How sensitive are parking sensors ?

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PJH

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Messages
2,255
Location
Feering,Essex
Car
C180k for Wifey, SEAT Leon TSi
...the reason I ask is that yesterday someone reversing a Nissan Micra hit a wheel barrow, scratching some paint off of the plastic bumper.
The driver (yes alright it WAS a woman). She said that the parking sensors didn't go off until she had hit the wheel barrow. I think she hit the handle.

I told her that as a wheel barrow is not as substantial as a car the parking sensors probably wouldn't detect it ( at least not detect the frame).
And that as she was reversing in a curve might also affect it's usefulness.

So my question is.. How sensitive are parking sensors ?
Do they detect posts in supermarket car parks ?
Are they only really good when reversing in a straight line ?
Do MB systems apply the brakes to aviod silly little knocks ? :bannana:

Yes that's 4 Qs not 1..
 
PJH said:
...t

So my question is.. How sensitive are parking sensors ?
Do they detect posts in supermarket car parks ?
Are they only really good when reversing in a straight line ?
Do MB systems apply the brakes to aviod silly little knocks ? :bannana:

Yes that's 4 Qs not 1..

I think the ones on the wheelbarrow are probably better than the ones on the Micra.

(You can only post in the carpark if you have a wireless connection.)

Sorry, Friday...
 
My parking sensors are very sensitive, they have never failed to pick up posts even if its in between the sensors. In fact they have never failed to pick up anything.

My one criticism with the system is that they don't beep until the LED's hit red (there are 5 amber LED's then two red) so you have to be watching the display when reversing (rather than looking at the side mirrors) as when it beeps your already about to hit something. This has caught me out a couple of times.
 
The MB PTS sensors on my MB and all the other ones that I have had access to are very good and sensitive and yes they detect posts etc. pretty much most objects (provided that they are not located below the bumper area (i..e out of range of the sensos path). However, If you reverse back too fast and get too close to the object i.e. less than an X amount of distance from the object then there is possibility that the sensors will not detect the object if too close, for example, and reversing back at speed. May be the Micra sensors went off as she hit the object and it was too late :p and in embarrasment she tried to cover up by saying that the sensors did not detect the wheel barrow! May be her sensors had film of dirt on them and therefore did not go off or some signals nearby i.e. from traffic lights etc. may have interfered hence they did not function?

PST is just an aid to assist in manovering at low speed and still requires common sense and judgmemnt to be applied by the driver at the same time.

Flash
 
The sensors on our Voyager are pretty sensitive and would have picked up a wheelbarrow :rolleyes:

I noticed the same as you Richard with the sensors on the E class I has a while back. The Voyagers beep from the off - to let you know they're working and then as a count down so you can use your mirrors to guide you back, but the E-class I was waiting and waiting for the beep - and nothing like you say until it hits the red zone - which can be difficult to see if you are using your mirrors :crazy:
 
RichardM said:
My parking sensors are very sensitive, they have never failed to pick up posts even if its in between the sensors. In fact they have never failed to pick up anything.

My one criticism with the system is that they don't beep until the LED's hit red (there are 5 amber LED's then two red) so you have to be watching the display when reversing (rather than looking at the side mirrors) as when it beeps your already about to hit something. This has caught me out a couple of times.

I endorse every word Richard has said. If you are travelling at any speed and you wait for the alarm......... The alarm (beep) will sound at roughly the same time as you come into contact with the object. However the amber warning LED's do give you ample visual warning.

If you want to be technical
The front sensors detect objects at 100cm (1 metre or 3ft 3inches)
Front corners 120cm

Front Alarm 20 cm :confused: 8" approx
Front corners 15cm

Rear Sensors
Centre 120cm
Corners 80cm

I complained on another forum about the alarm not sounding until you are to close to the object, but I was in a minority of one!!!! I thought the 210 gave earlier warning, but memory is not the best indicator.

The parktronic has sensors on the corners of the front bumper, but not the rear.

The 211 also has a visual warning in the head lining (I can only comment here on the estate S211) for when you are reversing and might either be using your mirror or looking over your shoulder.

It is a beneficial aid, but does NOT work the brakes.

If you have anymore questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Forgot to mention that Parktronic switches off on the 211 at speeds above 10mph and switches back on again when the speed decreases.

Regards,
John
 
parking

parking sensors should be used with caution as this is only a aid and not a substitute for lazy reversing all round observations is a must when reversing god forbid what if that wheel borrow was a small child ....it seams these aids used in the wrong way could be dangerous...and i am not suggesting anyone one here is a lazy reverser by any means
 
mark.t said:
parking sensors should be used with caution as this is only a aid and not a substitute for lazy reversing all round observations is a must when reversing god forbid what if that wheel borrow was a small child ....it seams these aids used in the wrong way could be dangerous...and i am not suggesting anyone one here is a lazy reverser by any means

1000% agree. They are indeed only an aid.

Our Sprinter has a rear view monitor which I use as an aid to protect my wife's driving licence! I keep my eye's open for the folks that accuse you of exceeding the 70mph speed limits on motorways. Not that she would of course!!! :rolleyes:

John
 
mark.t said:
parking sensors should be used with caution as this is only a aid and not a substitute for lazy reversing all round observations is a must when reversing god forbid what if that wheel borrow was a small child ....it seams these aids used in the wrong way could be dangerous...and i am not suggesting anyone one here is a lazy reverser by any means

Now the reversing camera on the Rx300 lexus is a diferent story :)

Thats lazy reversing at its best :)
 
the Lexus dose take it to the limit but I believe this kind of technology would be great for our disabled drivers who may have problems turning round and checking visually we have reversing cameras on our fleet and they have a setting for night time as well almost night vision I suspect a very low lux setting . With out the camera I would have crushed a fiat cinquecento :rolleyes: that just parked up the rear of my wagon just as I was to release the brake :eek:
 
Parktronic

On the US Spec W211 E55, I recall reading somewhere, (it may have been in the operators manual), that Parktronic starts to sense n obstruction at a distance of 3 Ft. (I guess this is 1 meter (metre!) in the UK). The initial lights come on, with no audible warning. and as you get progressively closer to an obstruction, more lights illuminate, until at a distance of 10 inches (1/4 meter (metre!)) all hell breaks loose in regards to the audible warning!
I have checked this in the garage, and it seems to be pretty acurate, (although with hindsight, it was a pretty anal thing to do!) but I have never seen red lights as I recall. Maybe I am just bottling out as I approach the obstruction!
 
The sensors I had fitted retrofit have 3 tones.

1. 2m to 1m. audible sound like beep beep every second or so
2 1m to 15cm beeps get very fast. beep beep beep
3 less than 15cm or 10cm.....its continous tone.

I reverse park the E class into my integral garage. At 4.85m the W211 is a tight squeeze since we have utilities installed and other odds and sods. I have yet to hit anything touch wood. Ive had them 12 months with no issues.

Best are the ones which are drilled into bumper, the electromag ones aren't as good.
 
carlh94 said:
On the US Spec W211 E55, I recall reading somewhere, (it may have been in the operators manual), that Parktronic starts to sense n obstruction at a distance of 3 Ft. (I guess this is 1 meter (metre!) in the UK). The initial lights come on, with no audible warning. and as you get progressively closer to an obstruction, more lights illuminate, until at a distance of 10 inches (1/4 meter (metre!)) all hell breaks loose in regards to the audible warning!
I have checked this in the garage, and it seems to be pretty acurate, (although with hindsight, it was a pretty anal thing to do!) but I have never seen red lights as I recall. Maybe I am just bottling out as I approach the obstruction!

Hi Carl,
The US E55 actually has the same Parktronic as the rest of the 211 range and your conversions are quite accurate. (I will not say a word about US accuracy) :) The noise does attract your attention as my wife always waits for the beep when parking the car in our garage. (I think it wakes her up :) )

Again you are right in not wanting to test out seeing the red lights unless you are moving VERY slowly as the warning sounds eight inches before contact!!!!

Nice speaking to you,
Regards,
John
 
Oooooppss

I hope as I'm posting this at the back of the main posts then nobody will read it. It's time for me to come clean. :eek:

Last year (01/09) we picked up our sparkling new W203. I had after market parking sensors added ready for the pickup. I thought well wifey (sorry don't mean to be patronising :( ) might not be able to judge the distance as we were not used to a car with a boot. I thought any damage would be expensive to sort.

Picture the scene - got home, clouds were looking a bit grey decided better put nice shiny expensive car in newly cleaned out garage. Thought to myself better get someone to walk behind the car to guage when the sensors go off. However that didn't happen.

Yes you've guessed it - so the first time in public here goes. I reversed said car less than 2 hours old into the garage and straight onto a push bikes' brake handle. Result small dent/scratch in boot lid :mad: Stop laughing now OK!

Rather sheepishly (sorry Marianne) I didn't tell the wifey for three weeks and then only because she saw the dent and thought she had done it. I felt positively sick every time I drove it.

The local stealership quoted me just under £400 to remove dent and apply paint boot etc to remove a scratch about 2mm long. I was going to have it done because although the dent was very small we could see it everytime we looked at the bootlid.

Friends said that Dentdevils wouldn't touch it because the paint surface was broken. However up in Kettering at the GTG earlier in the year one of you guyz may have been Mr Goldfish suggested taking it along.

Best £70 I've spent. So thanks people. The power of the forum. Plus I have a feeling (after speaking to the DD man) that the stealership would have just taken it across the road to have the dent removed and then invisisbly touched in the scratch. :mad:

SO BACK TO THE PARKING SENSORS!! So after getting the range sorted! Yes they are good (even aftermarket ones) and they beep very accurately. They change frequency until you're about 6 inches away when it goes continuous. When we hopefully trade in we will get PTS!

SORRY MARIANNE!

Glad nobody has read this.
 
Busker said:
I hope as I'm posting this at the back of the main posts then nobody will read it. It's time for me to come clean. :eek:


:D :D Forgive me father for I have............. Very good, and what a gentleman to confess.

John
 
Slightly off topic, I like the reverse cameras of the Nissan Primera, you can see the type of obstruction and visual distance :)
 
robgosty said:
:bannana: OH YES THEY HAVE :bannana: :eek: :D :D

shhh .. <whispers>a bit loud for a Sunday Morning</whispers> ;)
 

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