Front parking assist sensors?...a cruel joke or?

OK...got the 2019 CM Limited...most of the bells and whistles...check.
Parking assist button pressed in and lit up...check.
These things only seem to work if you are turning/maneuvering in close quarters or at a freaking drive up window at McD's?
What about pulling in at a straight perpendicular angle into other cars in a parking in a lot nose to nose? Nothing, no beeps.....but you inch closer......closer...closer....bump.
FFS Toyota....this is it?
What about the "nifty" front emblem sensor? Is this sensor useless on parking?
Or is there a setting I'm missing?

 

The emblem is for the radar cruise. It will not stop you from bumping things. The bumper sensors up front are angled to the sides to keep you from turning into something you might not be able to see. Not to be an asshole, but hitting a vehicle in front of you as you park is 100% operator error. Could you not see how close you were and realize that there was no warning sound? Okay, maybe it was a bit of an asshole thing, but come on man.

 

OK...was being a bit facetious on my "bump" . In fact I'm too careful.
But to be honest this has always been a pain the ass for me . These and other full size pick ups have huge front ends and it can throw off your depth perception as to how close your inching forward. You park, thinking your close enough....you get out...and you you see your ass end is sticking out into the driving lane and that you were still 2 ft away from the other vehicle's nose end.
A buddy has a newer RAM 1500 and this thing has a sensors all over the front that help out in these close quarters situations.

 

I agree with both sides of the argument. To overcome the issue. I bought and installed a Forward Facing Camera. Problem solved. Very to do.

 

I should have picked up on that. Finishing up my 7th 12 hour shift so my brain is goo.

I've just kind of gotten used to the dimensions and also how big the spots are and my regular places. I can pop up the reverse camera and have an idea of where my front is based on where the lines on the side of the space are at. I just have to be very aware of how far into or out of my space part of the other vehicle are poking when I am pulling in. Hate to pull into a tow hitch or something.

 

I have this exact issue on my Sequoia when I first bought it. I added a front facing camera on the grille to help with that.

 

My SR5 didn't come with any of those fancy bells and whistles ...so I use my eyes and ears

 

I consider myself fortunate NOT to have any of the tech most complain about on my SR5.

 

You should always be backing into spots anyways. Use the rear camera to get as close to the vehicle behind you as possible, plus the rear sensors face directly rearward. Then when you leave, it's a lot easier pulling out into the lane.

 

Surprised my almost 2y old $10 front camera wired to my android HU still works.



If you want a front camera for the stock HU, people seem to like these
https://www.fracv2.com/

 

Yes, that's what I do. My truck is lifted (only 3" but still...) so I can't see much of a small car in front of me when parking nose to nose. Backing in is a lot easier, for multiple reasons.
But, I am thinking about adding a FRAC harness and camera for those times when backing in is not an option.

 

Any vehicle I’ve driven with park sensors, I have found them to be annoying and useless.

And I am a fan of tech.

Normally, they just get turned off.

A front facing camera in the grill would be helpful when backing in isn’t an option.

Toyota isn’t the only brand with nearly useless parking sensors...

 

Good info guys.
I am in the market for new head unit so probably do the front face camera add-in while doing all of that.

 

https://youtu.be/03y3v6Fi80g

Enjoy.

 

I find the sensors extremely useful when parking in my garage. Given the tundra fits by a matter of inches, I pull up to the wall until the sensor beep progressively increases until solid with the red line indicator on dash. Perfect spacing every time.

 

Sensors are great to avoid corner barriers and poles, the worse are short ones you can't immediately see. I do prefer the visual provided by cams if I'm parking to almost contact.

 

I remember when I first lifted my 2018 it took getting use to. My daughter snuck out on time as I was leaving. She was 7, but I didn’t even know she was standing right in front of my truck while I was getting ready to leave. Luckily I saw my wife run out from my rear view mirror so I waited a second to see what she needed. I counted my blessings there.

 

Tape some plow stakes to the corners and do some close-quarter maneuvering to figure out where the front of your truck is.. Laugh if you will, it helps.
I had to do it driving an F350 at work because I was towing a 40' trailer with zero friggin clearance to back it into the garage. Jack knifed it to get the boat into the station, freaked out because I thought it was close, had like 3' to go in the front and plenty of room. Chief taped the plow stakes on and i figured it out, tadaa..

 

This is my third Tundra (one each Gen) and I am used to it. I also cheat and use my front camera when in doubt

 

FlyingWolfe, thanks for your service. Im retired from FD many years ago when rescue trucks started getting BIG I trained several people who were afraid of hitting objects by tapping wooden dowels to the front corner of the bumper so they can gauge distance they thought I was NUTS but it worked for them, my son also a coastie has to load many items into a 144 he's master backing and judging using the same procedure cameras are nice but not necessary.

 

Cameras are not necessary but when you are climbing over a hill obstacle in Moab for instance and never been there before, I like to see where I am going when all I can see are clouds. Putting it in park, climbing out of a door that is closing on me to walk 2 steps to see where I am going is not the best use of time on a trail

 

azTony, for that purpose I agree its better than getting in and out, but for parking not so much. anyhow the biggest hill where I live is a speed bump. LOL

 

I was "trailer qualified" in the CG meaning I was the go-to boatie driver person. Went to special training for it. Had the F350 with the 25'RBS on the triple-axle giant assed trailer with 6" of clearance on each side and a hangar in the way when backing into the garage. I got good at it, and the plow stakes helped a ton. I did it with my Silverado work truck as well.
My husband hops out and gives me the trucks whenever we have to back the camper or tractor into any tight spots. And I can field-strip the shit out of an M-16. At least the military was good for something.

 

Cameras and sensors have only been around for what maybe 10 years? Really took off around 2013 ish.. Point being people have been driving for what couple hundred years now? Think of all those huge boats of the 50-70s somehow everyone managed .. Don't get me wrong I love having a camera to back up. But sensors and 360 view basically, the car drives itself in an attempt to be idiot proof. Sure it's safer but when you have all these little things basically driving for you I feel things like turning your head to check the lane or depth perception skills, the ability to be aware of your surroundings and manuver goes out the window because hey, the car will do it for you.. Untill it doesn't.. Call me old school but I feel like a lot of these things lead to more complacent, carless, unskilled drivers on the road .. Nothing against folks who like an utilize this stuff but when I see complaints it rubs me the wrong way. I am generalizing of course IMO. nothing personal against OP or people who think they are great..

 

This is the exact reason I built the first FRAC harness. And as it turns out, thousands of other Tundra owners have had the same exact complaint. So I’ve had to build a few more harnesses over the last 4 years.

 

People might not know this, but all depth perception is not equal in all humans. Myself included. That doesn’t stop me from turning my head to look for people in my blind spot, but it does mean I need the parking sensors and backup camera. I drove smaller vehicles all my life til I got this truck. I absolutely love everything about it. But I use the parking sensors all the time.

 

That’s not an option for people that actually use the bed

 

I need to do the FRAC mod. I swear parking lots of new construction have gotten smaller and several parking garages around me do not allow you to back in and those garages are tiny.

 

They have gotten smaller , so have vehicles except trucks . When all cars were boats the parking spaces were a lot bigger .