Today, I had a rather interesting thing happen to me in a parking lot. I was just about to back out of my parking spot when I spotted another shopper walking up the lot. I kept my foot on the brake to let her go by me. As she passed by the rear of my car she set off the parking sensors. I didn't think they were that sensitive and required me to be actually moving, but apparently not. I guess being somewhat old school I am still getting used to some of the features of my car.

Mike

 

Yep, even low curbs or small shrubs will set ours off. I agree, it does take a bit of getting used to....

 

Ours will sound even if someone is following too close or if I'm following too close on the freeway.

 

That is because you have the front and rear sensors, so yours is active in forward and reverse. On the rear sensor only cars, the trans must be in reverse for it to work.

 

Your are correct.. I need to stop driving in reverse on the freeway...must be the beer

 

carelm, have fun while it lasts. those sensors don't last long .

 

Yea! I keep getting funny looks flying up Rt8 in reverse as well. I figure since I didn't get the front sensors I'd take full advantage of the rears since far be it for me to actually look where I'm going when I have these "great" sensor thingies!

 

The funny thing is that while I was in the UK on a business trip, I let a friend of mine drive my S-Type once in a while and he got so used to the backup sensors, he almost hit someone backing up in his own car. One must never forget to use your mirrors or look over your shoulder while backing up.

harounq21,

I take it the backup sensors in your car went belly-up. Since they are more of a nicety rather than required, if they do out on me, I'll most likely just live with it unless they can get fixed cheaply and quickly, which is not likely.

Mike

 

Kind of a follow-up: these things are really sensitive. This past weekend we got a bit of snow (6'') and whenever I backed up I got a continuous beeping. The sensors had just a light dusting of snow on them. I had to clear them and then normal operations.

Mike

 

Yup, mine are always doing that up here... Funny thing is they will do it with a thin film of ice (like after a power wash) but won't when they are almost black with salty crud all over the back bumper. Must be one of those cats and water things.....

 

Jeff,

Kind of like this:

 

Thanks A Lot..... Now I have to clean the coffee off my monitor!

 

They should not sound off at highway speeds?? Above 15 mph they are switched off by the software. I guess at speeds above 15 mph you don't have much chance to avoid an impact. In forward gear the reverse sensors are shut off, so you should not get any alarms when someone is following too close. The factory allows you to shut off the front sensors because in bumper to bumper traffic they get triggered a lot. No off switch for the rear sensors because again they are not active unless the car is in reverse. Remember different sounds for front and rear park sensors.
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I personally don't have the front sensors...Didn't they only come with adaptive cruise anyway?? And come to think of it when I did test drive a loaded S with the front sensors it did go off for the front but I don't remember if it did anything for the back. It happened at a traffic light and the salesman didn't know what it was. I remember some lights up in the overhead console, but that was about it. It was only a quick test drive.

 

Comedians!!!!

 

Jeff-

The front sensors didn't come with Adaptive Cruise Control on the 2005. I've got them but no ACC.

Eric

 

Thanks Toller... I keep learning stuff every day...