Parking Sensor Loom?

[Toonami]

Hi all, I've been doing some work on my car and found this wiring underneath the rear of the car.  I don't currently have parking sensors but was wondering if this is part of the wiring for them.  If so, can I just buy a set of sensors/loom and attach it to this socket?  Or do I need to do anything else?

[Captain Haddock]

Having had the rear bumper cover off my car at the weekend to cure some rattling and leaking vents then if your picture is of the O/S Rear of the car then that might be the connector (it is on my Titanium-X), but it may also be a connector ready for a tow bar.  It's too dark now to go out and have a real shufty at the cable colours, but the wiring diagram shows the following present in the parking sensor connector :- Blue+White, Yellow+Green, Green+White, White+Orange, Yelowl+Grey, Yellow+Orange.
 

Aside from enabling Rear Parking Distance via the OBD port using an ODB adaptor and the relevant software (e.g. FoCCCus or Ford IDS) there are quite a number of parts required.  On a Mk3 the ODB port is by the hinge of the small pocket in front of the driver's right knee and after opening it squeeze the two side in near the top to release it so you can detach the pocket.

 

What follows is for genuine Ford parts, but you'll probably find it much, much cheaper to get an after-market kit and trigger it off the reverse bulb in the rear light cluster (I used this kit with my Mk2.5 and the bleeper was suitably annoying when obstructions were present).

This Europe, Focus CB8 2011-, 4 Electrical, 41313 Electrical.Parking Distance Control, 4131305B Parking Distance Control will show you the breakdown of the rear bumper area.

 

Parts required (you'll have to dig down amongst the list below the picture for each part number) :-

• 2 Inner brackets (ref. 15K861B); in the region of £10 each
• 2 Outer brackets (ref. 15K861A); in the region of £10 each
• 4 sensors (ref. 15K859); in the region of £30 each
• Bumper cover wiring loom (ref. 15B484); in the region of £35 ?? (too many to choose from)
• Parking Aid Control Module (ref. 15K866); in the region of £80
• Some (really) sticky backed wiring clips to secure the loom to the bumper.
• A suitable sized hole cutter; I'm not sure if the bumper cover has pre-marked positions like the Mk2.5 was.
• Primer and matching body colour paint to colour the brackets as they don't come pre-coloured.

As your profile shows 'Zetec' then there aresome other possible stumbling blocks I can think of :-

• Check behind the O/S Rear wheel arch trim below the rear light cluster to see if you've got the connectors (three or four I think) for the module; if present they'll be wrapped/taped up to the loom in that area.
• Whether your car has a Rear fusebox (5A fuse 30 for the Parking Aid Module) mounted behind N/S Rear wheel arch (there's rectangular access hatch low down beneath the rear light cluster hatch).
• The head unit (radio + display) as these produce the warning bleeps, reduce the radio volume and show the approximate positions of any obstructions in range; all controlled via CANBUS with the Ford module.
• There's also a switch to turn off the parking aid in front of the gear lever; 3rd from the left in the right bank.
  A Zetec without Start/Stop may not have this switch bank at all or may only have the Start/Stop disablement switch.
  Naturally you'll need to discover if your car has the necessary bit of main loom present for this switch bank (I can't find it in the wiring diagram).

After typing that lot on reflection I think it'll probably be simpler (and cheaper) to get an after market kit.

Hope that helped.

[Toonami]

Hi Captain Haddock,

Thanks for the detailed response.  Yes, this was underneath the O/S/R of the car (had the bumper off sealing the vents too:-)).  I was hoping if it was this I would be able to get a second hand loom & sensors and just plug and play (with some hole drilling and wire sticking).

I've installed a similar kit to yours on my wifes Kia Picanto a few years ago and have been thinking of buying one for my car but would prefer if the was part of radio display as you describe above.

I'll have a think and keep looking.  If I do get another kit I think I might splash out on front sensors to.