hey guys have you add any luck/experience with the front park aid sensors on the expeditions? we got a 2013 expedition el and it has the front park aid, 4 sensors. we got a buckstop bumper and put it on, and at first we just disconnected the sensors, because we thought we didn't need them. but now we get check front park aid light all the time and its annoying, even if you turn them "off" in the menu on the console. I think what triggers the "check front park aid" is when the active cruise control or emergency baking system is activated it turns this light on?...so we took the sensors off the original bumper, drilled holes in the steel buck stop sensor, and glued the sensors in. well in the process, one of the sensors quit working...so I had to buy a new one, and then put it in and now the beeper comes on solid like its sensing the front bumper itself. im thinking might have to do with these stupid little soft clear rubberish gromets that go around the sensor. but there is no way I can use the gromets to glue them in. I was trying to find a solution online but have had no luck, I came across something that if you want to have this option installed on a vehicle that does not have that option, there is a installation kit? WTF...way to complicated...now I get to hear the driver @#%@ about it everyday. what should I do? where can I find some answers?

 

haha yeah this sucks...im not sure what to do...


here is a picture of the rubber grommets that I couldn't use.


the factory clips that hold the sensors in the stock bumper, there is no way I can cut them off and reuse them in any way at all.


im not sure if they are suppose to be "x" amount away from the steel or aimed in a certain direction.

 

So what I ended up finding out on these park sensors is that they are very fragile. I ended up wrecking four sensors. Ultimately what I found out is that those rubber grommets have to be used on the sensor and they must be lightly pressed into the steel metal bumper. I was able to snap off the plastic senor clip off the factory bumper with a chisel and use that to hold the sensor and glue the bracket to the inside of the steel bumper and it works. Using this clips, one thing I didn’t prefer was that the sensors could not be flush with the outside of the bumper, they are recessed a little bit. There are aftermarket sensor companies that actually make install kits for steel or plastic bumpers, but they can’t be used in conjunction with factory sensors. If I were going to do this again in the future I think the way to go, is to order a vehicle without factory park sensors, install the steel bumpers, and then put the aftermarket park sensor kits on. I think the key to using those factory sensors is the clear rubber grommets. I talked to a aftermarket sensor guy and he said the vibrations from the engine running can resonate through the steel bumper to the sensor itself, causing a false reading.I just hope my super duty glue will hold up to the test of time, if the glue doesn’t hold up I have to drill 8 more holes in the steel bumper and mechanically fasten the plastic clips to the bumper, which would look tacky and provide another source of rust if not properly primed and painted. See attached pictures.

 

You can turn the sensors off and use aftermarket if you want. Takes about 10 seconds to turn them off for good.

BTW what kind of machinery are you working on in the shop?

 

I see, how do you turn them off permanently? Besides selecting the off option on the dash menu? Oh ya in our shop we have steel railroad rails in the floor for bringing in steel track equipment keeps the floor from getting tore up, we work on doers and loaders and heavy trucks, little bit of everything.