and also have not had an issue with the charge port door opening. Since I live in a area where roads are treated with Salt and/or Chemicals, I try to wash my car any opportunity I have when it's warm enough (25F or warmer) and the roads are dry enough. I was nervous about the impact of a brushed car wash would have on my finish, but I find they do a much better job removing the salt and chemicals from the car than a brushless car wash and I the goal for me in the winter is to get the salt and chemicals off the car.

I do the same as jgrnt1 along with turning off the sensors so that I don't get the beeps

 

Since I saw the “power port door” comment, I noticed that moving my car from drive to neutral actually leaves the doors locked anyway, so I’m not sure this is really a concern.

All of the observations I provided in the original post were simply from my read of the manual, as verified by my dealer. It is probably overkill, but I prefer to think of it more as insurance against freak accidents. These cars are complex machines with various sensors and heavy use of plastics, so they can be damaged more easily than the cars of old. These are all pretty simple precautions but we all have different factors to consider - including the “nuisance factor” of looking for the settings in the menus, or remembering them all.

 

I challenge you to put your car in "N" after driving. Hop out walk around and push the power port door and let me know the results. I think you will find that the door will pop open. Don't forget to set your parking brake before you hop out.

 

In winter months I go to a wand wash, and bring with me Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic spray wax which I use the spray on spray off method to give added protection from salt or the chemical they spray on the road. And of course drying towels. You can also spray underneath.
I won’t go to the brush car wash. My husband had trim on his side rear door ripped off by this wash.

 

Challenge accepted. I changed the sequence a bit to match my behavior at an automatic car wash. I don’t exit the car until I have traversed the wash tunnel. When I pull up, I leave the car in drive, with my foot on the brake. Hand my credit card to the attendant or insert it into the machine myself. Then I drive up to where an attendant guides me onto the rails, before directing me to put the car in Neutral. So to simulate this, I pulled up in my driveway keeping it in Drive, rolled down the window and asked my wife to go around and see if the power door would open. Then, keeping my foot on the brake, I put it in neutral before she reached for the power door. The door would not open and the “lock” light remained illuminated on the door lock switch. The doors will unlock as soon as you open one from the inside of the vehicle, but otherwise they remain locked.

 

Hmmm, I wonder if it's because I have a setting that I changed, I don't lock my charge plug when charging as I only charge in my garage. I didn't test with my wife, I'll ask her to assist me and follow your steps as I did get out of the car and maybe exiting the vehicle unlocked the door(s). I thought that it was putting the vehicle into Park that triggered the locks.

 

I took my wife's NX350H though a touch less tunnel wash yesterday with a hand microfibre dry as it is ceramic coated, all I did was turn every driver assist option off and the auto windshield wipers and it was fine. I have been doing my own rinse less wash in the garage after using a self serve wash and pre-soaking with the rinse less wash but it has been so cold the car would freeze in the 5 minutes it would take to get home and I am pretty sure the Luke warm rinse less wash would freeze on contact. We are lucky that I work from home so my wife uses my car which has helped limit the winter km's on hers.