This is a huge problem for me ...

I have absolutely no idea where the rear of my TL is when I'm backing up. I'm getting extremely paranoid while driving in reverse. I know that it's just a matter of time before I dent my rear. Or much worse - hit a person / animal.

I've never had this problem in any other car I've owned.

I'm considering what to do:

1) Back-up sensors: Do they work well? Can I easily install them myself?

2) Add a rear-camera mod to Navi system. That would probably be perfect to avoid hitting stationary objects, but not anything that moves into my rear area from the sides. (probably the same limitation on the back-up sensors, now that I think of it)

3) Adding 5-feet tall fibreglass rally flags to the rear corners of the car.

Any other thoughts? What has worked best for you?

 

Well, it's usually about 7 feet or so behind you......doesn't matter whether you're going forward or backward.


Let the dealer install the backup sensors as it requires removal of the rear bumper and drilling holes in it.
If you never have rear seat passengers, consider removing the rear headrests.

Have a rear deck lid spoiler? If so, get rid of it! Can't understand why anyone would want one on this car given the rear visibility issue.

 

Backup sensors are great. Once installed you don't have to remove anything and you can basically backup with your eyes closed. Sure glad I have them.

 

If you think the TL is bad you ought to drive my Trailblazer.

 

I have the backup sensors dealer installed. I've never done any damage to my cars backing up but I found it difficult to know where my previous TLs back bumper was - where they ended.
With the new TL and backup sensor, that part of parking and backing up has become a non issue. I think they are great.

 

My main problem is the rear quarter panel obstructing my view. I had the same problem with my 95 Accord LX-V6, which is why I was so happy to trade it in on a 96 TL, but now have the problem again. Even with this problem, this TL is worth it and I will just have to overcome my lack of visibility because I love the car so much. Vin 20XXX and no problems yet except of course the tires.

 

Where did you get the sensors?

 

I found the rear visibility difficult when I first got the car too. Now that I'm acclimated to it, I'm perfectly comfortable with it.

Mike

 

mee too. I just have to use my mirrors right. Sometimes I turn my head to look.

Its not a problem since I leave all things behind me.......i just look to the front.

 

How much did you pay for sensors installed?

I would assume the Lip would aid in visibility. Pops up to show where the trunk ends, but does not hinder view

 

My opinion:

Don't do the dealer-installed back-up sensors (possibly unless you have a black TL). They drill 5 holes in the bumper and it looks horrible. I understand that there are 3rd party solutions that are much less invasive.

That's all I know... which admittedly isn't much.

Jon

 

anypne got those 3rd party options, do tell

I would love the backup camera

 

I was thinking the same thing. Does anyone with a lip (or a wing) agree?

 

I've got the backup sensor. There's actually 4 holes, not 5 (kinda like that Trek episode... "THERE! ARE! FOUR! LIGHTS!!!"... but I digress). :p

The 2 on the corners aren't that visible, because they've got some kind of covers inside the little rings around the edges. The 2 in the middle, though, have no covers and are kinda deep. They would be pretty visible if my car were a light color.

I agree that they'd look best on a black TL. Mine is abyss blue, so they blend in pretty well. Just don't do it on a white one - they'd stick out like a sore thumb.

And it does work great... now. I posted about this earlier - went to Sussman Acura in Jenkintown, PA, and they messed up the installation at first (apparently, it was the first one they'd done... great!). Somehow the trunk lid was interfering with it, so that it worked until the first time you opened the trunk, then it didn't work, and the trunk lid was slightly mis-aligned.

They fixed it, though, and all is well now. Very useful feature. Just don't get it from Sussman...

 

who cares what they look like as long as they work? thats asinine. how much does a wrecked bumper cost and how much better does the bill for it look compared with the sensors? mine is wdp and I am very glad I had them installed. rear visablity is bad. and by the way they work well on the quarter panels too as I had a close call in a shopping center lot. and I am coming from an suv which was easy to see out of compared to the tl.

 

Mine car is black so they look fine. I saw them on a white caddy the other day - looked ok to me

 

Dealer installed them

I guess they are about $600 ( I paid more in Canadian)

 

I thought the back up sensors were body coloured? Am I wrong?

 

I do agree...the accessory is much cheaper (and better looking IMHO) than the backup sensors, yet gives you a pretty good idea about exactly where the back end of the car is. The wing is especially helpful on our car since the end of the trunk lid is only about 6 inches in from the end of the car, so it is a clear indication of the location of the back bumper.

Personally, after driving it a bit, I stopped having trouble figuring out where the back end of the car was after I realized that the car is a couple of inches shorter than my CL was. The TL is not a particularly long car (though the interior space is expansive), so once you are used to it, parallel parking and the like become easy.

 

They are body colored, but the 2 middle ones don't have covers, and the holes go kind of deep, so the holes themselves show up as dark spots on a light-colored car.

 

Can somebody w/ a lip spoiler sit in the drivers seat and take a pic looking out the rear window please. From normal height as you would see it. Thanks, would be very helpful

 

I don't have my TL yet, but my Accord has poor visibility out the rear too. Also I can only see over the nose in front if I raise my seat as high as it goes (I'm 5'5").

I've learned to rely on the side mirrors. I angle the mirrors so I can see the tip of the rear end on each side. I also found by driving the car I've developed a sense of where it ends and the car behind me begins. Most of my driving is on highways anyway so I don't do much in reverse.

 

In this spote ute world (my wife drives one) I have become adept at using side view mirrors

 

Can someone with a non-black (mine's Anthricie) post pics of the backup sensors from the rear? This thread is making me think about getting them.

 

Woodstock

You can see a sensored silver rear-end at the Acura.com website by going to Acura.com, then TL, then "build", then "exterior" options, then "back-up sensors". Hope this helps.

 

Is there a black ring between the outside sensors and the bumper? This ring is like a washer the diameter of the sensor.

 

I can do it tomorrow, but how to post given that the galleries are down?

 

You can just e-mail it to me for my personal enjoyment

 

Since my new Tl is shorter than my old 2002 TL, backing up is not a problem - I just sort of develop a feel for it.