Be careful w/ rear sonar

TCW · 10-03-2006, 11:27 AM

My rear sonar has saved me many times until now. I was backing up on a dead end street with my wheels turned all the way to the right when I hit a telephone pole. I guess because of the angle of approach and possibly the fact that it was a pole was the reason I got a solid beep from my sonar immediately before impact. By then it was obviously too late. I take 100% respnsibility for not seeing the pole, but at the same time I am dissappointed that my sonar didn't save me during my time of ingnorance.

Oh well....$2700 later it is a very expensive lesson. The whole bed has to be removed in order to have a new rear panel welded on plus a new bumper. This is what the dealership said anyway...

I'm sharing this because I had gotten way too comfortable with my rear sonar, kind of a false sense of security I guess. I will definitely be paying more attention when backing up from now on.

Hopefully this will keep someone from making the same mistake I did.

AgTitan06 · 10-03-2006, 11:31 AM

Thanks for the advice. The rear sonar saved me from backing into a tree late at night once. I'm still trying to judge how much distance I have now, since I leave my hitch in at all times.

I'll certainly be more careful now as well.

pi3yeargrad · 10-03-2006, 12:04 PM

ye, I got the rear sonar plus a reverse camera...thank god for the tow mirrors because theres been a time or two where neither the camera or the sonars got what I would hit but I never forget my mirrors now after those near misses... i guess we learn from our mistakes...it just sucks ur mistake cost u a chunk of cash...Im sure weve all been there though...

rrtitan · 10-03-2006, 12:19 PM

Yeah, the sonar is made for backing up straight back. It only sees stuff on the back sides at a minimum. Keep in mind it is also a step behind in time. I got used to backing up pretty fast into my parking garage and I find that I've gone from no beeps to a solid beep.

I need to slow down.

One other thing that the Sonar doesn't do well with or doesn't see at all are steel cables. For example, there are some parks and parking lots that have wooden posts with the thickness of telephone poles that are strung together with steel cables to keep people from driving between the poles. The sonar does not see those steel cables. Luckily for me I tested it first.

**Kronos1965** · 10-03-2006, 02:16 PM

Those pics look like they could have been my truck!

I was backing into a parking space at a local mall when another vehicle came across from her parking space to use mine to make a turn! The sonar wouldn't have helped me and I was looking to the right to back in as opposed to the left where she hit.

$2700 damage? Sorry to read about that-mine was $1200...

Timster13 · 10-03-2006, 02:21 PM

That sucks. I hope the repair is done well for you.

How fast were you backing up? It looks like more than a 2 MPH bump. Also, it looks like the point of impact was right at the sensor on the bumper. I think it should have picked it up. Mine has picked up objects that are a couple of feet to the side of the bumper area with no problem.

baseballfanz · 10-03-2006, 02:41 PM

That's ugly, sorry to hear.

Yeah you still have to becareful when backing up.

TCW · 10-03-2006, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timster13

That sucks. I hope the repair is done well for you.

How fast were you backing up? It looks like more than a 2 MPH bump. Also, it looks like the point of impact was right at the sensor on the bumper. I think it should have picked it up. Mine has picked up objects that are a couple of feet to the side of the bumper area with no problem.

I really wasn't going that fast. I put the truck in reverse and gave it enough gas to get the truck moving. Once the truck was moving I released the gas and had my foot above the brake pedal when it hit. I didn't brake at all until after impact. Just in case I wasn't pi$$ed enough, my wife (from the passenger seat) proceeded to ask me what I was doing, as if I did it intentionally.

I thought $2700 was high too, but the guy at the dealership body shop said he wasn't about to try and repair the rear panel because of all the lines going on there at the corner. He said if he was repairing it, he would only do it by replacing the whole panel. With the amount of money I already have into the truck, I guess I don't really want some nasty bondo job.

**HudsonValleyTitan** · 10-03-2006, 03:19 PM

I have the rear sonar that the dealer installed so it's not ther factory set-up. This one sees 6'and at right angles so it would have seen a pole. It sees the side of the garage door right up until I exit the garage. Many have said the same thing about the factory sensors.....they aren't sensitive enough. And I only have 2 sensors, one on each side! Sorry for the damage you have...but hey, at least it wasn't as little child!

Yellomantis · 10-03-2006, 03:24 PM

Sounds like a good excuse to get some glassworks bed sides and a roll pan to me???

phugoid · 10-03-2006, 05:14 PM

i have a narrow driveway, and a slight incline at the beginning, so needless to say when i back up into it, it's always a hairy situation! especially when the other car is parked there. and as u know, its really hard to see anything within a few feet of the rear bumper. luckily, ive marked the drivway where i can back up to safely, ASSUMING the other car is all the way to the end!

anywaz, i am planning on putting a sensor on sometime in the near future.
i saw where i can get a wireless one for about $170.00. i guess thats a good investment.............

TCW · 10-04-2006, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phugoid

i have a narrow driveway, and a slight incline at the beginning, so needless to say when i back up into it, it's always a hairy situation! especially when the other car is parked there. and as u know, its really hard to see anything within a few feet of the rear bumper. luckily, ive marked the drivway where i can back up to safely, ASSUMING the other car is all the way to the end!

anywaz, i am planning on putting a sensor on sometime in the near future.
i saw where i can get a wireless one for about $170.00. i guess thats a good investment.............

Sounds like a good idea to me. $170 is nothing if it just saves you one time it will pay for itself. Not to mention the safety factor of a child possibly being behind you.

Learjet · 10-04-2006, 12:20 PM

ouch, that is a nice crunch. I think you might have been a little faster than you think. One thing I have noticed is at higher speeds it take a little longer for the sonar to sound the warning.

My friend back his F350's bumper into a tree while parking his large 5th wheel trailer. He was going slow and just pushed the bumper in a little. But, the tree did stop the whole rig.

Good luck, I bet you never do it again. you know the saying "there are those that have and those that will"

cneary812 · 10-04-2006, 01:23 PM

ouch!! maybe you should tell your insurance company that the pole rear-ended you and so therefore it is the poles fault.

I like the rear sonar but I don't rely on it totally. I think that the more bells and whistles we get the more we rely on them and then take for granted the fact that there are 2 things on the side of the doors that magically show things behind us!

I find that if I am not going very very slow then mine is slow to react.

TCW · 10-04-2006, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cneary812

ouch!! maybe you should tell your insurance company that the pole rear-ended you and so therefore it is the poles fault.

I like the rear sonar but I don't rely on it totally. I think that the more bells and whistles we get the more we rely on them and then take for granted the fact that there are 2 things on the side of the doors that magically show things behind us!

I find that if I am not going very very slow then mine is slow to react.

I agree. Over the past 2 years I definitely became a little too dependent on the sonar. It won't happen again.