Should You Put the Car in N or P Gear When Washing?
3 Answers
When washing the car, you should put it in N gear. Automatic car washes are divided into tunnel car wash machines, touchless automatic car wash machines, and reciprocating car wash machines. Regardless of the type, you need to put the car in N gear during an automatic car wash, especially for tunnel car wash machines. During the automatic washing process, the car moves forward with the conveyor belt. If you put it in P gear at this time, it may cause damage to the transmission. An automatic transmission typically refers to the car's automatic gear-shifting mechanism, where the control system of the automatic transmission selects the appropriate gear based on the engine's speed and load during driving, replacing the driver's subjective judgment and gear-shifting operations.
This issue actually depends on the car wash method. With over a decade of experience driving to car washes, I've found that using P (Park) gear is the safest for manual washing—just pull the handbrake tight to keep the car firmly in place without worrying about rolling. However, for automatic car washes, you must shift to N (Neutral) gear, as the conveyor belt moves the wheels forward. Leaving it in P gear could lock the transmission gears, and forcing movement might damage them, costing thousands to repair. Last week at the car wash, I saw a newbie leave it in P gear—the machine suddenly jammed, stalling the conveyor belt. Remember, never press the brake during an automatic wash; keep your foot completely off the pedal and the steering wheel straight. If the car wash attendant gives advice, I always follow it—they operate these machines daily and know best.
As a car owner who frequently purchases membership cards at automatic car washes, I go for a wash every week. Before entering the automatic car wash line, the staff always signals me to shift into neutral (N) gear. At this point, releasing the brake allows the car to move smoothly along the conveyor belt. The consequences of mistakenly shifting into park (P) gear are severe—the wheels lock up, forcing the conveyor belt to drag the car, which can damage the transmission's locking mechanism. The auto-hold system installed in my car must also be turned off before washing; otherwise, the locked wheels would cause similar issues. There's no need to worry about the air conditioning or radio turning off during the wash as long as the car is in N gear. After finishing, simply shift back to drive (D) gear when leaving—the entire process feels as natural as eating or drinking. Manual car washes are simpler; just park, shift into P gear, and engage the handbrake.
