Parking Sensors For Rav 4, Calling Stewybear

[rajivrattna]

Please help. I want to fit parking sensors on my RAV 4. Can Stewybear or some one else advice me on the make, position and fitting details of parking sensors for RAV4. I would like to mount four sensors if possible to cover the rear of the RAV better. Thanks in advance.

Rajiv.

[adam1]

try the third eye parking sensors fitted by JCt600 Toyota. they cost 235 fitted and have 2yr warranty. I have them on my new E220CDI E class and they work every time from about 15cm...continous tone.....or u could go for electromag ones for RAV4 since that stuck on wheel can cause false positives tones.

[Kenny]

Original Toyota ones would be 2 sensors fitted on the outer edge of tailgate and this would leave a blind spot right in the middle.

Theres no sensors in the middle because theres the spare wheel and hard cover which is fitted quite low and the remaining areas below that are too low and most likely to be pointing to the ground.

[stewybear]

Hi Rajiv,

I have replied to your email but it looks like you didn't get it for some reason ;)

My fittings were for the new shape landcruiser so are not directly applicable to you apart from the general fitting guide lines and the equipment that I used.

I eventually went for the Quanan sensors (ask for the round ones, not the tapered ones unless you need them) which I bought from parking-sensors.co.uk for £84.99. Here is the direct link if you are interested:

http://www.parking-sensor.co.uk/order/1840s.htm

If you buy it and eventually decide that you can't use all four sensors, you can just disconnect one or more of the sensors and the system still works the same, just with less coverage.

I think you said that you had a towbar. Well.........these sensors have a 90 degree sensing angle. Thats 45 degrees all round. My towbar stuck out just under 30cm from the rear bumper. All I did was mark the vertical centerline of the bumper and measure 30cm each side of the centerline and marked the first holes, one each side. I then measured another 30cm from these markes and marked the second holes. If you use these marks, it will give you a full 1.9m coverage of the rear of your car at the 30cm continuous tone distance from the sensors. The added benefit is that the sensors make a continuous tone just a couple of cm before the towbar HITS (I mean touches :D ) any central obsticles.

If you are unsure, about the placements, you can always do what I did to double check, and that was to mount the sensors in some spare skirting board at the original markings and offered it up to the bumper to see if any false readings are given and to see exactly what coverage is obtained.

Other tips........

1) It took me ages to fit cos I was seriously worried about drilling holes in the wrong place but I eventually bit the bullet and it worked out just fine.

2) Be very carefull when opening the holes out to fit the sensors. The fitting guide said to use a hole saw then finish of with a grinding wheel. DON'T. There is good potential to slip and mess up your lovely pait job if you are not carefull or even put too much heat into the plastic and make the paint bubble. Take my advise and use a 10mm drill to make the first holes then use a tapered hand reamer to open them out. It makes an infinately better job and the fit is perfect if you take your time. I didn't even use the glue that the guide suggested and these thing are never going to come out involuntarily.

3) The beeper is seriously loud. I mounted mine inside the boot between the outside metal body and the inside liner. There is a little pocket there in the LC. Don't know if there is one in the RAV4. Even inside this pocket, the bleeper is loud and you will not mistake it for anything else.

4) I took the power directly from the back of the light pod nearest the beeper installation. Just poped of the light cluster, fitted the power wire to the reversing lamp and pop the light pod back on. Thats it. Don't forget to use an in-line fuse between that and the control unit.

5) If you are unsure how to remove you're rear bumper. Try what I did. I emailed my towbar manufacturer and told them that I was interested in buying one of their towbars and could they please email me a copy of the fitting instructions for my car so that I could have a look before I bought one. They were very helpfull and the fitting instructions detailed the removal and re-inatsllation of the bumper to every last nut and bolt.

Hope this was helpful Rajiv..........anymore questions just ask.

Regards

Stewart

[rajivrattna]

Thanks Stewert,

I am grateful for your suggestion and will let you know how I get along. I am waiting for the snow to thaw before I can begin. Thanks again.

Rajiv.