Automatic car washes

Updated 2023-11-17

It is important to prepare the vehicle before washing it in an automatic car wash. Carefully follow the instructions for vehicle handling before and during the car wash.

Automatic car washes can be a fast and easy way to clean the vehicle, but they do not reach all the parts of the vehicle that need regular cleaning. Volvo recommends supplementing automatic car washing with hand-washing.

Note

Avoid washing a brand new vehicle in automatic car washes for the first few months after it leaves the factory. This will allow the paintwork to fully set.

Preparations before washing

In automatic car washes in which the vehicle is pulled through the car wash, it is important to switch off functions that prevent the vehicle from rolling freely.

Secure or remove protruding exterior parts such as retrofitted auxiliary lights, antennas, etc.
Make sure that the automatic rain sensor function is switched off. The windshield wipers must be switched off throughout the car wash to avoid the risk of damage.
Use the button in the tunnel console to turn off automatic brake when stationary.
Choose the parking camera view in the center display and deactivate the Park Assist sensors and automatic brake while backing up. They may be reactivated if the vehicle is restarted, and must then be deactivated again.

During the car wash

Important

If the vehicle is equipped with keyless locking and unlocking*:

Take out the key and place it in the open in the front section of the vehicle during the car wash. This minimizes the risk of unintentionally pressing the button that opens the trunk, or of the key being incorrectly detected outside of the vehicle.

Keep your seat belt buckled for the entire car wash.

Drive into the car wash and stop at the designated place.

Put the gear selector in N.

Note

The parking brake may be automatically applied when the seat belt is unbuckled. If the symbol for the parking brake is illuminated after gear position N has been selected, it is still active. Depress the brake pedal and the parking brake control at the same time to deactivate the parking brake before the vehicle is driven into the car wash.

Turn the start knob in the tunnel console clockwise and hold it for a few seconds to put the vehicle in ignition mode 0.

The motor is switched off, while the vehicle can roll freely.

The vehicle goes through the automatic car wash.

Don't forget to reset the adjustments made before the car wash.

After the car wash

Depress the brake pedal lightly for a short time while driving after the brake pads have been exposed to moisture. The friction will heat up the brakes so that they will dry more quickly, reducing the risk of corrosion.

Warning

Always test the foot brake and parking brake after washing the vehicle to ensure they are functioning properly.