Hiya,

Just picked up a 55 plate vRS and it has what looks like parking sensors on the rear bumper (wife had a 54 plate TDI with factory fit parking sensors and these look the same). The sensors don't appear to work as nothing happens when reverse is engaged, wifes car used to beep and get a piccy on the radio. I get nothing!

The garage I bought it from reckon there's no wiring or sensors fitted, before I start rooting around, can you have a bumper with 'dummy' sensors in? I would have expected the bumper to plain?

TIA

Ian

You can't get dummy sensors, if there are four holes in the bumper and the holes are full then it has sensors fitted.

It may be that it's had a replacement rear bumper and a second-hand one with rear sensors has been fitted?

A quick way of telling would be getting a scan done with VCDS to see if you even have a parking controller fitted.

Normally, if it doesn't have factory fit parking sensors the bumper is plain, it doesn't have the cutouts and then 'blanks' fitted.

Have a look in the spare wheel well - there will be wiring behind the plastic trim at the rear of the boot exiting to behind the bumper for the sensors. You will have to remove the centre piece of trim to see it.

This is what the parking sensors on the vRS look like...

Yup, that's what they look like.

I'll have a nose around in the boot tomorrow and report back

If they've been retro-fitted (like mine at least) there will be a small separate speaker in the rear of the car, poss by the C pillar. This has a volume switch/slider (off/low/high) which might be set to off.

UPDATE!

Ok, so I didn't try reversing with the radio on until today. When I go into reverse nothing happens, but when I come out the radio volume dips slightly for a second or 2 and a piccy of the car shows on the radio

I assume that this means that one of the sensors isn't working? The car is now booked into my local specialist (SJB in Basingstoke) to have it sorted.

Anyway the main thing is that the kit is fitted, thanks for the help guys!

Hi Mike,

I don't think it's the sounder as the piccy of the car and the radio dipping only work when coming out of reverse and into neutral. Nothing happens when I select reverse, other than the car going backwards

The piccy and the dipping happen only for a second as the gear stick clears the gate of reverse and goes into neutral. I might not have been too clear in my earlier post, sorry!

Cheers,

Ian

This is more than a faulty sensor.

When a sensor fails and you engage reverse you get a constant tone until you take it out of reverse.

Also a failed sensor won't affect the radio display, this would still operate as normal.

Sounds like a faulty parking module - get a scan done and all will be revealed!

Have you checked behind the trim for leaks from the rear washer pipe in the N/S of the boot? The pipe has a habit of leaking and getting on the electrical connectors.

Do the reverse lights come on and does the park system beep as appropriate? I.e. does the car know it is in reverse.

Edited 7 September, 201213 yr by Anddenton

So could it be a dodgy reversing switch - I suppose seeing what the reverse lights do will be the giveaway

So could it be a dodgy reversing switch - I suppose seeing what the reverse lights do will be the giveaway

That was my thinking

If you have parking sensors fitted in the factory, you might/should have a little button in the lower dash to turn them on if they haven't triggered automatically. I have front and rear sensors and I have that button, perhaps this is only on cars with front and rear though?

Yes, the button on the dash is for the front sensors only.

Update guys - reversing lights work, no beep on selecting reverse. Will let you know on Tuesday when it gets fixed (hopefully!)

Sounder more than likely.

But the display isn't coming up on the HU until the OP is coming out of reverse. Is this an indication that the sounder has gone?

Sounds like a faulty parking module - get a scan done and all will be revealed!

Have you checked behind the trim for leaks from the rear washer pipe in the N/S of the boot? The pipe has a habit of leaking and getting on the electrical connectors.

Take a bow sir, yes the pipe had split and filled the controller with screenwash. Bit of a clean and everything worked a treat, apart from the sounder in the cabin which also needed replacing.

I now have a car that reverses and beeps as Skoda intended

Take a bow sir, yes the pipe had split and filled the controller with screenwash. Bit of a clean and everything worked a treat, apart from the sounder in the cabin which also needed replacing.

I now have a car that reverses and beeps as Skoda intended

The good old leaking rear washer pipe strikes again!