Park Distance Control

[butt wiggles]

I have a 2016 M4 on order with the Executive Package, among other things. The package includes the rear view camera along with park distance control, which i've come to really appreciate in some of the loaners I get when my M235 is in for service. I'm wondering, though, if I will miss not having a front camera, too, especially when pulling in nose first into metered parking on the street. Can anyone tell me whether the front-facing PDC scans low enough to sense a curb?

[saleen556]

I haven't got mine yet. However I have the overhead camera on my 328 and it does very well at seeing the curb.

[sandwi54]

The front pdc cannot reliably detect curbs or parking blocks and you should not rely on them. It's best to back into a spot to avoid scraping front bumpers.

[Fellfromdsky]

Forgot to post these for you from a while ago. Yeah it isn't super reliable. Sorta works sometimes haha. Backing in is the best solution as stated above.

[saleen556]

Originally Posted by Fellfromdsky

Forgot to post these for you from a while ago. Yeah it isn't super reliable. Sorta works sometimes haha. Backing in is the best solution as stated above.

That looks pretty accurate. But I agree backing in is the safest and quickest get away.

[sittingmongoose]

Yea I don't trust mine at all for curbs

[WinterScene]

I haven't had any issues with just PDC as long as a) I remember to turn it on and b) ease into the spot.

If you can reverse in that's better, but not always legal (my work for one and my old college for another would ticket a reversed in car).

[sandwi54]

Originally Posted by WinterScene

I haven't had any issues with just PDC as long as a) I remember to turn it on and b) ease into the spot.

If you can reverse in that's better, but not always legal (my work for one and my old college for another would ticket a reversed in car).

I've not heard of a reversed parked car being illegal. Could you tell me where this is?

[Jedi_M]

Originally Posted by sandwi54

I've not heard of a reversed parked car being illegal. Could you tell me where this is?

I found this below by Googling "is backing into a parking space illegal?"
It is also illegal to back into angled parking spaces because it can potentially disrupt traffic flow.

Question: I got a parking ticket the other day for backing into my parking space in the parking structure on Pomona Avenue near the Metrolink station. I was in a corner spot where backing out would have required me to make a three-point turn in a blind corner.

Why does Fullerton, CA require head-in parking? It's a two-way parking structure with perpendicular spaces, so there isn't a problem with people pulling out the wrong way the way it would be in an angled spot.

The sour grapes in me (the part that had to write the $25 check) says that it's either a way for Fullerton to get some money through an arbitrary rule, or it's a way to recoup money lost by not being able to inspect people's license plate stickers What's the real reason?

Dave Lieberman

Anaheim, CA

Answer: I checked with Lt. Kevin Hamilton of the Fullerton Police Department. He said historically, the rule was originally designed for parking lots with shrubbery and trees when the wheel base from the rear to the front was longer. Cars would back into spaces and often damage the plants.

Dave Langstaff, traffic engineering analyst for the city, filled in the rest of the information. He said, first of all, parking structures and parking lots should all be posted with "no-backing-in" signs. With this ruling, police will be able to check if rear license plates are registered and legal.

Also, it's a standard policy to have lot permit tags in the front windows and parking stickers on the back sides of the cars for employees. This prevents motorists from parking in the wrong spaces.

[saleen556]

I guess more people should be doing the parking test with the egg (Brady Bunch:-). The electronics are great and all. However one shouldn't have to rely on them to get 6 inches from a curb with some practice.

[RickMonet]

DO NOT rely on the front sensors, many times they will not alarm for a curb which will make contact with our low front end.

No alarm indication for this close call:

[saleen556]

Originally Posted by RickMonet

DO NOT rely on the front sensors, many times they will not alarm for a curb which will make contact with our low front end.

No alarm indication for this close call:

You could win the Egg test :-)

[aboulfad]

I don't miss the front camera and find the PDC very helpful! I use the front sensors in conjunction with lining up the bottom of driver side mirror with the curb I am approaching, usually that's 1-1.5' away. And when I am not sure I don't risk it !

[YMB-M3-J2]

Side view cameras have yellow lines showing the curb that are 100% reliable as long as it is not one of those angled parking spaces.

I use them ALL the time and they are great.