Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 11:00
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - Ashlie
Sorry to post again so soon. I’ll
Admit I’m clueless with cars so
I could be told any price and if I can afford it I’d pay it.

I have been quoted £499 for a reverse camera and £300 for parking sensors on my Audi a1 sport. One of my brothers who is really in to cars said that’s too expensive and the other one who
Knows nothing but has nice cars said “it’s good that”

Does anyone have an idea what I should be being quoted for this?

TIA A
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Sat 1 Feb 2020 11:39
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - badbusdriver

It does seem a bit pricey to me, but then it isn't something i have ever looked into so nothing to compare it with!.

I would ask though, whether or not you feel you need parking sensors and a camera?, as they serve the same purpose, surely one or the other should suffice?.

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 11:45
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - sammy1

The A1 is a very small car you can almost touch the rear hatch from the drivers seat! It has very good visibility to the rear and is an easy car to reverse. If you spend money on these extras you will not get it back when you come to sell and if they are not done professionally you risk damaging the electrics on your car. The price you quote seems reasonable

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 14:20
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - Avant

It's nice to have both but one or the other should be enough.

Get two or three quotes as the prices you've been given seem excessive. The bigger the garage, the greater the charge-out rate for their mechanics.

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 14:37
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - barney100

I had sensors fitted for £160, the camera setup involved having an unsightly wire.

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 14:41
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - Bromptonaut

Are those prices for an Audi dealer to retrofit OEM sensors and enable the car's electronics so they're recognised an work as though factory fit?

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 15:52
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - Ashlie
Not sure if you were replying to Barney or me

They told me this
Hi, yes the parking sensors are not a problem.
The factory style flush fits are £298 inch vat fitted and colour coded.
There isn’t a factory option for the A1 for reverse camera but we can fit a 3rd party product which works well for £449 inc vat.
Hope this helps

I asked about whether it would affect my electrics and stuff and they replied this

No problem. Yes you are welcome to come to us. Just let me know when you decide a date.
The sensors are what are supplied to Audi parts department when they fit them as an aftermarket solution and are 100% reliable.
We have fitted these sensors for about 20 years for private customers and for Audi dealers through out the Northwest of England. We are so confident in them that we offer a 3 year warranty on them.
The sounder is loud enough for most people with normal hearing but can be made louder if required. ( normally older people with poor hearing want it louder)
Hope this helps.

I don’t know whether to just forget the camera fitting (someone commented that for a small car I dot. Need to have both) and just get the parking sensors done at actual Audi, although they replied to
Me this
Good morning. We have spoken with our Parts Team and they have confirmed that parking sensors can be retrofitted and an armrest can be fitted however it not approved by Audi. Your local Audi Centre is more than happy to discuss this further with you

Does this mean AUDIS parking sensors aren’t genuine or just the armrest. I think to get them
Retrofit by Audi is £500
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Sat 1 Feb 2020 16:06
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - elekie&a/c doctor
Audi don’t make aftermarket sensors . I’ve had Steelmate parking sensors fitted to 3 of my cars with no problem at all . About £200 all painted and fitted .
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Sat 1 Feb 2020 17:09
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - bathtub tom

I'd suggest you don't bother with a reversing camera. I've got one and when the road's wet it just gets covered in muck.

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 17:22
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - leaseman

I'm 70 years old and drive a Volvo XC70 without any Cameras, Parking Sensors or other parking aids. If I felt that I needed any.........I'd surrender my Driver's License and buy a Tricycle!!!

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 18:47
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - badbusdriver

I'm 70 years old and drive a Volvo XC70 without any Cameras, Parking Sensors or other parking aids. If I felt that I needed any.........I'd surrender my Driver's License and buy a Tricycle!!!

Wow!, could you be any more condescending?.

Ashlie, you don't mention how much you have been quoted for the armrest, but i'm guessing from an Audi dealer, it will be a small fortune. I'd recommend something like this instead, www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A1-Sportback-2010-2018-Cen...I, i bought one for my nephew as a birthday present to fit in his Skoda Fabia. It is good quality, looks like original equipment, and pretty easy to fit (BTW, you do get different colours and materials)

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 19:06
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - FiestaOwner
Ashlie, you don't mention how much you have been quoted for the armrest, but i'm guessing from an Audi dealer, it will be a small fortune. I'd recommend something like this instead, www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A1-Sportback-2010-2018-Cen...I, i bought one for my nephew as a birthday present to fit in his Skoda Fabia. It is good quality, looks like original equipment, and pretty easy to fit (BTW, you do get different colours and materials)

Never had a car with an armrest, but have driven plenty of vans with them.

I always flip the armrest back, out the way, as:

  • It's in the way for fastening and releasing the seat belt
  • It's in the way when reaching for the handbrake
  • Your elbow hits off the front edge of it when changing gear
  • Your elbow can't reach far enough back to be on the armrests, if your hands are at anything close to the correct position on the steering wheel

Personally I would give the armrest a miss.

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 19:07
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - FiestaOwner

I'd suggest you don't bother with a reversing camera. I've got one and when the road's wet it just gets covered in muck.

Have you tried Rain X?

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 19:48
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - paul 1963

my son fitted parking sensors to his car, kit cost £30. from eBay, even came with a special cutter, took him less than a hour.........

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Sat 1 Feb 2020 20:21
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - gordonbennet

Another vote for Steelmate sensors, not cheap but good quality and accurate, and you can buy individual parts ie sensors so if one should pack up a new one can be bought and fitted easily.

They have various types including led display as well as sound which will show the distance (in lights) or from which sensor if that makes any sense..no pun intended.

Note, you don't just drill holes where they look right and fit the sensors, some time spent perfecting place and angle will pay in the long run, or false alarms from kerbs could be the result, i got a good old school sparky to fit my set.

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Sun 2 Feb 2020 00:06
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - Avant

"I'm 70 years old and drive a Volvo XC70 without any Cameras, Parking Sensors or other parking aids."

Well you wouldn't need them, would you, as Volvos of that generation were designed by people who understood the need for good visibility and a big glass area - and also that model has a near-vertical back.

I don't doubt your competence at reversing, but you might take a dfferent view if you had, say, a V40 or XC40, where the stylists have been allowed to have their heads.

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Sun 2 Feb 2020 05:26
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - Ian D
Steel mate do kits of sensors and a camera/monitor for £150 to £200, I would guess a competent garage or auto electrician would charge around £100 to fit them so much cheaper than the Audi quote
www.steel-mate.co.uk
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Sun 2 Feb 2020 09:50
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - focussed

Parking sensors are good for informing the driver how near a front or rear obstruction the car is, a rear camera is good for checking for obstructions but not much good for checking how close you are to them.

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Sun 2 Feb 2020 10:05
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - primus 1

How about having the sensors fitted, then decide whether you need a camera, if you do, you can have one fitted at a later date, as it sounds like it’s an aftermarket one anyway you can get it done anytime ( unless it was all quoted together, I’m a bit confused about the armrest, )

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Sun 2 Feb 2020 10:25
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - badbusdriver

I’m a bit confused about the armrest

Yes, that did seem to pop in out of nowhere!. As to FiestaOwners comments, i do agree up to a point. But (a), how akward it is during stop start town driving will depend in the specifics in whatever car it is, and (b) on long motorway journeys where you are not changing gear often, it is an absolute boon. On top of that, with most armrest's there is some extra storage inside, which on a small car like the A1 could be very welcome.

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Sun 2 Feb 2020 10:13
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - gordonbennet

Well you wouldn't need them, would you, as Volvos of that generation were designed by people who understood the need for good visibility and a big glass area - and also that model has a near-vertical back.

Forester up to 2008 is as good and possibly even better than that as it benefits from van style and size door mirrors as well as a box shaped rear and full size windows, square front too with narrow A pillars, probably the easiest modernish car i've ever driven for maneuvering, old Volvos with RWD were brilliant due in no small measure to the almost fork lift truck standard of turning circle.

Edited by gordonbennet on 02/02/2020 at 10:13

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Sun 2 Feb 2020 12:32
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - Zippy123

Parking sensors over camera every time.

I had both in my car. You can hear the sensors where ever you are looking (for pedestrians etc.), whilst you need to actually look at the screen for the camera.

The lens on the camera also needs to be cleaned regularly and its not always perfectly lined up - the guide lines on my screen did not totally match where the car was.

The sensors were near centimetre accurate.

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Sun 2 Feb 2020 12:39
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - edlithgow

I have these things called "bumpers", Came with the car.

They still work when dirty.

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Sun 2 Feb 2020 13:59
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - dan86
Sorry to post again so soon. I’ll Admit I’m clueless with cars so I could be told any price and if I can afford it I’d pay it. I have been quoted £499 for a reverse camera and £300 for parking sensors on my Audi a1 sport. One of my brothers who is really in to cars said that’s too expensive and the other one who Knows nothing but has nice cars said “it’s good that” Does anyone have an idea what I should be being quoted for this? TIA A

Didn't you ask this question on another motoring forum yesterday and was given the answer you seeked there?

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=86...1

Edited to add the link

Edited by dan86 on 02/02/2020 at 14:22

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Sun 2 Feb 2020 17:01
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - primus 1

Don’t forget to inform your insurer about any mods you have done

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Sun 2 Feb 2020 21:57
Audi A1 - Retrofit parking sensors and camera - Smileyman

I prefer camera to sensors.

My previous car had a reversing camera, lens never got dirty / mucky, I could back up to an inch away from something behind the car with confidence. Present car has sensors, they bleep and that's about all. Fortunately there is a little graphic on the on-board display that shows an image of the car and a yellow line that turns red as I get nearer whatever is behind me .. better than nothing.

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