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- Audi Q5 How to Install Backup Sensor<br>Step by step instructions for do-it-yourself repairs.
Backup sensor install (& rear bumper cover removal)
10-23-2010, 02:19 PM
#1
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Backup sensor install (& rear bumper cover removal)
The Q5 is parallel parked alot, and one thing I did regret by not getting a higher trim level was the absence of backup sensors. A couple months ago someone installed a Cobra setup that audi supposedly used as OEM "aftermarket" in the UK and it looked fairly stock so I decided to give it a whirl.
Cobra does not distribute in the US, so I had to find someone on UK ebay willing to ship overseas. The unit I bought was a cobra 0158. It was around 130S US IIRC.
First step in the install is to get the rear bumper off.
1. Pop the tow hook covers off on both sides. You will notice on one side there is no place to insert the tow hook, so why is there a tow hook cover? Because it you look up at an angle you will see a phillips head screw. Unscrew this (it is captive so it won't fall out) and you will be able to pull the light assembly in the bumper straight out. Undo the electrical connector and set the light aside. Do this for both sides.
2. Open floor in the hatch and remove the organizer. You need to take the plastic threshold off. You can do this by pulling it straight up. You can see the attachment posts in this picture.
3. Getting rid of the threshold will reveal two black plastic openings, deep back in each is a 10mm nut on a stud. Remove both of these.
4. Open the access hatch on the driver side of the hatch. You will need to remove the tire air pump and then remove it's styrofoam holder. It is secured with two trim clips, you can just spin the trim clips counter clockwise to remove them.
5. Now you should be able to see another stud with a nut on it down very low towards the back (much like what you just removed under the threshold). Loosen and remove this nut (10mm)
6. You need to do this same thing on the passenger side but it's a PIA because of all the electrical stuff over there.
To create more room I unbolted the lower fuse panel and shifted it. (the socket is on the 10mm nut you need to remove).
(you can see the stud in this picture right in the loop of the red wire)
7. Now, in each wheel well there are 4 torx screws that need to be removed.
Once you do this you can pull back the fiber wheel well liner and see what the bumper cover was screwed to (the black plastic support structure).
You need to pull the lip of the bumper cover out and over this support.
8. The next part needs to be done rather gingerly so you don't break the clips on the bumper cover. (show here removed)
You want to pull out on the bumper cover while at the same time pushing up. By pushing up you minimize the chances of breaking the clips. There are also two trim clips on the big flat piece that sits under the hatch, you can just pull those pieces straight back to release the clips.
At this point, you should be able to remove the bumper cover. It will still be attached to the car by the electrical wires on the passenger side but there is enough slack to get the cover off and lay it on the ground.
9. The bumper covers actually have X' cast into them where the holes need to be drilled (I have already drilled the pilot hole here).
Drill pilot holes from the back, them the actual hole from the front in order to minimize any paint chipping around the edge. The sensors needed a 20mm hole, but I just used a step drill bit and took it to the 13/16" size. Once the full size hole was drilled from the front I went and drilled to the same step from the back in order to clear out the hole. The sensors also have a locating ridge in them that needs clearance. The instructions say to drill a hole, but I just made a small notch with a cutoff wheel on a dremel.
10. Once you have all your holes drilled and sensors installed, run the wires along with the taililight wiring up to the grommet on the passenger side. Pull the grommet out and run the wires through it, I then tightly wrapped some electrical tape around the point the wires emerge from the inside to cut down on any chances of water entering (which is pretty important considering all the electronics in that spot).
11. The head unit itself needs a ground (which I got from one of the studs that was being used to hold down one of the fuse panels (these are painted so make sure to get down to bare metal for a good ground) and to tap into the reverse light wire. Follow the electric wires that came through the grommet to the plug on the back wall. Location 10 on that plug (black wire white stripe) should be the reverse light (to make sure, look at one of your lights, locate the bulb holder that corresponds to the clear lense and follow the colored wire (not black or brown) to the connection. The locate the car side of that connection (again, should be black/white) and follow that through the grommet to the other connection inside the car. (its the black plug here to the right)
You need to tap into this wire. Considering it is inside and protected I just used a butt connector (one side of the original wire on one side and the other side of the original wire plus the new wire on the other side). I hate wire/fuse taps but it's up to you how you want to do the electrical connections.
12. Plug in the buzzer and test the unit by putting the car in reverse and listening for the beep. You will need to perform a "setup" as described in the manual before it senses correctly, which you should do with the bumper temporarily back on the car, but after everything checks out you can reassemble everything following the steps in reverse.
(sorry car is still wet here)
Cobra does not distribute in the US, so I had to find someone on UK ebay willing to ship overseas. The unit I bought was a cobra 0158. It was around 130S US IIRC.
First step in the install is to get the rear bumper off.
1. Pop the tow hook covers off on both sides. You will notice on one side there is no place to insert the tow hook, so why is there a tow hook cover? Because it you look up at an angle you will see a phillips head screw. Unscrew this (it is captive so it won't fall out) and you will be able to pull the light assembly in the bumper straight out. Undo the electrical connector and set the light aside. Do this for both sides.
2. Open floor in the hatch and remove the organizer. You need to take the plastic threshold off. You can do this by pulling it straight up. You can see the attachment posts in this picture.
3. Getting rid of the threshold will reveal two black plastic openings, deep back in each is a 10mm nut on a stud. Remove both of these.
4. Open the access hatch on the driver side of the hatch. You will need to remove the tire air pump and then remove it's styrofoam holder. It is secured with two trim clips, you can just spin the trim clips counter clockwise to remove them.
5. Now you should be able to see another stud with a nut on it down very low towards the back (much like what you just removed under the threshold). Loosen and remove this nut (10mm)
6. You need to do this same thing on the passenger side but it's a PIA because of all the electrical stuff over there.
To create more room I unbolted the lower fuse panel and shifted it. (the socket is on the 10mm nut you need to remove).
(you can see the stud in this picture right in the loop of the red wire)
7. Now, in each wheel well there are 4 torx screws that need to be removed.
Once you do this you can pull back the fiber wheel well liner and see what the bumper cover was screwed to (the black plastic support structure).
You need to pull the lip of the bumper cover out and over this support.
8. The next part needs to be done rather gingerly so you don't break the clips on the bumper cover. (show here removed)
You want to pull out on the bumper cover while at the same time pushing up. By pushing up you minimize the chances of breaking the clips. There are also two trim clips on the big flat piece that sits under the hatch, you can just pull those pieces straight back to release the clips.
At this point, you should be able to remove the bumper cover. It will still be attached to the car by the electrical wires on the passenger side but there is enough slack to get the cover off and lay it on the ground.
9. The bumper covers actually have X' cast into them where the holes need to be drilled (I have already drilled the pilot hole here).
Drill pilot holes from the back, them the actual hole from the front in order to minimize any paint chipping around the edge. The sensors needed a 20mm hole, but I just used a step drill bit and took it to the 13/16" size. Once the full size hole was drilled from the front I went and drilled to the same step from the back in order to clear out the hole. The sensors also have a locating ridge in them that needs clearance. The instructions say to drill a hole, but I just made a small notch with a cutoff wheel on a dremel.
10. Once you have all your holes drilled and sensors installed, run the wires along with the taililight wiring up to the grommet on the passenger side. Pull the grommet out and run the wires through it, I then tightly wrapped some electrical tape around the point the wires emerge from the inside to cut down on any chances of water entering (which is pretty important considering all the electronics in that spot).
11. The head unit itself needs a ground (which I got from one of the studs that was being used to hold down one of the fuse panels (these are painted so make sure to get down to bare metal for a good ground) and to tap into the reverse light wire. Follow the electric wires that came through the grommet to the plug on the back wall. Location 10 on that plug (black wire white stripe) should be the reverse light (to make sure, look at one of your lights, locate the bulb holder that corresponds to the clear lense and follow the colored wire (not black or brown) to the connection. The locate the car side of that connection (again, should be black/white) and follow that through the grommet to the other connection inside the car. (its the black plug here to the right)
You need to tap into this wire. Considering it is inside and protected I just used a butt connector (one side of the original wire on one side and the other side of the original wire plus the new wire on the other side). I hate wire/fuse taps but it's up to you how you want to do the electrical connections.
12. Plug in the buzzer and test the unit by putting the car in reverse and listening for the beep. You will need to perform a "setup" as described in the manual before it senses correctly, which you should do with the bumper temporarily back on the car, but after everything checks out you can reassemble everything following the steps in reverse.
(sorry car is still wet here)
Last edited by rs4-380; 10-23-2010 at 02:25 PM.
10-24-2010, 01:08 AM
#3
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Join Date: Jul 2010
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Not to hijack this thread, but I am about to do a hitch install. When I had my bumper fixed after some dingus hit it, I had the body shop install a bumper cover valence that had the trap door to cover the hitch. Does the factory hitch fold down so that the trap door can be replaced when not in use or does the receiver opening poke through the hole?
Thank you,
Tommy
10-24-2010, 07:30 AM
#4
I had a alarm/sound shop install aftermarket sensors -run me $300 w/ sensors painted into the body color. I considered DIY but the Q5 was 1 week old, I did not want to drill the bumper cover myself since I never done it before...
2nd day after wife got Q5 she said "need those parking sensors, I almost run someone over today in the mall" -tried to explained that they are to help, not to substitute the driver.., but they do help a lot and after having them on another vehicle it is difficult not to have them on Q5.
The reason I skipped on NAV was:
1.money,
2.my wife not technically inclined,
3.she likes her coffee in the car, and the NAV buttons are known to short out w/ even slightest spill on them - if they do short out you lose not only NAV/media, but climate control also
She drives locally 100% of the time, and when we go some new place, I got Garmin -does the job getting us there.
One BIG minus not getting NAv is that our B&O system does not sound as good as it does in Q5 w/ NAV package
2nd day after wife got Q5 she said "need those parking sensors, I almost run someone over today in the mall" -tried to explained that they are to help, not to substitute the driver.., but they do help a lot and after having them on another vehicle it is difficult not to have them on Q5.
The reason I skipped on NAV was:
1.money,
2.my wife not technically inclined,
3.she likes her coffee in the car, and the NAV buttons are known to short out w/ even slightest spill on them - if they do short out you lose not only NAV/media, but climate control also
She drives locally 100% of the time, and when we go some new place, I got Garmin -does the job getting us there.
One BIG minus not getting NAv is that our B&O system does not sound as good as it does in Q5 w/ NAV package
10-24-2010, 07:53 AM
#5
Great writeup!
Not to hijack this thread, but I am about to do a hitch install. When I had my bumper fixed after some dingus hit it, I had the body shop install a bumper cover valence that had the trap door to cover the hitch. Does the factory hitch fold down so that the trap door can be replaced when not in use or does the receiver opening poke through the hole?
Thank you,
Tommy
Not to hijack this thread, but I am about to do a hitch install. When I had my bumper fixed after some dingus hit it, I had the body shop install a bumper cover valence that had the trap door to cover the hitch. Does the factory hitch fold down so that the trap door can be replaced when not in use or does the receiver opening poke through the hole?
Thank you,
Tommy
10-24-2010, 07:58 AM
#6
AudiWorld Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: So. Calif. USA
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When I was researching the Q5, I found a lot of posts by "Kleinbus" on another forum. Great detail, pictures, instructionals. I swear the guy could disassemble a Q5 with a Leatherman Tool and a popsicle stick....repair....and reassemble. A very talented, and need I say, patient, individual.
He has been and hopefully will remain an excellent source of information and a voice of reason for our forum.
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