Hello,

I just picked up my F-Type about a week ago and have noticed that my parking sensors are a bit hyper. Has anyone else experienced this? The rear starts beeping when there's about 4 feet between myself and another car and the front goes off when I'm about 2.5 feet away from a wall. On the side, it sometimes picks up cars that are two parking spots away from me. Is this a bug I need to get fixed or just normal for this car?

 

On my test drive, there were instances where it picked up electric junction boxes on the roadside. I was advised that metal composition had some influence

In the morning in the first 50 feet after getting out of the driveway, I occassionally get some random beeps, but in general, I'd not call mine hyper.

 

this is my first car with parking sensors, so no real gauge for me. however, yesterday i scraped the front bottom airdam (underneath) as i slowly pulled into a parking space. i heard the sensor beep about 43 milliseconds before the agonizing scraping sound. my reaction time is definitely not that fast. had it only been 45 or 46 milliseconds...

 

Pulling in, I turn mine on manually. But I thought that's what you had to do

 

Correct. Unless you were just in reverse, you have to turn on the front sensors manually.

 

Good info! must have skimmed that bit of the manual. Could have sworn I heard a beep before scraping...

 

Mine are way over sensitive too. Anyone know if they can be adjusted?

 

I'm not sure about adjustments, but I know that I can back up, or pull forward until the thing beeps like crazy and turns solid orange. When they turn red, I stop and still have a safe amount of space left. I do know however that some types of smaller curbs will actually disappear from the sensors when pulling in forward, so be careful. Never had that problem when backing in.

 

Ah, I didn't even realize they have different colors. I wish there was a setting to tell it to STFU at orange and just beep at red.

 

it's an analog thing

 

Given the frequency of threads like this, I have this sinking feeling that "driverless" cars can't come soon enough.

I have neither parking sensors, nor a back-up camera in my car, but I do have great analog sensors on each side of my nose. It only took a couple of gentle "curb-finder" kisses early in our relationship for me to calibrate those sensors, and almost two years later, I haven't kissed another.

 

Can you elaborate on how this relates to driverless cars? I'm having trouble making the connection.

 

Oh, I don't know. I guess it's just the never-ending litany of complaints about various "driver aids" that many people seem to feel they now have to have that triggers that association for me.

I'm very old school when it comes to driving. Most of my other vehicles have back-up cameras and sensors, but I find myself using the mirrors and my eyes without even looking at the camera images or listening to the sensors.

 

Apologies in advance if I'm misinterpreting your statement, but I think you just suggested that I'd prefer a driverless car.

With respect, the idea that people who drive F-Types have much in common with those who prefer driverless cars is a bit ridiculous on its face. I just purchased one of the very least automated cars on the market and I think it's fair to say that this 550hp beast doesn't have terribly much in common the driverless cars you are discussing.

What I think you are missing is the humongous middle ground between a car with no drivers aids and a car which is fully automated. Part of that middle-ground (and indeed, far closer to nothing in comparison to most modern cars) is the vision pack on the F-Type. Do I strictly need it? No. Do I often ignore it as you mentioned that you do? Of course. However, when I want it, it's lovely to have. The visibility in the F-Type is poor, so having something like a backup camera is often useful. If nothing else than for pulling out of a spot when sandwiched between two giant SUVs.

As to the litany of complaints, what I'm actually complaining about here is that the parking sensor feature is poorly implemented. Not that I rely on it, but instead that I prefer for it to stay out of the way as much as possible and only alert me when there is a critical need to do so. Instead, it alerts me when other cars...exist.

 

Yes, you did misinterpret, and it was not directed at you or anyone else in particular. It was just a general editorial comment about society in general and how reliant upon technology, not just in vehicles, we have all become.

I'm as guilty as any and have also wrapped myself in a technology cocoon. I just don't have parking sensors yacking at me in my F-Type . . . LOL.

 

My apologies for the rant then! I think not having parking sensors yacking at you is probably the right way to go in the F-Type!

I'm totally in agreement about our society being totally dependent on technology. Hell, I'm probably one of the worst examples. A few months back I went on a cruise and spent the first 48 hours without checking e-mail. That is the longest I have gone without checking email since.... well I'm not sure, at least two decades. My smartphone is never more than 5 feet from me, I've stopped remembering anything because I can just look it all up, etc.

I'm essentially useless as a human.. If any of those sci-fi shows ever come true and computers just stop working, you'll find me curled up in a ball somewhere wondering how to exist.

 

Here's a twist I've not experienced. Yesterday, I was backing out of the pinned space and the "car approaching alarm" activated for a car in the main roadway behind me!

 

Yes, if the rear sensors are on a vehicle moving at any rate of speed anywhere behind you will set off the alarm. Comes in handy in large parking lots.