Potentially hazardous issue with side-viewing radar

[lobewiper1]

Hi All,

The other day while driving my 2018 G80 I noticed that I had managed to accidentally turn off my side-viewing radar that sounds when you are trying to turn right or left into the adjacent lane when another vehicle is too close to yours. This I must have accidentally managed to do one evening while trying to open my trunk at night in a dimly lit garage. How could that have happened? Because the side viewing radar control button is immediately to the right of the trunk opening button. I had forgotten that a green light is illuminated when the side-viewing radar is active, I was using my turn signals without the warning chime and the side-viewing radar linked to it, which could potentially lead to hitting another vehicle while changing lanes. Suggestion: Be sure that the green light on the button is "on" before expecting to use your side-viewing radar.

 

[Mcc]

The other day while driving my 2018 G80 I noticed that I had managed to accidentally turn off my side-viewing radar that sounds when you are trying to turn right or left into the adjacent lane when another vehicle is too close to yours.

Are you sure that turning off the sound actually turns off radar.

 

[lobewiper1]

Are you sure that turning off the sound actually turns off radar.

No, and I can't think of any way to determine whether it does or not. If it only turns off the sound, there is no other way I can think of to tell if the radar is still operative.

Just to simplify my original posting, my point was that it's easy to mistakenly shut off the blind spot/side-viewing radar while fumbling for the trunk release and to then leave it off if you're not checking to see that the green light on its push button is on. Then, while turning in traffic, you won't get a warning chime and could cause an accident.

 

[EdP]

No, and I can't think of any way to determine whether it does or not. If it only turns off the sound, there is no other way I can think of to tell if the radar is still operative.

Next time you are along side a car, with the radar off, just hit the turn signal. If active, you should get a light or sound for a warning.

I just tried it and the action may differ with different models. I pushed the "off" button. It turned off the sound, but when next to a car, it showed in the HUD. When I hit the turn signal, as you would for lane change, it sounded and also turned the sound back on.

Backing into my garage, I turned the sound off, but it still showed me visually and after turning off the car, it turned the sound back on as default. Your car is older and may act differently, but easy to check.

 

[lobewiper1]

Edp, I stand corrected. Thanks for this corrected info! BTW, I would never deliberately silence the warning sound--I think it might be easy to occasionally forget to look for visual info, and all it takes is one such failure to lead to an accident.