Vehicle Technology - Car Wash Mode

In January 2017, International Carwash Association published a survey of 245 car wash owners representing 500 car wash facilities. The report documented the kinds of issues ICA members were experiencing with Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technology on vehicles. The majority of these systems are not designed to operate at car wash speeds, but the ICA members surveyed highlighted a number of concerns.

• 78.7% reported damage to automatic wipers due to operation during the wash cycle
• 61.1% reported problems with transmissions not allowing vehicles to roll through the wash system in neutral (Auto Shift to PARK)
• 39.3% reported issues with stop/start systems applying during the wash cycle
• 38.4% reported problems with keyless fobs and 26.1% noted vehicles with keyless exterior entry systems being locked by contact with brushes
• 37.4% reported collision avoidance systems applying during the wash cycle

In our summary of that report, we recommended three actions vehicle manufacturers could take to alleviate the problems being experienced by car wash operators:

• Wash Operator Education – We established the ICA Vehicle Portal to review owners’ manuals and explore actual vehicles to provide instructions on how to set various makes, models and years of vehicles for automatic car washes. Today we have 24 brands and 363 models of 2017, 2018 and 2019 vehicles loaded and we are constantly adding new information to stay current with changes in product line ups.
• Vehicle Electrical Design – We called on vehicle manufacturers to establish a single “car wash button” that deactivates all ADAS technology that can interfere with a car wash for 15 minutes to allow the vehicle to be cleaned. We noted that a timing device could reactivate the safety technology to assure proper operation once the vehicle leaves the wash.
• Ultimate Solution – And finally, we noted that a telematics solution will probably be the ultimate solution. Sensors before the wash could trigger ADAS deactivation. Sensors at the end of the wash could reactivate the systems.

Since that report was published we have contacted every major vehicle manufacturer plus the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers and the Global Alliance of Automakers, two trade groups that represent 26 different automotive brands. We presented the survey results to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress, and we have constantly researched any form of movement in the industry to see if anyone was actually listening.

We have found that employees inside the major car makers will in fact, listen – but their organizations simply don’t have mechanisms to elevate the concerns of an outside entity like ICA or even of their own vehicle owners in an efficient and effective manner, so change comes slowly.

But finally … can it be? Did someone actually listen or is it just a nice coincidence? Either way, we are THRILLED to announce that Mercedes-Benz has designed a car wash button into their 2020 GLS SUV – very much in the manner we recommended in our 2017 report.

Pushing the “Car Wash Mode” button in the GLS performs the following functions:

• The mirrors fold in
• All windows and sun roof close
• The automatic windshield wipers deactivate
• The climate control moves to recirculate mode
• The GLS has a 360-degree camera that switches to front view to assist in guiding the car into the wash
• The car’s active suspension moves to its highest position to assure ground clearance and aid in cleaning the wheel arches

All of these functions return to normal operation once the car leaves the wash and reaches 12 mph on the road. That reduces both work and risk for car wash operators by decreasing interaction with the vehicle at the end of the wash.

The GLS has an “Auto Shift to PARK” transmission that will shift the car into PARK if the transmission is in D or R and a door is opened. While that function is not deactivated by the car wash model button (we would have liked that function included) the GLS has a “stay in neutral” function using the Mercedes Smart Key. As long as the key is in the ignition lock, the car will remain in neutral.

Maybe the most interesting thing about this announcement is the recognition it has received from the automotive press and the enthusiasm shown for the car wash mode concept.

Car and Driver magazine’s headline stated:

The New 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS Has a Special Carwash Mode—Now That’s Luxury

The Jalopniks online blog led with:

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS Has One Incredible Feature: Car Wash Mode

CNET announced:

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS has a secret car wash mode

Here’s one gee-whiz feature that’s actually pretty cool.

Edmunds.com showed a straightforward headline summarizing the car in two statements

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS: More Luxurious, Easier to Wash

This list is a small sample of many articles written off a single press release by Mercedes-Benz. It is great to see car wash issues holding equal importance with vehicle luxury and performance but the response of the Press tells us something more – people care about maintaining their cars and they appreciate when vehicle manufacturers make that easier.

We would like to see car wash mode buttons handle more ADAS functions like lane departure, stop/start and forward collision avoidance. We understand the stance of the vehicle manufacturers that these systems are not designed to operate at car wash speeds but we also know that ICA members reported problems with them in our survey. Mercedes-Benz has shown that the concept of a single button controlling multiple function deactivation is possible so the inclusion of other ADAS functions could be added in the future. For now, we take the GLS car wash mode as a win.

We don’t know if Mercedes-Benz was listening back in 2017 (they definitely received our survey report) but you can bet that we will use the introduction of the 2020 GLS’s car wash mode button as a flag bearer for our ongoing mission to drive change in other vehicle designs.

About Schwartz Advisors and this article

Derek Kaufman is a Managing Partner at Schwartz Advisors (SA). SA is a team of highly experienced auto aftermarket experts working with clients in corporate growth projects and both buy-side and sell-side merger and acquisition activities. As part of its growth consulting work, SA keeps current with the emerging technologies and business models that will drive the future supply of automotive parts and service. The reference to any specific commercial products, processes, or services by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by ICA or Schwartz Advisors. The views and opinions of the author do not necessarily state or reflect those of the ICA staff.