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    Posted: 05-January-2011 at 23:16
hi lads,
looking for some advice about my 07 5 series, the wife
arrived home the other day and the park distance sensors
had stopped working and the switch in front of the gear
stick keeps flashing a little green light but no fault is
recorded or listed, anyone any idea or suggestion what this
might be???????
Thanks in advance!
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UweM3 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote UweM3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-January-2011 at 06:37
engine off, ignition on.
Select reverse gear.
No "listen" with your ear close to each sensor.
If one makes a humming noise, you found the broken one.

If one sensor is broken, whole system shuts down.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andrew Rolland Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-January-2011 at 08:30

Can't say I've heard a noise from my parking sensors.  I suppose any noise they might make is drowned out by the noise from the sensors detecting my head!

There is a multiplug under the bumper which is located just beneath the offside rear light cluster which could be full of muck and or dirt.

There are a number of electrical black boxes (one of which I think is a parking sensor control unit) underneath the "spare wheel" well in the boot.  Lift out the carpet and then the foam underneath and you will see a number of electrical control units.  Check that there is no water sloshing around the bottom of the well.

At this time of year mine can play up if there is ice over them.

No fault logged can make it tricky to pin point unfortunatley.

You could try pulling the fuses out in an effort to 'reset' the system.

Andrew

PS Mibbie the problem is the fact that your wife reversed into something and damaged the sensors?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peter Fenwick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-January-2011 at 10:42

Originally posted by UweM3 UweM3 wrote:

engine off, ignition on.
Select reverse gear.
No "listen" with your ear close to each sensor.
If one makes a humming noise, you found the broken one.

If one sensor is broken, whole system shuts down.

I checked the ones on my 3 seires this way except the good ones all make a faint clicking but the bad one doesn't make any sound at all.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote motorsport Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-January-2011 at 12:46
thanks lads, i tried the fuses one and the clicking sound
one but no joy so i went digging in the boot as andrew
suggested and found a black module down the bottom of the
spare wheel with some dampness on it, i took it out and
removed the cover to dry the circuits, i refitted it but
still the same problem, although im thinking moisture
around any circuits is not good! Any one no how to reset
this unit incase its in a safety mode or something?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andrew Rolland Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-February-2011 at 08:14

I take it that you are no further forward with this?

Mine failed last night on the way home, when I went to switch them on to try and manoever between a parked car and a car turning right.  Pressed switch and green light flashed like yours and the iDrive screen lit up with PDC failure...get BMW to sort....  Switched engine off then back on at next set of traffic lights, but the failure was still there.  Got home reversed into driveway and they started working again.   Go figure....

Worked fine again this morning on the way to the MOT station (fingers crossed) so I'm just putting it down to an electrical gremlin, like the E39 was plauged with.

I'll have a nosey around in the spare wheel well at the weekend, assuming I get it back from the MOT station.......

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote motorsport Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-February-2011 at 20:56
no still no joy, iv been up to my eyes at work an havin got
around to it, im assuming the pdc box in the well has
shorted with the damp and needs replacing, im just
wondering if a used one needs to be matched via laptop or
whether i will have to buy a new one, hoping to get round
to fixing it next week, let me know out of interest if you
find moisture
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andrew Rolland Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-February-2011 at 08:48

I don't know if a new pdc box would need to be coded to your specific car, probably is my guess.

I'll have a snoop at mine and let you know.

Mine has worked fine since.

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