Anyone Have A Funky Backup Sensor?

[Matt_]

gm should make theirs like the ford's. there are no lame lights (that you cant see)

 

 

Where are your lights? I can see mine just fine....

 

And FYI, you wouldn't think those lights are "lame" if you were deaf ... just sayin

[Gregorio]

My system shuts off if I have the trailer connected or if I put the rubber cover over the hitch. Other than that, it works OK. However, the lights are not in view in the mirror. They are in the right C pillar which is about 12" too far out of view.

[Matt_]

You guys don't turn around when you're backing up???

 

I use my side mirrors to help get lined up... but when im backing up to something im turned around looking out the back window. I'd assume that's why GM put the lights in the right pillar... figure that's the standard method of driving in reverse

 

 

Oh, and if im towing a trailer I just push the button to turn off the backup system.

[weagle99]

Thr problem with the sensors and a hitch is that you heve to manually clear the DIC everytime you drive the truck if a hitch is installed.

 

All you have to do is remove the center backup sensors and paint them with black spray paint. Reinstall the sensors and you can ride around with a hitch forever with no error messages (plus the outside sensors will still work).

[MS3DALE]

Object Detection Description and Operation (UD7)

The ultrasonic rear parking assist system is designed to identify and notify the driver of an object in the vehicle's path when reversing at speeds of less than 8 km/h (5 mph). The distance and location of the object is determined by 4 object sensors located in the rear bumper. The parking assist system will notify the driver using the information center telltale assembly and an audible signal through the radio.

 

The rear parking assist system is made up of the following components:

 

• Object alarm module

 

• Object alarm sensors

 

• Information center telltale assembly

 

• Parking assist disable switch

 

Object Alarm Module:

The object alarm module provides an 8-volt reference and a low reference to the four object alarm sensors. The object alarm module receives individual signals from each of the four sensors and determines the location and distance of an object based on these inputs. When an object is detected, the object alarm module will illuminate the appropriate LED on the information center telltale assembly and send a serial data message to the radio requesting an audible alert.

 

Object Alarm Sensor:

The object alarm sensors are located in the rear bumper of the vehicle. The sensors are used to determine the distance between an object and the rear bumper. Each sensor emits an ultrasonic frequency which is reflected off object located behind the vehicle. These reflections are received by the sensors. The time difference between when the frequency was emitted and when the reflection is received, known as sensor ring time, is used to determine the distance to the object. The sensors report this information to the object alarm module.

 

Information Center Telltale Assembly:

The information center telltale assembly is located in the interior rear of the vehicle and is visible through the inside rearview mirror. The indicator contains three LEDs: two amber and one red. The object alarm module controls these three LEDs as a visual indicator of how close the vehicle bumper is to an object. The object alarm module supplies voltage to each of the LEDs and commands each LED on by supplying an individual ground.

 

Parking Assist Disable Switch:

The parking assist disable switch is used as a means to manually disable the system, if desired. Pressing the switch will ground the park assist disable switch signal circuit, indicating to the object alarm module that a system disable is requested. The object alarm module will respond by grounding the indicator control circuit, illuminating the indicator on the switch.

 

Rear Parking Assist Operation:

When the vehicle is first placed into reverse, the rear parking assist system performs a bulb check. During the bulb check, the all three LED located in the information center telltale assembly will illuminate for approximately 2 seconds to indicate that the system is working.

 

When backing up at speed of less than 8 km/h (5 mph), the system is constantly monitoring for object of interest located behind the vehicle. The rear parking assist system can detect objects greater than 7.6 cm (3 in) wide and 25.4 cm (10 in) tall. The system cannot detect objects below the bumper, underneath the vehicle. If an object is detected, one of the following will occur:

 

• If the object is 1-2.5 m (40-96 in) away from the vehicle, the amber outside indicator will illuminate and a single chime will sound when the object is first detected.

 

• If the object is 0.6-1.0 m (23-40 in) away from the vehicle, the amber outside and the amber middle indicators will illuminate.

 

• If the object is 0.3-0.6 m (11-23 in) away from the vehicle, the amber outside, amber middle, and red outside indicators will illuminate and the chime sounds continuously.

 

• If the object is less than 0.3 m (12 in) away from the vehicle, the amber outside, amber middle, and red outside indicators will flash and the chime sounds continuously.

 

If the rear parking assist system detects a malfunction, a DTC will be stored and the object alarm module will send a serial data message to the instrument panel cluster (IPC) to display the SERVICE PARK ASSIST message on the driver information center (DIC). A chime will sound and the red LED on the information center telltale will be illuminated as a notification to the driver that a malfunction exists and the system is disabled.

 

Rear Parking Assist System DIC Messages

SERVICE PARK ASSIST

The driver information center (DIC) displays SERVICE PARK ASSIST when the object alarm module detects a malfunction in the rear parking assist system and the system is disabled. The DIC also displays SERVICE PARK ASSIST when a loss of communication occurs with the object alarm module.

 

PARK ASSIST OFF

The PARK ASSIST OFF message is displayed in the DIC when the object alarm system is disabled due to conditions that disable or inhibit the system. The red LED in the information center telltale assembly will be illuminated, as will the disable indicator on the park assist disable switch. The object alarm module requests the DIC display PARK ASSIST OFF when it detects one of the following conditions:

 

• The rear parking assist system is manually disabled using the parking assist disable switch.

 

• The park brake is applied or not fully released.

 

• An object is attached to the rear of the vehicle, such as a trailer, bicycle rack, trailer hitch receiver, or tow bar. Also, an object extending beyond a lowered tailgate will disable the system.

 

• The object alarm sensors are covered by snow, mud, dirt, slush, or ice.

 

• The vehicle bumper is damaged.

 

• Excessive paint thickness on a replacement parking assist sensor.

 

• The object alarm sensors are disrupted by vibrations, like those caused by a large nearby vehicle or from heavy equipment such as a jackhammer.

[drbob11]

my lights are on the right pillar same as yours. i dont know if your the one that stated you turn around and looks out the back window while backing... i dont turn around to look out the window... i depend on my mirrors. if i am driving a car then i turn around. i usually have stuff in the bed that blocks my view. as for the being deaf... gm's system might have been designed for the deaf. the gm backup system only beeps once when i sees something then it stops until u r 12in from object. ford on the other hand does not use lights, but a better system where it beeps when it sees something and continues to beep faster and faster the closer you get to that object and it does not beep when you have a hitch regardless of the type. my excursion has the sensors and i like them wayyy better than gm's. i believe it is based on where gm installs the sensors. there are 4 sensors, one on the outter ends and 2 below the center step pointing right at the hitch. theres the problem.. gm put them right where the hitch sits so it stands to reason that is why it beeps when you have a hitch in there. personally i dont really care for the backup system. i am just annoyed that i paid so much money for a vehicle with a system that is a pain to deal with.. i guess what it boils down to is i am just too darn lazy to reach over and push a button to turn it off.

 

gm should make theirs like the ford's. there are no lame lights (that you cant see)

 

 

Where are your lights? I can see mine just fine....

 

And FYI, you wouldn't think those lights are "lame" if you were deaf ... just sayin

 

[drbob11]

i put tape over the sensors that are right in front of the hitch and it didnt like that either. it is a crappy design by gm. they put 2 sensors below the center step pointing right at the hitch. my ford has the sensors straight across the bumper. a better idea in my opinion.

 

Thr problem with the sensors and a hitch is that you heve to manually clear the DIC everytime you drive the truck if a hitch is installed.

 

All you have to do is remove the center backup sensors and paint them with black spray paint. Reinstall the sensors and you can ride around with a hitch forever with no error messages (plus the outside sensors will still work).

[drbob11]

i am not sure if each truck system is the same. when i have a trailer hooked up and backup my system disables itself because it knows there is a trailer. i read here not true with other guys. hope that helps.

 

Just curious because I dont have the back up sensors. I always thought this would be a problem so I opt not to get them. Here it is, if you have a trailer on the back, Does the sensor constantly beep when you back up? That is the only reason why I dont get them.

[drbob11]

i had an avalanche LTZ w/ the camera... it was nice... but i didnt like having to look down at my radio to see. i like fords where it is in the mirror where you are looking anyway. i think the new gm 2010 models have them in the mirror??

 

 

I always thought that those backup sensors were a useless contraption. I think a good aftermarket rear view camera is the way to go.

[drbob11]

gm does have a rear view mirror w/ the camera package. i thot about installing one.. they werent that expensive, i think 200-300 bucks??

 

I always thought that those backup sensors were a useless contraption. I think a good aftermarket rear view camera is the way to go.

 

 

I agree that I would rather have had a rearview camera instead of the backup sensors. I have the backup sensors, and with my 2 inch drop hitch installed, my backup system is disabled. the problem with that is that you have to push the DIC button every time you go from Park or Reverse into Drive to clear the message from the DIC. It seems like a small step to have to take, but after 9 months of ownership with the hitch in 75% of the time, it has become annoying.

 

I read another thread here once where a guy had tried painting over them to reduce sensitivity, with some success. (Or maybe he tried covering them with tape.) I guess it's time to do a search for for that thread...

 

[drbob11]

nope... i dont. most of the time i cant see out my back window for all the stuff in the bed so i am mirror dependent. i wouldnt mind a backup camera tho...

 

You guys don't turn around when you're backing up???

 

I use my side mirrors to help get lined up... but when im backing up to something im turned around looking out the back window. I'd assume that's why GM put the lights in the right pillar... figure that's the standard method of driving in reverse

 

 

Oh, and if im towing a trailer I just push the button to turn off the backup system.

[nickvrebel]

I'm glad I don't have that option. I leave my drop hitch installed all of the time, on my last truck it saved my back bumper twice.

[Stex]

My 09 seems to work just fine. My hitch (Stainless, 2" ball) does not set off the senors. Tailgate down and it beeps but stops after a few seconds and same with trailer hooked to truck. Can see lights in mirror but I look back...3 lights are nice as you can get as close as you want, and leave room to open tailgate or get it up tight etc...

 

Need to look back and use side mirrors too, as it will miss things set at an angle...but then I am use to backing an old Sub with coffin doors and the small high windows ???

 

My friends 08 Ford senors will not shut off with trailer attached....could not find the cut off switch..pain..

 

Back up cam nice for hitching a trailor but small pic in mirror is hard to see and nav pic is low...??

[weagle99]

i put tape over the sensors that are right in front of the hitch and it didnt like that either. it is a crappy design by gm. they put 2 sensors below the center step pointing right at the hitch. my ford has the sensors straight across the bumper. a better idea in my opinion.

 

Thr problem with the sensors and a hitch is that you heve to manually clear the DIC everytime you drive the truck if a hitch is installed.

 

All you have to do is remove the center backup sensors and paint them with black spray paint. Reinstall the sensors and you can ride around with a hitch forever with no error messages (plus the outside sensors will still work).

 

 

Painting the sensors worked like a charm on my truck. I can now ride around with the hitch in and ZERO problems from the park assist.

[Gregorio]

i put tape over the sensors that are right in front of the hitch and it didnt like that either. it is a crappy design by gm. they put 2 sensors below the center step pointing right at the hitch. my ford has the sensors straight across the bumper. a better idea in my opinion.

 

Thr problem with the sensors and a hitch is that you heve to manually clear the DIC everytime you drive the truck if a hitch is installed.

 

All you have to do is remove the center backup sensors and paint them with black spray paint. Reinstall the sensors and you can ride around with a hitch forever with no error messages (plus the outside sensors will still work).

 

 

Painting the sensors worked like a charm on my truck. I can now ride around with the hitch in and ZERO problems from the park assist.

 

 

But now you have a blind spot right in the middle.