Anyone Have A Funky Backup Sensor?

[Sir Dan]

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.

 

I work with a guy that has a Lincoln Mark LT (Ford F-150 in sunday dress) with the rear park assist. He has alot of the same complaints that we do as far as having a hitch in the receiver and false alarms and such.

He has driven my truck a few times and likes the way it responds much better. So where does that leave us? I guess the old saying holds true here as always... "to each his own" I disagree that the image in the rear view mirror is better for one reason...Simply because it's so much smaller. If you're looking forward anyway, you might as well be looking at a bigger image in the Nav screen. Looking to the rear, I like seeing the 3 lights and hearing the beeping prompts. My dads Caddy has it on the front too and it works great for parking!

[drbob11]

my excursion is a 2005 model and the f-150 is a diff bumper. the center sensors on my excursion dont give me any problems regardless of the hitch i use. i use a huge hitch on my excursion since i tow the big stuff my gmc cant and not a pee. like you said to each his own. i know what your saying about the camera. my avalanche had the nav system w/ the camera.. like you said it was nice to have the bigger screen but i would rather have it in the mirror so as i am lining up with the trailer i can see how close w/o taking my eyes off the mirror. like i said b4 i dont turn around to backup.. i am mirror dependent... i seem to hit the hitch everytime w/ mirrors... not so good with looking over shoulders. maybe this might give a little insight to things... i drive a big rig daily and you cant turn and look over your shoulder.. nothing to see except a sleeper. i do have a camera on my mirror in my rig.. hence thats why i like them. i guess a habit that bled over to my reg driving.

 

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.

 

I work with a guy that has a Lincoln Mark LT (Ford F-150 in sunday dress) with the rear park assist. He has alot of the same complaints that we do as far as having a hitch in the receiver and false alarms and such.

He has driven my truck a few times and likes the way it responds much better. So where does that leave us? I guess the old saying holds true here as always... "to each his own" I disagree that the image in the rear view mirror is better for one reason...Simply because it's so much smaller. If you're looking forward anyway, you might as well be looking at a bigger image in the Nav screen. Looking to the rear, I like seeing the 3 lights and hearing the beeping prompts. My dads Caddy has it on the front too and it works great for parking!

 

 

 

[edluke]

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).

 

Weagle, if you paint over them, won't they think something is back there?

[stealthgray]

I logged in today cause I was having this issue and it WAS my hitch. I did i unplug and plug dielectric grease and all. So after dealing with this issue for a month it turns out to be my hitch.

[TheTrueMoron]

Mine doesn't detect my trailer hitch, so it's never given me any issues from that. Maybe they fixed the issue for the 2011 model year?

 

And where are these lights? Lower, upper, or middle of the rear right pillar? Somewhere else? I have never seen them, and I never knew the park assist came with them.

[slapshot]

My '10 detects my hitch. Luckily, I have to take the hitch off to squeeze the truck in the garage, so I only put it on when I'm towing the boat.

[MikeNH]

Mine doesn't detect my trailer hitch, so it's never given me any issues from that. Maybe they fixed the issue for the 2011 model year?

 

And where are these lights? Lower, upper, or middle of the rear right pillar? Somewhere else? I have never seen them, and I never knew the park assist came with them.

 

The lights went away in 2010 I think. My 2011 doesn't have them either.

[Black Creek]

I have a 2007 Sierra 4x4 crew, with the Park Assist and am getting the Service Park Assist message. I checked the wiring connectors and wires and everything looks good. The other day it chirped when I put it in reverse (sounded like it wanted to work again) but no go.

Does anyone know how I can test the system at home before shelling out the bucks to my dealer to diagnose the problem?

 

thanks for any input.

[MikeNH]

Is the back bumper clean? Snow and even heavy rain will disable it.

[Cowpie]

The hitch and a few other reasons caused me to disable the back up sensors on my 2013 within a month of buying it new. They just sit there in the bumper looking stupid now. Things always seem neat on a dealer lot, but the real world has ways of making them not seem so neat.