Rear Washer Problem Now Parking Sensors Not Working

[spongebob_antspants]

Hi all

 

I recently had the well documented problem of the rear washer water jet not working. In my case it turned out to be a simple fix, the hose connected to the water reservoir bottle had become detached. All I had to do was to remove the panel on the inside of the wheel arch and reattach it, now the rear washer is working fine.

 

However, I've now found that the parking sensors are not working, I get the 3 second high pitched "beep" whenever I start the engine, followed by a the light on the parking sensor switch on the dashboard flashing. According the handbook, this indicates a parking sensor "malfunction" (non specific!).

 

Having searched on this forum I found that in many cases the parking sensor problem was associated to the rear washer problem, where water had leaked into the front passenger seat footwell, which is where the parking sensor control unit sits. So I looked under the front passenger seat - it's bone dry in there, I don't believe that there has been any leakage into that area from the water reservoir.

 

Can anyone offer any ideas to what the problem with the parking sensors could be? I've read some posts about checking for the sensors "clicking", how do I do that? Do I just leave the engine running with the car in nuetral then walk around listening closely? That is to say, should the sensors click all time that the car is running?

 

Any help much appreciated!

[junglejim]

I've got one not working on my 2001 tdi. That is bone dry as well.

 

If you switch them on and listen to them individually and close up - you can hear them ticking. If there is no tick then it isn't working. I've since confirmed it when I got Vagcom and plugged it in.

 

Unfortunately, Ford will have about

[fml69]

When your washer bottle was leaking the water would have entered the footwell, since you fixed it the water would have dried around the parking sensor control, I have exactly the same problem at the moment, rear washer u/s and parking sensors making lots of funny noises!!!!!!!

[spongebob_antspants]

I don't believe that the rear washer reservoir has ever leaked into the passemger footwell. The joint where the hose was connected to the bottle is down beside the front of the wheel arch and well away from the passenger footwell. In fact when parked I could see the wet area on the road where the water was jetting straight out from the bottle onto the road.

 

I've now been down on my hands & knees with my ear close to the sensors...they are all clicking away merrily apart from one on the front bumber, on the opposite side to where the water bottle sits.

 

So it seems to me that it's a problem with that one sensor in particular, rather than with the central control unit - can anyone confirm that please?

Does it mean that I definitely need a replacement sensor, or could it be a fuse problem? Is each sensor separately fused? (seems unlikely I know but I'm trying to investigate all avenues before shelling out for a replacement sensor).

[adrianf.]

Sounds to me its the sensor. I had the same problem a while ago with one that didnt tick. Feplaced it and all was fine.

You could try swaping it over with another one just to make sure. Just carefully prize the black bumper trim out and you can then swap them about.

[spongebob_antspants]

Just thought I would update this with what happened....

 

Before I actually got around to replacing the one sensor that was not "ticking", I found the other day that, as if by magic, the sensors are all working fine again.

I can't explain this, I can't put the temporary failure down to anything specific...maybe the earthquake rocked it back into position???

[NikpV]

we had a sensor that sometimes didn't work - it would be fine if it wasnt misty/foggy so I concluded that it was damp (rain didnt affect it) eventually it wouldn't work at all and when replaced the system has been fine ever since