Xpel front wrap & parking sensor issues

[steinermeister]

I got a wrap installed about a month ago (front bra + rockers) and I had them bra straight over the parking sensors on the front bumper. Since then, the parking sensors have a mind of their own but it's not consistent. One of three things happen each drive:

1) None work
2) Side sensors only work
3) All front sensors work as designed

To make matters more interesting, I can experience #3 above while driving and it alerts me in traffic, but when parking at home #1 happens.

I've spent a month now dealing with Tesla support on this since a ton of owners that have clear bras they choose the same thing to coat right over vs cutting them out. It went to the diagnostics team and they found nothing in the logs and we did a few live sessions and when it happened nothing came through. However, if NA Service sends a signal OTA to reset the "driver assistance module," it works right away.

I'm at the stage where they want to visually/physically inspect the car but I know dam well they're going to toss this one up to the bra which I'm not convinced given the track record of this issue and how it's not consistent at all.

Anyone else have issues like this? They suggested they may replace this module as it might be faulty (guy on the phone, not SC), which I'd ask they do before asking me to cut the parking sensors out in the Xpel wrap, but he gave fair warning that they have a doc on file that wraps have caused issues with sensors in the past -- and I get it, maybe sometimes they do, but then I'd expect them never to work I guess.

Hoping to hear if anyone had identical experiences or suggestions?

Thanks all,
M

 

[LoL Rick]

Yes, XPel does cause issues with the parking sensors. I had the film on my front bumper replaced a few months ago and he forgot to cut out the circles for the sensors. As soon as I put the car in gear they started going crazy. I told him, he cut the circles out, and they've been perfect ever since. It's not worth your time and energy to fight this out with Tesla. Just remove the film from the sensors.

 

[Jean-Claude]

I just discovered that for 2017+ Tesla's, the parking sensors work along with autopilot and do not act solely as parking distance sensors. Moving forward, we will not be leaving PPF over these sensors even though in the past there has been no issues.

I advise 2017+ owners(and autopilot owners before), have the PPF trimmed back from sensors to be on the safe side.

 

[steinermeister]

Yes, XPel does cause issues with the parking sensors. I had the film on my front bumper replaced a few months ago and he forgot to cut out the circles for the sensors. As soon as I put the car in gear they started going crazy. I told him, he cut the circles out, and they've been perfect ever since. It's not worth your time and energy to fight this out with Tesla. Just remove the film from the sensors.

Right there with ya...wife not happy that I keep prolonging the inevitable either haha.

I just discovered that for 2017+ Tesla's, the parking sensors work along with autopilot and do not act solely as parking distance sensors. Moving forward, we will not be leaving PPF over these sensors even though in the past there has been no issues.

I advise 2017+ owners(and autopilot owners before), have the PPF trimmed back from sensors to be on the safe side.

Thanks for the advice -- Tesla claims that only the radar behind the front bumper is solely responsible for autosteer and other AP features, I have noticed less than desirable consistency with simple autosteer on perfectly flat/lined highways than it was before. Maybe just a coincidence?

While sad, will get them cutback on Wednesday

Thanks again to you both!

 

[SucreTease]

Has @XPEL been notified of this neccessity? They provide cutting templates to their installers and should alter these templates to include cutouts for the sensors.

 

[steinermeister]

Has @XPEL been notified of this neccessity? They provide cutting templates to their installers and should alter these templates to include cutouts for the sensors.

Their die cut templates do have cutouts. But most installers prefer to wrap right over so that it doesn't allow dirt to lodge between the film and the car and create cute little circles on the bumper over the years...just one seamless piece of film always looks good. And on past cars and other mfr's, it has generally been an accepted practice without too much interference with electronics.

 

[kev1n]

Their die cut templates do have cutouts. But most installers prefer to wrap right over so that it doesn't allow dirt to lodge between the film and the car and create cute little circles on the bumper over the years...just one seamless piece of film always looks good. And on past cars and other mfr's, it has generally been an accepted practice without too much interference with electronics.

the installer that did my car cut around the sensors, there is no clear bra at all on the sensors so that might be the way to go

 

[Mokuzai]

I originally had Xpel covering the sensors. One day summon drove my car into a hanging cabinet. Was able to stop the car just as it touched the cabinet so no damage to the car and only if you catch it in the exact right light/angle can you see a small spot on the Xpel where it touched so got lucky there. When in the car I could tell that the side senors were working but the front sensors were completely out. Later in the day everything was working again, then the front two went out again the next morning. Took my car back to the place that wrapped it and had the sensors cut out.

Read later that it may have been a problem in one of the software releases but it's never happened again after getting them cut out (and i'm also on a new version of software now). As much as I liked the idea of keeping dirt out and a seamless wrap, I'm ultimately glad I got them cut out because:

• These are a safety feature and even if they work while wrapped there is a chance that their effectiveness is reduced. The sound/vibration has to get through the wrap then the sensor has to read the response through the wrap.
• The radar circles on the dash display seem much more responsive and seem to see things farther away (this could very well be a placebo effect but I'll take it). For example the rear quarter panel would display a pretty far out white radar, but there is another "really far out" radar line that has a different angle to it. Rarely ever saw that while it was covered and it feels much more common now.

 

[SucreTease]

Paint protection film vs parking sensors

 

[XPEL]

Their die cut templates do have cutouts. But most installers prefer to wrap right over so that it doesn't allow dirt to lodge between the film and the car and create cute little circles on the bumper over the years...just one seamless piece of film always looks good. And on past cars and other mfr's, it has generally been an accepted practice without too much interference with electronics.

That's correct. As you can see from the screenshot above of a 2017 Model S, the bumper kits do include the cutouts for the sensors. While we haven't seen many issues affecting the sensors, it is recommended to use the XPEL Pre-Cut Kits when installing the bumper so everything is cut evenly and there's no extra blade time on your paint. Which means your bumper will be protected, and your sensors will function perfectly.

 

[steinermeister]

Cut around the sensors today...of course, works like a charm 100% of the time now. Bummer but all good! Thanks everyone

 

[jelloslug]

I have a 2016 refresh and the xpel is only cut out on the front sensors. I have not had any issues with it.

 

[Jean-Claude]

Paint protection film vs parking sensors

I made that video some time ago. Please refer to my first post in this thread.

 

[2cati]

View attachment 261948

That's correct. As you can see from the screenshot above of a 2017 Model S, the bumper kits do include the cutouts for the sensors. While we haven't seen many issues affecting the sensors, it is recommended to use the XPEL Pre-Cut Kits when installing the bumper so everything is cut evenly and there's no extra blade time on your paint. Which means your bumper will be protected, and your sensors will function perfectly.

Here you go - it’s a real problem - not maybe.

I have a model s delivered September 2017.

Had my front bumber Xpel wrapped and picked up the car Monday. I noticed immediately that there was no longer any warning from the front on the dash that I was too close to the wall. Today I was parking in a clients under ground and gently drove really close to the wall - zero warning. Then I looked at the wrap - I was supprised to see all sensors were covered and a small “circle” with air around them as you would expect for the non sensor cutout pattern.

I had it installed at a Xpel authorized installer.

So I’m talking it back and will ask for it to be redone with the correct film - I don’t want a blade near my paint.



I also may have a possible explanation as to why you might think why it’s not a consistent problem.

If new Tesla owners have the film put on day one, they won’t know what they are missing.

I’ve had my car for a 2 months and parked daily in my garage so I have a baseline of the warnings - today I had some spare time to investigate and as the picture above, parked really close to a concrete wall - no warnings on the dash.

 

[Canuck]

I've spent a month now dealing with Tesla support on this

I'm at the stage where they want to visually/physically inspect the car but I know dam well they're going to toss this one up to the bra which I'm not convinced given the track record of this issue and how it's not consistent at all.

So you're telling us you worked with Tesla for a month on this issue and never once mentioned to them that you had covered the parking sensors? And you did that on the basis that you concluded yourself that was not the problem, and also on the basis that Tesla would have blamed the bra if you told them?

Wow. Just wow. Readers can draw their own other conclusions since I don't want to get moved to snippiness again.

 

[steinermeister]

So you're telling us you worked with Tesla for a month on this issue and never once mentioned to them that you had covered the parking sensors? And you did that on the basis that you concluded yourself that was not the problem, and also on the basis that Tesla would have blamed the bra if you told them?

Wow. Just wow. Readers can draw their own other conclusions since I don't want to get moved to snippiness again.

Eh, bad day?

If they simply just didn't work after the wrap, easy conclusion right? But when it was inconsistent, and because I had other software-related problems at the time (i.e. GPS stuck, etc), I made sure it was that first before the physical wrap. They were extremely helpful during the entire process knowing well that I had a bra on...so kudos to them, and not your sassy post.

 

[2cati]

So here is my experience with Xpel ultimate 24” front bra

So they covered the sensors and they didn’t work. See picture of dash on me parked in the garage- absolutely NO warning. Other picture is later in the same spot after the installer cut out the film around the sensors.

Model S Delivered September 2017.

So with my car and the Xpel ultimate the problem was explicitly clear - Sensors had to be exposed.

 

[Mehdi]

My October 2017 built S100D is not reporting any activity with the front sensors since the car was wrapped. I did look and have confirmed that the sensors are now covered with film. I will make an appointment with the PPF installer to remove the film from the front sensors. I don't know which is worse... removing the entire film from the bumper or getting a knife to it and cutting the film around the sensors while the films is still on the car!

 

[Nosken]

My 11/16 build has full wrap covering covering all 12 sensors since day 1. All worked fine until about 2 months ago. The front sensors do not work. The front, side and all back work just fine. All are fully covered. I may have a sensor issue (tow or four), but the other sensors work fine through the XPel wrap.

 

[Mehdi]

Just wanted to respond back and mention that my sensors are now working fine after the installer removed the film covering the front sensors. All is working as it should now!