Rear parking Sensors on FR

[pmb5]

Hi,

I've just installed one of those electromagnetic sensors in my 02 toledo. It was very easy as i managed to do it by placing the strip inside the black rubbing strip rather than having to pull off the whole bumper. I put the wire to the control until in via the light cluster so no drilling.

It is quite impressive, but unfortunately i just cant convince myself to trust it. When testing the unit it works fine, but in practice it doest start till work till your about 40cm away from the object, which sounds like enough, but in practice it's just not far enough away in a toeldo.

Also although they claim it'll pick up low walls etc, in practice if this is say 5cm below the height of the strip you wont be picking up the wall till about 15cm away, which only just gives enough time to prevent you hitting it. If you didn't know the wall was there when reversing you'd struggle.

Great idea, just not enough range. Also they bang on about how much better it is than conventional sensors. But only when you get the instructions you discover that only the last sensor zone works in the wet, which for me is about 10cm. I've not experienced this yet, but if i'd have realised that before i bought I may have changed my mind.

Still it really does work and you dont need to drill holes in your bumper. It just doesn't have the range to be practical.

 

[n_olympios]

10 cm is way too much distance for me. It's from that distance and down to 1-2 cm that I need the sensors. Otherwise, I can come this close without using any sensors other than my eyes - spacing ability.

 

[pmb5]

Thats what i thought till i installed it! But because its not even beeping till your that close you can never really believe its actually working and always end up just using your own judgement. (which makes it pretty pointless) i.e. sometimes it doesnt start beeping till i reckon i'm about to touch something... which i already knew!

It wont give you 1-2cm accuracy, maybe 10-15cm. Further more i've discovered it often doesn't seem constant in it range. I.e. with ultra sonics, when it goes solid tone you know you have say 30cm, so you can judge a further 30cm. I've got out an checked when it goes solid tone and its varying the distance quite a bit each time.

 

[n_olympios]

I hear ya (not literally). Perhaps the levels of accuracy and consistency we're seeking from these products cannot be reached at these prices.

 

[pmb5]

Unfortunately I think your right... maybe i should stick a tow bar on and switch to "touch parking".

P.s. Used the Electromagnetic sensor in the rain, doesn't work at all, both in Heavy and light rain. Just seems to pick the rain up and beep like mad when you're about to hit nothing but air.

 

[n_olympios]

Unfortunately I think you're right...

Don't you just hate it when that happens? I know I do.

 

[Nautilus]

Unlike an ultrasonic system, electromagnetic sensor with display can only show you an object is inside the detection zone, but not on which side it is, while using separate ultrasonic sensors and a visual display can show on which side the object is, the distance to it etc.

Let's assume this: use two separate electromagnetic sensors, each with a display, a buzzer a control unit and an antenna, each antenna strip covers half the bumper, with a space of ~10 cm in the middle, behind the number plate, to avoid interference. Indeed it will be twice the cost. Do you think it will work, and have the accuracy of an ultrasonic system?

~Nautilus