Instructions for carwash attendants

tacomel · 06-15-2006, 11:00 PM

I was just wondering if anyone has, or has made, instructions for a carwash attendant to drive the Prius. It would seem to me that such instructions should include: (1) how to put the car into neutral when he gets to the track, (2) how to put it into drive at the end of the track, and (3) how to put it into park when he gets it where the towel people are.

Does anyone have such a thing, maybe even in both in English and Spanish? If not I might try to make something but I don't want to reinvent the wheel (and I don't speak Spanish).

Three60guy · 06-15-2006, 11:34 PM

The car normally comes with valet cards. A pack of 10. All the info you need to know. Ask your dealer for yours. I had to ask for mine.

I just did a quick search here on Priuschat.

Print your own if you can't get any from your dealer.

Download from this thread.

galaxee · 06-15-2006, 11:42 PM

the towel people?

noone but noone touches my baby. then again, we have been stuck in the land of no snow and ridiculously hot summers since before we got the prius, so we don't have to think about washing the car in the wintertime. yet...

the valet card should explain it all- it's mostly illustrations so anyone can understand it.

rufaro · 06-16-2006, 03:35 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jun 15 2006, 08:42 PM) [snapback]272010[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

the towel people?

[/b]

Yup, the towel people--I know about them from trips to LA--didn't occur to me that they'd have 'em anywhere but the land where the car is god--and where, at last count, there was AT LEAST one car wash place per automobile owner, employing vast numbers of towel people, each wielding one itty bitty towel and trained to dry one itty bitty section EACH of your car... :P I come home to NoCal and get all disgruntled that we don't have 'em here. Well, we do, but they're called detailers here and charge a hundred bucks to even touch your car (as opposed to the $7-10 automatic car washes--which is how much it costs to use the SoCal towel people and their cronies...)

tacomel · 06-16-2006, 08:07 AM

Yep, I had found that thread and received a pack of valet cards (English only) from the dealer too. That's a good start, but it doesn't cover the fact that you have to hold the shifter in "N" -- as the instruction manual says "for a while" -- to get that to engage. They won't ever be turning the car off or on so the part about keys is irrelevant. I'll probably forget to hand them the smart key anyway.

When I have some time, I'll photoshop around with the images in that thread, and maybe someone can help me with a Spanish translation when I finish it.

jfschultz · 06-16-2006, 08:19 AM

When I first went to the local car wash, I parked the car and talked to the manager. He assured me that he was familiar with the Prius and he even rode the car through the wash. On later trips the, as various employees became familiar, the assistant manager rode the Prius through, and now the more experienced front line people run it through normally.

There wos one time the exit guy was having problems, and I had to step in. But he did hit the stop button for the wash line.

TwelveInchPrius · 06-16-2006, 09:18 AM

I tell the carwash attendants: "Keep your hands off my 'TwelveInchPrius'!"

eanda9000 · 06-16-2006, 01:31 PM

go with them if they don't speak english well. i got a yes but then my car was the only one with someone riding in it as it went through with a perplexed attendant sitting inside.
the car is not intutive and if you don't live somewhere where they are popular don't expect people to "get it".

JackDodge · 06-16-2006, 01:35 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jun 15 2006, 11:42 PM) [snapback]272010[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

the towel people?

noone but noone touches my baby. then again, we have been stuck in the land of no snow and ridiculously hot summers since before we got the prius, so we don't have to think about washing the car in the wintertime. yet...

the valet card should explain it all- it's mostly illustrations so anyone can understand it.
[/b]

I gave one of those cards to the guys at the tire store last fall and they couldn't figure it out

I had to drive my Prius in and out of the bay myself

tacomel · 07-01-2006, 01:03 PM

In our only trip to the carwash thus far, I just asked the guy if he was familiar with the Prius and he said yes. I watched intently through the window, but it seems the answer was truthful. But, since I did photoshop a graphic, I figured I'd attach it below. Comments are appreciated, but I'd encourage you to just fix it (and a spanish version would be great).

For what it's worth, to the extent that I can do so, I assign all copyright to the public domain. Do with it what you please.

Note: I know you don't have to keep the shift in drive or reverse for 2 seconds, but I opted for KISS rather than a separate set of instructions for each gear.

06-15-2006, 11:00 PM	#1
tacomel Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 152 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I was just wondering if anyone has, or has made, instructions for a carwash attendant to drive the Prius. It would seem to me that such instructions should include: (1) how to put the car into neutral when he gets to the track, (2) how to put it into drive at the end of the track, and (3) how to put it into park when he gets it where the towel people are. Does anyone have such a thing, maybe even in both in English and Spanish? If not I might try to make something but I don't want to reinvent the wheel (and I don't speak Spanish). __________________ His: 2006 #5, seaside pearl (Picture) Hers: 2006 #7, seaside pearl (Picture)

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06-15-2006, 11:34 PM	#2
Three60guy Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Racine, Wisconsin Posts: 765 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #8 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 1	The car normally comes with valet cards. A pack of 10. All the info you need to know. Ask your dealer for yours. I had to ask for mine. I just did a quick search here on Priuschat. Print your own if you can't get any from your dealer. Download from this thread.

06-15-2006, 11:42 PM	#3
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 9,030 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 20	the towel people? noone but noone touches my baby. then again, we have been stuck in the land of no snow and ridiculously hot summers since before we got the prius, so we don't have to think about washing the car in the wintertime. yet... the valet card should explain it all- it's mostly illustrations so anyone can understand it.

06-16-2006, 08:07 AM	#5
tacomel Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 152 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Yep, I had found that thread and received a pack of valet cards (English only) from the dealer too. That's a good start, but it doesn't cover the fact that you have to hold the shifter in "N" -- as the instruction manual says "for a while" -- to get that to engage. They won't ever be turning the car off or on so the part about keys is irrelevant. I'll probably forget to hand them the smart key anyway. When I have some time, I'll photoshop around with the images in that thread, and maybe someone can help me with a Spanish translation when I finish it.

06-16-2006, 08:19 AM	#6
jfschultz Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Germantown, TN Posts: 404 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	When I first went to the local car wash, I parked the car and talked to the manager. He assured me that he was familiar with the Prius and he even rode the car through the wash. On later trips the, as various employees became familiar, the assistant manager rode the Prius through, and now the more experienced front line people run it through normally. There wos one time the exit guy was having problems, and I had to step in. But he did hit the stop button for the wash line.

06-16-2006, 09:18 AM	#7
TwelveInchPrius Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 39 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I tell the carwash attendants: "Keep your hands off my 'TwelveInchPrius'!"

06-16-2006, 01:31 PM	#8
eanda9000 Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 36 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	go with them if they don't speak english well. i got a yes but then my car was the only one with someone riding in it as it went through with a perplexed attendant sitting inside. the car is not intutive and if you don't live somewhere where they are popular don't expect people to "get it".

07-01-2006, 01:03 PM	#10
tacomel Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 152 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	In our only trip to the carwash thus far, I just asked the guy if he was familiar with the Prius and he said yes. I watched intently through the window, but it seems the answer was truthful. But, since I did photoshop a graphic, I figured I'd attach it below. Comments are appreciated, but I'd encourage you to just fix it (and a spanish version would be great). For what it's worth, to the extent that I can do so, I assign all copyright to the public domain. Do with it what you please. Note: I know you don't have to keep the shift in drive or reverse for 2 seconds, but I opted for KISS rather than a separate set of instructions for each gear.