Parked my sensors important?
- Thread starter peter2704
- Start date
I find that if I just don't park next to someone, it's not a problem.... Just add a few traffic cones to your boot to block off space when you park.
Reasonability is different for everyone. If you are okay with used parts, then you can find everything to retrofit sensors and do the work yourself—or hire someone. If you want all-new OEM BMW parts, yep, it's expensive. Search the board -- you'll find posts on it.
My two cents: For reasonable options, I'd recommend cameras over parking sensors, especially the rear. They are significantly cheaper and easy to connect to an OEM or MMI.
Reasonability is different for everyone. If you are okay with used parts, then you can find everything to retrofit sensors and do the work yourself—or hire someone. If you want all-new OEM BMW parts, yep, it's expensive. Search the board -- you'll find posts on it.
My two cents: For reasonable options, I'd recommend cameras over parking sensors, especially the rear. They are significantly cheaper and easy to connect to an OEM or MMI.
I had PDC on my E89, the E89 has a long nose and I needed it because I had to drive up a narrow driveway and then slightly twist to get it in the garage (without also hitting any junk in the garage)... then repeat the exercise in reverse! If you can get a car with iDrive and PDC, when the pdc button is pressed or the car is put in reverse activates the system and a visual representation is shown on the screen + audio. Yes, you could fit an aftermarket solution, the best person to speak to is 'Anubis Dave', maybe fit a MMI box with a screen, that way you could add pdc and a reverse camera, I did it to a Peugeot RCZ.
It is a personal thing as to whether you feel you want/need them, and personally I'm more than happy to say I'm glad I've fitted them to mine :driving:
So, like most jobs on these cars it's down to your own view on value for money.
There are two ways of doing it, and I've done both
Firstly a disclaimer; You don't need a screen for parking sensors, both of my video's show them connected to screens but you can just have the audio side of it.
So this is the aftermarket version. I connected them to a screen as I used a combined parking sensor unit that had a camera input as well...
https://youtu.be/j-I2KSQxYb8?si=WYF3YeB3TGdAdRsZ
You can get kits that include the front sensors as well.
Later I decided I wanted the OEM PDC system for the rear and front and integrated into my iDrive (again this is perfectly OK working with a standard radio and no screen)...
https://youtu.be/l866Wneykws?si=NF-bYJzBPY3iX3yP
Fitting-wise it's not too dissimilar between them, you've still got to remove bumpers, run wires etc it's a lot cheaper for an aftermarket kit and no coding is required, whereas the OEM PDC will be more expensive to buy the parts, even with used items, and you do require to code the car for this to work.
Hope that helps
So, like most jobs on these cars it's down to your own view on value for money.
There are two ways of doing it, and I've done both
Firstly a disclaimer; You don't need a screen for parking sensors, both of my video's show them connected to screens but you can just have the audio side of it.
So this is the aftermarket version. I connected them to a screen as I used a combined parking sensor unit that had a camera input as well...
https://youtu.be/j-I2KSQxYb8?si=WYF3YeB3TGdAdRsZ
You can get kits that include the front sensors as well.
Later I decided I wanted the OEM PDC system for the rear and front and integrated into my iDrive (again this is perfectly OK working with a standard radio and no screen)...
https://youtu.be/l866Wneykws?si=NF-bYJzBPY3iX3yP
Fitting-wise it's not too dissimilar between them, you've still got to remove bumpers, run wires etc it's a lot cheaper for an aftermarket kit and no coding is required, whereas the OEM PDC will be more expensive to buy the parts, even with used items, and you do require to code the car for this to work.
Hope that helps
Many E89s have parking sensors, so why not wait for a good one that has them?peter2704 said:
IMO aftermarket ones never quite look as good and must be a PITA to retrofit.
I wouldn't want to park an E89 without PDC cos you can't see shite out of the car when in the driving seat. :wink:
I added them to our previous e85 for my wife as she found it difficult to judge the rear of the car as rearward visibility wasn't great.
I made sure when I got our E89 it came with fr and rr sensors. Really helps with getting on to the tight space where the car is kept.
I wouldn't have bought without these days
I made sure when I got our E89 it came with fr and rr sensors. Really helps with getting on to the tight space where the car is kept.
I wouldn't have bought without these days
