Recent cars all come with an incredible quantity of options, however, due to your budget or the year of your Kia Optima, you may not be sufficiently lucky to have them all. In this article we’re going to help you resolve this issue by explaining how to install parking sensor on my Kia Optima? Indeed, this option is highly practical, especially if you live in the city and have to park on the regular basis in narrow parking areas. To help you out, we’ll first view how parking sensors function, then we’ll look at how to install a parking reverse sensor on a Kia Optima, and to conclude, how much does a parking sensor cost?

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How does parking sensors work on an Kia Optima?

So we start with the functioning of a parking sensor. As we revealed to you in the introduction, this particularl interesting option allows you to know the distance between the back of your Kia Optima and an obstacle when you maneuver. It is as a result especially good for people who have to maneuver frequently, whose field of vision is awful, or whose car size is large.
Frequently installed as standard, the reverse sensors of a Kia Optima incorporate a set of sensors (minimum 4) that will be activated with reverse gear and will locate obstacles in the vicinity. The technology used is ultrasounds, which will send a signal that will bounce off the obstacle and be returned to the sensor. A computer will examine the duration of this journey and estimate the distance between the obstacle and the radar. Generally you will have a sound indicator in the cabin which will enhance in intensity with the proximity of the obstacle and sometimes a visual indicator in complement. The reversing radars of a Kia Optima will help you for parking, but as well for safety and keeping away from pedestrians.

How to install parking sensors on a Kia Optima?

We now go forward to the section that you are almost certainly most intrigued by, installing reverse parking sensors on a Kia Optima. This section is for you if you don’t have a standard reserve sensor set up and you still wish to benefit of this technology, or if you have to replace a damaged one. You are fortunate people, it is possible to buy automotive aftermarket parking sensors to install yourself on your Kia Optima.

How to change a defective backup sensors on a Kia Optima

First we’ll see how to change a defective parking sensor on an Kia Optima. If it turns out your Kia Optima has suffered a rear shock and one of the sensors of your reversing radar has been damaged, it will have to be replaced to let the system to function properly. Luckily for you this operation is really simple, you can even make it out yourself without any particular mechanical skill:

  • Get a replacing radar of the manufacturer’s brand name.
  • Unplug the old backup sensor from the back of the bumper.
  • Take off the broken parking sensor from your Kia Optima, this step is very intuitive, it is just clipped on.
  • Fit the new sensor and connect it.
  • All you’ll have to do is test it to make sure it’s operating properly.
  • How to install an aftermarket parking sensor kit on an Kia Optima

    Now we advance to the section you’re quite likely most intrigued by, how to install a reverse sensor set up on a Kia Optima that doesn’t have one? As we mentioned early on, you’re lucky because many of OEMs now deal automotive aftermarket backup radar models. But, the best performing and least fragile models will be models that fit into your bumper. We will focus on these models in this part. It is imperative to have some notions in electricity, and some notions in do-it-yourself to contemplate the fitting up of the kit. You will certainly have to remove the bumper of your Kia Optima for the installation, do not hesitate to consult our article content on this subject matter to learn the method to follow. If you don’t feel like it, you can call a workshop, the task should take him between 1 and 2 hours, and for you around 3 hours.

    • You will just need to stick to the installation recommendations, but we summarize here the main procedures.
    • Take off the bumper if you don’t have access to the inside of it.
    • Think about the ideal placement of the sensors to avoid blind spots, using the supplied drill bell, drill your bumper.
    • Place your various sensors.
    • Route the cables to the headlamp unit that contains your reverse light.
    • Get the current from the wires to connect your parking sensors to this one.
    • Try it out all out.
    • Install a parking sensor without drilling on a Kia Optima

      And to conclude, we will now present you the installation of a drill-free parking sensors system on a Kia Optima. There are two sort, the ultrasounds more weak because exposed to the shocks, and the electromagnetics which stick in back of the bumper and which are thus protected, it does not affect your bumper and will thus be easy to remove. This kind of radar sticks on the bumper. The installation of these types of sensors will be similar.

      • Adhere to the installation guidebook which is accessible with some electrical knowledges.
      • Find the ideal sensor position, either behind the bumper for the electromagnetic reversing sensor(adhesive tape) and or the different spots of the ultrasonic sensors.
      • Glue them together and connect them using the box provided.
      • Test it all out.
      • What’s the price of parking sensors for a Kia Optima?

        Price of replacing a defective reversing parking sensor for an Kia Optima

        The replacement of a damaged reversing radar will rely upon the model, but the price will fluctuate between 10 and 30 euros per sensor. It is essential to count about one hundred euros for the installation of the kit by a workshop.

        Price of an ultrasonic parking sensors with drilling for Kia Optima

        For the models with holes there are many kits and different brands but you will have to count around 50 euros for a top quality system.

        Price of a parking sensors kit without drilling for a Kia Optima

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        To finish, for the price of a reversing radar without drilling for your Kia Optima, what ever version you select, you will have to pay between 30 and 60 euros.

        If you need more guides on the Kia Optima, go to our Kia Optima category.