Post by WaynePost by Ray OPost by WayneMy wife's new ES-350 seems to have an abnormally long and low overhand.
This causes the underside to scrape a curb as the car is curved
accurately into a parallel parking spot. I say "abnormally long and
low" because neither of us has ever had this much problem with any other
car.
The "parking assist" normally alarms just as or slightly after contact.
In other words, the "parking assist" is helpful only when objects are
approached straight on.
The question is: how do others deal with the underside scrapes? How
does touch up paint work out? How much does a repainting of the panel
cost, etc?
Our current plan is to have the section repainted after we learn to
avoid banging into curbs.
Is the underside of the rear or the front scraping when parallel parking?
If it is the rear, you are probably hearing the exhaust pipe hitting the
curb, and as long as it is not bent or dented, the pipe should survive a
few scrapes.
Remove unnecessary weight in the trunk, check to make sure the tires are
properly inflated, and look at the car when it is parked on level ground
to make sure it is not sagging in the rear.
The parking assist doesn't reliably detect objects that are below its
"line of sight" like curbs or small animals,
--
Ray O
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No the parking assist is not the issue. The subject line is "front end
overhang", and occurs when going forward into a parallel parking spot that
will have a curb alongside the side of the car. The overhang problem also
occurs when turning into a head in parking spot at an end spot that will
have a curb alongside the car.
If you swing into the parking spot such that the wheels will be within
inches of the curb, the front end will scrape the curb during the turn.
So, you have to swing in very wide, and move the car to the curb by going
back and forth. Or, you can park like a dufus, and leave the car parked 3
feet from the curb. :)
While I'd much rather have a higher clearance, the question is how to
handle the repair/coverup. I see quite a number of ES-350s on the road
that have the same front end paint damage.
Like Elmo, I was picturing backing into a parallel parking spot between
other parked cars.
The front end of the current generation ES does not appear to be abnormally
long or low to me. It appears to be shorter than on my '04 LS and about
the same ground clearance.
The design of many contemporary cars includes a lower edge on the front of
the cars to reduce the gap between the undercarriage and the road surface to
better manage the flow of air under the car, which reduces drag, which
improves fuel economy. The plastic shield that is probably installed under
the engine compartment of your car reduces turbulence, which creates drag.
The downside to the improved underbody airflow management is that it takes a
while to become accustomed to not hitting anything.
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)