parking sensors on cars

[Margaret_374542681]

We're about to buy a (used) Mondeo that comes with rear sensors. Someone has told us that these are a problem when hitching. Does anyone know if that's true? Can you turn them off, not permanently?

Many thanks for any help.

Margaret

 

[Damian]

Depends what yo uterm a problem.

With the van on the back, when you select reverse, the sensors will pick up the van and the beeper will sound.

However, as you do not reverse for hours, will it bother you?

I do not find it too much of a problem.

 

[Martin_E]

I had reversing sensors on my old car, when the van was hooked up and reverse selected the reversing alarm would do one short bleep then turn off, not sure how it worked but it did.

 

[MikeyW]

Hi Margaret

My sensors continually beep when hitched up and in reverse but as Damian has said your not going backwards for long so it's not a problem. You could probably rig up a switch on the feed to the sensors if you really had to.

Still at least it drowns out the wife giving me false directions onto the pitch. LOL

Mike

 

[Mikey1]

Some rear parking sensors are disabled when the van is connected,mine do must depends if its facorty or retro fitted electric or the later with a purpose made electric kit for the car.

 

[Herv]

Margaret,

If you have an after-market towbar fitted, it is very likely that the sensors will sound when reversing.

Most towbars fitted by the dealers/manufacturers have a relay which disables the reversing sensors when the 7-pin plugs (or indeed 13-pin plug) are connected.

 

[Jaydug]

I have parking sensors on my Citroen C5. Had I fitted a towbar with removable ball, the sensors would have worked OK. As it is, with a fixed ball the sensors detect the ball and sound every time reverse is selected, but there's a switch on the dash which turns them off. It is possible for a dealer with a Lexia to programme the onboard computer to disconnect the rear sensors when the van is attached.

 

[Bigfoot]

I have just fitted a dedicated 13 pin wiring kit to my Kia Sorento which has reversing sensors. It was made by Westphalia and supplied by TowEquipe UK. It takes into account the sensors and disconnects them when hithed. Easy to fit as well!

 

[Moonstone1]

Our car came with reversing sensors, but there is a manual switch fitted in the boot to switch it off. Maybe this is the same in the mondeo.

 

[gary]

I have a mk3 and it does not detect a swan neck towball while in reverse, what I can't say is how much noise it will make with van attached as to date, I have not reversed the van as I have a mover and use that to get van on pitch.

What should happen, (if you have a dedicated wiring kit fitted), is a Ford dealer can re-programme the ECU to tell it to switch off the sensors when it detects the van is connected through the 12S or 13 pin socket.

If though standard wiring as I have is used, then I don't know if the sensors can be turned off automatically? or if a switch can be fitted, there is no switch as standard.