Hi Folks

I've only had my (10 month old) Superb 1.4 TSi 'S' for 5 days, but I'm really enjoying it so far.

However, I do need to get reversing sensors on it. I'm planning to go with the Cobra Parkmaster set (0358) . The design looks like they will appear very much as factory fit (once painted).

Anyone done this job, and know the best place to take a reversing light feed from? If only the reversing lights were in the body light cluster, not the boot lid!

On another note - does anyone have experience of the reversing light kit that Skodateile sell - one with four sensors, and one with 6?

Thanks in anticipation for any help you can give!

Regards

Kenneth Ross

Hi,

I used a connection into the wiring loom as it passes down over the nearside rear wheel arch, underneath the seat-fabric-upholstered trim, immediately next to the (folding) seat back.

Access is via removal of the entire rear seat base (quick, easy), then removing a large plastic nut that is revealed. The tall upholstered section (it's the one that sits under the seat belt when it's parked) can then be unclipped from its 2 engagements. These are not obvious as to how they are attached to the seating piece. Force is not needed. But it's difficult to describe the angles you need to pull without a diagram, it slides out 'sideways', if I remember. Gently does it.

The loom that passes underneath carries (amongst the many!) a cable with the same markings as those on the reverse lamp socket itself, I can't remember what these were exactly. I checked its function with a pin lightly piercing the insulation, and used a volt meter on this across to ground to confirm that it went to 12v when reverse was engaged.

No real gynaecological skills are necessary to connect to, or identify the loom at this point, it's really accessible, relatively speaking.

Others may have decided upon a better place to connect...

P.S. The bumper has the four sensor locations already marked into it, underneath some green adhesive tape.

Whilst removing the bumper, it is easy to miss the two screws that fit vertically up through the bumper's hoizontal flange into the rear quarter panel. These screws are not visible until you lift the wheel arch liner away from the bumper corner (the corner furthest away from the back of the car.) They may be concealed by road grime.

Regards, etc.

Edited 6 November, 201213 yr by CombatWombat

Thanks so much for this - and for the bumper removal directions!

I so wish this forum engine had the capability to 'thank' contributors! Seems 'liking' is the best that you can do!

Regards!

You can buy them a beer ;) ;)

... A few other points!

As you know, the rear light clusters have to be removed. The two torx fasteners for this are concealed behind black plastic covers about the size of a penny coin. These are prised out with care!; they're quite fragile and cost nearly £5 each! This is the same procedure you would follow to change a rear light bulb and is doubtless covered in the owners manual.

When the clusters are removed 2 (or is it 3?, I can't remember) black plastic pins are uncovered on the lower edge of each of the apertures you now have. These are released by teasing up the top section of the pin (vertically) away from the lower. A small flat blade screwdriver is fine. Probably best to lift it a little at a time from each side. It's fairly stiff for such a small fastener. Maybe some WD40 would help.

The number plate light loom is short, so help is needed to hold the bumper whilst you work out where to squeeze the connectors to release them. They are just smaller versions of the ones used elsewhere on the car, may be worth familiarising youself on an 'easy' one somewhere else first!

There are no other 'interesting situations' that I can recall. FWIW, The bumper is full of air, no plastic foam is used inside

A large rubber bung abour 2" across is used by Skoda for the feed to the number plate lights, it has an unused, unopened rubber 'finger' which lends itself to cutting and sticking the wires up into the spare wheel well without any cutting of the body. You'll spot it when the bumper's off, or on the rearmost part of the wheel well from the inside of the boot.

This post's already way too long!!, but..., don't forget to have somewhere soft to put your bumper down on (blanket?). Even a lawn will scratch it a little if it gets moved!

Regards, etc.

Edited 7 November, 201213 yr by CombatWombat

Thanks, CombatWombat

Didn't realise the rear light clusters had to come out. Thanks again!

Any comments on what kit to use - Cobra, or something else?

Thanks again

...No real gynaecological skills are necessary to connect to, or identify the loom at this point,...

I suspect you may have been looking in the wrong place for your wire

Three years ago I purchased a Dolphin parking sensor kit from TradingDirect.co.uk, and I fitted it almost exactly as CombatWombat has expertly described. However I did not remove the rear bumper but fitted the four sensors in situ in a line across the bumper at the height of just above the top of the rear number plate. Sensors came already painted. I needed to purchase the extra power supply relay to get the kit to work and I used fuse No. 41 at the end of the dashboard as the ignition switchable 12v supply.

Thank goodness I now know where the end of the car is when parking!

Hi,

My last car (Mazda) came with Cobra reverse sensors retro-fitted, they were totally reliable and very effective.

On the Superb, the 'factory' designated fitting points are actually too low to meet the specification for many (most?) aftermarket fitting kits.

In practical terms, this means that reversing off, say, an angled driveway into the road, or reversing up to a high kerb, may trigger the sensors.

The bumper is angled upwards slightly where the sensors fit, which mitigates this slightly. But if fitted at the 'right' height on the bumper (i.e. aftermarket sensor spec.) the sensors won't look 'factory'.

Skoda may have installed sensors with a specific projection pattern. I can't think how else this works

The reversing lights are sensed for bulb failure, so increasing the load too much (I don't know how much) on that circuit may have some unwanted effects on the bulb failure function. However! The reverse bulbs are available in lower wattages than those fitted, which might offset this. When my ignition is turned on, a few seconds later three quiet chirps come from the sensor buzzer, I would guess that the car is checking the bulb continuity and partially switching on the sensors momentarily as a consequence.

On the last model Superb, the factory sensors were Italian-made, unique-fit, and after a few years were not that reliable. New ones sold for £90+ each, dealer only. Your whole kit will look cheap next to that.

Happy motoring!

Regards, etc.

Edited 7 November, 201213 yr by CombatWombat

Yeah

See that from pictures in the brochure. They are on that sort of lip that is just above the exhaust. That is certainly where I would want to fit them. The Cobra sensors only require a 17mm hole, so I would hope there would be enough of a flat area behind that section of the bumper to support them. Think I'll try to download a Cobra installation manual, and see what it says about height.

Thanks again for your very helpful input.

Regards

ksr