Question about rear parking sensor

pipots · 07-10-2013, 08:30 AM

Hello everyone, my first topic here!
I have a F30 Sport 320d, in Chile the stock cars come only with rear sensor. 24 hours after my first service (10.000km), the rear sensor completely fails. Every time I put on the reverse, the screen will show all 4 sensors in red zone and a sound like an ambulance siren (Not the typical continuous beep when you are close to something). Thought I’ll bring it to the dealer because this must be a failing sensors or something and warranty must apply.

At the dealer, the service guy had never seen the problem and I could feel his suspicious look telling me this must be a crash on the car (hate when guys don´t even check the car and they are making you guilty

). He even show me an 116i crashed from the back, to make the point that bumpers stay in place when the car is crashed form the back so it is difficult to tell if a car is crashed. I was a bit surprised, didn't argue (stupid!

), but to be honest the 116i was completely busted and the bumper was absolutely smashed. Anyway, I left the car at the dealer and that same day in the afternoon the service guy calls me and tells me that the technicians removed the bumper and found out that one of the sensors was misaligned. They had to reprogram the sensors and now everything was working again. He then insists that this must have come from a crash so that I have to pay the labor.

Wrapping thing up, I cannot be 100% sure that nobody crashed me from the back but I've had 3 different cars in my life and whenever you have a significant crash at least some sings are left behind (a little paint from the other car, a scratch, etc). Again, giving the guy the chance that I was crashed, are BMW sensors that sensible to small crashes so as to make the whole sensor system fail? My wife’s Hyundai Santa Fe was crashed from the back by one of her cousins and the sensors still work fine.

So questions are:
- Is the “misaligned sensor” a plausible cause for a complete failure of the sensors system? Shouldn't just the sensor “zone” fail?
- Anyone knows what the guy means by reprogramming the sensors?
- Can sensors be “that” sensible to crashes? I’m not an expert but if all sensors are that sensible, I’m sure that sensors replacement would be one of the main concerns in car maintenance.
- Any thoughts?

07-10-2013, 08:30 AM	#1
pipots Registered 0 Rep 3 Posts Drives: BMW 320D F30 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Santiago iTrader: (0)	Question about rear parking sensor Hello everyone, my first topic here! I have a F30 Sport 320d, in Chile the stock cars come only with rear sensor. 24 hours after my first service (10.000km), the rear sensor completely fails. Every time I put on the reverse, the screen will show all 4 sensors in red zone and a sound like an ambulance siren (Not the typical continuous beep when you are close to something). Thought I’ll bring it to the dealer because this must be a failing sensors or something and warranty must apply. At the dealer, the service guy had never seen the problem and I could feel his suspicious look telling me this must be a crash on the car (hate when guys don´t even check the car and they are making you guilty ). He even show me an 116i crashed from the back, to make the point that bumpers stay in place when the car is crashed form the back so it is difficult to tell if a car is crashed. I was a bit surprised, didn't argue (stupid! ), but to be honest the 116i was completely busted and the bumper was absolutely smashed. Anyway, I left the car at the dealer and that same day in the afternoon the service guy calls me and tells me that the technicians removed the bumper and found out that one of the sensors was misaligned. They had to reprogram the sensors and now everything was working again. He then insists that this must have come from a crash so that I have to pay the labor. Wrapping thing up, I cannot be 100% sure that nobody crashed me from the back but I've had 3 different cars in my life and whenever you have a significant crash at least some sings are left behind (a little paint from the other car, a scratch, etc). Again, giving the guy the chance that I was crashed, are BMW sensors that sensible to small crashes so as to make the whole sensor system fail? My wife’s Hyundai Santa Fe was crashed from the back by one of her cousins and the sensors still work fine. So questions are: - Is the “misaligned sensor” a plausible cause for a complete failure of the sensors system? Shouldn't just the sensor “zone” fail? - Anyone knows what the guy means by reprogramming the sensors? - Can sensors be “that” sensible to crashes? I’m not an expert but if all sensors are that sensible, I’m sure that sensors replacement would be one of the main concerns in car maintenance. - Any thoughts?
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