Repeat failure of rear parking sensors

[SureshR]

Hi, I just picked up a 2021 Honda City (1.5 NA iVtec engined CVT sedan), and see from the service records that the rear parking sensors were last replaced in September.

Surprise, surprise, as of yesterday, putting the car in reverse makes the right side parking sensor start screaming, claiming that there's something very near the rear bumper. Only there's nothing behind the car and the alert is continuous while the car is in reverse.

Honda scanned the car and no errors found.
They then tried to clean the wires around the sensor and apply silicon grease, no use.
Now they're replacing the sensor yet again under warranty.

Anything else to look for that we all missed here? Thanks!

 

[billt460]

I wish there was a way to deactivate mine. I park my Jeep very close to the passenger side of my garage. And I have to listen to the parking sensors beeping non stop every time I do. Both going in and backing out. It really gets to be annoying. I wish there was a way to deactivate these things.

I really don't know why anyone would depend on them. I mean honestly, you have a backup camera with a big color screen, and moving lane lines to tell you what is in your way.

Not to mention 3 large rear view mirrors to see along both sides, as well as behind you. If that isn't enough to guide you into a parking space, you really shouldn't be driving.

It's much the same with my Toyota. The first thing I did when we brought it home from the dealer, was to deactivate the silly, "Lane Departure". At first I thought something was wrong with the front end.

More useless gadgetry. If you don't realize you're drifting out of your lane, you should be paying more attention. Or else you shouldn't be driving until you get some sleep, or else sober up.

A lot of this stuff only serves to over complicate vehicles today, by loading them up with a lot of unnecessary, expensive crap. Not to mention reducing driving skills by making drivers dependant on them.

 

[SureshR]

While I agree with you that they aren’t terribly essential, they are factory fitted so I’m trying to figure out what’s gone wrong, rather than just disable them and move on.

I seriously doubt that Honda is making sensors that die in under two months. Something else then, electrical or what remains to be seen.

 

[billt460]

It always ends up that electrical / electronic problems are the hardest to fix... On most any car. There always seems to be too few mechanics out there that are well versed in this field.

 

[zzyzzx]

Is there a fuse or module to unplug that would disable this?

 

[GON]

Shorting is reason parking sensors fail. Shorting often is a result of damage to the wire insulation and or moisture.

If it was me, I would inspect the insulation powering the sensors, along with a large amount of dielectric grease in and around the back of the sensors. I suspect the dielectric grease is the solution you need, and the problem you have experienced toes to water/ rain/ moisture.

I know the dealer put on silicone grease, but there is a difference between putting on silicone grease and packing with silicone grease. In your situation, packing after 100 percent drying of the sensor and connection is the process to follow. Small moisture not removed, and then coated with silicone paste can lock in the moisture, allowing another failure.

 

[SureshR]

Thank you! I’ll try this

 

[Nick1994]

I wish there was a way to deactivate mine. I park my Jeep very close to the passenger side of my garage. And I have to listen to the parking sensors beeping non stop every time I do. Both going in and backing out. It really gets to be annoying. I wish there was a way to deactivate these things.

I really don't know why anyone would depend on them. I mean honestly, you have a backup camera with a big color screen, and moving lane lines to tell you what is in your way.

Not to mention 3 large rear view mirrors to see along both sides, as well as behind you. If that isn't enough to guide you into a parking space, you really shouldn't be driving.

It's much the same with my Toyota. The first thing I did when we brought it home from the dealer, was to deactivate the silly, "Lane Departure". At first I thought something was wrong with the front end.

More useless gadgetry. If you don't realize you're drifting out of your lane, you should be paying more attention. Or else you shouldn't be driving until you get some sleep, or else sober up.

A lot of this stuff only serves to over complicate vehicles today, by loading them up with a lot of unnecessary, expensive crap. Not to mention reducing driving skills by making drivers dependant on them.

You should have a button that turns them off below your HVAC controls. Everytime I tow with the 2014 I turn them off. They stay off too until you turn them back on.

 

[supton]

You should have a button that turns them off below your HVAC controls. Everytime I tow with the 2014 I turn them off. They stay off too until you turn them back on.

When I had my Tundra I toyed with making a widget that would automatically turn off TC&VSC on every start. Then figured it was probably a bad idea, as I'm not the only driver.

Some days I wonder how humanity made it into the 21st century. Too many nannies. I think my mother nagged me less than a modern car.

 

[proveitwithdata]

Any accident history, and how flush mounted are the sensors?

 

[Nick1994]

When I had my Tundra I toyed with making a widget that would automatically turn off TC&VSC on every start. Then figured it was probably a bad idea, as I'm not the only driver.

Some days I wonder how humanity made it into the 21st century. Too many nannies. I think my mother nagged me less than a modern car.

I love the Nannie's. Most of my commute to work I let my Genesis steer for me. It's low in the front so I also use the bird's eye camera view and front parking camera every time I park.

 

[SureshR]

Any accident history, and how flush mounted are the sensors?

No rear ending. The sensors aren’t that flush to the rear bumper. Let me get a photo in a few hours.

 

[supton]

I love the Nannie's. Most of my commute to work I let my Genesis steer for me. It's low in the front so I also use the bird's eye camera view and front parking camera every time I park.

I turned 'em off on the test drive. Didn't like the lane assist. Don't like the radar cruise either, but it costs too much mpg so I don't use that. Now cameras, that could be nice.

Just found out that both Apple car play and the USB port in my car will *not* let me change albums while moving. Moronic. I did finally flip through the manual and I think if I use audio commands I can change albums? which I do not understand, if I can't read the large LCD then how am I going to read roadside signs?

 

[FaronJ]

On my 2015 Impala 2LZ, I'm on my FOURTH set of "Side Object Detection" Modules!!!

Only had to pay full price for 1 sensor to be installed. The rest were taken care of by a GM TSB. If the Dealer does the replacing, there's a 2yr warranty replacement on GM Parts, so that is how I've had the other replacements paid for. My Pass-rear one is going out AGAIN.

"Smart" location for these things! Inside rear bumper...directly behind rear wheels. I have the molded mud-guards on, but they barely go below the lower black trim-line anyway! If they were 3" longer, there might not be any issue?!? If the modules were just a little higher, like up in the trunk, it would help tons! The wiring could just go down to the little round button that "sees" out the bumper. But no.....the module-box gets most of the sling from the big rear tires. AND....this is in Fargo, ND. **** cold here, road chemicals, sand, slop....you name it.....it gets slopped on those modules.

The pic is a side-view of my baby at Grumpy's Ice-cream in Door-County WI this summer. You can see the rear guards don't go down very far!!

 

[mrbreezeet1]

JMO, but they need to quit putting all that B/S on cars and stop putting all the gizmos on the cars to break!
Also, square up the body's a little more like they used to be, so you can see the front of the car better and judge the back end better.
These cars today are like trying to park a bowling ball!

 

[CarDoc66]

I wish there was a way to deactivate mine. I park my Jeep very close to the passenger side of my garage. And I have to listen to the parking sensors beeping non stop every time I do. Both going in and backing out. It really gets to be annoying. I wish there was a way to deactivate these things.

I really don't know why anyone would depend on them. I mean honestly, you have a backup camera with a big color screen, and moving lane lines to tell you what is in your way.

Not to mention 3 large rear view mirrors to see along both sides, as well as behind you. If that isn't enough to guide you into a parking space, you really shouldn't be driving.

It's much the same with my Toyota. The first thing I did when we brought it home from the dealer, was to deactivate the silly, "Lane Departure". At first I thought something was wrong with the front end.

More useless gadgetry. If you don't realize you're drifting out of your lane, you should be paying more attention. Or else you shouldn't be driving until you get some sleep, or else sober up.

A lot of this stuff only serves to over complicate vehicles today, by loading them up with a lot of unnecessary, expensive crap. Not to mention reducing driving skills by making drivers dependant on them.

What year and model is your Jeep? I thought there was a setting in the UConnect system to mute or at least turn down the volume. I think very late models you can turn it off for when you tow a trailer.

 

[dfarr67]

My wife had to have that 1k option on the Accord, replaced once under warranty and I won't **** with them.

 

[billt460]

What year and model is your Jeep? I thought there was a setting in the UConnect system to mute or at least turn down the volume. I think very late models you can turn it off for when you tow a trailer.

2015 Limited. (It has a towing package). I towed a U-Haul trailer 200 miles and never had any issues with sensors going off.

 

[zzyzzx]

That's why you should by Fords instead, so you can turn this useless feature off in ForScan when it breaks.

 

[CarDoc66]

2015 Limited. (It has a towing package). I towed a U-Haul trailer 200 miles and never had any issues with sensors going off.

There’s a button below the HVAC to turn it off and there are more settings in the UConnect.
They allow you to turn it off temporarily for backing up a trailer.
Turn it off when you back into the garage.