Parking sensor kerfuffle

[UrbanFlow]

Hello all,

Can anyone shed any light/knowledge on a parking sensor issue I have?

My wife scraped the rear bumper the other day – right on the corner as she was reversing. She hit a neighbours car – good news is it’s only light paint on ours but a total new rear quarter panel for the tin can of a convertible Ford Ka she hit.

Anyway, on closer inspection the drivers side corner rear sensor (The side she dinged)  doesn’t seem to be picking me up when I walk close to it.

It clicks perfectly when I put my ear to it.

So, the car goes into a Ford dealer to be painted and for the sensor repairing (insurance wouldn’t pay for BMW to do it.) and the Ford mechanic calls and tells my wife that he put it on the scanner/computer and it is showing as the front passenger corner sensor that is gone (so opposite corner). They won’t repair it as it is not part of the prang claim and a different type of sensor.

So, my question is, how can this be??!
Last time a sensor failed I got a different tone instead of the usual beeps.
No tone this time and others are working.

I’m totally perplexed. Car is still with garage so can’t check myself again.

Any ideas?

[Steamyrotter]

Sounds like he is not using a correct scanner for the car!!!

When you are near the rest of the sensors do they pick you up??
Seem to remember something about the wiring loom for the sensors being a bit temperamental and vunerable, but cannot remember where i read that..

[jaynana]

i once had a sensor which didn't pick anything up but no tone indicator or fault reported in the system.. cant remember whether it ticked as normal as well..

[UrbanFlow]

Well,
The Ford garage doing the work via the insurance company still have our X5 and we have a poxy new Fiesta courtesy car.

They have done a fine job on the minor scratches on the rear bumper but they have now replaced 2 sensors with brand new ones and the rear drivers side corner still doesn't want to work!

I've told them I don't want it back until they've sorted it properly as I now suspect it could be the wiring loom or something else.

The mechanics seem to have spent a lot of time gathered round it and guess what - looking at online BMW forums!

Tsk.

[jaynana]

PDC controller?

[UrbanFlow]

My wife called them today and they are still 'investigating'.  :blink:

I'm guessing it's either the wiring loom or the PDC module.

Any ideas how much a new module is?
I've seen them on flea bay for about £100 but not sure I'd trust one.

[jaynana]

U said front near side corner shows a dud on the scanner? If so the whole system won't work.

Firstly is that now sorted out?

You can also just disable the front sensors to isolate and sort out te rear.

Secondly, if not sure if it's the sensors or the wiring/controller that's bad you can swap the rear sensors around and check with the software.

[UrbanFlow]

All fixed now, thanks for all the advice.

A BMW technician had to be called in to the Ford garage to fix it!

[b20wht]

So hat was the problem in the end?