Anyone have a timeline when parking sensors will be coming ? That is the one thing I think this car really lacks...with my 745i I could park my car blindfolded..but the model S I really miss the beeping, and graphical display in tight spots.. CDN Sig # 151 VIN 2113
I decided to spend the money to have aftermarket sensors installed. My installer found a kit that has sensors that are exactly like OEM ones, i.e. they are installed from behind the bumpers and they are flush with the surface. Most aftermarket kits install from outside the bumpers (cheaper) but have a raised bezel and therefore don't look as clean as the OEM ones. Because of the holidays, I don't expect to have this done for another week or so. At that time I will post some pics.
Please try to get detailed pics of the entire install process so those that will want to do this themselves can see what they are getting into. Obviously pics of it done wont show anything as they are stealth installed behind the bumpers
Dennis, that sounds pretty good.. definitely post pics and details when you get this done. It would be a great help ! I had heard that Tesla was going to offer a solution later..but i haven't heard much news of it lately.
Of all the features on the wish list, this comes to the top for me. If not, Tesla add a front bumper camera, please.
I am posting to keep up on this thread as well, important item to me as well! I find the rear camera handles my needs when backing in but I am not all that comfortable with the space I front of the car and obsessed with keeping my dark 21" free of scuff marks do I haven't even attempted to parallel park my Model S yet!
I'll ask my installer to take some pics. He is 40 miles away so I won't be around to take them myself during the installation process.
This is better and you don't need to be able to translate Universal Parking Sensor | No Holes | Front & Rear Reverse Parking Sensors
It is the Cobra ParkMaster 17mm Flush Mount: Park Master A0356/358/359 17mm Flush Mount Sensors — Products — Cobra Vehicle Security Here is the brochure that shows both styles on page 5: http://www.cobravehiclesecurity.co.uk/media/86441/ing3650%20cobra%20park%20master%20brochure%2027-07-11%20final.pdf And here is what they look like installed: The parts costs is around $500. The only issue is that they are not sold in the US. My installer found someone in FL (I believe) who could import them, and it cost us an extra $40 to have him ship them from the UK. I will get more details and post once my install is complete.
This feature seems to be in high demand !.. the after market solutions look good.. but I would still prefer Tesla come up with a solution and install on their own.. I'll visit their service centre tomorrow and see if i can get any more intel.
my concern isn't really the holes, which can look fine to me, it's the electronics integration. i'm skeptical that i will be happy with a solution that adds a little homemade box to my console with lights on it or a little speaker under the dash making beeps... for better or worse i've gotten used to the display and audio cueing on the bmw's.. which works very well. the display that looks like lidar or radar is very intuitively useful, and the beeping that speeds up as you get closer, and rear obstructions beep from the back in a lower tone than front obstructions which beep from the front... it all works very nicely. don't know if i could stand for anything less.... well, obviously, now i have nothing! so, i can stand it.. but as far as an interim solution until tesla fully integrates.. i'm going to watch the release of the Model S Mark 2 with a sizable amount of frustration, lol.
I decided 4 small symmetrical holes filled with paint-matched sensors was better than asymmetrical scrapes and gouges from hitting stuff. :smile: Since my other cars only give audio feedback, I can function fine with that. And I trust this installer to make the installation unobtrusive. So for me, this works, but it is not for everyone. I still can't understand why Tesla did not offer it as an option from Day 1 - it is much more prevalent than features like blind spot detection, lane departure, distronic cruise, etc. And it would have been a showstopper for my wife if the aftermarket solution was not available. We did the same thing on the RX400h the Model S is replacing, albeit with the less elegant external mount sensors.