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I recently saw a driver in a carpark cleaning his parking sensors. Is this necessary?
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They don't have to be kept immaculate as most are ultrasonic. But yes you should keep them clear of heavy soiling, snow, mud, dirt etc to prevent false readings.
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And just in case heavy soiling should result in a false reading, necessitating an emergency switch to plan B, the back-up system* should also be kept clear of dung, small stones etc by frequent spraying with powerful solvents and a going-over with a wire brush every month.
* Driver's eyes.
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Yes quite, Lud, I agree!
I won't fit parking sensors until I buy a car I really like that has them anyway, upon which I won't let it affect my choice. No doubt they are useful for some people, but relying on technology is ok until one day after 2 years they fail and one suddenly realises they don't know how big their car is.
I suppose it's a pride thing, with all the gadgetry fitted in cars these days, I like to, when driving, feel that my skill still counts for something in judging gaps and distances and using my mirrors and experience. Just a personal thing to me I guess...
Edited by Devolution on 29/09/2008 at 15:41
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Like I said to a friend spec-cing up his new Boxster, if you can't drive it slowly backwards you shouldn't be driving it quickly forwards...
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And just in case heavy soiling should result in a false reading necessitating an emergency switch to plan B the back-up system* should also be kept clear of dung small stones etc by frequent spraying with powerful solvents and a going-over with a wire brush every month. * Driver's eyes.
Drivers eyes and skill are the primary system. Mirrors and gadgets are secondary. Edit - You beat me to it Devolution
Edited by Old Navy on 29/09/2008 at 15:47
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Drivers eyes and skill are the primary system. Mirrors and gadgets are secondary. Edit - You beat me to it Devolution
Sorry, chap! But yes you're right. The day that the DVLA insists on taking a test only in cars with sensors fitted then you know the worm has turned. A lot of people's observation is rubbish at the best of times (in no way would I say I was 100% perfect either) but if you're struggling to park a car at less than 5mph between two parked cars, should you be doing higher speeds in poor visibility?
Ok that's a bad example, but I know what I mean! ;-)
Edited by Devolution on 29/09/2008 at 15:58
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Lud,
I followed your instructions on how to clean my eyes, and now my doctor says I'll never regain my sight.
Still, I should still be able to drive, I have the parking sensors after all.
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You can get special long-range ones to put on the front of yr car jase.
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....Like I said to a friend spec-cing up his new Boxster....
It's a job to tell which way a Boxster is pointing, so I'd have sensors on both ends.
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my rear parking sensors are an addition to my mirrors not a replacement, i find it they make scanning the whole area round the car easier as you dont have to concentrate so much on where the back end is, i test them weekly and once they start beeping its a signal to me to watch the back end because you never know why its beeping it may not always be the car behind, i should add there is hardly any low level visabillity out of the rear window of my car the angle from the drivers seat is slightly upwards but if i was driving a hatchback or a saloon id be embarassed to have to use sensors to reverse
Edited by welshlad on 29/09/2008 at 22:22
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Got front and rear sensors on the pick up, the rears really are a bonus as if you should misjudge and back even lightly into someones car it will be nasty damage as the rear is so high and doesn't give, my chap put fronts on at the same time, they do go off sometimes if trickles of water flow over them when the car has been standing.
Whats with this real men don't need reversing sensors attitude, better than 500 quids worth of damage in my book. As Welshlad does, belt and braces.
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The Volvo is the first car I've owned with sensors fitted (rear only) and I have to say I can see why the previous owner fitted them. The boot of the car is *completely* invisible from the rear view mirror, thanks to its downward rake, and the rear parcel shelf trim which comes about an inch up the back window. The door mirrors only help a bit due to the "waist" crease along the side panels, and the rear bumper protrudes about 4" from the last visible part of the in the mirrors.
This is one of those cars that, in order to back up really close to something, you have to open the door and hang out to accurately judge your distance. Nothing wrong with that of course, but the sensors make life easier.
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.......................... the sensors make life easier.
IMO that's what they are about - not to replace the driver's skill but to compliment it.
Anyone that says that it doesn't make parking easier hasn't tried them or doesn't have a decent set.
Do you have electric windows on your car? Do you use them? No, don't tell me you prefer wind-up ones just to prove your arms still work.
;-)
Edited by Chad.R on 30/09/2008 at 00:11
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Anyone tried "parking assist" ?
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Anyone tried "parking assist" ?
is that where you make SWMBO stand in the pouring rain waving you back
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If the sensors fail I'll simply go back to the analogue variant, known colloquially to those of us in the trade as a "tow bar".
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I find them useful because with my car (03/03 Focus) it's difficult to judge where the rear of the car is relative to the rear screen. 40 years ago you could see the end of the boot through the rear window on virtually every car, so you only had to allow for the rear bumper.
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Exactly - I know the rear of the Honda is "somewhere" behind me, but I could probably only tell you the exact distance to about 2 feet. Have only reversed into something once, in fact - I went backwards into a parking space just as someone at one end started to move backwards to pull out. He didn't see me pulling in, I only realised that we were closing rather abruptly at the last second and threw out the anchors.
Gentlest of bumps and he stopped, got out, and looked at the back of the cars (no damage). Then he drove off without a word. I imagine he thought he hit me and vice-versa.
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