Front sensors for distance warning

I've been looking into these and most are expensive and require drilling the bumper. Not really what I want to do. I found this on eBay for less than $22 with local shipping. The one they have left is now at $35, but I'd offer $20 since mine was.

It's a license plate mounting that has four sensors. Two face forward and two face outward about 15 degrees.

Normally it ties into the reverse light wiring, but I'm going to use the same method I used with the cams. When the car is started the sensors power up. If it drives us nuts in stop-and-go traffic I'm going to add a kill switch in one of the empty slots by the plug door opener.

It looks like a fairly simple install (Famous last words) and has not only a beeper that changes with distance, but a small LED box that shows distance and direction using small bars on each side of the distance number.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/383393621575

 

I have the item and the original box. There are four sensors and the barcode says RG20B. You can be as suspicious as you need to be, but for under $22 I'll take a chance. Besides, if it's fake eBay guarantees a refund. win/win.

It is a half frame. I think the seller never looked in the box and the picture on the box looks like a full frame. It's two parts. A full frame base and a half frame sensor bar that attaches to the frame. Thar's for versatility. It can be mounted at the top right side up or at the bottom upside down.

 

No reason to check other listings. I have the unit in hand. Thanks for the link. It came with that same manual.

 

I am amazed at the negativity here. I guess in the future I'll just keep things I find to myself.

 

Trial test. Excellent! I laid the wires over the hood and through the drivers side window. Temporarily connected the positive to fuse #18. I think I should have used #2 (accessory) because #18 is always on. Oops. Connected the negative to the ground under the dash by the yellow bar. There are pictures in this forum regarding these connections.

I drove to a parking lot and tested with straight in parking to a parking bumper and angled parking to a straight parking bumper. That second one is with the parking bumper angled about 30 degrees to front of the car. Both warned to 1 1/2 feet. I pulled up behind cars and 6 feet initial warning. An area where the ground sloped up behind the parking space started at 6 feet then dropped out until 3 feet, then to 1 1/2 feet.

The Clarity license plate tips up quite a bit (picture) so I tested without the plate that comes with the sensors that is a wedge shape. That allows you to tip it up more or, in my case, down more. I tested with and without it and it seemed to sense curbs a bit better with it. Distance is fairly accurate. It starts to pick up objects at around 6-7 feet and drops from 1 1/2 or 1 foot to zero. So it looks like the accurate range is 6 feet to 1 1/2 feet. The buzzer is loud. LOUD! So I covered half of it with electricians tape and it helped. I'm thinking the glove box might be a good place for it.

Next is the permanent install. I plan on running the wires though the grill openings above the plate and look for an opening in the firewall someone found and mentioned in a thread somewhere. If I'm lucky that is on this forum or Facebook group. Except for going through the firewall it's going to be an easy install for me. Easier because I've already identified and used fuse #2 so all I have to do is splice for power, and I know where the ground is located, so loosen the screw add the wire, tighten the screw..

This is with the wedge installed.


Contents of the box.

 

We had the rear sensors installed at purchase and they have saved me numerous times when backing out of a parking space. Some people drive too fast in parking lots!

This one is made for the rear of the car, but I decided why not on the front? And it looks like in traffic it won't be annoying because we only have to stay more than 7 feet behind a vehicle to keep it from sensing.

As far as I'm concerned the entire venture has been a win for us. Negative posters can be ignored.

 

They are the ones embedded in the rear bumper. They beep any time I get close to objects when backing up. They go off when I back out of the garage, any time I'm getting too close to objects when backing up, and when there is cross traffic as I back out of a parking space. They cost $721.00 installed. Again that was at purchase.

If you click on my sig picture you can see the ones in the center of the bumper. There are two more to the outside on the curve of the bumper.

 

Not sure about 20 feet behind me. That would be an interesting test to set up. They do work very well when backing out of a parking space. Saved me a number of times when parked next to an SUV or big truck.

One warning: Be more careful when parked at an angle. Some sensors don't pick up oncoming when it's on the "first out" side because the oncoming vehicle can be too far towards the front of the car. Some are better at sensing this than others.

 

Strange. Are they in the correct location? The outside ones that is. iirc they also rotate some because they are angled. Mine definitely catch cross traffic once they are clear of surrounding objects.

 

It seems that it was a poster (here or Facebook) that added the sensors to their front bumper. I will look for it since I also need to find it.

 

Found this from PHEVer

"Thanks for the reply. I've actually located a pass-thru: driver side front fender and then thru plug in footwell. Apparently, it's the same design for the civic and accord. Honda makes it easy if you want to lead wires from battery into the cabin or trunk!"

Three pictures here with some explanation. Do ctrl/f and search for firew to find them.

https://idoneitmyself.com/2019/06/09/installing-a-rostra-frontzone-250-1920-fz-ultrasonic-parking-assistance-system-on-a-2018-honda-clarity/

 

That last post may be confusing. The locations mentioned are not the same one.