Comment by justin66
4 days ago
I don't get it. I put my Toyota hybrid in neutral while going through a car wash all the time.
I just googled this. I had no idea this was a thing some people worry about. I guess it's a problem if the hybrid battery runs out while the car is in neutral, but there's a meter right there to tell you how much charge it's got if you're really worried about it.
What surprised me in the video is that Alec was telling how his engine can charge his battery while in the car wash. I had a 2016 Auris which I had to put it in neutral in the car wash, and in neutral the engine couldn't charge the battery. That was never a problem, I never had an empty battery in the car wash or even came close to it, but it does seem different from Alec's experience (unless I misunderstood).
The car wash in this video is a box with a solid floor and doors that close at the ends before the wash cycle starts. There's no reason for the car to be put in neutral for this car wash; it's not doing anything to move the car around. You park your car in this kind of car wash.
Aha, that's what I missed. That explains it all. Thanks.
I checked my Toyota's manual and it does explicitly warn about neutral for long periods of time for this reason. However, when not in neutral, the car will not allow the traction battery to be below 40% or so, so it is difficult to enter a car wash with an empty battery.
However, the car may have a very small, old, or weak battery; there may be significant drain on the battery (air conditioning?) while in neutral; and you may be in a very long car wash.
I did that and an alarm went off after a while - apparently the battery was depleting to levels where it can cause damage to the battery. I only had it in neutral for like a minute too.
I just go to the car washes where the car stays still now.
I doubt there’s any permanent damage to the battery. It’s just that the car is bricked and you need a tow truck (and a trip to the dealership to get the battery recharged) if the battery is depleted completely, hence the warning.