C5 Parking Sensors - turning on/off?

[vborovic]

I can't say from memory where the option to test the parking sensors is (whether they're active), since I don't use DiagBox on a daily basis, but will try to find time to hook it up today when I come home from work, and see what testing possibilities exist in the Diag software to find out (locate) the problem

[petef]

Oh well 2 steps forward and 3 steps back

Managed to change the BSI configuration for the parking sensors by hitting the 'Configure' button and then entering the Access Code that I found in a parallel thread on the forum.. So 03114 does seem to work for X7 cars. Setting successfully changed from 'Front' to 'Front and Rear'. On the way back out of the Lexia menus I checked the 'Parking Assistance' under Global Tests and no fault was found.

However the front sensors still don't work! So now they are turned on in the BSI, there is no fault recorded for them but they still don't function..............I am stumped

[vborovic]

Then you're missing the configuration in your navigation unit (which do you have: NaviDrive 3D, RNEG or RT6)? The teleconfig procedure in them has the client options (rough translation), where there are parking aide options: none, rear, front + rear ... I'd say the nav unit only has "rear" currently ...

[petef]

Didn't occur to me that the Navidrive would need to be told to expect front sensor information as well as rear. I suppose that makes sense. Think my system is RT4 with hard drive jukebox and (happily) an update disc and a set of 2013 maps that came with the car.
Will have a further go with the Lexia over the weekend

[Hell Razor5543]

That does make sense. When I had a company Skoda Octavia the radio displayed the reversing sensor visual output, and the audio output were, IIRC, in stereo through the speakers.

[vborovic]

For some features to work, you have to turn them on in more than one place ... I had stuff that required 4 or 5 different "computers" to be configured to work as intended ... like I've said before, I don't know of any valid reason why someone would turn off the genuine front parking sensors, unless they really didn't want them or found them not precise enough (or maybe some issue with them giving false readings) ... when I wrote RT6 as one of the possible, I should've added 4 & 5 as well, but I thought to myself what are the chances you have one of them ... ... and here you go ...

[petef]

Sure enough in the telematics menu under 'Customer Options' only the rear sensors were selected. Managed to change that to Front and Rear without needing an access code this time. Telematics ecu had been updated I was informed. However........................... still no front sensors. Anywhere else to look or have we explored every avenue?? Will check with Citroen Glasgow on Monday - see if they can tell me from the VIN number whether front sensors are listed as being fitted.
Losing the will to continue now...........

[vborovic]

I'll have to think more about this problem, so far it seems we've tried every "soft" solution ... I think you'll definitely have to go though the wiring (electrically), to figure out where the problem lies ... at least, you've enabled everything to be prepared for that moment ... ...

[petef]

The Finale
Well I went to Citroen Glasgow on Monday and the helful spares guy there told me that my car was only listed as having rear sensors. Hum......
Anyway today I fitted a new engine undertray - the old one was missing when I bought the car - and had a good look around the front bumper area. I could clearly see the wiring for front sensors and eventually managed to prise one of them out. Definitely a sensor not a blanking panel, but equally not a standard Bosch sensor. Tracing the wiring back up to the engine area, I found a little black box just marked 'Valeo' stuck to the top on the LHS reservoir on the rhs. I had noticed it before but not thought very much about it. Traced some of the wiring from this box towards the bulkhead. Then....... found a little tumbler switch buried under the instrument dash on the steering column cover, way in front of the ignition switch. Switching this on gave a little beep...................you've guessed the rest. Walking in front of the car beeping started in earnest, yep the car is fitted with aftermarket front sensors. Ho hum there you go. Not connected to the main system; not even controlled by the ignition. They have to be manually switched on and off.
At least I know now, and on the positive side I have had some really useful help, and feel much more confident about changing settings with the Lexia.
With the benefit of hindsight - a very exact science - perhaps I should have thought about the aftermarket possibility earlier.

Tried to attach some pics but over quota apparently

[myglaren]

Success!

Pete, to post photo's on the forum follow this simple guide.

[vborovic]

Good to know you've got it figured out ... but we could've told you that if you gave us your VIN ... anyways, now that you've prepared everything for the front sensors ( ), to have a factory solution you'd need the genuine front sensors and a new parking sensors computer (you probably have one that supports only the rear sensors, and has 2 inputs, whereas the front sensors require the parking computer with 3 inputs) ... not that cheap, but you could try and find a used pack from a car that's been broken down ...