Product review: Parking sensors by Veba
We got a Veba parking sensor kit installed by our product partners Yellow Hat on our 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee. This generation of the midsize Jeep did not get factory-installed reverse sensors until 2004, but this Jeep has decent enough all-round visibility to not really need extra help. But we got the provided system installed anyway, and wanted to highlight the dangers of high 4×4 vehicles on city streets.
The above setup, organised by Kids & Cars in the United States, highlights the length of blind spots behind various types of vehicles. The car, a Lexus IS 300, has the best rearward visibility, while the Toyota Prado, without a rear-mounted spare tyre, has a longer invisible area than the car. The longest blind spot is behind the Ford Explorer Sport Trac.
This photo shows the number of small children who are completely invisible from the driver’s seat of a Chevy Suburban. There have been countless cases of parents running over their own kids due to inattention while reversing.
The Veba system offered by Yellow Hat is a set of four sensors for the rear only. The unique bit is that the visual display also tells you the numerical distance from the obstacle, as well as colourful separate indicator lights for each reverse sensor. The total cost comes to under Dhs 900 with installation.
Installation was handled by Yellow Hat technicians, who go the extra mile to ensure that the sensor holes are perfectly spaced and drilled. Getting the system installed by Yellow Hat adds an extra year to the existing one-year warranty.
All the wiring is routed through existing gaps within the car body. In the case of our Jeep, the rear bumper did not need to be removed. In contrast, crappy roadside stores in Deira and Sharjah sometimes simply route the wires through the car’s cabin, trying to hide them under the floor mats.
The LCD display was stuck onto the rear-view mirror, which isn’t my ideal location for that add-on pod in terms of aesthetics, but it does the job.
Do note that the sensors are black in colour and are not installed flush with the body, so you might not like its looks on lighter-coloured cars. They stick out of the rear bumper, and might come out if shaken hard in a car wash. We plan to put on a bit of glue to make them stay in better.
As for usage, it makes parallel parking much easier, as the distance from the obstacle is shown between 1.5 metres and 0.4 metres. Below 0.4 metres, it just shows 0.0, and the beeping sound changes to a constant ping. But we have yet to come across any factory-installed system that indicates distances below 0.5 metres. Though not the cleanest installation, the Veba system does the job just fine, with extra added value thanks to its ‘fancy’ distance monitor.
Comments
Faisal
AED900 is not bad….waaaaay better than the ones you get in an altima that just make this annoying sound if you get close though I prefer the way Audi handles it with the on screen bird eye view display….
Royer
I got one installed from Honda service centre in my City 1.5 years back, I became too much dependent on it and stopped looking at rear mirrors. On day the car bumper reverse crashed on DEWA water meter indicator small post with number, i was surprised and went at back to look what went wrong. I found out that the small rod was exactly between the two sensors and since there was no wall behind the other sensors didn’t detect anything and i had a nice bend in my bumper.
The rear view camera in Pathy is a boon. I have completed one year, there is not even a single scratch. But irrespective of camera’s and sensor’s, its also advisable to follow the golden rule, always look back before reversing a car.
The sensors are good option, everyone should fit it and also not forgot to look back while reversing.
rlasrado
Honda in Qatar installs a system which is brilliant.The LED indicator is placed on the rear windscreen on the top (which can be seen from your rear view mirror). It also shows distance less than 0.5 with a final “P” when it reaches 0.2.
Auto accessory shops in Qatar do fit a system which is similar to what you have installed at yellow hat including wires hidden using the car panels (and not hidden under carpets).The system cost QR 160 (AED 160) and with fitting cost QR 250 (AED 250).Have installed in my Prado and it works perfertly. The LED display is near my speedo.It looks exactly like the one displayed in your picture above.
AED 900 for a parking sensor system is not impressive at all.I think i’m paying AED 600 for the “yellow hat” brand.
That said, i do wish we had Yellow Hat in Qatar. We need an organised shop for auto accessories and that is a market not at all explored at all in Qatar.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Everything is cheaper in Qatar. Even the crappy places in Dubai cost twice as much as there.
Bashar Dahdah
Unfortunately, mash, the cars here are a few thousand riyals more expensive than the prices listed here on the site.
But if this honda installation thing is real, thats a nice change 😀 good deal too
Ace
Thats Golden Fork!!
Is the Around View(Infiniti EX35) available as an aftermarket product ?
royer
Not sure about the around view. Anything from showroom service centers cost a hell, so Nissan may charge a hell for such a system, if its available. Maybe soon someone like yellow hat comes out with around view camera setup with good price.
Murf
i dont think the techs here can do such a job of putting a bird’s eye view on any car. My friend with a Mitsubishi Evo says he can only go to one particular Mitsubishi service centre because only two guys are specialized to service it (who i am doubtful about too!)
rlasrado
btw just to clarify, the honda reverse sensor system came free with the dealer in Qatar.(DOMASCO) The prices i’ve mentioned are for another system fitted on my Prado with an auto accessory shop.
Secondly, the auto accessory guy mentioned that he bought the sensors in bulk from an agent in Dubai.
Mashy,not doubt the reverse sensor system are more expensive in Dubai than out here but u guys get ur cars cheaper.I’d rather have that.
Xterritoriatorumifix
I parked my SUV for a minute in a parking lot while I was reading the signs of the shop. I decided I go and started reversing while looking back. Crash! In idiot parked his car directly behind me blocking the way. I could not see him. In addition the idiot put his leg between my SUV and his cars’ door opening. I was very lucky, I crashed his car only. I had to pay the fine, because my car was moving. Nobody cared that the idiot parked on the wrong place causing danger to himself and to me. My Chinese parking sensor was not operational and I did not take the time to replace it. Shit, I knew that some idiot would jump behind me. I knew it! Still I am lucky.
Adeel
Went to yellow hat, and they were offering one for aed 700/ without having it matched to my car color. That would look very ugly on any car (except black).
I got one with a lcd display from AC Delco, Sharjah for aed 400/ only. They also colored the seonsors to match the bumper. Works great 🙂
Abdul
Actually, you can get the sensors for as low as AED 70 at Dragon Mall, I think the brand was called Mokee and other ones – I didn’t test the reliability or the performance of those, though-. These should be affordable, and for me, AED 900 is too pricy.