Aftermarket reversing sensors - via comand?

[crammy69]

I dont have reversing sensors fitted and want to get them with the minimum of effort / irrevesible changes to the car. I envisaged a little camera mount on the number plate powered by the reversing/stop lamps and then (ideally) a wireless signal sent to the comand screen or one of those little LED bar things. Id rather not have to have the rear bumper cut about.

Anyone done something similar they are happy with?

 

[crammy69]

Found somthing on Ebay, looks to be an easy fit, and assuming the buzzer can be heard from within the boot, pretty unobtrusive.

Any other suggestions?

 

[crammy69]

Bump? Any ideas, not the most interstin topic, but keen to hear what others have done?

 

[Baron_Samedi]

I'd be making a cheeky little forum search

 

[karozza]

From my experience, the META rear parking sensors you saw on EBAY are not really that good. In the past, these used to have a problem with dirt; that made them give very inaccurate readings. This is also a very old design & now we use a smart 3 sensors design that is installed as a plastic bar on the top or bottom of the number plate. Apart from that, they are plain ugly (IMO) especially on a Merc.

Although you want a minimal job, no-one actually tells you that when you install the number plate type reversing aid, in some cases, although you do not have to drill the bumper to install, you sometimes have to drill the boot lid to pass the wire into the car! This is because there is no other entry point....

There is a reason why nearly all the best cars in the world use sensors drilled into the bumper; that reason is they are simply the best system. Also they are much smarter.

 

[npuk]

You really need to do a search but quick reply.

If you don’t want to drill the bumper there is a system that attaches in the inside of the bumper. You can have audible alert only or both visual and audible alert and the kit will come with its own led bar display.

http://www.parkingdynamics.co.uk/ is just one type of the above, there are many manufacturers offering this type of system.

Number plate holders with camera mounted are available or strips with a camera that attach to the plate. You will need a separate monitor to display the picture from the camera if your Comand doesn’t have a composite video input (not all do). Not very usefull as you will have a picture but no real indication of the distance you have between the car and object all you will see is the picture. e.g.

Number Plate Car Reverse Camera - Reversing Aid - Pal on eBay (end time 17-Feb-10 19:42:22 GMT)

Number Plate Car Reverse Rear View Camera + 5M Cable on eBay (end time 10-Feb-10 17:00:23 GMT)

You can also get number plate holders with parking sensors built in or strips that attach to the plate. e.g. Meta SR2 Targa Parking Sensor System from Halfords Price £99.99 or http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VEBA-NUMBER-P...S_In_Car_Audio_Players_PP?hash=item3a56f01609

For traditional type sensors that go in the bumper there is the official Mercedes Quick Park rear only system or for aftermarket I can highly recommend www.parking-sensor.co.uk from personal experience.

 

[HumberMart]

You really need to do a search but quick reply.


You can also get number plate holders with parking sensors built in.

Just a word of caution on these. I tried fitting one of the number plate ones to my wife's B Class, seeing that the reversing lights were in the hatch it made sense for the sensors also to be in the hatch to save wiring problems.

Unfortunately I had to remove it, due to the CAN BUS protocol (I think - talking out of my comfort zone - gas engineer not I&C engineer) causing the bleeper to emit a constant bleep.

You can buy a relay of some sort that's supposed to stop this however.

 

[npuk]

We have had aftermarket systems fitted in cars with CAN BUS without any issue. A relay was needed for one of the cars with CAN BUS but that was to do with the bulb failure monitoring system the car had. That would be needed regardless of whether it was a numberplate system or the in bumper sensors as both systems would take power from the rear light cluster.