The radar sensors are responsible for letting you know if there’s any possibility of crashing with another vehicle or if there’s a wayfarer in your path.
So, fixing the clogging in these sensors in the nick of time is super essential. To do so, you need to learn about the warning for this.
Some driver assist systems cannot operate: radar obstructed – is a warning from the Honda maintenance minder. This indicates that some of the sensing functions in your Honda have been deactivated temporarily.
It mostly occurs when the radar sensors get clogged by snow, ice, salt, dirt, or grease due to bad weather conditions.
Honda’s maintenance minder shows you the discussible warning the moment it detects the causes (will be explained thoroughly later on the blog.) Let us assist you with every aspect of this topic. Stay tuned.
Radar Obstructed- Explained!
The Radar in your Honda works with an external sensor. This helps your vehicle detect whether there’s any obstacle in front of you. Now The question is, how do the sensors get obstructed?
Whenever anything, for whatever reason, covers the radar sensor camera, or the front sensor camera’s surrounding area, the sensors stop working. This situation is called Radar Obstruction.
Actually, due to some factors, the radar sensors might stop working and fail to detect potential obstacles in front of your vehicle. It is considered a radar obstruction as well.
What Are the Causes of Radar Obstruction?
Radar obstruction doesn’t appear out of the blue. There are valid reasons which trigger the mishap. Let us break down the confusion.
Bad Weather Conditions
Rough weather days often lead you to many problems. The problems affect radar sensors as well.
Heavy rainfall, snowfall, or even fog creates heavy layers on the sensor window. Thus, it fails to detect anything in front of the vehicle.
Muddy Terrain
While crossing muddy or extremely rough terrains, the sensor windows or cameras get clogged by mud, dirt, dust, or grease. Clogging in the sensors causes the “some driver-assist systems cannot operate: radar obstructed” warning to appear.
Overheating Inside the Camera
Sometimes, due to running for long hours, the temperature inside the camera gets extremely high. Consequently, it stops working after a certain time.
Thus, you go through radar obstruction, and the maintenance minder shows the warning.
How to Fix “Some Driver-assist Systems Cannot Operate: Radar Obstructed” Warning in Honda?
Since the driver assistance sensors’ deactivation is caused by radar obstruction, you need to fix it if you plan on removing the warning. However, the sensors getting clogged or blocked triggers this failure.
So, learn how you can clean the sensors with us. Cleaning the sensors and camera can fix the issue in no time.
Method of Cleaning Radar Sensors
Follow the steps mentioned below for the process:
- Take a soft cloth and start gently rubbing the windshield area. It’s located in front of the camera.
- You can use rubbing alcohol to clean thoroughly after you remove the excess dirt.
- Lastly, clean the surface of the radar through the same process, and you’ll be done.
Resetting the Honda Sensing Function
Often, cleaning the sensors doesn’t remove the warning. The sensors don’t activate either. In this case, resetting the radar sensors goes a long way. Here’s how:
- Start by entering the “Cruise Mode.”
- Now, long press the interval button in it for 3 seconds. This will eliminate all the alerts and bring the vehicle back into the regular driving phase.
- After 3 seconds or so, a message will appear on the screen that the function has been cleared. Release the button, and you’re done.
How to Prevent Radar Obstruction?
Preventing the mishap costs nothing but a bit of carefulness from the driver. Here are some pro tips regarding the situations that can influence radar obstruction.
- Consider checking the radar once in a while. Ensure there’s no layer of salt or snow or any other obstacle. Even the smallest portion of dirt can help piles of them build up.
- During rough weather conditions, avoid going out, especially when it’s raining or snowing heavily. And even if you do due to an emergency, consider cleaning the sensors and cameras the moment you get back home.
- Winter nights are extremely rough on the sensors and camera with all the fog around. To save the sensors from fog, keep the vehicle inside your garage most of the time, especially at night.
- Avoid rough, uneven, or muddy terrains as much as possible. If you have no other choice than to take the road, drive at the slowest speed very carefully.
- Turn the engines off once you’re done with your transportation. Otherwise, the camera will remain on and running for long hours, causing it to overheat. The consequences are pretty obvious, immediate deactivation of the sensors.
Where are the Camera and Radar Located in Honda?
Although this depends on your specific model, most Honda vehicles have the components in the same area. So, let us enlighten you.
Radar
It is mostly found at the back of the emblem, which is located on the front side of the vehicle. Models like Clarity, Odyssey, Pilot, Passport, and Fit come under this equation.
On the contrary, other models have sensors for different vehicle parts. Basically, from there, they get a crystal clear view of the front side of the vehicle.
Camera
Honda vehicles are designed with a front-facing camera. It’s a monocular camera that lies around the interior rear mirror inside the cockpit. To check its obstruction, look through the primary area of the windshield.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fixing the issues can be done at home if it’s due to radar sensors. But if you aren’t skilled enough, you should consult an expert. The cleaning won’t cost more than $20.
But if the warning stays even after cleaning or resetting the function, you might need to replace it. It will cost around $219- $254. However, the labor cost varies depending on the mechanic’s skills and your problem. It may cost between $57 and $72 on average.
The sensors are located at both the rear and front bumpers. So, these can tell well if you’re about to crash a vehicle or if there’s any other potential cause. It can detect objects 6 feet longer (back side) and 4 feet longer (front).
No, if you follow the right method. While cleaning, rubbing alcohol would be a fine option. But not soaps or detergents. They create way too many bubbles, which can create a foggy layer on the sensors.
Wrapping Up!
We believe there’s barely any Honda malfunction that the maintenance minder doesn’t show codes about. It not only tells you when to get service but also says which part needs what fixes.
The radar sensors are included in this case. Whenever the radar sensors go through any trouble, it shows the following warning: some driver-assist systems cannot operate radar obstructed.
After today’s detailed elaboration, we believe you now know the primary causes, fixes, and ways to prevent this problem. Let us know if you have other queries. Good luck!
Leave a Reply