Many recent cars have been equipped with safety features to protect drivers, passengers, and road users and avoid collisions. And one of these safety features is the park assist.
The park assist typically helps drivers park in tight spaces. So if your car has the park assist feature, you’ve seen this message: “park assist blocked; see owner’s manual.” So what does the park assist blocked mean?
What Does Park Assist Blocked Mean?
“Park assists blocked” is warning message drivers receive on their dashboard when their park assist system is malfunctioning. So if you received this message, “park assist blocked,” it means your park assist function is not working, and the alert has been disabled.
What Causes The “Park Assist Blocked”?
If you have received this message on your information cluster, it implies something is wrong with your park assist. Here are the possible causes.
Damaged, Blocked, Or Dirty Park Assist Sensors
A faulty, blocked, or dirty sensor is the most common cause of park assist malfunction. Once these sensors are damaged, blocked, or dirty, they stop working. The park assist sensors work together with the park assist. When these sensors sense an obstacle, they quickly communicate with the park assist, which helps drivers safely park their cars.
However, if these sensors become dirty or blocked, you will get that message. For example, the sensors may get dirty if you regularly drive past muddy and dusty areas. Sometimes the sensor may get wet or blocked due to constant driving in the rain or during a car wash.
Extreme weather conditions can also cause ice or frost to block the sensors. For wet or ice-covered sensors, the message will disappear as soon as the water dries out or the ice melts.
A damaged sensor would also trigger that message. These sensors are in the front and back bumpers, so if another car accidentally hits you on either side, the sensors inside may get damaged.
Tow Trailers And Towbars
Aside from sensor issues, tow trucks are the most common cause of a failing park assist. The message will display if any tow truck is attached to your car or if any object was hanging from the lift gate the last time you drove the car. Alternatively, a tow bar attached to your car can trigger the message.
Faulty ECU
The engine control unit handles information processing and transmission to most vehicle parts. The ECU, therefore, also communicates sensors’ information to the park assist system. If it malfunctions, it will trigger the message to appear on your dashboard.
Damaged Bumper
The front and back bumper house the park assist sensors. If the bumper gets damaged due to a collision, it will likely damage the sensors.
Jackhammer Vibrations
A jackhammer vibration close to your car can also trigger the message to appear on your information cluster.
How Does A Park Assist Work?
The park assists, also called a self-parking system, helps drivers park in narrow spots. It works synchronously with some sensors located at the front and rear bumpers. When these sensors identify an object you may collide with, it signals the ECU.
The ECU further relates this information to the parking assistant. The system will make a beeping noise as the vehicle approaches the obstacle. The parking assist then swings into action by parking your car at an exact spot. The only thing you need to control is the gas pedal and brake.
How To Fix Park Assist Blocked Issues
So long as this message is displayed, your alerts are off. Unfortunately, this means the park assist feature is no longer working. Therefore, you must remove that message from your dashboard.
It’s usually recommended that you visit a dealership to fix the problem. However, before reaching out to a mechanic, here are a few things to do to get rid of that message. If one doesn’t work, try the other.
- In many cases, cleaning the sensors may solve the issue. So clean the park-assist sensors to eliminate mud, dirt, water, snow, or ice. However, sometimes, you only have to let the ice melt for the sensors to start working again.
- Try resetting the system by turning off and on the park assist button.
- Turn off the ignition and switch it back on.
- You can also reset it by disconnecting the battery.
- Press the rear park aid to disable button, then enable it after that
- You can dismiss this message by pressing the odometer stem.
However, if the message doesn’t go away or reappears after the above, please visit an expert mechanic. They have the right tools to diagnose the problem. Generally, if a flashing warning light accompanies this message, chances are there is a bad led sensor that needs replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to fix bad sensors?
Replacement costs for faulty parking sensors can be between $500 and $1500, depending on your car model. While many consider this expensive, it is so because your bumpers have many sensors.
Where does the park assist blocked message appear?
The warning “park assist blocked” will usually appear on your information cluster, also called your dashboard. This message is accompanied by an annoyingly loud beep and sometimes a flashing light.
What vehicle model experiences “park assist blocked” mostly?
According to vehicle owners’ complaints on different platforms, the park assists blocked warning message is primarily popular among two car brands. This includes Chevrolet and GMC. Particularly owners of chevy Silverado, chevy transverse, and GMC Acadia.
Conclusion
If your car is equipped with a parking assist, you may have seen the message “park assist blocked; see owner’s manual. So what does the park assist blocked mean? It simply means your park assist has stopped working.
A non-functional park assist mainly stems from a bad or dirty sensor followed by towing trailers. However, a faulty bumper, attached tow bars, and jackhammer vibrations can also cause it. When you experience this, reach out to an expert auto shop, especially if the sensors need to be replaced.
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A warm greeting from Saiful Islam. My goal in starting this blog is to provide the most up-to-date and accurate technical and maintenance information for vehicles to professional technicians and regular car owners. This blog site, which I just made, allows us to share our expertise with other auto technicians and automobile owners.
