Parking Sensors

[psolak]

Hi,

 

How can you test the parking sensors on a 2001 Galaxy to find out which one is faulty.

 

The unit is making abeeping noise which stops after a while.

 

The parking control unit looks okay and the area around it is dry (no water damage) :unsure:

[Richmond]

They are fairly sensitive, so if you move a small object, such as a hand, toward each in turn, the system should be activated (provided that it's switched on, of course).

[Ivor_E_Tower]

(you will need an assistant for this...)

[Richmond]

(you will need an assistant for this...)

Ivor, are you sure that your reply isn't intended for the 'Unexpected horn' thread?

 

If you leave the car door open you can hear if the parking sensor beeps when you move your hand toward each sensor, can't you? I'm sure I did just that to check that all was well after I'd reversed over a friends retaining wall, as you do, and dislodged one of the sensors (it survived the ordeal better than the wall did).

[Guest vitrocmax]

Just been thinking about this.... :unsure:

 

Assuming the beep is when you switch on the ignition, and it's the Ford factory fitted system, it will beep for 3 seconds if it detects an internal fault and then disable the sensors . So if your system beeps for longer than that, and still works afterwards, it's possibly not a sensor fault and the tests that Richmond and Ivor have described ought to work. The problem is that the beep is when the sensor 'sees' and so how do you know which one it is if it's beeping all the time?

 

The system uses ultrasonic sensors to detect an object, by transmitting a pulse and 'listening' for a reflected sound. The control unit does all the work, and I'm not sure how the sensors are 'tested' by the control unit. If a sensor fails, the control box will know but there's no way it can indicate it. I don't think unplugging them in turn will work, but you could try.

 

You may need 'expert' help, possibly from a dealer, unfortunately. I don't know where you'll find an expert, certainly not at my dealer!

 

Trial and error, swap and test, what else? Sounds expensive, sorry!

:unsure: :unsure:

[Guest nimrod]

On the TIS there is a pin point test list for the parking sensors that show how to to test each sensor and the relevent control circuits, there is also a complete list of fault codesfor the parking sensors, so it may be worth your while getting the codes read by a non dealer garage? and posting the codes or getting hold of a copy of the TIS and then running the tests yourself to find the fault once you have narrowed down the area the fault is

[johnb80]

On my Galaxy (2003 TDi Ghia Auto) the sensors look to be infra red rather than ultrasonic.

 

Regards - JB

[Guest nimrod]

They are ultra sonic, switch them on and try looking at them through your video camera in the dark! if they are infra red they will show up! as they are ultra sonic they wont