Kizashi Club

I have serious deafness and wear hearing aids. I also have a 2011 AWD Sports Kizashi with front and rear parking sensors, I can satisfactorely hear the front sensors, even over the radio, but rear sensors are of no use at all. Dealer is of no assistance apart from confirming that the sensors are working as they should. I have consulted private auto elec, and his best efforts cannot provide a sensor that is audible to me. Surely I am not the only hearing impared person ever to buy a Kizashi. If anyone can offer assistance I would be very grateful. Ron Hyams, Australia.

I wasn't aware the SLS has front sensors...

Hi Ron, I'm not familiar with the set up for the sensors (I own a "poverty pack" Kizashi Touring ). From what you've written they each use a different buzzer/ speaker to emit the sound?

It should be possible to somehow amplify the signal (or install a more sensitive speaker/ louder buzzer), but I've got no idea how much disassembly of the dash would be required. (I'm an electronics tech by trade.)

ipaqxman wrote:I wasn't aware the SLS has front sensors...

Just goes to show!

Don`t know your model in Australia. Apart from my own I have seen only one other Kiz and that was also Sports AWD with all available specs,CVT, AWD,etc,etc. Great car if you have normal hearing. Cheers, Ron H

Ron, from examining the wiring diagrams it looks like the buzzer is located within the instrument cluster. So that would have to be removed in order to do any mods to the buzzer.

Hi David; Unfortuneately Suzuki Australia responded to my email on that aspect with advice that sensors fitted as standard are not repairable, replaceable, or in any way adjustable. They also included a liftout from the wksp manual showing placement and removal of said sensors. All this I passed to the auto elec I hired to find a solution. Once again no solution was forthcoming. As I advised in my original post on the subject, pre-post solutions were sought but not found. Cheers Ron H

On my US model the info display shows which direction the sensors are finding "stuff".

So do the front and rear sensors both "beep" and does the sound come from the same source? It seems strange the fronts are loud enough but the rears not.

There's no front sensors... At least on US models. I dun recommend testing it. Do other US owners agree?

Yes, fellow Americans, our top trim SLS does not include front parking sensors, but foreign market top trim Kizashis do.

As for the hearing/sound amplification issue:
This is rather ghetto of a solution, but why not have a person with good hearing pin-point the location of the speaker and then you can install a small sound amplifier device next to it. I've seen small, handheld devices that basically amplify noise through its own speaker. I've also seen devices that send the sound to an earpiece. Given that you already wear hearing aids, I think the amplifier device with speakers would be a better option.
Once you locate the noise source, just duct-tape the device on top.
Yeah, pretty ghetto, but it should work. I believe I've seen these kind of devices advertised "As Seen on TV" for the elderly. I think I also saw some in Japan; a country full of old folks. I am sure they exist if sought out.

I've also heard that hearing impaired people are generally better drivers. Because of their lack of hearing, they compensate with better attention and visual cues. I am surprised you even care for parking sensors.

I knew a completely blind girl who had amazing hearing, sense of smell, and touch. She didn't let her blindness hold her back in life (other than driving, of course). It's wondrous how the brain can adapt to make the most of what we have.