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Blind Spot Monitoring Indicator

27407 Views 45 Replies 20 Participants Last post by  94mustang
After a heavy snow fall last night and into this morning with a lot of blowing snow, I found that my blind spot monitoring indicator on my right mirror will not fully shut off. I remote started the vehicle, cleared the snow off and turned the key on. Both blind spot indicators turned on for a brief moment as they always do to. The left one went off but the right one went to about half brightness and now will not shut off at all, even after the vehicle has been turned off, locked and left for over an hour. I also tried turning the Blind Spot Zone Alert off in the vehicle settings and turning it back on with no success. At first I thought the snow was blocking the sensor but I don't see how that could be the issue since it remains on after the vehicle is shut off. I had something blocking the sensor last winter because it stayed on and eventually went off after a while of driving. During that time though it was at full brightness, not at half brightness as it currently is as I write this post.

Anyone with the safety package ever have a problem like this? I found this post which doesn't help as it appears my problem is something new: http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/9-general-discussion-forum/114041-blind-spot-mirror-indicator.html

The LED is very dim so I can't imagine it will weaken the battery enough to not allow it to start in the morning. The only thing I haven't tried is disconnecting the battery for a bit. What side effects come with doing that? Is it maybe worth a shot?
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The only thing I haven't tried is disconnecting the battery for a bit. What side effects come with doing that? Is it maybe worth a shot?
I think the maintenance manual says certain things have to be re-programmed, but it seems like everyone here does it with no ill side-effects.

The dim light makes me think you've got water in the wiring or connector. However, I'm surprised that anything "hot" would be in the mirror - especially after the car's 10 minute post-shutdown timer expires.
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the module is out in the open in the rear of the wheel well, mine got replaced under warranty....shorted out, the harness connectors arent weatherproof enough
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I think the maintenance manual says certain things have to be re-programmed, but it seems like everyone here does it with no ill side-effects.

The dim light makes me think you've got water in the wiring or connector. However, I'm surprised that anything "hot" would be in the mirror - especially after the car's 10 minute post-shutdown timer expires.
That's what's confusing me. Even if it is being shorted out in the mirror I can't see that the light would even come on to begin with let alone stay on for an entire trip to work and back (80+ minutes). I tried banging the mirror a bit as heavily as I could without breaking it to try and knock anything loose that may have landed in there with no luck. I disconnected the battery and left it for a bit with no luck either. The dim light comes right back on after I reconnect the battery. To be on the safe side, I just left the battery disconnected and will reconnect it in the morning before I leave. If it hasn't resolved itself by the time I leave from work tomorrow or no one else has posted their ideas that allow me to resolve the issue, I'll swing by the dealer and let them open up the mirror and we'll see what we see I guess.

the module is out in the open in the rear of the wheel well, mine got replaced under warranty....shorted out, the harness connectors arent weatherproof enough
Thanks for the info. Seems like this may be the cause. I'll make sure they check it if I bring it in tomorrow.
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the mylink screen, reverse sensors and blind spot sensors all tie in together at some point in the electrical system

so dont be surprised should those go out as well
The backup sensors feed a module on the left-side trunk. I think the blind-spot modules are in the rear bumper fascia. The two systems do share a wiring harness, but I'm not sure as the modules tie together. Anyway, the ones in the bumper are the most exposed to stuff slung up there by the rear tires. I think by comparison, the rear-view mirrors are better protected. Let's not forget that salt water conducts pretty well, so a nice salty slush would do wonders if it got into the connectors.
The backup sensors feed a module on the left-side trunk. I think the blind-spot modules are in the rear bumper fascia. The two systems do share a wiring harness, but I'm not sure as the modules tie together. Anyway, the ones in the bumper are the most exposed to stuff slung up there by the rear tires. I think by comparison, the rear-view mirrors are better protected. Let's not forget that salt water conducts pretty well, so a nice salty slush would do wonders if it got into the connectors.
That's a pretty bad spot to put something like this. I noticed that unit sitting up there when I was installing my mud guards. I thought it was some G-Sensor or something to do with the air bag system.
That's a pretty bad spot to put something like this. I noticed that unit sitting up there when I was installing my mud guards. I thought it was some G-Sensor or something to do with the air bag system.
yep

the mechanic brought me in to show me, he thought it was a totally stupid place to have them
That's a pretty bad spot to put something like this.
From what I understand, the park assist is ultrasonic, but the lane assist is microwave radar. It's more efficient to be a self-contained module than to mount the antenna separate from the electronics. Making a module weather resistant shouldn't be that big a challenge for a car manufacturer, considering all the electronics and water spray that happens under the hood.
From what I understand, the park assist is ultrasonic, but the lane assist is microwave radar. It's more efficient to be a self-contained module than to mount the antenna separate from the electronics. Making a module weather resistant shouldn't be that big a challenge for a car manufacturer, considering all the electronics and water spray that happens under the hood.
Hopefully the new module lasts a bit longer. The service tech said he's had to replace the entire wiring harness before and disassemble the entire back end because of a more serious failure. It appears all that happened with mine was the radar module had a bit of a leak, water got in, froze and opened it up a bit which let even more water in. This created what they have written as a "back feeding condition" and they've ordered a new module and disconnected the old one for now. Could arrive in 2 days or 3 weeks. The service tech also cracked the mirror when opening it up while doing the full inspection of the system so they've also ordered one of those.
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I have to turn my head in my Cruze, in particular to switch to the left hand lane on the interstate, well the right hand lane too.

So gathering a vehicle with blind spots needs a blind spot detector.
I have to turn my head in my Cruze, in particular to switch to the left hand lane on the interstate, well the right hand lane too.

So gathering a vehicle with blind spots needs a blind spot detector.
I find I have excellent peripheral vision to view my mirrors and an ability to pay attention to what's going on in front of me while simultaneously knowing who is beside be. I rarely ever have to do one of those neck twisting shoulder checks if I need to switch lanes. If I need to make quick actions to avoid an accident, I'll know that I can swerve into the next lane without colliding with someone else. I find the blind spot monitoring adds an extra layer there to assist with that. Of course, when it fails as it did, it's not of much help, lol. I've seen more accidents caused by people trying to pay attention to what's beside them by performing an unusually long shoulder check instead of paying attention to what is in front of them. (i.e. a stopped vehicle or red light.)
Just had the left module replaced on mine today and the connector for the right cleaned and packed with dielectric grease. Same comment from the tech regarding exposure to road spray.

This was covered at no charge by my GMPP as I'm beyond the mileage on the 3/36.
I find I have excellent peripheral vision to view my mirrors and an ability to pay attention to what's going on in front of me while simultaneously knowing who is beside be. I rarely ever have to do one of those neck twisting shoulder checks if I need to switch lanes. If I need to make quick actions to avoid an accident, I'll know that I can swerve into the next lane without colliding with someone else. I find the blind spot monitoring adds an extra layer there to assist with that. Of course, when it fails as it did, it's not of much help, lol. I've seen more accidents caused by people trying to pay attention to what's beside them by performing an unusually long shoulder check instead of paying attention to what is in front of them. (i.e. a stopped vehicle or red light.)
Remind me not to drive with you any time soon? When I was trained at school to drive in the stylish 70s Dodge Darts the L.A. Unified District used there were no sensors. I would think the CRUZE manual would warn you not to solely depend on the electronics and to always look before making a turn. It's great that you honestly believe your peripheral vision makes turning your head an unnecessary step, I would almost bet you do the same when using your backup Camera. Why I just bought a pair of $10 Nightvision HD wraparound glasses and tried them once, never again for driving as you can't see out of the side wrap around part, the frame is gigantic, especially when worn over regular glasses. I would think most Car accidents are caused because people just don't look before making their move. With that said the thing that sold me on the CRUZE was how easy it is to see out of!:idisagree:
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the mylink screen, reverse sensors and blind spot sensors all tie in together at some point in the electrical system

so dont be surprised should those go out as well
So if this happens out of warranty anyone have idea how much this would cost to fix?
Just had the left module replaced on mine today and the connector for the right cleaned and packed with dielectric grease. Same comment from the tech regarding exposure to road spray.

This was covered at no charge by my GMPP as I'm beyond the mileage on the 3/36.
my right side is acting up when it rains ,most likely end up being right side module still under warranty till june 21 an only have 56,000 kms.
my right side is acting up when it rains ,most likely end up being right side module still under warranty till june 21 an only have 56,000 kms.
That's exactly it. It started after the rains.

I'm guessing that water worked in, froze, opened up the connector, thawed, then allowed a lot of water in. That was the right side. No idea what conked out the left sensor.

The tech allowed me to stay with the car and the module itself was removed and replaced in about one minute. But it took about 12 minutes to program it to the car. No idea what the cost was as I was allowed to go before the work order was closed.

So this is my second claim against GMPP with zero deductible. And I'm starting to get some of my money back. But my Cadillac carried GMPP for eight years, cost me about $6,000, and only was used for about $500 in repairs. So I've got a long way to go before I get all of my money back from GMPP. But I'm not complaining - and would gladly buy the peace of mind again.
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Remind me not to drive with you any time soon? When I was trained at school to drive in the stylish 70s Dodge Darts the L.A. Unified District used there were no sensors. I would think the CRUZE manual would warn you not to solely depend on the electronics and to always look before making a turn. It's great that you honestly believe your peripheral vision makes turning your head an unnecessary step, I would almost bet you do the same when using your backup Camera. Why I just bought a pair of $10 Nightvision HD wraparound glasses and tried them once, never again for driving as you can't see out of the side wrap around part, the frame is gigantic, especially when worn over regular glasses. I would think most Car accidents are caused because people just don't look before making their move. With that said the thing that sold me on the CRUZE was how easy it is to see out of!:idisagree:
When you have your mirrors positioned properly, you can have almost no blind spots at all. Most mirrors today are shaped and designed to allow this. That's what I was getting at in my last post. A quick glance at your mirrors often and you know who's around you at any given time without having to twist and turn around in the vehicle constantly.
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When you have your mirrors positioned properly, you can have almost no blind spots at all. Most mirrors today are shaped and designed to allow this. That's what I was getting at in my last post. A quick glance at your mirrors often and you know who's around you at any given time without having to twist and turn around in the vehicle constantly.
I still turn my neck an check, if I had to pay to fix the system I would just disconnect.
When you have your mirrors positioned properly, you can have almost no blind spots at all. Most mirrors today are shaped and designed to allow this. That's what I was getting at in my last post. A quick glance at your mirrors often and you know who's around you at any given time without having to twist and turn around in the vehicle constantly.
Take a car like the HHR that seems like a Submarine of blind spots and compare that to the CRUZE which is basically a well designed little Car. But its a small car and even has small mirrors. Look I've had back surgery and now am worse after an 18 wheeler accident, it usually hurts to turn my head but we all have some limitation in our peripheral vision. You are very lucky to have these sensors when they work properly, I'm just saying its always best to turn & look as a habit!
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