jakenbake

I am wanting to install front parking sensors on my 2006...However I want them to work like factory sensors and only turn on if I am below a certain speed (say 5 MPH). Is there a wire in the car that will only show positive or negative at slow speed? Maybe I could somehow tap it to the headlights since the AFS only operates with speed? Or the VSS? Any ideas and solutions would be appreciated.

spacecraft

Do you mean factory sensors in general?
Afaik, they were not available as a factory option, on 2nd gen RX.

draco

What I saw in a Toyota Kluger that a friend bought (though you guys might call it a Toyota Highlander, was that there was a switch that you would press to turn on/off when parking. I personally would find it annoying in stop start traffic that the thing would beep every time. Note I have been interested in doing this to my car as well.

jakenbake

@spacecraft - They actually were offered as a factory option on the second gen RX...Just not in the USA. And I don't want the factory sensors, that would be too expensive to install. I want to know how the speed wire works so that I can install aftermarket sensors but have them act like the factory sensors would work.

@draco - the front sensors don't beep at as far of distance as the rear sensors do...The front sensors only start beeping about a foot away from the object it detects. So even in stop and go traffic it would not beep unless you are really REALLY tailing someone.

spacecraft

Actually, I can confirm you that also here (in Europe) they were not available.
Some 2nd gen RX were indeed delivered with the parking sensors, but it was a dealer installation, not a factory option.
I'm not 100% sure about how the integration (if any) with the rest of the onboard electric system worked, but I suspect they just placed a beeper somewhere, as you would do with any aftermarket equipment....
Not a clue about other markets, like Japan etc.

pauljcl

I had rear parking sensors installed on my RX350, but recommended the installer to a friend who installed front and rear sensors on his SL550. I also have both front and rear on my BMW335i. As mentioned by a responder to your post, the front sensors are a lot less sensitive than the rear, which makes sense. In fact, it is very rare that they do beep other than when parking close.
I had my parking sensors installed by a car radio/alarm shop. I am sure you can swing by any such shop in your area and get all the info. you might want directly. Good luck!

jakenbake

OK...Maybe I should be more clear.

Is there a wire that will show ground or positive at slow speeds?

That is really the question I am getting at.

alex1372

Connect it to your brake lights same idea as rear sensors - regardless of the speed you'll activate your sensors by pressing brake pedal - when something is detected it will beep. That's how I have it on mine

jakenbake

A little update. I was just looking at Cobra's website again, since they make the only parking sensors I have found that work like and work as well as OEM sensors. They modified their parking sensors to be speed sensing for automatic activation/deactivation. YAY!