Need to flog car. There’s a dodgy reversing sensor which works when it’s been dry for a week or so but stops as soon as it rains. In order to get at sensor, rear bumper needs to be removed. Gah! I need to supply the mechanic with a colour matched sensor so that he can either fix the broken one (maybe just some loose sleeving allowing moisture in or something) or replace it. The main cost of the job is in removing the bumper.

I’d just whack a black one in there but that won’t exactly help to sell the car. Anyone got any experience of getting a colour matched replacement?

[And yes flashy, in this case a heated sensor would have been ideal. 🙂 ]

Is that really cost effective? Would need to be a pretty expensive car. I’d sell as is

Replace them all with black?

or, and this is the way I would likely go….

Just don’t give a shit and fire a black one in anyway.

Get the paint code of your car.
Buy a rattle can in correct paint code.
Paint the black sensor the correct colour.

This is what I did with mine.

What car is it and what colour is it

I’d just whack a black one in there but that won’t exactly help to sell the car.

Unless it’s a very swanky car, I’d imagine it’d make the square root of f all difference. Same goes for selling it with the current slightly iffy one. Just sell it in a dry week 🙂

Don’t worry about it, do a ‘sold as seen with trial’ receipt for purchaser.

Dont post about it on the interwebs.

Pop down Halfords get some plastic primer and a rattle can to match and spray it yourself. That’s all colour matched ones are, it shouldn’t effect the sensor.

Sell the car in the dry?

This is surely buyer beware territory.

**everybody makes a note to never buy from db**

Could you respray the car black to match the new sensor?

I could. I’ll get on that right now. 😀

Can you buy pre-coloured ones that are close enough?
Worked for me – although my car is silver so although they’re not a perfect match they are close enough they look original fit unless you look really closely.

😆

Sell the car in the dry?

This is surely buyer beware territory.

**everybody makes a note to never buy from db**

+MOAB

My sensors on the rear do this, and same again it is just too much money to do anything about..

Sell the car in the dry?

This is surely buyer beware territory.

Exactly.

Sell the car in the dry?
This is surely buyer beware territory.

Exactly.[/quote]

Really?

A new sensor head is about £10/£15
Rattle can for £5

If that’s what it needs, my “don’t be a dick” sensor would be ringing if I didn’t just get on with it and fix it before selling.

Invoking “Buyer beware” for things you know about but hide from a buyer is a classic dick move IMO.

The (in)correct term is color-coded, no?

Get some sticky tape of sort of the right colour. Bob’s your uncle.

Who test drives a car in reverse anyway 🙂
Put car on street .. test drive car .. park car on street ! Collect ££

Invoking “Buyer beware” for things you know about but hide from a buyer is a classic dick move IMO

Seller “One of the rear parking sensors can be a bit flakey”
Buyer (probably) “Ok, no problem”

Everyone sleeps at night.

One of the rear parking sensors can be a bit flakey”

It pretty much does not work most of the time. Apart from during the summer if we get a hot dry week. I dunno, maybe my OP wasn’t clear enough about that.

I’d rather have it working than a buyer using it as a reason to knock money off.

Seller “One of the rear parking sensors can be a bit flakey”
Buyer (probably) “Ok, no problem”

Everyone sleeps at night.

Agreed.

But that’s not “Buyer beware”

Thats “Making the buyer aware”

Invoking “Buyer beware” for things you know about but hide from a buyer is a classic dick move IMO.

It may well be, but it’s what I expect when someone’s selling a car. I mean why would anyone sell a perfectly good car? There’s got to be something wrong with it.

Id get colour matched car touchup paint from a dealer/ebay…normally a tenner or so. Then paint the black sensor with that. Let the new owner have the remaining touch up paint when selling the car

I mean why would anyone sell a perfectly good car?

I have sold many cars which were perfectly good. I have also sold many bikes that were perfectly good, many guitars etc,.

Some people just want to change their car for a different one…

A new sensor head is about £10/£15
Rattle can for £5

Hardly break the bank for the buyer, then.

Invoking “Buyer beware” for things you know about but hide from a buyer is a classic dick move IMO.

I wouldn’t necessarily hide it, if asked if there were any known problems I’d tell them. And TBH as a buyer I’d be more reassured if the seller admitted a couple of minor flaws rather than went “nah mate, it’s absolutely perfect.”

I wouldn’t necessarily hide it

So earlier on when someone said “sell the car in the dry” to hide the problem…

And you replied “exactly”

You weren’t actually agreeing with that tactic then? 😐

I wasn’t being entirely serious with that bit, I thought it was funny.

If a buyer wants to knock money off, they’ll give something regardless. A dodgy parking sensor will just distract them from another problem.

Unless it sounds constantly when reversing, I’d just say parking sensors are a bit hit and miss so don’t rely on them! £15 for a new one, labours free if they take the bumper off (can be quite easy, handful of self tappers and a few clips on ours)

Well, thanks for the recommendations everyone. 😀