Parking Sensors Playing Up? Possible Fix and/or Maintenance
 

Hi all,

My car doesn't get used much at all. Logic says I should put her up for sale but I just can't even contemplate that.

Anyway, around Christmas, I started the car and noticed the dreaded long beep and flashing park assist LED when engaging reverse. I scanned the car with VCDS and it reported two front parking sensors misbehaving. One had a total loss of communication and the other had an open circuit.

I went about researching possible fixes and found a video on YouTube by a BMW guy that suggested spraying the sensors with WD40 to get rid of any water ingress.

The video wasn't the best-produced thing I've ever watched but I figured I had nothing to lose, so gave it a shot. Alas, no luck. The fault was still there. I pulled the car into the garage with the intent of removing the front bumper and taking a closer look. Life got in the way and I got horribly delayed starting the job and it was already coming up to bedtime. I went out to the car and started my usual thing of cleaning bits of it while I think about my next course of action. I hit the parking sensors with WD40 again but this time with a non-aerosol sprayer with the nozzle in jet mode. I did the locking buttons on the door handles at the same time.

To my utter astonishment, the next day, the sensors started working properly again. No more flashing LED, no more long beep and the distances at which they warn are accurate.

It may not be a permanent fix but I was surprised that it had any effect at all so I thought I'd share it. Even if it doesn't bring back dead sensors for you, it's probably worth adding to your maintenance routine to prevent water ingress.

Hopefully, this helps someone out.

Excellent work Tony! I have a dodgy door handle that is fine 90% of the time but sometimes when wet it decides to 'open' before I touch the handle. May try this.

Just to add something to this, the WD40 solution has been around for a while and it does work, as I have seen again this week.

Following all this rain I have been getting the long beep from my new to me D2 when engaging reverse for about a week now, I've waited for storm Dennis to pass. Sunday afternoon after the worst was over I gave each sensor a liberal spray and wiped it off.

I didn't use the car yesterday but today hey presto! Working sensors once more. Second time this has worked for me.

I will also mention that it gives excellent relief from bee stings too! Seriously, I have personal experience of this! And I'm not kidding either +++