Parktronic - what is it in a car
One of the most difficult tasks for a novice driver is parallel parking in a limited space of a city street. It is very difficult at first to get used to the dimensions of the car, besides, it is not always possible to see in the rear-view mirrors what is being done in front of the rear bumper of the car.
However, if your car is equipped with rear-view cameras or parking sensors, then the task is much easier.
So what is a parktronic?
Parktronic is a parking device, an ultrasonic radar that scans the space behind your car and notifies you when you are approaching an obstacle. In addition, the parking sensors determine the distance to the obstacle. The parking sensors have sound and light signals that you will definitely hear and see on the display of the device as soon as the distance to the obstacle becomes critical.
Parktronic (parking radar) is not necessarily installed only on the rear bumper. There are devices that scan the space in front of the car. Those drivers who prefer cars of a class above the average know that a long hood significantly limits the view directly in front of the car.
The principle of operation of parking sensors is the same as that of a conventional radar or echo sounder. Sensors are installed in the bumper that emit ultrasonic signals. This signal is then bounced off any surface and returned back to the sensor. The electronic unit measures the time during which the signal returned, and based on this, the distance to the obstacle is determined.
Parking radar device
Parktronic is one of the car's security systems, which can be supplied as a complete set or installed as an additional option.
Its main elements are:
- parking sensors - their number may be different, but the optimal formula is 4x2 (4 in the back, 2 in the front);
- electronic unit - a control element in which information received from sensors is analyzed, it can also notify the driver about breakdowns in the system;
- light indication (it can be ordinary LEDs in the form of a scale with divisions, the most advanced models are equipped with touch screens, there is also an indication projected onto the windshield);
- sound alarm (beeper) - in earlier models, the driver determined the distance to the obstacle only by the sound signal.
More modern models of parking sensors have advanced functionality, for example, sensors can measure the air temperature outside the window, in addition, they can be combined with rear view cameras, and the image will be displayed.
In some models, there is voice acting in a human voice, and the optimal trajectory of movement is shown on the screen.
Sensors and their number
The accuracy of the data largely depends on the number of parking radar mortise sensors. In automotive stores, you can find systems with a wide variety of their number.
The most common is four sensors that are installed in the rear bumper and two in the front. This option is best suited for a big city, where there are constantly traffic jams and often cars are literally bumper to bumper in them.
In the most advanced models of parking sensors with this arrangement, it is possible to turn off the front or rear sensors.
The very first radars with two sensors appeared. They can still be purchased today, but we would not recommend it, because dead zones will form, due to which objects of small thickness, such as parking bollards, will not be noticed by the radar.
Three or four sensors that are installed in the rear bumper is a good and inexpensive option. Dead zones are excluded and you can safely park even on the narrowest street full of cars.
The most expensive are parking sensors of eight sensors - four on each bumper. With such a system, you will be protected from accidental collisions with any kind of obstacles. Although the design features of some car models do not allow installing such a number of sensors on the bumper.
When installing sensors, two mounting methods are used:
- mortise sensors - you have to make holes in the bumper to install them;
- overhead - they are simply glued to the bumper, although some drivers are suspicious of them and fear that they may be lost during the wash.
Indication
The very first parking sensors were equipped exclusively with a beeper, which began to squeak as soon as the driver switched to reverse gear. The closer the car drove up to the obstacle, the higher the frequency of the sound became. Fortunately, the sound today can be adjusted or completely turned off, focusing solely on the LED or digital display.
LED indicators can be of two types:
- scale indicating the distance;
- LEDs that change color depending on the distance - green, yellow, orange, red.
Also today you can buy parking sensors with a liquid crystal display. The cost of such a system will be much higher, but its functionality will be significantly expanded. For example, cheap radars only notify you of the presence of an obstacle, but what kind of obstacle it is - they will not tell you: the bumper of an expensive jeep or a tree trunk.
Advanced options can make a whole plan diagram of what is happening in front of or behind your car.
Well, the most expensive option for today is the indication directly on the windshield. This is very convenient, because you do not need to be distracted from the instrument panel. Also quite progressive are the samples combined with cameras - the image is displayed directly on the display and you can forget about the rear-view mirrors.
By the way, in this article you will learn how to choose parking sensors.
How to use parking sensors?
Usually, the parking sensors turn on when the engine starts. The system runs a self-diagnosis and successfully enters sleep mode or shuts down completely.
The rear sensors are activated as soon as you switch to reverse. Signals begin to be given after an obstacle is detected at a distance of 2,5 to 1,5 meters, depending on the model and its characteristics. The time between the emission of a signal and its reception is 0,08 seconds.
The front sensors are activated when the brake is applied. Often, drivers turn them off, because in traffic jams they will constantly notify you of approaching other cars.
When using parking sensors, you should not rely on them completely. As practice shows, the presence of a parking radar dulls vigilance.
But they can be wrong:
- during heavy rain and snowfall;
- when moisture gets inside the sensors;
- when heavily contaminated.
In addition, parking sensors are powerless in front of sewer manholes, pits, inclined surfaces (the signals from them will be beaten off in a completely different direction).
A cheap model may not notice a cat, dog, child. Therefore, use parking sensors only as an aid and do not lose vigilance. Remember that no device can protect you one hundred percent from potential danger.
Video about how parking sensors work.
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