Laserwash M5 logic for driveoffs

[GoBuckeyes]

Today I watched a scenario unfold with our M5 that had me scratching my head. After I re-watched the video it left me with a few questions. First here's what happened. Today is one of the busiest days yet this year, cars lined up all day. A customer was in the bay being washed and the next guy in line paid up like a good customer does. Guy in the bays wash ends, blowers turn on and he sits there for 20 seconds or so and doesn't move. Bridge moves itself back to home, customer starts to pull toward dryer, entrance garage doors opens, customer in bay backs up again, customer at entrance never even moves toward bay, wash starts to presoak same guy in bay and the entrance door closes. Bridge is about half way down drivers side moving towards the rear of car and the guy pulls out of the bay. The trolley seems to stop roughly where the back of the car was (not sure how since there was no car to find the back of) and finish the rest of the wash as if the car were sitting in the bay.

It made me realize I don't understand the logic of the wash process. First, what starts the measuring process on the M5? I just assumed the UC/Side blaster eyes would need to be broken, first whether or not the wash includes that service. Next are the side ultrasonics, then the ultrasonics on the bridge.

The thing that confused me the most was the fact that the wash performed an entire wash with no car there. Isn't it supposed to know if someone drove off?

Thanks for any help.

 

[washup]

Hi
This happens once a month for us, what happens is the guy that backed up in the bay "stole" the wash from waiting customer. Bridge Ultrasonics registered a loaded car in the park position and started the wash.

The door eyes start the underbody, the side ultrasonics measure car width, as car pulls up the bridge ultrasonics measure front of car and i assume confirm width. (we have both left and right bridge ultrasonics on, you can specify which ones you want to use in software). During the first soap pass you'll see the bridge slow down about half way along the side of the car, this is the bridge ultrasonic looking for the end of the car.

Another thing you can do but it adds time to your wash is just increase the loading time for ultrasonics to 3-4 seconds, then its not likely that a car backing up and then going forward will be in position (within loading range of bridge ultrasonics) for 4 seconds so it wont register the wash. We have our set at three seconds.

We had a nice professional looking road sign made up that says no reversing, and a big arrow with a line thru it, cured about 70% of the dryer reversing problems. Mounted it right next to the dryer timer where people stare anyway.
Next wash installed Ill be moving the dryer forward 20 feet so I can have two cars in the bay and no more reversing problems.

The software from PDQ is so pathetic, it takes them a year to correct a simple problem. Imagine that this is a end of life product and that PDQ doesnt employ any software developers its all contracted out so nothing gets done.
Ill never buy another pdq product after this, the customer support is without a doubt useless and non existent.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Wash up, thanks for the explanation. What about the drive off aspect? If a customer pulls out anytime during the wash process is the machine supposed to recognize this?

 

[gearhead]

I guess I have been lucky and have not had anyone back up far enough for that. But occasionally there will be the non believer of the sign on the dryer timer post that says "do not back up." After doing so they freeze in amazement that the dryers turn off. Then the door shuts them in. That's when they read the other in bay sign that explains to them how to open the door.

 

[washup]

Good question... Ive never actually seen that at our wash and I havent tried it. A rainy day test

Wash up, thanks for the explanation. What about the drive off aspect? If a customer pulls out anytime during the wash process is the machine supposed to recognize this?