Painting Reverse Sensors

[SMIT]

Hey guys,

Now Ive gotten some reverse sensors, i've installed them many times before but have never painted them myself. Does anyone have and tips or pointers on how to do it?

I have already gotten a pressure pack of the paint matched up (acrylic) and a clear coat.

So i know you cant use 2PAC, i don't know why.
I was told i should spray on a clear coat. Do i really have to do this? if so how many coats?
Someone told me you cant use mettalic paint on reverse sensors???
How many coats of acrylic should i use be for the clean coat?
Anything else anyone can suggest?

BTW its for a 04' VZ Commdore painting in martini grey, paint code i think was 703H.

Thanks for you help in advance

[SMIT]

bumpage......

[Calaber]

Hi Smit

I purchased the factory reverse sensor kit (in Martini) and they pre-paint the sensors to match the colour of the car. However, the coverage is thin and I have seen it in print somewhere that the sensors should not be painted too heaviliy. Mine are definitely painted in the correct colour and it's the same as yours. Any metallic fleck in the paint has no effect on the way the sensors operate.

I would give the sensors a light coating of plastic primer, a couple of light coats of colour and perhaps one coat of clear. That would be about as thin as you could paint them yet still ensure adequate colour depth.

[danja]

According to Holden:

Sensor assemblies are supplied pre-painted. Do not apply further paint to the sensor, as it will have a detrimental effect on the operation of the rear object sensor assemblies.

Paint must not be applied to any part of the sensor, including the exposed coloured surface. Pain film applied to the exposed surface will render the sensor inoperable as the paint film restricts the sensor's ultra-sonic signal. If a sensor is damaged it must be replaced.

I'd expect that metallic paint would have an even greater effect on the ultra-sonic singnal, possibly Holden use a different paint formulation when painting the sensors?

[Calaber]

According to Holden:



I'd expect that metallic paint would have an even greater effect on the ultra-sonic singnal, possibly Holden use a different paint formulation when painting the sensors?

Hi Danja

I knew about that instruction. I was working on the assumption that, as he asked how to paint them, he was using non-standard sensors which aren't pre-painted.

When I look closely at the sensors on my car, they are clearly painted in the metallic Martini.

[ScoHar]

can you pull apart the sensors easily? if it were me and you could I would try take out the working bits and paint the plastic, although if they don't come apart (which they prob don't) I wouldn't paint them.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Painting them has no effect on them. They will work through the paint. When I was selling cars we fitted heaps of them and getting them colour coded. The painter just painted them the way they would normally paint anything.

[fabz]

Toyota had a massive recall on painted sensors for some of the new cars. Whole issue was with the paint being to thick so "Not_a_abba_fan" your 100% wrong sorry.

[danja]

Hi Danja

I knew about that instruction. I was working on the assumption that, as he asked how to paint them, he was using non-standard sensors which aren't pre-painted.

When I look closely at the sensors on my car, they are clearly painted in the metallic Martini.

Not sure what the recommendations are on non-painted sensors, obviously the same principles apply as to the genuine ones.

With regard to your sensors being metallic, what I meant was it's possible Holden use a paint formula which is visually the same as the rest of your car, but might be chemically or otherwise different so as to produce less interference for the sensors.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Toyota had a massive recall on painted sensors for some of the new cars. Whole issue was with the paint being to thick so "Not_a_abba_fan" your 100% wrong sorry.

We never had an issue with any after market sensor that was painted. Where is the Toyota recall document? The only problem I was aware of with Toyota's were an after market tow hitch that stuck up too high and interfered with the signal. There was also an issue with reverse sensors fitted to Fords that didn't have the deactivation switch wired into the trailer plug so they were continually going off if you reversed with a trailer.

[SMIT]

bumpage.....

[Calaber]

bumpage.....

Hi S mit

Not sure why you have bumped this one up - I thought your question had been answered.

[SMIT]

Hi S mit

Not sure why you have bumped this one up - I thought your question had been answered.

Firstly thanks for everyone who had gave their input. I also rang around a few specialty car audio places and asked how they painted them, some send their sensors to the panel beaters for painting. Others suggested this method:

1. Wax & Grease remover to prep the sensors.
2. 2 coats of paint
3. 1 Coat of Clear

So i used that method and they came out perfect, i installed today and they were perfectly.

Calabar:
It had, but everyone seemed to have slightly different views on how to do it, and i didn't wanna paint them and then drill the holes then find out that they didn't work/give false readings...

Cheers guys