Collision Sensor Disabled

[Greg2013SHO]

I’ve been getting warnings about my collision sensor being blocked so was not functioning for the adaptive cruise control. I read up how to over-ride it for the simple cruise control. At first the problem cleared up with a vehicle restart. But then it became more common, soon not resolvable by any method. I did the searches. Supposedly the sensor is located behind the front grill on the driver’s side. I played the videos for specifics. Some suggested that the part had become dislodged so needed re-affixing. Try as I might I couldn’t locate it, either above or below the bumper. Is there some quirk for my 2013 SHO? If I can’t solve it myself I’ll bring the car into a shop (a local indie, not a dealer!).

 

[802SHO]

On the 10-12’s it’s under the front reinforcement bar, on the driver side.

 

[Greg2013SHO]

Do I have to remove a panel to reveal it? If so, what's the safest way to do it? Can I pry it off with a screwdriver? Where do I start? Thanks.

 

[Greg2013SHO]

I've done some searching online. It seems to be a serious job removing the front reinforcement bar. Jacks and wrenches. Is this true? There's some plastic covering the area in question. I was hoping to pop it off and see the sensor easily.

 

[802SHO]

You should be able to get to it easily after removing the front bumper. It’s bolted to the reinforcement bar, you just need to remove the bracket and disconnect the wiring harness.

 

[Greg2013SHO]

Thanks for the follow-up. I appreciate it. How much trouble is it to remove the front bumper? I was hoping for a reach-around.

 

[Lowrider1976]

Thanks for the follow-up. I appreciate it. How much trouble is it to remove the front bumper? I was hoping for a reach-around.

Aren't we all? We can't say fl an ge but reach-around yeah no problem lol.

Ok seriously it's a bit of effort but it's not that difficult. Don't forget to unplug the lights and reconnect when you reinstall it. The toughest part are the clips in the wheel well that tend to need replacement. It's a little flimsy when disconnected and may be easier with a second set of hands

 

[802SHO]

"How-To" Remove (2010-12) SHO Front Bumper.....

"How-To" Remove (2010-12) SHO Front Bumper.....

www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com

 

[Greg2013SHO]

Yep, that's what I found from my own searches. At my age and situation I'll let someone else do it. Your advice gave me what I needed: confirmation of effort. At least I know what to expect from the indie. Many thanks.

 

[Greg2013SHO]

And I'm glad you picked up on the joke.

 

[Greg2013SHO]

I took the car to an indie. The sensor had become dislodged from its bracket so was looking at the back of the bumper rather than down the road. Probably some minor impact was sufficient for the jostling. They put it back in its bracket and secured it further with zip ties. Should be OK for a long time.

They charged an hour and a half of labor. Yes, it had to go on a lift. So my question is: does the removal and replacement of the front bumper take that long?


It works fine now. I can make the next long drive safely. And they offered shuttle service so I could wait at home. Expensive repair for a simple matter. It made my life easier. But should I be wary of this shop?

 

[802SHO]

I took the car to an indie. The sensor had become dislodged from its bracket so was looking at the back of the bumper rather than down the road. Probably some minor impact was sufficient for the jostling. They put it back in its bracket and secured it further with zip ties. Should be OK for a long time.

They charged an hour and a half of labor. Yes, it had to go on a lift. So my question is: does the removal and replacement of the front bumper take that long?


It works fine now. I can make the next long drive safely. And they offered shuttle service so I could wait at home. Expensive repair for a simple matter. It made my life easier. But should I be wary of this shop?

Front bumper removal is 15 min

 

[Greg2013SHO]

Yep, that's what I figured. The shop has some bad reviews online but a guy there in 2013 did me some favors with a problem starter on my 1989 SHO so I went back. He's been gone for 6 years. Maybe this new crew has diff priorities. Thanks.

 

[Ta2dResqr]

I took the car to an indie. The sensor had become dislodged from its bracket so was looking at the back of the bumper rather than down the road. Probably some minor impact was sufficient for the jostling. They put it back in its bracket and secured it further with zip ties. Should be OK for a long time.

They charged an hour and a half of labor. Yes, it had to go on a lift. So my question is: does the removal and replacement of the front bumper take that long?


It works fine now. I can make the next long drive safely. And they offered shuttle service so I could wait at home. Expensive repair for a simple matter. It made my life easier. But should I be wary of this shop?

Sensor R&R is 0.3 hours. Technically it should go through the calibration procedure. That calls for 1.0 hours labor. If they do not have a Ford Scan tool or ForScan, I am not sure if they can do that. I have not bought a Snap-On (or similar) diagnostic tool in about 15 years. Usually tests and calibrations like that are specific to manufacturer tools. Long story short, if they did a complete job as recommended, 1.5 hours is about right.

 

[Greg2013SHO]

Sensor R&R is 0.3 hours. Technically it should go through the calibration procedure. That calls for 1.0 hours labor. If they do not have a Ford Scan tool or ForScan, I am not sure if they can do that. I have not bought a Snap-On (or similar) diagnostic tool in about 15 years. Usually tests and calibrations like that are specific to manufacturer tools. Long story short, if they did a complete job as recommended, 1.5 hours is about right.

Thanks for the info. I'll see them today and ask. The guy mentioned only reseating the sensor, no calibration process. Given the detail of my questions I think he would have explained if they did.

 

[Ta2dResqr]

Thanks for the info. I'll see them today and ask. The guy mentioned only reseating the sensor, no calibration process. Given the detail of my questions I think he would have explained if they did.

Just FYI. Installing requires a vertical adjustment. Then the horizontal adjustment is done in the software. The wheel alignment (including ride height) should be checked prior to adjustment. The vertical adjustment should be done on a level alignment rack. Part of the horizontal adjustment involves a road test.

 

[Greg2013SHO]

Just FYI. Installing requires a vertical adjustment. Then the horizontal adjustment is done in the software. The wheel alignment (including ride height) should be checked prior to adjustment. The vertical adjustment should be done on a level alignment rack. Part of the horizontal adjustment involves a road test.

If the sensor was calibrated originally wouldn’t it still be functional even if jostled out of the mounting bracket, without a new calibration? He mentioned that it was a line-of-sight radar that needed to see thru the slot in the bumper. So there was SOME attention to device alignment. It seems to work on the back roads. I have yet to try it on the highway.

 

[Ta2dResqr]

If the sensor was calibrated originally wouldn’t it still be functional even if jostled out of the mounting bracket, without a new calibration? He mentioned that it was a line-of-sight radar that needed to see thru the slot in the bumper. So there was SOME attention to device alignment. It seems to work on the back roads. I have yet to try it on the highway.

It is not a calibration in the sense of a blank module being programmed with a software. It is a calibration more like sighting in a gun, setting up a camera, aiming headlights, etc. The system is highly critical of little nuances. For example, there are 24 separate PIDs that will deactivate the system. It is not simply a brake switch and cancel button. The system takes into account many things. Just like if the windshield is replaced, the camera needs calibrated (or aligned). If the radar sensor is moved in any way, it is supposed to be re-calibrated. Does this always happen? No. Is it gonna cause an issue? Maybe, maybe not. No way to know until it is to late if it is not tracking properly or if it is not providing brake commands in time. This is also part of the system used for the Collision Warning with Brake Support system (flashing red light on the dash and brake assist). That being said, based on the fact that you were charged 1.5 hours, the only way I can say that is a justified charge is if the sensor was removed, replaced, adjusted, and calibrated. According to the labor manual, simply removing and replacing the sensor only calls for 0.3 hours and would mean you were overcharged 500% (not accounting for any policies of labor minimum that most shops have.

 

[Greg2013SHO]

It is not a calibration in the sense of a blank module being programmed with a software. It is a calibration more like sighting in a gun, setting up a camera, aiming headlights, etc. The system is highly critical of little nuances. For example, there are 24 separate PIDs that will deactivate the system. It is not simply a brake switch and cancel button. The system takes into account many things. Just like if the windshield is replaced, the camera needs calibrated (or aligned). If the radar sensor is moved in any way, it is supposed to be re-calibrated. Does this always happen? No. Is it gonna cause an issue? Maybe, maybe not. No way to know until it is to late if it is not tracking properly or if it is not providing brake commands in time. This is also part of the system used for the Collision Warning with Brake Support system (flashing red light on the dash and brake assist). That being said, based on the fact that you were charged 1.5 hours, the only way I can say that is a justified charge is if the sensor was removed, replaced, adjusted, and calibrated. According to the labor manual, simply removing and replacing the sensor only calls for 0.3 hours and would mean you were overcharged 500% (not accounting for any policies of labor minimum that most shops have.

Thanks for all the detail. Because the matter was yet to be resolved in this exchange I postponed seeing the shop. Rather I took the car out on the highway. Seemed to work fine for adaptive cruise control. At all 4 gap settings. The car slowed when approaching a car at a lower speed. When I passed him it resumed the selected speed. All very smoothly. Now that I have your clarification I can go to see him tomorrow and ask all the questions. Much appreciated!