We've already ordered, so it's too late to change our minds, but I'm having a worry.....! We included front sensors. Our outgoing Mondeo has rear sensors which are great and we figured with a 3" longer car we'd want to make sure the nose was all the way forward when parking forwards... Sat in a jam this morning got me wondering - when do front sensors activate? Will they beep constantly if sat in a jam?! Or do you manually switch them on when you want to use them? 

 

Reversing sensors work when you go into reverse - logical. Have never given any thought to when front sensors actually kick in!

Front sensors only activate when you select reverse, or press the button on the centre console. This button also activates the rear sensors.

I use this function a lot when in stationery traffic so that the beeps are recorded on my front and rear dashcams, as it is surprising how close some people 'creep' up on you, or try to 'bully' you to move forward.

Mine beep and activate if you get REALLY close to the car in front. 

 

There is a button to manually activate them next to the gear shifter but mine also come on automatically if in nose to tail traffic. 

 

I don't mind that to be honest. It's good that they wake up if they detect something close by, especially when manoeuvring in or out of a tight space, it means you don't have to mess about with the button. 

 

I believe there is a setting to disable the auto activation in the infotainment menu. 

 

Sensor behaviour varies a little, depending on which variant you have. 1) Front only 2) Front and rear sensors 3) front and rear sensors with Park Assist. The last one gives you a full 360 sensor view of the car. 

I'd never have thought of recording them in jams! Could have done with that this morning when stuck in traffic. Looking in my rear-view mirror, the driver behind me was looking down and clearly playing with their phone and kept creeping forward without looking.  :peek:

 

OK, so for general parking situations you just switch them. For example, yesterday I just drove into a car park and straight into a space forwards (didn't touch reverse), and in front of me was a brick wall. After slowing down and starting to drive into the space, I'd press the button to turn the front sensors on. 

 

I am slightly confused as to why they come on when you go into reverse. I can't work out how anyone would hit the front of their car when reversing! Unless they they stay on when you start moving forwards (so if you're going backwards and forwards, eg reverse parallel parking, they stay on after you come out of reverse and go forwards again).

Mine beep and activate if you get REALLY close to the car in front. 

 

There is a button to manually activate them next to the gear shifter but mine also come on automatically if in nose to tail traffic. 

 

I don't mind that to be honest. It's good that they wake up if they detect something close by, especially when manoeuvring in or out of a tight space, it means you don't have to mess about with the button. 

 

I believe there is a setting to disable the auto activation in the infotainment menu. 

 

Sensor behaviour varies a little, depending on which variant you have. 1) Front only 2) Front and rear sensors 3) front and rear sensors with Park Assist. The last one gives you a full 360 sensor view of the car. 

 

Ahh ok. I think whether we mind them going off in nose-to-tail traffic will depend on how close you have to get to the car in front before they go off. If they beep constantly throughout an M6 traffic jam it'll drive us mad. (No, we don't get too close to the car in front!) If they're not over-sensitive then we'd leave them on all the time. I'm just happy that there are options to turn them off if need be.  

 

We're getting front and rear sensors only (no park assist).  

Edited 10 October, 20169 yr by pinkteapot

Ahh ok. I think whether we mind them going off in nose-to-tail traffic will depend on how close you have to get to the car in front before they go off. If they beep constantly throughout an M6 traffic jam it'll drive us mad. (No, we don't get too close to the car in front!) If they're not over-sensitive then we'd leave them on all the time. I'm just happy that there are options to turn them off if need be.

 

We're getting front and rear sensors only (no park assist).  

 

That's variant 2 I believe. 

 

The auto activation of the front sensors is below 10 km/h.

 

I spend a lot of time driving around London. This obviously means lots of heavy traffic. You quickly learn how close you can get to the car in front without setting off the front sensors. I think the threshold for the front sensors is 50cm. 

 

In motorway traffic where there's much more space around everyone, they never go off. 

Perfect then! We don't do much town driving in our big car - it's only generally motorway jams where we're stuck in traffic so sounds like they'll be fine. I'm sure the rear sensors on both our current cars go off much further out than 50cm. 

The front sensors will activate the "park pilot" proximity display from 120 cm (just under 4') but the audio warning only starts when below 50 cm (20").

Just to clarify, as already mentioned above you need to be doing under 6 mph - walking pace.

Edited 10 October, 20169 yr by BillyJim

I've got the same setup in my Estate and haven't had them go off at all it stop/start traffic.

 

They do go bananas when very close to objects when parking so I think it's a combination of very close proximity (probably 40-50 cm as others have said) and very low speed.

 

I find them very useful when parking.

I am slightly confused as to why they come on when you go into reverse. I can't work out how anyone would hit the front of their car when reversing! Unless they they stay on when you start moving forwards (so if you're going backwards and forwards, eg reverse parallel parking, they stay on after you come out of reverse and go forwards again).

The front parking sensors cover either side of the front wings in addition to directly in-front. This means they will trigger if you start to swing the front into something while turning and reversing (also useful for dozy pedestrians who don't notice your manoeuvring!).

You can also disable the auto sensors in the infotainment... however theres no point doing so..