ZoomyX

I will be painting/installing my new front and rear bumpers soon and I am looking for advice on a parking sensor system.

I've read about both electromagnetic (strip behind bumper, no bumper mod needed) and ultrasonic (requires cutting holes to mounting sensors) and I am wondering if anyone here has any experience with either of these?

Favorite tech, brand, installation methods, etc



My goal is to make the car as dummy proof to park as possible so my wife doesnt scratch up my new bumpers :P

2cokeman

but why?? Just don't let her drive it!! Thats what I do.

mustang51js

FYI my mom has these on her tahoe and she hit things twice,the sensor doesnt pick stuff up on angles close to the outsides, so she proves right there you can still hit things with the sensors installed

Norm Peterson

The best "dummy proofing" involves the person in question either learning where the corners and ends of the car are - or erring on the side of caution. Some people may need periodic "refresher courses".

An electronic solution is less than foolproof at best (distractions, sensor blind spots, system inop for any reason), and at worst interferes with what the driver should be learning. Such band-aids should not be relied upon to substitute for driving skill.


Norm

siggyfreud

I would venture the guess the ultrasonic systems are a bit more advanced. I would think that it would take a decently powerful electromagnet to detect variations in its' field from a distance you'd want to make the system worthwhile. Unless you're simply after a BEEP to let you know you're going to hit something, and not a countdown beeper that gets quicker as you approach an object.

Best way to make something dummy proof is to remove the dummy .

Nuke

Being an older forum member, I LEARNED how to drive and park...

And you let someone else drive your Stang? Wow.

ZoomyX

If I need the suv then yea, i gotta let my wife drive the stang cause we only have the 2 vehicles, so it happens a few times a month.

I'm not talking about normal parking, im talking about very limited parking in places like seattle and downtown bellevue where you are sometimes lucky to have a few inches clearance on each side up against a concrete wall. It's not like having to park in Mississippi where the stalls are still wide enough for clydesdale horse carts :P

Oh and grats on learning to drive and park, im sure your mom would be proud.

kc5mhb

My wife is afraid to drive my car and since I have a new GT bumper, she doesn't even want to. That's why she has an Expedition and I have a Bronco and the Mustang. When the Expedition is down, she drives the Bronco. When I get the brakes and air conditioning fixed on her '66 Mustang, then she can drive it.

PistolPez73

You just described a recurring nightmare of mine to a T!

Nuke

I learned to parallel park from day one when I learned to drive in Philly. The neighbors would insist I couldn't get that Pontiac Bonneville into a spot only 12" longer than the car was and my dad would bet them that I could. I always wondered why one of the neighbors was handing my dad a fin when I'd come up to the patio. The thing that pissed me off later was that I never saw any of that cash. But then again that was 37 years ago so I've learned to let that go. But, yes, both mom AND dad were quite proud, thank you.

But I'd still teach her how to drive if I were you.