Parking sensors not working!

[mikeyboy]

Hi peeps! Bought an audi A3 2.0 TDI (140) about 4 months ago, the car is great really pleased with it. The only thing that is bugging me is when i bought it the parking sensors worked fine. But after about 6 or 8 weeks they stopped working instead of getting a short small beep when i put it in reverse i get a long high pitched beep. I was told by a mate that i might of damaged them whilst power washing the car. I've tryed blowing round the sensors with an airline to see if it would dry them out but no joy. Then a few weeks ago when i put it in reverse i got that magical small short beep. I was delighted but soon as i took the handbrake off and started reversing that big long high pitched beep came on to tell me there no working. Anyone got any ideas what the problem might be? Cheers.

 

[Ash187]

take the rear bumper off and just check the sensors, if they are oem sensors they just clip out and you can see where the error is. also if they are oem sensors have a scan with vcds to see if there are any errors logged.

 

[Simon66]

If you have got very flexible arms you dont need
to take the bumper off even. Or you can put it in
reverse and touch each sensor, the one that is not
making a clicking sound is broken.

 

[1750bulldog]

top tip,mate

 

[Spud_]

may just be something simple on of my mates just had a bit of dried on mud stuck on one of his which made him think it was broke due to constant tone instead of beeping

 

[leach76]

Or just rub your finger across them lightly and you can feel them pulsing,if there is one not pulsing you know where the problem is,if all of them are but there is still a beep the unit is probably faulty

 

[gordongecko]

This happened to mine as well mate (aftermarket unit). One of the sensors needed replacing in the end, the constant beep is there to tell you there is an error. As per the above they say if you stick it in reverse and put your ear close to each sensor you should hear a clicking noise. If you can't that's the faulty one.

 

[mikeyboy]

Cheers for the replys peeps. Will try and listen to what sensor is not clicking when the wind calms down, i live in inverness have had gail force winds here for near a fortnight now so probably wouldn't be able to hear anything.

 

[Lima]

Time for a bump.

My OEM reverse sensors have stopped working completely. There is no beep of any kind when I put the car in reverse gear and also no alert sounds when reversing and getting close to another object.

Any tips, or is this a take it to the workshop problem?

 

[Ash187]

Have u checked the fuse?

 

[A19quattro]

I have a separate post on here for the same issue, so good to see teh advice on here. I priced a sensor for mine from TPS with discount and it was £75, anyone any suggestions if they can be replaced cheaper than this or am I just being mean?

 

[Simon66]

Got mind from a motor spares dealer on ebay,£25 in the right colour as well.It was brand new still in audi packaging

 

[A19quattro]

That sounds better, can think of several other more important uses for £75 right now.

 

[Lima]

Have u checked the fuse?

No and I'm hoping it is something that simple. How can I locate the reverse sensor fuse?

 

[Lima]

Okay, so I RTFM (go figure), located the correct fuse and it was all okay.

I've also tried the car in reverse and listen for the sounds at each sensor and, unsurprisngly, all sensors were silent.

What next? Audi dealer/workshop I suppose...

 

[NHN]

Lima, invest in VCDS mate, you can afford it I can post one tomorrow if you pay

If you have no beep, then I suspect its either the module itself or the actual buzzer thats located on the rear drivers side passenger seat belt shelf, hidden behind the boot trim, as when there's a fault with sensor it beeps, when its working it beeps, so either the module isnt telling buzzer to beep because its dead or the buzzer is down itself as reverse signal is sent over canbus anyway to modules.

 

[A19quattro]

Had a listen at mine at the weekend and low they all click except one, so that's the culprit. Need to jack the car up to check what teh connections are like at the back and then hopefully order one up. I will need to get paint too to paint it but it's all do-able, no great rush anyway, just good to know I can get it fixed. One quick and relatively unimportant question; do they click all the time or is it due to the proximity of your ear? It's a but like trees falling in the woods I know, just curious though?

 

[Lima]

Turns out my sensor failure was due to a faulty speaker. Apparently the speaker for the reverse sensors is behind the driver's side rear seat. It was a pretty simple fix for my mechanic by all accounts and cost AU$180 for parts and labour.

All working perfectly now.

 

[c_w]

I think my £14 ebay kit is pretty good value in comparison!

 

[MrLapou]

I've similar problem with the Golf. Sometimes short beeps like normal, or will long beep when nothing behind car.
So fault is intermittent!
One sensor has a raised area under the paint on it. VCDS scan revealed no fault.