Get to your PDC unit (water issue)

[space]

Update just checked had front bumper off and loom was damaged! with broken wires, repaired it but still not working!

Update 2! 3 of my front sensors are now clicking! and front right is not hopefully found my problem as it has a crack in it!

[floydroid]

Will Carly pro be able to diagnose which parking sensor is faulty, or indeed be able to diagnose the problem at all?

[floydroid]

Also, I found the second fuse! Darh! All good though.

If Carly can't diagnose the issue (see question above) it could be the HU coding issue???

[space]

Update just checked had front bumper off and loom was damaged! with broken wires, repaired it but still not working!

Update 2! 3 of my front sensors are now clicking! and front right is not hopefully found my problem as it has a crack in it!

Sorted mine! it was the dodgy sensor!!

[floydroid]

useful thread but still havent fixed my issue

My 120d parking sensor errors on the dash and light flashes on the button when I engage reverse. I checked my PDC and was dry but still ordered a new one from ebay that apparently is perfect, the model numbers match perfectly and came from the same 120d as mine.

Plugged in tonight still no luck exactly the same issue.

Any ideas what to test next? I have also listen for the clicking noise on the sensors from the bumper but cant hear anything at all, also I have checked both fuses and both are fine

What next.....????
thanks in advance

Snap. I bought a brand new PDC unit from Cotswold BMW but it didn't fix it. Checked one 5A fuse (behind glove compartment) and it was OK - where is the other? I cleaned all the sensors carefully and then removed the rear bumper and checked and cleaned all the connections. Still nothing.

Strange thing is that sometimes they work for a few seconds before failure and this is why I doubted the fuse.

I've not tried to listen for clicking yet. I'm buying Carly to see if it can help identify the error.

Success! Parking sensor system working and no more 'Christmas Tree' warning. I bought a second hand sensor and started replacing each one in a process of elimination. It worked at the third sensor.

So, now that I don't need my brand new Cotswold BMW supplied PDC unit - who wants to make me an offer for it???

[wafu702]

Hi all - thanks for an extremely useful forum. The parking sensors on my 118d (2010) went wibble a few weeks ago and thanks to this discussion I've found the water issue and a frazzled PDC unit. The bottom 1cm of the circuit board was damaged. I just wanted to let people know an alternative to getting robbed by Main Dealers or buying a potentially dodgy used PDC on eBay. Instead, I sent mine to a place in Sheffield called Nova Electronics and they've managed to repair the board and post it back to me for £55 all-in. I just plugged it back in to check and it works perfectly. I haven't fixed the water issue yet though.... a job for the weekend.

Their website is here: www.nova-electronics.co.uk

The service was superb!

Thanks again for the great post Lee.

[mar27]

Thanks all for the helpful posts in this forum.
The parking sensors on my 118d hadn't worked since I bought the car 3 years ago, just had the error light on the dash and I've just got round to fixing it.
I initially thought it may be the water issue but on inspecting the PDC module it was bone dry and apart from slight corrosion on 2 pins, it looked fine but I stuck it in rice for a few days anyway. When I put it back in the car it still didn't work.
Next I bought a 2nd hand PDC with the same part number off eBay but it still didn't work.
I then decided to read through the forum properly and saw that I should check that all sensors make a clicking noise when the car in reverse (turn the battery on but not the engine). One of the sensors didn't make any sound and after checking it wasn't the wiring I bought another sensor of ebay. It took 1 minutes to fit, I didn't need to remove the bumper or even jack up the car. Now parking sensors work properly, and my original PDC was fine .
Thanks guys.

[babybmwadmin]

Old images restored now.

[Dave 77]

Stupid question but does the PDC unit control parking sensors

[Nottsknots]

Stupid question but does the PDC unit control parking sensors

Yep. PDC module = Park Distance Control module. It does prety much everything associated with the parking sensors:
- it generates the voltages that drive the sensors.
- it processes the return signals from the sensors, to determine the distance each sensor is detecting (on some models, the distance is displayed, or at least an indication of distance (near, nearer, stop you blithering idoit you're about to hit it).
- it generates the output for the human (either through a little speaker in the back, through the head unit and car speakers, or through screen display for models more posh than mine ).

Sensors themselves do pretty much nothing but chuck out an RF signal (so weak a thick layer of paint will stop it - I kid you not), and detect any reflected back to pass a signal back to the PDC.

[Dave 77]

Needed to order a few BMW parts so thought I'd ask for the fuse that relates to the PDC that I've read people have changed
They've told me there isn't one ?
PDC unit is £146 plus vat which is dear but cheaper than expected

[jay100]

Hi all, new to the forum and thanks for the priceless advice given on this issue. Just bought a 2009 1 series and struggling to sort the factory fit rear sensors (no front sensors). I've been through all pages here and unfortunatley nothing has worked. No damp or signs of moisture when removed, ordered and tried a new unit with the exact same part number which again failed to resolve the issue, no signs of poor wiring, and no fault codes or errors with rear lights. I get no sound whatsoever from inside the car or from any of the 4 rear sensors while in reveerse so I am led to believe it's not sensor related, although it's not looking like a module problem unless I have 2 faulty units or the wrong part number! If anyone has any suggested next steps before I give in and get it to the garage it would be much appreciated!

Jay.

[marco_polo]

Hi all, new to the forum and thanks for the priceless advice given on this issue. Just bought a 2009 1 series and struggling to sort the factory fit rear sensors (no front sensors). I've been through all pages here and unfortunatley nothing has worked. No damp or signs of moisture when removed, ordered and tried a new unit with the exact same part number which again failed to resolve the issue, no signs of poor wiring, and no fault codes or errors with rear lights. I get no sound whatsoever from inside the car or from any of the 4 rear sensors while in reveerse so I am led to believe it's not sensor related, although it's not looking like a module problem unless I have 2 faulty units or the wrong part number! If anyone has any suggested next steps before I give in and get it to the garage it would be much appreciated!

Jay.

Fuse?

If you put your ear up to each sensor, can you hear each clicking?

[jay100]

Hi, no clicking from any sensors and fuses related to pdc seem fine - are there other fuses that would be responsible for the sound? I bought the car 2 weeks back and this was the one thing I forgot to check, hasn't worked since.

[marco_polo]

I'd be checking all the fuses. Make sure none are missing either.