Disabling parking distance sensor for bike rack using some tapes?

[jshac]

Hi,

I read somewhere that parking distance sensors can be disabled by blocking them with some sort of tapes. What kind of tapes should I use? I've tried with some of tapes that I have but they didn't work. I want to disable some sensors when I have a bike rack on my i3's torklift ecohitch.

 

[jadnashuanh]

The sensors work by sending out a signal and listening for the reflection...anything you put on the sensor would mean the reflection returns with no delay, indicating that there's something close. On a BMW with the option of towing, software disables the sensors when you plug something into the jack. I've not looked, but there may be a switch that can be flipped to disable them...tape won't do it. The computer might think that the sensors are defective with some tape over them eventually.

That's one reason why I put in a trailer wiring package into my other car...but it does have a switch that can turn them off, it was annoying as it doesn't remember and you had to do it each time you started the car with something behind. Since the i3 was never designed to be able to tow, that logic may not be in its software. On my i3, I carry my trike in the car, not behind. But, it folds, so it fits.

 

[CharonPDX]

You can tell the car to ignore the parking sensors by pressing the "parking" button once the parking alert goes off. Also, it ignores them above a certain speed (I don't recall off the top of my head.)

 

[viking79]

I too find the parking sensors highly annoying with a bike rack. They are so loud and stay on even while moving forward for far too long (speed they shut off is too fast for my parking lot). I have no parking button that I am aware of.

I would be glad to know if there is an easy way to disable them momentarily.

 

[jshac]

This $1 solution worked very well for me! One was not enough for me though. I had to use two on each sensor, a smaller one on top of a larger one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oKT4n91vv8

 

[jadnashuanh]

Apparently, the logic thinks they are defective. NOtice that it does not show any green, orange, red or anything else at the rear. It does get a signal back from the bike rack when not covered, and realizes things are close, but sounds like zero delay is interpreted as defective, and doesn't activate the alarm. On my GT, you can turn the sensors off, but it does it to both the front and rear. The only way to get just the rear turned off is to have a BMW trailer hitch wiring harness, and actually have something plugged into it. That's automatic each time the car is started, rather than manually having to press a switch, or cover them up. Well, you could do what the video shows, but on my GT, that would be annoying, especially if you didn't run with the rack on all of the time. Suppose if you did, 'permanently' disabling them would be fine.

If you try it on your i3, let us know how it works.