High-tech car safety features need care
Keeping sensors and cameras clean and clear can avoid costly repairs
While the ever-increasing number of electronic and computer-operated systems on new vehicles is becoming commonplace, a new wave of safety features will load your next ride with more circuit boards and sensors than ever before.
Collision mitigation is the catchall category for such things as automatic braking, pedestrian sensing, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, cross-path detection, blind-spot monitoring, park assist and reverse cameras.
While these features hold the promise of safer driving, they all come with a need for some TLC and attention to keep them working.
If you’re not worried because you believe the carmaker’s warranty will cover any problems, think again. Most manufacturers only cover these electronics for three years or 60,000 kilometres, and the price for diagnostics and replacement parts can floor you. Take, for example, the rear cross-path radar sensors, which can top out at over $1,000 each.
There’s no doubt that these systems can help prevent collisions, but a little knowledge about them and how to take care of various components and specifically what not to do with or to them can go a long way to avoiding costly repairs.
With few exceptions, these safety systems use sensors mounted outside the relative protection of the passenger cabin.
Forward automatic-braking systems use sensors mounted just behind the grille, for example, and many of us are familiar with the dimples in rear bumper covers that indicate the presence of park-assist detectors.
Lane-keeping assist and lanedeparture warning systems for the most part use exterior cameras to look for painted lane markers.
And of course, reverse camera systems use cameras, usually mounted above the rear licence plate. First, keep them clean: Reverse cameras are of absolutely no use if the lens is covered in grit, grime or ice, and in the winter they need almost daily cleaning.
To avoid scratching the lens, keep a spray bottle with plain water and a soft cloth handy.
Reverse-parking and front autobraking sensors tend to operate well with a little coating of dirt, but if they’re caked in mud or ice you can expect poor performance and the odd dash warning lamp.
Avoid beating any ice off them with a snow brush, as they can be fragile in extreme cold.
Instead, use room-temperature water or a quick run though the car wash. Keep them salt-free: This can be extremely difficult on our winter roads, but a periodic run though a car wash with an undercarriage blaster can help.
Often, some radar sensors are mounted in the rear wheelwell areas because they aren’t as effective when placed in the trunk or cargo area. Wheel wells are perfect breeding grounds for corrosion, which makes keeping them as clean as possible a great way to extend the life of any sensors mounted in this region.
Check plastic wheelwell liners from time to time, as they can be easily damaged by road debris and ice. Keep exposed connectors covered: A good example of this is the trailer-harness plug on trucks equipped with park-assist sensors.
These vehicles have a default program that turns off the reverse sensor system in the bumper whenever a trailer is connected. If the trailer plug gets corroded or packed with mud or ice, the system may assume there’s a trailer in place and not warn the driver of an obstacle to the rear.