Just a mild rant.
I've now had 3 sets of ebay sourced reversing sensors on my Ford.
These are often advertised as "like oe" etc. but most if not all are from the far east, and look a bit cheaply made. Often snazzy little displays are included, with coloured leds and distance countdown. I tried one of these but the bleeper, which was in the display failed after a few hot summer days.
My main beef though, is that the detection range seems shorter than oe sensors, but the main problem seems to be that the system does not always "wake up" on first contact with something behind, and only bleeps when really close. Hence I find you cannot trust that you are safely reversing.
Anybody else with similar views ?
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My Volvo has aftermarket parking sensors (also Ebay sourced, and very tidily installed by the previous owner), and they actually work quite well, apart from the random bleeps when you're just reversing generally and nowhere near an obstacle.
The 0.0 reading with all bars lit is a consistent 15cm from the obstacle, which is about perfect.
Cheers
DP
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sounds to me like your sensitivity settings need adjusting
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Hello Mustangman! I have been considering aftermarket reversing sensors but there is such a range of specifications and prices that I am confused. However, there is one advertiser (at least) on Ebay that offers a three year guarantee so I suppose that means something. Please tell me what "oe" refers to in your "mild rant". Many thanks, David
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Why not just look where you are going when you are reversing. I've done that for 32 years and it seems to work.
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This week's Auto Express has a product test of these, ranging from budget prices right through to cameras and screens. Might be worth looking at.
Re a 3 year warranty from an ebay supplier, I don't think that really counts for anything?
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I had some 'Brees' branded sensors on a previous car. Worked fine apart from in frost/snow (fair enough) and lasted over three years (until I sold car). I would have no hesitation in buying the same again.
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Grandad, "oe" means original equipment, sorry for the jargon, used to work in the car industry.
Grumpy, Yes I too tend to use my eyes as much as possible. Sensors are very usefull however for things like getting out of tight car park spaces in the dark.
Personally I fitted them after reversing off my drive into my own security post ! :-)
Obviously fitting them before would have been handy.
The purpose of my post was to compare oe ( sorry ) sensors at about £400 for most cars, with ebay like item at about £20 +, my experience has not been too good, I was wondering what others thought.
MM
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i have a new car on the way and rather then pay £300+ for them to be fitted as an optional extra i have purchased a set from Halfords for £99 and fitted by experts who come to you to do it they will even come to your workplace and fit them.
ive never had them on any car before but this time around ive found with most new models of car the all round visabillity has been reduced rear windows and windscreens all seem to offer less visibility for manoevuring compared with my older cars so for the sake of having what amounts to an extra pair of eyes i think £99 is a sound investment
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Our Scenic needs them badly on the front. You cannot see the end of the bonnet from the drivers seat no matter what position you manoeuvre yourself into. The end of the Volvo's "boot" is also invisible from the driver's seat.
Yes of course with familiarity you manage, and in most cases you're not manouevring the car in spaces that tight, but in these days of painted plastic bumpers, it doesn't take much to mark them. Bumpers are cosmetic these days and can show even the smallest "knock".
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Agree with grumpy100.
Never had parking sensors and from what I've read they don't help with the bit you may need help with i.e. the last few inches when you are in a tight space.
Get into the practice of having a good look around before you start reversing and keep looking whilst you're at it.
If all else fails, there's always parking by touch.
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If all else fails there's always parking by touch.
Not against *my* car, I do hope. That sort of thing makes me frightfully cross.
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If you have left me enough room, it won't happen.
If you have parked too close - get over it.
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Aha. Some would say:
If you have left me enough room it won't happen.
If "you" can't squeeze into a small space without bumping "my" car, don't bother to try.
If you have parked too close - get over it.
Pick "yourself" and "your" teeth up out of the gutter, and consider it a lesson learned.
Edited by FotheringtonThomas on 28/03/2008 at 13:01
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My reverse parking sensor can also be used as a towbar!
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A few years ago, I fitted some to my old car, and they were dreadful. Thankfully, someone drove into the back of me, and I said to the repairer that the parking sensors didn't work properly anymore (so that they would not transfer them to the new bumper). They fitted a BREES H-012 which was brilliant. (I just hide the displays in the boot and rely on the audio). I sought the same type and fitted this to my current car, also really pleased with it after two years, no false alarms or phantom beeps or missing things. There are some on ebay, such as cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1702...6
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Got an auto electrician mate to fit front and rear sensors to the hilux, they do have natty little displays for both front and rear, and they are very accurate.
Didn't like or trust them at first and they seemed a bit hit and miss if you see what i mean, but after a few weeks they settled down, or the luddite in me relented, and are a smashing bit of kit now SWMBO is used to them and trusts them.
I think its worth paying someone with know how to fit these things, as there's more to siting the sensors than most people realise, plus we now have the rear display fitted in the headling just behind the interior light and looks part of the car, my mate spent a long time measuring and resiting sensors before he was happy.
The front sensors come on when you touch the brake, and i thought they would be a pain in traffic, but in practice they only go off when you get to about 18'' from an object.
Wasn't going to bother with the fronts, but they were the easy part and with the height of the bonnet are very useful.
I left him to get the kit, and he rejected a couple of kits, and returned them before actually doing the job, as they werent up to his standards.
I wouldn't probably buy the ebay stuff, meself as i'd like someone to be able to get spare sensors etc a year down the line if needed, so try a good auto electrician maybe.
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Strikes me as technology for technology's sake. Can't say I've ever had difficulty parking any vehicle of any size, provided it has a back window, using only a combination of eyes and properly adjusted mirrors. I do feel there is a trend towards providing solutions to non-existant problems. I could see the advantage if fitted to a large commercial vehicle with limited rear visibility but on a normal car I fail to get the point. Not saying people shouldn't have them if they want ( don't want anything else banning ! ) just don't understand the need really.
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Totally agree with shoespy. If you can't reverse a normal car without such things you sohuldn't be on the road. Just try relying on them instead of looking where you are going when taking a driving test and see if you pass!
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I think they're great. To be honest, I've never used them for judging distance since they're not that accurate (+/- 15cm) but as an additional warning if you've missed something (low walls, or something sticking out) it's invaluable.
You could go for the analogue equivalent and get a tow-bar fitted instead.
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Tow bars can be a mixed blessing as I found out with my last car when I had a senior
moment and forgot I had small trailer on and tried to back up on full lock. That soon woke me up! I do have a fool-proof system for tight spot's it's called, get out and have look especialy if it's a car I'm not used to and with high kerbs and low fronts its often a must do for me these days sad to say
vulcan
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