Honda Sensing in Winter: How to Keep Your Sensors Clean

How to Keep Your Honda Sensing Clean During Winter

As winter rapidly approaches us here in Calgary it can be a real challenge to keep your vehicle clean with all of the dirt, grime, and snow that comes with our winter driving. For those who have vehicles with sensors the challenge of keeping them clean and functioning properly while constantly driving can be a frustrating one. Thankfully as soon as the sensor becomes too dirty to function properly, your Honda will alert you right away and show which sensor is the problem. 

Here are some of the main areas you should be focussing on and some helpful advice on keeping your sensors clean:

The Windshield: Your windshield is the most critical part of your vehicle to keep clean. Not only does it let you clearly see the road ahead of you, but it also has an important camera for forward collision detection, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist housed near your rearview mirror. Ensure that the area around this camera is cleaned properly so you have an added set of eyes on the road.

Rear Quarter-panels: The blind spot detection system uses the radar sensors in the rear of the vehicle. These sensors work by sending radio waves that are reflected off of objects around the vehicle. The time it takes for the wave to return indicated how far away the object or vehicle is. It’s important to keep your rear quarter panels clean to avoid any issues with your blind spot detection system.

The Vehicle’s Front and Rear Bumpers: Front and rear parking sensors are embedded in the front and rear bumpers of your vehicle. These notify you when parking if you are getting too close to another vehicle or object. Where the sensors are located is one of the dirtiest areas on your vehicle and will require you to keep your vehicle clean to keep the sensors functioning properly. 

The Rear-View Camera: Located near the trunk handle for your vehicle the rear-view camera is crucial for getting in and out of those tight parking spots. This area becomes particularly dirty going into winter when we have snowfall followed by warmer temperatures that creates a mess on the road. Make sure to be careful when wiping off the lens. 

The Grille Area:  The grille area on your Honda houses a few important sensors for the adaptive cruise control, forward collision detection system and lane keep assist. These sensors are usually hidden behind the grille to offer some protection from road dirt and debris. 

Side Mirrors: It’s important to keep the area around your side mirrors clean and clear of dirt, debris or frost on cold winter mornings. Not only do the mirrors help you see around you but the passenger mirror also houses a blind spot camera. This camera is activated any time you turn on your right turn signal and offers a live feed from the camera mounted on the mirror. 

Tips on Cleaning Your Honda:

Now that we have covered the important sensors in your vehicle, where they are located, and why they are so vital, lets cover how to keep all of them clean and functioning for as long as possible:

• Cleaning the Rear-View Camera: Cleaning the small rearview camera located on your bumper can be as easy as using your thumb to clean off the dirt. For a longer-lasting clean use windshield washer fluid or a similar glass cleaning product with a cloth to give you the best view from the camera possible. 
• Blind Spot Camera: Just as you did with your rearview camera, make sure to keep this camera clear of any obstructions. You can use the same cloth and cleaning product as you did with the rearview camera. 
• The Front Windshield Camera: Your front windshield camera is located high enough to not have the wipers interfere with its visibility. This also means the glass in front is never cleaned by the wipers. Make sure to scrape all of your windshield on cold mornings, and keep an eye on the glass in front of the camera so it is always clear to avoid issues.  
• The Grille Area: Because these sensors are on the front of your vehicle in an area that sees lots of snow, slush, road debris, and dirt make sure to pay attention to how dirty the front of your Honda gets. In particular keep an eye out for snow, ice, or slush that has accumulated on the sensor. 
• Be Consistent with Washing: Finally, as a tip to keep all of the sensors on your vehicle clean, be consistent with how often you wash your vehicle. How often depends on your driving habits and where the vehicle is parked (on the street or in a garage.) While washing your car can be expensive if done often, think of it as an investment to keep your sensors, paint, and overall vehicle health in top condition. 

With a little time and effort, you can make sure that your vehicle is operating optimally no matter the time of year or weather conditions. 

Want to wash your car but don’t have the time to do it yourself? No problem, when you service your vehicle here at Honda West, we include a free car-wash with every visit thanks to our wonderful friends at Western Pride Car Wash! And if you ever need a hand learning about your Honda Sensing system and how to maintain it, come visit our service department and ask any of our service advisors!