I have a 2023 130 and I’m wondering if others are experiencing the same issue with their Defenders? When I enter the car wash, I have no issue with it proceeding down the line in neutral. However, at the end of the track, I have to shift from neutral to drive to exit the wash. In all the other cars that I have owned, including our other Range Rover and a Disco Sport, I can simply apply the brake and shift from neutral to drive. In the Defender, however, the vehicle will not shift from neutral to drive even while applying the brake. I have to put the vehicle in park, and then into drive, which, needless to say, does not make the car wash conveyor, nor the person behind me happy. Curious if anyone has figured out a workaround to smoothly transition from neutral to drive while avoiding park?

 

press a quick timed brake and drive. I guess it prevents roll away accidents.

 

I think you are panicking and trying to put it in gear too quickly. I don’t mean that in a scolding kind of way. I have done the same. Foot on break, then index finger button and then pull back to drive. If you do it quickly often times you may already be putting pressure to D before pressing the button.

That said, the car wash seems to do a terrible job on the defender due to the huge rear tire on back. I hand wash mine and I don’t like doing so.

 

I wonder why the gwagen have clean rear spare tire? They don't go to a car wash?

 

The process that you described is exactly what we try to do. Foot and brake pedal, pull the trigger, down into Drive. The vehicle will not go into drive it stays in neutral. We have to put it in park, and then shift it into drive very frustrating.

 

Same issue here (I posted in a different thread on automatic car washes). I’ve had to resort to turning the car off at least twice so it will clear and allow me to select drive. I’ll try being more deliberate next time and see if that helps but yes, press on brake, pull trigger, try and select drive and nothing.

 

the brake must be pressed deep enough and press the button first before moving the lever to drive.

 

Now that answers my question at least, l wondered why l had so much trouble getting the vehicle from N into D
lts because you have to first press P

 

This process worked fine for me the two times I have been to a traditional car wash. The same as I do with my wife's 4runner. No troubles.

 

Super janky with this too. I go thru a touchless wash with a moving track every so often in the PNW winters.

At the end, the moving track stops (the wheels don't spin on it, they stay motionless)... and I'm always herky jerky. I don't put it into Park but I do need to carefully press the brake more than just a light touch, then move the shifter making sure the button on rear is depressed b before I move it. Then it slips into drive.

Even with a good bit of experience, I'd say about 25% of the time I jam the brakes too hard and cause the track to stop or it ends up in Park. So you're not alone!