How to parking sensors?

So let me get this right...

You haven't a clue how to remove the bumper and then even if you did you're scared of drilling holes in the car.

If you c*ck up the bumper bit it'll cost you shedloads to get the mess put right.

Unless they're charging over £100 let them do it.

-I have a Y reg Toyota Avensis with fairly flush fitting bumpers and I

-need to fit parking sensors. The bumpers are the best place I think.

-I want to do this myself as the installers are failry expensive near-

-me, but I don't know what's involved. The wife has already cost me

-£500 in damage to other cars by reversing into them so I'm trying to

-save money on the install. If anyone has fitted these to a similar car

-can you tell me how you did it please? I think I have to remove the

-rear bumper, drill the four holes for the sensors, and perhaps drill a

-hole into the car body to the boot space for the cables too, and that's

-the bit that's scaring me. I don't want the stick on ones as there's

-still no obvious way to get the cables into the boot.

Strikes me that if your wife can't reverse a Yaris successfully, parking sensor's will not help.

take it to a Toyota dealer, 4 reverse sensors fitted is 399 gbp

I was quoted a minimum of =A330 per sensor for an installer plus a call out charge, and I'm looking for at least 3 sensors on the rear. I know how to remove the bumper, it's the bit where I drill into the car body that's worrying me. Perhaps I'll be lucky and find a ready made hole with a rubber gromet behind the bumper.

( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Why not have a look, then?

Oh, and leave some context when you reply, so people have a clue what you're blithering about.

RTFP, I said "Toyota Avensis". I'll calm down now...

A friend of mine with a Yaris and parking sensors still managed to drive over the grass when coming into my driveway at the weekend, but at least he didn't hit anything. I think he was relying on the sensors instead of using his mirrors. I don't mind the wife doing the same, the grass will grow back, it's her hitting things that I'm worried about.

The message from "DougP" contains these words:

I've got to get round to fitting a set to the wife's Clio. She's only

| I have a Y reg Toyota Avensis with fairly flush fitting bumpers

I would really like *front* parking sensors on my Skoda Fabia 1.9 TDI because I can not see *any* of the bonnet from the driving position and regularly have to do a maneuver with the bumper inches from a stone wall. I sometimes touch the wall at *very* low speed and rely on the rubber strip to prevent damage. Not a good idea. Skoda suck their teeth and quote silly money.

Has anyone any experience with front parking sensors? Which type? Who fitted them?

The message from Dave Fawthrop contains these words:

I don't suppose there's any reason you can't use reversing ones fitted at the front. You'd have to have a switch to turn 'em on as I don't suppose you'd like to have 'em working all the time. Perhaps if you could arrange for 'em to work only in first gear...

They won't help you. Front or rear, the ultrasonic sensors do not have any sensitivity much below one foot, which I reckon is not good enough, with a large car you frequently need to manoeuvre within two or three inches (I find) The microwave type are more accurate but more expensive, a camera is even better.

mrcheerful

How about a trip down to your local netto on thursday and invest £19.99

Ah - thats a little more excusable. Not sure why I read Yaris instead of Avensis ....... oh well

And they gave her a license!!!

Andy

Boy, that would be bloody iritating in stop-start traffic.

Andy

She may be able to reerse a yaris, but it seems to be the Avensis that's the problem.

They work in exactly the same way - so any decent aftermarket ones with four sensors should be ok. However, the way they are operated might be the problem. Reversing ones simply work with the reversing lights. Front ones would need to be switched manually - otherwise they'd bleep at all sorts of things.

Not Randy Newman are you?

"They got little cars That go beep, beep, beep" ;o)

She's quite a good driver.

The message from "Nik&Andy" contains these words:

Yes, because she successfully and safely accomplished the whole test, including the reversing manoeuvres. That doesn't mean she finds it easy or comfortable - which can be assisted with the sensors.