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What to Expect When You Wash Your Car at Wash Fox

At Wash Fox, we care about our customers, our community, and the environment. It’s our goal to give you wash options that meet your needs and give your vehicle the clean and shine it deserves. Whether you’re looking for a simple wash and dry or the best protection and finish, we have the wash options you need.

And if you’re visiting us for the very first time, we want to make sure that you’re prepared! It’s why we’ve gone ahead and listed out everything you can expect from a Wash Fox visit.

What Kinds of Vehicles We Wash

We wash the vast majority of cars, vans, trucks, and SUVs. As an express tunnel car wash, we specialize in cleaning the exterior of all kinds of vehicles, no matter their shapes. And we provide all Wash Fox customers with complimentary use of our vacuums, microfiber towels, glass cleaner and dash wipes so that you can clean the interiors too.

Remove Hitches and Racks to Get a Better Wash

At Wash Fox, it’s our job to ensure that you get the highest-quality wash possible. To do that, it’s important that accessories, like hitches and racks, don’t get in the way of your wash. 

We suggest that before you enter the wash tunnel, you remove any aftermarket accessories like trailer hitches, ski racks, bike racks, luggage racks, and utility/ladder racks. While you don’t have to remove these accessories, there’s a high likelihood that they will prevent our brushes from cleaning some parts of your vehicle. For example, big hitches can prevent our wraps from reaching the middle of the back of trucks, and spare tires can prevent our brushes from reaching a vehicle’s back windows.

It’s why we also ask that you do the following before entering the wash tunnel: 

  • If you’re driving a pickup truck, make sure that the truck bed is clear before a wash or make sure that everything is tied down beforehand
  • If you’re driving a wider vehicle, make sure to bend in your side mirrors
  • Lower or remove an erected power antenna on your vehicle

Keep Your Vehicle in Neutral in the Wash Tunnel

As an express and conveyorized car wash, our wash is similar to an assembly line with brushes, blowers, and sprayers that turn on and off in a highly programmed sequence.

Our dryers have airlocks that open and close – to release and block airflow – with precise timing. And all nine of our dryers are programmed to create a coordinated airflow that, when in proper sequence, drives the water to the sides and the bottom and back of your vehicle. 

This means that if you choose to brake, the drying sequence won’t work properly, and your vehicle will end up with more water on it. Plus, the vehicles behind you won’t be able to see you and will bump into you. Unless you keep your vehicle in neutral, you’ll risk damaging our equipment, and your vehicle won’t get cleaned, rinsed, or dried properly.

If you put your vehicle in neutral and allow our conveyorized system to push you to the end of the wash tunnel, you’ll end up getting the most out of our dryers. In fact, placing your vehicle in neutral upon entering the wash tunnel is crucial for your safety, the safety of others, and it will help your vehicle get a superior wash and dry.

How to Put Your Vehicle in Neutral 

Depending on your vehicle, there are a few different ways that you can shift into neutral.

For an Acura TLX: Keep the engine running and your foot on the brake, then press the “N” button. Within 5 seconds, press the Engine Stop/Start button. You’ll have 15 minutes before the car automatically shifts to park.

For a BMW 7 Series: Engage selector lever position N and switch the engine off.

For a Lexus CT200h, ES350, RC, NX, or Lexus: Press the end of the cruise control stalk on the right side of the steering wheel to turn off Dynamic Cruise Control. 

For a Mercedes-Benz: Switch on the ignition, depress the brake pedal (keep depressed), pull the Start/Stop button out of the ignition, insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock, and shift to Neutral. Then release the brake pedal, release the electric parking brake, switch off the ignition, and leave the SmartKey in the ignition lock. 

For a Range Rover Evoque: Hold the “power” button for 3 seconds to turn the vehicle off. Shift the vehicle to a neutral position, remove foot from the brake pedal, and press the “power” button for 1 second. With your foot still on the brake pedal, press the emergency brake release.

For a Subaru Crosstrek, Impreza, WRX, Legacy, Outback, or Forester: Press and hold the Pre-Collision Braking System OFF switch for 2 seconds. The indicator light should illuminate.

For a Toyota Prius, Prius V, Camry, Avalon, RAV4, or Highlander: Press the end of the cruise control stalk on the right side of the steering wheel to turn off Dynamic Cruise Control.

For a Volvo S60, V60, S80, XC60, or XC90: Use the control on the center console to turn off the auto-hold function. Then turn off the parking brake’s automatic function in the center display’s Top view. Put the gear selector in N and turn the start knob to Stop and hold for 4 seconds to switch off the ignition.

Visit Us in Thornton

The next time you’re in Thornton, CO, and your vehicle is due for a wash, stop by Wash Fox! We’ll make sure to take care of you and your vehicle with plenty of wash options to choose from. And if you’re a part of the Thornton community, we’d love for you to become a part of the Wash Fox family by joining our Unlimited Wash Club

Stop by anytime with our new summer hours! 

  • Monday – Saturday: 7 am to 8 pm
  • Sunday: 8 am to 7 pm

Get your car cleaner, faster, and greener. It’s the Wash Fox way.