damaged front pdc sensor
 

hi all, when driving home last night i caught the front corner of the car on my metal gate when swinging into the drive as a result i have damaged the pcd sensor.
i think it still works ( can i test the individual sensor with bmw scanner or navcoder?)

anyway i have attached a picture, the pds sensor i can see i can get replacement from as cheap as £16 on ebay but looking at it there appears to be another ring around the outer side of the sensor is this a housing bracket? as there appears to be the most damaged.

i looked on ebay and saw this for housing bracket but im sure this looks wrong shape for a e53 even though it says its for e53 as it has a rectangular front and looking at mine its moulded into the bumper?
Parking Sensor Mount for BMW Audi E39 E46 X3 X5 E38 E53 PDC Sensor Holder New | eBay

If you aren't being blessed with a long tone when you put the X in reverse, the sensor is likely working. You can test them by activating the Pdc system and listening for a clicking sound being emitted from each sensor.

The sensors mount into a "holder" that mounts to the bumper. The extra corner ones I have in a box look like they clip onto the bumper....not use 3m sticky tape like the one you have linked. (Hopefully someone can Confirm this though a I'm not currently at home...)

The following link shows that the PDC is a two piece unit. BMW E53 X5 N62 4.4L Search SiteSearch Pdc Sensor

isn't there a outer surround? looking at my pic its looks like there is a circular outer surround which I assume houses the sensor itself

Yes, there is an outer surround. The link I attached shows both pieces.

ECS only lists the sensors for the front. ThE piece the OP damaged is shown as #9. It's different from the pieces on the rear bumper. The item he listed in his first link is rather close in appearance...I'm not sure how close since it looks slightly off from what I've seen in the past and what's listed in the link below. :dunno:

RealOEM.com * BMW E53 X5 3.0i Park Distance Control (PDC)

To the OP, I went back an checked to see where I put those pieces, but can't seem to find them (I may have tossed them). Ill be picking up a second bumper for another project tomorrow, I'll look then to see if I can get a part number off it for you.

What engine do you have? Am I right to assume it is right hand drive? Per the vin tag, what month/year was it built?

mine is a 2005 facelift model 4.4i sport. UK car.
from the pic on Real OEM these show the bumper to have corner pieces however where my front sensors mount into is the grey plasic trim that makes up most of the front bumper so the sensors are moulded straight into the bumper no clip out corner pieces
see this pic as example https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=20...ml%3B640%3B480

the other question is how easy is it to change the front corner pdc sensor?

What month was you X manufactured?

March 2005 u believe

The piece you need looks like this (rectangle):

Its a holder for the sensor, and snaps onto the backside of the bumper. To change this piece, the bumper has to come off. Now for the bad news....it appears these pieces are sold as part of the bumper.

Omg. I can't believe u can't buy it separate :(

Just looked on eBay. Isn't isn't that part is it?
Look at this on eBay:

Parking Sensor Mount for BMW Audi E39 E46 X3 X5 E38 E53 PDC Sensor Holder New

http://bit.ly/H6X4fV

Yes the pic looks like my sensor see pic

I can' find a BMW part number that is like the picture X5SND provided. I did find this version but it has no square backing. If it comes with the bumper I would go certainly go with the ebay part or check with a local salvage yard. I have purchased aftermarket parts that used 3M self adhesive and they have been just fine. Home Page Search SiteSearch 51128408391 - ECS Tuning Inc

That eBay piece may fit with some trimming...but if you look closely at the face area around the sensor on the pic I posted vs the area on the piece from eBay, you should see there are some differences. For £5 it's a quick fix....but it'll look like the band-aid solution it is.

You could be right but I have no idea how you can tell from the pictures.

Might be good idea to check with BMW dealer and confirm there is no replacement part. Since it is removable, I would think there either was or is what you need.

Look at the ~1/8 in. outside diameter surrounding the sensor on the pic the OP posted (damaged bit). That bit is raised from the surface of the sensor holding plate so that when the piece is attached to the backside of the bumper, the front sits flush with the face of the bumper. Since the ebay piece does not carry the raised portion, it will appear to be recessed ~1/16" or whatever the thickness of the bumper is.

I concur that heading to the local dealer may be beneficial in this case....they may be able to see something we missed!

I figured the either the picture was misleading or the just a different design that still fits--

Since fender benders that would take out parking sensors would not be that unusual, I suspect that part is available from BMW or one of the other sensors is a retrofit.

guys does this look like right part? found another ebay link ..BMW E53 X5 PDC SENSOR ULTRASONIC FRONT PARKING DISTANCE CONTROL 66216938739 | eBay

also this
BMW E53 X5 PDC SENSOR ULTRASONIC FRONT PARKING DISTANCE CONTROL 66216938736 | eBay

The first link is the piece for the center of the bumper, the second is for the sides. I'm not sure if they're side dependent though.

Hi there, you ever get this damage to the case sorted out? was the sensor attached to the bumper via a casing that is pre-moulded to the bumper out of curiosity? i buggered a center sensor and it plays quite freely in the bumper hole, would prefer to have the mouldings to hand in case it case they are needed once i try to get a new sensor in...failing that am gonna see if anything can be salvaged with a strong glue to keep that housing snug to the bumber and hence the sensor in it..cheers

Right I can confrim above as after a few hours & with the help of my father in law who was breathing down my neck and in hurry to help me...this 'part' or housing for the pdc sensor comes affixed to the bumper for my facelift 3.0d at least...I tried to force it back into place after we removed the bumper but it wouldn't securely clip back on, so I used some of this and then pushed it into place and hoping it actually holds Adhesives, Applicators, Heat, & Glue Guns | Caulk, Sealants, & Adhesives | VersaChem® Plastic Welding, 47809, 25ml Syringe | B967552 - GlobalIndustrial.com

the plastic welder glue i used apparently doesn't work on P/E PP plastics...BUT somehow is holding I think assisted by the fact that the housing for the sensor wedges in place under the styrofoam that is on the inside of the bumper....still be good to know if this sensor housing is detachable or not as judging by the looks if mine wheni had it out seems it was fused in the 4 corners to the bumper