Fitting parking sensors

dmki

Hello everyone!

I've got parking sensors from Amazon, quite typical ones. However, later I found, that local (Dublin, that is) shops only install parking sensors if these were bought from the same shop. Since I already have acquired a better alternative to their offer, I need to find a specialist who could fit them into my car.

I gave up on Google, as it mainly offers websites like parkingsensors.ie, and they are sell cheap models of quite antique sensors and only able to install them, not anything else. About 10 other websites belong to same guys.

So, how did you solve that problem for yourselves? Is there any shop where I could fit "3rd party" sensors in Dublin?

Noccy_Mondy

I'm sure any competent mechanic who knows how to install the sensors will put them in. Shouldn't be a problem getting someone to put them in.

Duncan31

Ya, I wouldnt be looking for someone who sells sensors at all. Any garage should be able to do it for you.

Gumbo

Carcraft in Fairview should fit them. He did for my cousin on her Corolla.

dmki

kceire wrote: »

Carcraft in Fairview should fit them. He did for my cousin on her Corolla.

"Sorry but we do not install third party parking sensors and cameras."
- that's the answer from Carcraft, 10 days ago.

Regarding the garages - all I contacted so far said they have no specialists for that and I should take a look elsewhere. This includes the official dealership.

So, until you are actually trying to look around, it looks obvious. And in other countries it certainly is. Not sure what it is, but there must be a reason why garages refuse to do this relatively simple job in Ireland - legislation, insurance, something else.

Gumbo

dmki wrote: »

"Sorry but we do not install third party parking sensors and cameras."
- that's the answer from Carcraft, 10 days ago.

Regarding the garages - all I contacted so far said they have no specialists for that and I should take a look elsewhere. This includes the official dealership.

So, until you are actually trying to look around, it looks obvious. And in other countries it certainly is. Not sure what it is, but there must be a reason why garages refuse to do this relatively simple job in Ireland - legislation, insurance, something else.

Nothing to do with insurance or legislation. It's company rep protection. You turn up with a cheap set of sensors and they fit them. Then you get constant problems, they cannot stand over them as they only fit them.

Best bet is to get a small garage or one man mechanic to do it.

ei9go

There is not very much to installing these sensors.

All you generally need is to connect the black wire to the body of the car, under a screw or bolt is usually fine and then find the wire that gives the positive to the reversing lights and connect there with one of the scotch clamp connectors.

Check behind the bumper before you drill in case there is a metal sheet behind.

Any competent diy person should have no difficulty with this.

Gosub

ei9go wrote: »

There is not very much to installing these sensors.

All you generally need is to connect the black wire to the body of the car, under a screw or bolt is usually fine and then find the wire that gives the positive to the reversing lights and connect there with one of the scotch clamp connectors.

Check behind the bumper before you drill in case there is a metal sheet behind.

Any competent diy person should have no difficulty with this.

Yep, an easy fit. I've done a few of my own. The hardest and most crucial thing is to get the measurements right. The sensors can look crap if not fitted correctly. Also important that they shouldn't point downward at all.

Also get a can of spray paint to match your car and give them a quick spray before you fit the sensors, or get them fitted.

dmki

kceire wrote: »

You turn up with a cheap set of sensors and they fit them. Then you get constant problems, they cannot stand over them as they only fit them.

In fact, what they all are selling is the cheap and outdated stuff. I've got a bit more premium device from UK, which has the same sensors, but different board and more advanced display unit.

Obviously, I wouldn't blame the garage for unit malfunction, especially taking into account warranty on unit and reputation of both manufacturer and seller.
And I believe that when the garage is saying, citing Carcraft: "if you are buying sensors somewhere else, you should be able to fit them yourself" a sure way to damage reputation, it's the same as if IT guy would say - "if you've got a hard drive, you should be able to fit it yourself". It's a ridiculous display of incompetence. "Can't do that, although it's easy" is the worst message to send to potential customers.

Anyway, I know it's not a hard job for a mechanic, but I definitely don't want to drill into the bumper myself - my question was whether anyone knows a particular garage that could do that. So far, the best advice I've got is "find a mechanic".

ProudDUB

It's not about sending messages. It's just not worth their while to install car parts that customers bring in. Garages make money by adding a mark up on the parts that they get from their suppliers. If they can't charge you for the part, there goes their profit margin. It's like you bringing in your own food to a restaurant and asking the chef to cook it for you and charge you a reduced rate for the meal. It's just not worth the bother, from a financial point of view.

Then there is the grey area of what happens if the sensors malfunction. If they supply the sensors, they can just reorder another set from the supplier, as they will come with some sort of warranty. If they install yours, they can't do that and they are left with a pissed off customer who doesn't know who to blame for the fact that his sensors don't work. So it's just not worth the hassle over all.

uck51js9zml2yt

dmki wrote: »

Hello everyone!

I've got parking sensors from Amazon, quite typical ones. However, later I found, that local (Dublin, that is) shops only install parking sensors if these were bought from the same shop. Since I already have acquired a better alternative to their offer, I need to find a specialist who could fit them into my car.

I gave up on Google, as it mainly offers websites like parkingsensors.ie, and they are sell cheap models of quite antique sensors and only able to install them, not anything else. About 10 other websites belong to same guys.

So, how did you solve that problem for yourselves? Is there any shop where I could fit "3rd party" sensors in Dublin?

Can you link to the ones you bought or give us the name

Gumbo

ei9go wrote: »

There is not very much to installing these sensors.

All you generally need is to connect the black wire to the body of the car, under a screw or bolt is usually fine and then find the wire that gives the positive to the reversing lights and connect there with one of the scotch clamp connectors.

Check behind the bumper before you drill in case there is a metal sheet behind.

Any competent diy person should have no difficulty with this.

Gosub wrote: »

Yep, an easy fit. I've done a few of my own. The hardest and most crucial thing is to get the measurements right. The sensors can look crap if not fitted correctly. Also important that they shouldn't point downward at all.

Also get a can of spray paint to match your car and give them a quick spray before you fit the sensors, or get them fitted.

Some cars have the OEM locations printed on the back of the bumper E90 3 Series for example. Makes life a lot easier

larchill

Gosub wrote: »

Also get a can of spray paint to match your car and give them a quick spray before you fit the sensors, or get them fitted.

Read somewhere that painting over sensors will degrade functioning. One should get sensors that @ least closely match your cars colour.

Gosub

larchill wrote: »

Read somewhere that painting over sensors will degrade functioning. One should get sensors that @ least closely match your cars colour.

I'd love to know where you read that, because it's completely untrue.