Diagnosing Parking Sensor Fault

[zedx19]

Wifes Peugeot 5008, 64 plate, throws up, "Parking assistance system faulty" whenever you try to park. It's been doing it intermittently for a few week, now it's on all the time. Is there any easy way to diagnose which sensor is at fault? I believe that when one sensor fails, the whole system shuts down? The other thing it could be is the parking control box, which I've read can be prone to getting damp and failing.

Really just after some advise as the best way to diagnose what exactly is at fault? Unsure whether a cheap code reader would tell me, or whether it's just likely to tell me the same thing as the dash.

[the cueball]

This works for VAG cars, not sure if it'll work with yours.. but when you switch on the parking sensors you can hear a slight clicking noise coming from them.

When I had an issue with my S4, I just put my ear to each one in turn and the one that wasn't clicking was the faulty one.

[Penelope Stopit]

Apparently, Peugeot Planet diagnostic tool will show a faulty sensor

[tapkaJohnD]

It also works for Citroens!

My reversing sensor system showed faulty, and I was advised, here, to listen to them. I used an engineer's stethoscope as my hearing is poor, and sure enough, three clicked, one didn't.
But then I made the mistake of buying an new sensor from eBay. Identical in appearance, it still didn't work, so I took the car to a garage (not a dealer). They told me that Citroen have their sensors 'tagged' so they only work on a Citroen! So I had to buy a "Citroen" sensor, and pay ten times as much. But it got the system working again.
JOhn

[zedx19]

Ok thanks, I'll try the clicking thing, wasn't sure it would work as I assumed the entire system shut down if one sensor was at fault, so none would click?

[Order66]

Listening for the clicks worked on my BMW - I found it better if you gently put a finger on the sensor and put your ear near the finger - could hear the clicks a lot clearer

[zedx19]

Finger gently against sensor worked a treat, thanks for that tip. Only problem is, all sensors appear to tick! Rears all "tick tick tick", fronts go "tick ticktttiiiccckkkk" which is hard to explain, but I assume the fronts tick different to the rears? So I found an old code reader I had from years back, plugged that in but it only found a power steering fault code, which was nothing.

Bit stumped now tbh.

[paintman]

Peugeot Planet.
Try & find a local indy specialist if you don't want to go to the local main dealer.

[Belle427]

As above, you need dealer level diagnostic equipment that can get into the parking system to pull the codes.
You should also be able to look at live data to test the sensors and see if one isn’t responding.

[jfdi]

Video each sensor with your mobile phone then play the video back, you'll hear the working sensors clicking loud and clear.

[Spunagain]

I diagnosed the falled sensor on my Mini with just the resistance measurement on a cheap multimeter.
I wrote it up in the Mini section
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Hope it helps

[petercam]

zedx19 said:

Wifes Peugeot 5008, 64 plate, throws up, "Parking assistance system faulty" whenever you try to park. It's been doing it intermittently for a few week, now it's on all the time. Is there any easy way to diagnose which sensor is at fault? I believe that when one sensor fails, the whole system shuts down? The other thing it could be is the parking control box, which I've read can be prone to getting damp and failing.

Really just after some advise as the best way to diagnose what exactly is at fault? Unsure whether a cheap code reader would tell me, or whether it's just likely to tell me the same thing as the dash.

My Saab 9-3 would throw up similar intermittent fault messages, then it got pretty much all the time I put it in reverse it would fail. I had to remove the back bumper to access the sensors, but found they were covered in mud at 2 of them (left and right most ones) where the harness plugs in. I cleaned them up and reassembled and never had an issue since. I guess the wheels were throwing crud up behind the bumper and onto these 2 sensors. May be similar on your system.

[zedx19]

Thanks for the past 2 posts, I'll have a look. The rear bumper is certainly fully open to mud being thrown up there, I might try removing the bumper and cleaning up all the sensor contacts. Its French so the bumper will likely be held on by sellotape.

[zedx19]

So finally managed to get round to diagnosing this, thought I'd update for anyone in the future finding this thread.

Decided to buy the Peugeot Planet diagnostic software and cable from China, took a week to arrive and wasn't the easiest to get working. Had to get a Virtualbox Windows XP working on my Windows 10 laptop, then figure out how to get the cable connected through to the Virtualbox. Then figure out how to install the software from very confusing instructions. Eventually though, I got it loaded, running and connected to the car.



So it would seem rear left parking sensor is at fault, ordered a genuine one for 65 quid, will change when it arrives.

Diag software is impressive though, gives a mass of options which should be handy to have in the future.

[Penelope Stopit]

Nice