Possible to add parking sensor/camera to a car

Goudy

l.c.elliott said:

I'm buying a new car (used). It's a kia rio and its 3 years old. To keep costs down, I've found one that ticks all my boxes, but unfortunately, it's got an old fashioned 3.8 monochrome audio display like the picture attached. I saw 'unfortunately' because I rely on a reversing camera to parallel park which I had in my most recent car (I had to get rid of it due to a fault which meant it was cheaper to part exchange rather than fix). I have tried for years to park without any driving aids but I've never been able to. For some reason I have no distance perception so I never know how far away I actually am from other cars when parking.

My question is, if I bought the car I've seen with the 3.8 monochrome audio display, is there any possibility of fitting a digital display after purchase alongside a reversing camera eg going to a kia dealership or halfords or similar?

If this will be tricky/too expensive, I'm happy to consider just parking sensors that provide beeps when I'm near obstacles. Is fitting sensors that would emit audible beeps realistic?

There are good few things stopping you doing this.

First you can't connect a camera to that screen/head unit and the head unit doesn't look like it's a easy swap for an aftermarket one that supports a camera.
That monochrone one doesn't look a standard size or fitment. Most aftermarket head units are double din (twice the size or an old radio) so you'd need to buy special dash panel as well to make it all fit or an aftermarket unit designed to fit in that space.

A suitable head unit would be around £200 to £250 before fitting, then you'd need a camera and that fitting as well.

Not impossible, but it starts to work out expensive if you can't do it yourself.

There have been a few on the Kia forums that have done this, but they usually do it themselves and already know what is needed.

A set of plain ultrasonic reversing sensors that just bleep can be bought cheaply as a kit.
They are fairly simple to fit but they do require the bumper drilling out in the right places and some simple wiring skill.
Usually the sensors need painting the colour of your bumper which can add to the cost.
You'll not get the distance display on the screen that most modern cars have these days, just the beeping signal.

You'd be better to buy a car with these things already fitted.
It sounds like you really need/use these devices when parking so why stress yourself getting these things retrofitted when you can just buy them factory fitted if you select the correct model.

Years ago when these things were only fitted to high end expensive cars it sort of made sense to some to fit these things aftermarket, but all but the very lowest trimmed cars come with these things these days.

CliveOfIndia

l.c.elliott said:

I rely on a reversing camera to parallel park 

Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not meaning to be rude.  But if cost is an issue, would it not be more straightforward to learn how to parallel park?  It's not a difficult skill to learn (I may be wrong, but is it not part of the driving test these days anyway?).

My current car is the only car I've ever had that has cameras on it.  I don't really trust them (call me an old dinosaur!), and in any case I just find it easier to do it the old-fashioned way.

I appreciate that some people have mobility issues and cannot turn round to look over their shoulders - if this is the case for you then I apologise, there's no offence intended.

victor2

CliveOfIndia said:

l.c.elliott said:

I rely on a reversing camera to parallel park 

Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not meaning to be rude.  But if cost is an issue, would it not be more straightforward to learn how to parallel park?  It's not a difficult skill to learn (I may be wrong, but is it not part of the driving test these days anyway?).

My current car is the only car I've ever had that has cameras on it.  I don't really trust them (call me an old dinosaur!), and in any case I just find it easier to do it the old-fashioned way.

I appreciate that some people have mobility issues and cannot turn round to look over their shoulders - if this is the case for you then I apologise, there's no offence intended.

You can take your driving test in a car with a reversing camera. DD did. Then bought a car with a camera, and still managed to reverse into something! 

Herzlos

Yes you can get kits, and it shouldn't be hard to find someone to fit them. 

But if you haven't bought the car yet I'd strongly recommend finding one that came with what you need from the factory because it'll be much less hassle, work better and hopefully be more reliable.