rickrickrick
Member
This is what I do in my S. I parked in the garage and then ran 2 lines of duct tape along the outside of the wheels. Then when I back in I just center the lines on my display with the tape.
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This is what I do in my S. I parked in the garage and then ran 2 lines of duct tape along the outside of the wheels. Then when I back in I just center the lines on my display with the tape.
So far I have the distance part worked out. I put duct tape down on the floor near my garage door so that I know where to stop when I'm looking at the rear view camera. Might have to check out the parking laser so I can get the X centered to where I need to be in the garage. First few days of pulling in and then out have been a challenge.
So, not sure how nerdy you are, but arduino could offer a great solution. You could use 2 boards that have a single laser each measuring distance. The distance could be displayed on an LED or other screen on the wall of your garage so you know how close you are to the left wall and right wall.
I think I just came up with my own little project with that thought. If I get the free time to build it I will post pics.
I think I just came up with my own little project with that thought. If I get the free time to build it I will post pics.
Arduino could use the bluetooth and a second unit in the car could display an array of LEDs. When you are centered, the center LED is lit.
xkwizit
Member
I believe what the OP is trying to do is avoid running into the garage entrance when bringing in the car. The ideas about hanging items or strips on the ground are all good but too late if you the garage has already rashed your fender.
I have a similar garage. With MS, I find it easier to back in and I fold the mirrors as soon as the rear of the car is inside the garage.
With MX, I can't back in as I have overhanging racks in the back of the garage so it has to be brought in front facing. Summon freaks out and at times wants to drive right into the entrance. So we always manually drive in mirrors folded. However, what we did is paste couple of styrofoam pieces at the height of the side mirror and the top of the black rim of the front wheel on the wooden garage siding that serve dual purpose - guide to how close we need to be and secondly if we do accidentally come too close the styrofoam will take the hit.
With that in place and 6 months of having the MX, we have never been too close to run into the styrofoam. After a week of parking, you instinctively know if you are too far right or left.
I have a similar garage. With MS, I find it easier to back in and I fold the mirrors as soon as the rear of the car is inside the garage.
With MX, I can't back in as I have overhanging racks in the back of the garage so it has to be brought in front facing. Summon freaks out and at times wants to drive right into the entrance. So we always manually drive in mirrors folded. However, what we did is paste couple of styrofoam pieces at the height of the side mirror and the top of the black rim of the front wheel on the wooden garage siding that serve dual purpose - guide to how close we need to be and secondly if we do accidentally come too close the styrofoam will take the hit.
With that in place and 6 months of having the MX, we have never been too close to run into the styrofoam. After a week of parking, you instinctively know if you are too far right or left.
SDRick
Active Member
If you can back in, the rear camera white lines are very useful for centering?
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Don't the cars ultrasound sensors in the bumpers do the same thing?... and put a nice illustration on the display?
They sure do, but it takes the fun out of making a project out of it! Any project with an Arduino is a good one.
theoretically yes, but practically no. In my case the fit is so tight that the ultrasonic sensors go into panic mode and say "STOP" even though I'm centered, and have several inches to spare....
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Yes, I agree.
I'm currently building a system to monitor voltage, current and temperatures in my new garage with a DigiX. Great fun!
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
I have poor depth perception and my wife is even worse so this has been on my mind too. I'm mostly worried about the car not being aligned perpendicular to the garage opening, so even though it looks centered when I start to enter the garage, the car scrapes the opening as I drive in.
mspohr posted a dual-LED light attached to the ceiling of the garage that I think could work very well. Position the lights so that each light hits the hood on each side just before the car starts to enter the garage. As you enter the light will migrate outward and towards you; if you are not centered the lights will migrate assymetrically
I agree this is the best idea I've seen so far. I'm having my HPWC installed next week, and I'm going to have the electrician throw an extra 120V outlet on the new garage subpanel that's being installed, and then I'll have a convenient spot to plug something like this in. I also have to make sure I can find a spot to mount it where it will hit the car before it enters the garage while at the same time not being blocked by the open garage door, and not interfere with the door opening and closing....
goneskiian
Active Member
I back in as well. In order to squeeze our two vehicles in the garage we have very little room at the entrance so I first key off of the edge of the driveway as it lines up with the left side of the gatage entrance and it gets me going in straight (perpendicular to the entrance). Then I use the driver side back and the rear view mirror to get as close to the left side of the entrance as possible. If I have to fold the mirror when I get that far in I know I'm far enough left.
xkwizit
Member
Yep..that's exactly what I do backing up my S into the garage.
aesculus
Still Trying to Figure This All Out
I have about 8" extra to get my car in and out. I line up as straight as I can and make sure I have 3-4" clearance on the drivers mirror, thus ensuring that my passenger side will fit too. Then I constantly jump back and forth visualizing my clearance in both mirrors.
On the way out I make sure I have the same clearance and also verify that the backup camera line lines up with a well placed seam in my concrete driveway.
On the way out I make sure I have the same clearance and also verify that the backup camera line lines up with a well placed seam in my concrete driveway.
gjunky
Trifecta: Solar and both cars are EVs
I don't think people are reading the original question. Nothing IN the garage will help but you could mount one or two of the garage opener laser pointers at the bottom of your garage door in such a way that they point out and down at a 30-45 degree angle when the garage door is open. This way, when you get CLOSE to the garage, you will see the red dots on the hood. If you see both, you are lined up (assuming you spaced them apart enough to hit the widest edges of the hood). When the garage door closes behind you, they will be near the floor with your garage door but that shouldn't matter too much.
Plugsuvohio
Member
I use two things. One is a string hanging from the very bottom of the garage door, about 3" from the right edge of the opening. I pull in front first and have enough space to judge where I am by using that string to just touch the edge of the right extended mirror. I also have reflectors mounted on the garage wall at the height and width of the MX headlights. It is pretty easy to center the light from headlights using that target while just starting to enter the garage opening.
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