Front parking sensors or camera.

[Erisaman]

Hi, collecting my ZS EV tomorrow - and would like to add/fit/install some sort of front mounted 'reversing-type' sensor or cheapie camera, to aid with parking near kerbs or low walls - even our lowly Fiesta has front parking sensors. I assume it'll need a switch to be manually operated when circumstances dictate. Anyone with any thoughts or experience?

 

[Elec Car Aust]

Not something we have tackled yet, lots of other ZS EV projects going on though - charge port light, V2L, interior lights etc, but agree it's a pain it doesn't have front parking sensors. Having said that it is a reasonably small vehicle so we initially missed them but have learnt to live without and touch wood haven't had an 'incident'

 

[Gomev]

How on earth did we manage before parking sensors and cameras were a thing on cars.

Just imagine having to look over your shoulder and judge where that wall is at the back of the car, not to mention judging where the front of the car is just with the eye alone.

Next thing we'll need width warning to let us know whether that gap ahead is wide enough for us to get through. !

 

[macd2401]

How on earth did we manage before parking sensors and cameras were a thing on cars.

Just imaging having to look over your shoulder and judge where that wall is at the back of the car, not to mention judging where the front of the car is just with the eye alone.

Next thing we'll need width warning to let us know whether that gap ahead is wide enough for us to get through. !

Is that not what the mirrors are for? Sacrificial tight clearance indicators. Pretty sure that's what they are on most cars out there now, because no bugger uses them for checking what's beside them

 

[bloggsy]

Hi, collecting my ZS EV tomorrow - and would like to add/fit/install some sort of front mounted 'reversing-type' sensor or cheapie camera, to aid with parking near kerbs or low walls - even our lowly Fiesta has front parking sensors. I assume it'll need a switch to be manually operated when circumstances dictate. Anyone with any thoughts or experience?

Hi Erisaman - I fitted aftermarket rear parking sensors on my wife's last car and it's fairly straightforward! I fitted these onto the rear bumper so took power from the reversing light however, if you're intending on putting these onto the front, I would surmise the easiest option would be to fit a switch so it only activates when you want to park your car.

The process would be the same for installing onto the front bumper as if you were fitting onto the rear bumper (stick a line of masking tape along the length of the bumper and that will allow you to mark the positions of where you're going to fit your sensors, with a pencil and then check to see if you have to remove the front bumper to drill the holes and once drilled and sensors fitted, route the wiring into the engine bay/battery and a switch in the cockpit).

In some ways it'll be easier than fitting to the rear of the car as you can get power from your 12V battery but you just have to feed a relay switch to activate/disable the system and get your switch installed somewhere in your dash!

Anyway, hope this helps and I'm happy to show you some photo's of what I did in the other car if it helps at all - just PM me if required.

Cheers

Bloggsy

 

[Elec Car Aust]

How on earth did we manage before parking sensors and cameras were a thing on cars.

Just imagine having to look over your shoulder and judge where that wall is at the back of the car, not to mention judging where the front of the car is just with the eye alone.

Next thing we'll need width warning to let us know whether that gap ahead is wide enough for us to get through. !

Well someone keeps telling us full self driving is coming

 

[Gomev]

Well someone keeps telling us full self driving is coming

Working for me already, I like train travel, even a bus or taxi every now and then.

 

[Erisaman]

Anyway, hope this helps and I'm happy to show you some photo's of what I did in the other car if it helps at all - just PM me if required.

Cheers

Bloggsy

Thanks for that - BTW, I can't even find the 'thumbs-up' to give you that, but I do appreciate your offer.

I once fitted sensors to a Citroen Picasso, whilst sitting on a warm concrete parking lot in sunny Spain. I did a write-up for the Picasso forum - and the manufacturer's sent me another set by way of thanks. On my next visit to the Sol, I installed them on the front.

It's the complexity of modern electrics on the EV that made me ask on this forum - but I may well do as you suggest and make a circuit from the 12v battery.

 

[Erisaman]

Next thing we'll need width warning to let us know whether that gap ahead is wide enough for us to get through. !

That was easily sorted many years ago - vertical, white-painted 'sticks' attached to the outer edge of front wings - often with a little wooden ball atop the sticks to avoid stabbing pedestrians.

 

[bloggsy]

Thanks for that - BTW, I can't even find the 'thumbs-up' to give you that, but I do appreciate your offer.

I once fitted sensors to a Citroen Picasso, whilst sitting on a warm concrete parking lot in sunny Spain. I did a write-up for the Picasso forum - and the manufacturer's sent me another set by way of thanks. On my next visit to the Sol, I installed them on the front.

It's the complexity of modern electrics on the EV that made me ask on this forum - but I may well do as you suggest and make a circuit from the 12v battery.

No probs! I'm glad it was a 'thumbs-up' you were thinking about and not another digit from your hand! I must admit I was also concerned about doing any work on the wife's ZS EV because it was an EV but my friend, who owns a garage, just said to treat the car's electrics as 2 separate systems - the main battery for the drive train and your normal 12V for the 'other' stuff.

I've tapped into the main board and hardwired a dashcam and it was exactly the same as my last car!

Good luck and please take photo's as I'd be interested in doing this to the wife's car.

Cheers

Bloggsy

 

[Azzasdman]

Is that not what the mirrors are for? Sacrificial tight clearance indicators. Pretty sure that's what they are on most cars out there now, because no bugger uses them for checking what's beside them

I always use my rear view mirrors probably just old school

 

[Azzasdman]

Hi Erisaman - I fitted aftermarket rear parking sensors on my wife's last car and it's fairly straightforward! I fitted these onto the rear bumper so took power from the reversing light however, if you're intending on putting these onto the front, I would surmise the easiest option would be to fit a switch so it only activates when you want to park your car.

The process would be the same for installing onto the front bumper as if you were fitting onto the rear bumper (stick a line of masking tape along the length of the bumper and that will allow you to mark the positions of where you're going to fit your sensors, with a pencil and then check to see if you have to remove the front bumper to drill the holes and once drilled and sensors fitted, route the wiring into the engine bay/battery and a switch in the cockpit).

In some ways it'll be easier than fitting to the rear of the car as you can get power from your 12V battery but you just have to feed a relay switch to activate/disable the system and get your switch installed somewhere in your dash!

Anyway, hope this helps and I'm happy to show you some photo's of what I did in the other car if it helps at all - just PM me if required.

Cheers

Bloggsy

Don’t they have 360 camera on the exclusive on my phev I just press the camera and can see what’s in front when pulling into a parking space

 

[Azzasdman]

Is that not what the mirrors are for? Sacrificial tight clearance indicators. Pretty sure that's what they are on most cars out there now, because no bugger uses them for checking what's beside them

I do but perhaps ime old school

 

[ARvanHAS]

Don’t they have 360 camera on the exclusive on my phev I just press the camera and can see what’s in front when pulling into a parking space

No it doesn't

 

[Azzasdman]

No it doesn't

Oh right that’s no good then

 

[ARvanHAS]

Oh right that’s no good then

Well, it also kind of does! That is, if you own or drive one with an open roof.....

 

[Azzasdman]

Yes I have the glass sunroof 360 Camera that’s why I commented

 

[ARvanHAS]

I meant opening the sunroof, stand up and look around

 

[Maylandmale]

Hi Erisaman - I fitted aftermarket rear parking sensors on my wife's last car and it's fairly straightforward! I fitted these onto the rear bumper so took power from the reversing light however, if you're intending on putting these onto the front, I would surmise the easiest option would be to fit a switch so it only activates when you want to park your car.

The process would be the same for installing onto the front bumper as if you were fitting onto the rear bumper (stick a line of masking tape along the length of the bumper and that will allow you to mark the positions of where you're going to fit your sensors, with a pencil and then check to see if you have to remove the front bumper to drill the holes and once drilled and sensors fitted, route the wiring into the engine bay/battery and a switch in the cockpit).

In some ways it'll be easier than fitting to the rear of the car as you can get power from your 12V battery but you just have to feed a relay switch to activate/disable the system and get your switch installed somewhere in your dash!

Anyway, hope this helps and I'm happy to show you some photo's of what I did in the other car if it helps at all - just PM me if required.

Cheers

Bloggsy

You can buy a remote unit which turns power on and off with the press of a button I fitted front parking sensors and a front camera to my last vehicle, Toyota Estima, and turned them on & off with a remote which I fixed to the dash with a piece of double sided sticky tape. They are in Ebay.

 

[Azzasdman]

I meant opening the sunroof, stand up and look around

lol nice one