Parking sensors allow front bumper to grind into parking block

[JRMW]

Thank you all! Very helpful suggestions.

I don't have air suspension so that won't work. I know this issue is due to the height of my S, something different than my prior SUV.

To those suggesting to go slowly and watch until the curb disappears on the sensor... my car doesn't see it at all. I'm creeping as slowly as I can and the sensors start saying "30, 25, 20" then I hear a crunch

I may buy that front camera solution.

My favorite solution is to try using the rear camera to look at the parking lines as I go forwards in. That's a great tip!

We don't back in because it's not efficient. To do it, you must overshoot your spot, them back in. This works in the suburbs and places with old grandmas.

It does not work in busy parking garages or parking spots as the person behind you will be too close for you to back in. They won't want to back up, and often they can't anyway because there is someone behind them

Also, half the time I see people do this the are not centered in their spot.

The only place I really ever saw people backing in are areas that are more of a suburban plan like Charlotte, the Bay Area excluding SF, Atlanta, etc. Places with huge parking spots, huge parking lots with not many people

 

[jerry33]

I always back in. It's safer to do that anyway because when driving up to back in you have a clear view, and then you also have a clear view when driving out. Use the rear camera and when the parking bumper or line is at the bottom of the camera, you're perfect.

 

[oktane]

The car had a front bumper camera like my previous car. Makes this a non-issue.

 

[oktane]

Wish*

 

[scottm]

I added a front nose camera and a 7" LCD screen tucked in my cubbie.
This is a $35 solution, you can buy on ebay.
I just pull the LCD screen out and hit the power switch to fire it up, inch the car forward until Iam comfortably close enough to the curb. Then tuck the LCD back into the cubbie.

Always park short of a curb, never over it. Air suspension can settle the car down onto the curb... crunch it that way, or rip parts off if you back out when hooked.

 

[sorka]

The car had a front bumper camera like my previous car. Makes this a non-issue.

I miss the 360 top down camera that my Infiniti FX50 had. That said, I always back into spots.

 

[Skipdd]

That's why we developed the front/rear camera switch kit for the touchscreen. They've long been sold out but we'll be producing them again. Ready probably by March or so.

Wow, I totally missed that this existed. I will mark March down on my calendar to ping you and/or check your original post - I am definitely interested.

 

[Skipdd]

@JRMW - I've also had to learn to deal with this. For me, it's mostly just something I developed a feel for, after some "misses." I've never owned a low ground clearance sports car before, so there was definitely a learning curve. I might suggest one other thing to watch out for. With this car, I developed a like for end spaces where no one is on one side. Unfortunately I sometimes misjudged the length of the curb, and as the car is very long, hit the curb on the way out. Now I am very careful and park differently. Suffice it to say it was an expensive lesson to learn.

 

[oktane]

Is the integrated solution still available? For the eBay camera, how difficult is routing the wire from the nose to the interior? Thanks

 

[scottm]

Is the integrated solution still available? For the eBay camera, how difficult is routing the wire from the nose to the interior? Thanks

You can actually get wireless cams for cheap, but I chose a wired. I ran the wire along one side of the frunk (pop the side cover off) then behind the fender and enter the car at the A pillar (hinge side of front door). I punched a small hole in the rubber conduit snorkel that goes between car frame and door, and ran the cable into the car there. Didn't try to go through firewall. The camera and LCD are powered off a fuse tap that is hot when the car is On and ready to drive, and not powered when the car is Off / parked.

 

[JRMW]

Thank you all again for these great tips !

I will probably get the integrated camera option when it comes out.

Unfortunately, backing in really isn't possible for me most of the time but I'll think about that option when I go to the suburbs or big empty lots

 

[theslimshadyist]

I back in about 50% of the time but I have yet to scrape my car on a parking block but then I creep when I pull into a parking spot to make sure this doesn't happen.

 

[artsci]

I added a front nose camera and a 7" LCD screen tucked in my cubbie.
This is a $35 solution, you can buy on ebay.
I just pull the LCD screen out and hit the power switch to fire it up, inch the car forward until Iam comfortably close enough to the curb. Then tuck the LCD back into the cubbie.

Always park short of a curb, never over it. Air suspension can settle the car down onto the curb... crunch it that way, or rip parts off if you back out when hooked.

I did that first before developing the camera switch. But I want the front camera to be displayed on the touchscreen, not an add-on monitor with relatively poor resolution. Thus the camera switch. The default setting is the front camera view, but when the car is put into reverse, it switches to the rear camera.

 

[NOLA_Mike]

Normal "dead men" or raised curbs are really too low for the parking sensors. However, I find it does detect most of them until you get about 12" away from them - then they have slipped "under the view" of the ultrasonic sensors and seemingly "disappear" from the park sensor view. If approaching slowly I usually stop right before they disappear from the sensors view (i.e., I stop before the front of my car is over the curb or dead man).

I wanted follow up with my observations.

I recently traded in my pre-refresh Model S for a refreshed facia Model S. One of the first things I noticed on the refresh was the sensors in the center of the front bumper are angled slightly upward (whereas on the pre-refresh they were located in the nose cone and angled straight forward).

My experience is that the newer Model S will lose the curb even sooner than the older Model S. They lose the curb well before you are 12" away.

I think this explains some of the differences some of us were seeing versus others.

Mike

 

[rogerdodger7]

@artsci - I had your front camera on my 2012 Sig and I *loved* it! Not a trivial install (took one day with a car savvy buddy and it was done) but it works perfectly and is what kept my from bumping my nose. Get one, install it. you will LOVE it.

What’s the name of your product and the price—also your web address?

 

[tldickerson]

@rogerdodger7, you do realize this post is over 5 years old? These people may not even have a Tesla now.

 

[leonwu]

@rogerdodger7, you do realize this post is over 5 years old? These people may not even have a Tesla now.

Sad thing is, 6 years later and we still don’t have a 360 camera

 

[ninefiveone]

Sad thing is, 6 years later and we still don’t have a 360 camera

They'll never do a 360 cam. They'll do some kind of virtual/avatar 360 cam some day. Pretty sure very few will like it.