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Curb Alert System: DIY

50K views 124 replies 34 participants last post by  Guitar Man 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Working on installing a curb alert system. Anyone know? The front post that is to be used right outside the front fuse box....12mm? And how about the neg ground just forward of that near the alternator? Chip has written about this before, I think....

Thanks....
 
#4 ·
I'll be anxiously awaiting your DIY, as the Curb Alert is the first mod I plan to make to the car. When I was bringing my new Spyder home from the dealer back in 2004 I decided to stop at the store where I promptly found out how low the car sat, when I pulled it over a parking lot cement curb, scratching the hell out of the bottom of the front apron. I'm not letting it happen with the Corvette.
 
#5 · (Edited)
OK got the kit and decided to fabricate some of my own stuff to make this work. It's pretty easy - not ready for all the pics but here's a few tips.
1. Use the front pos lead on the rear of the fuse box and the neg post near the alternator. Fabricate a harness that attaches to their pos and neg wire with fuse holder. The unit turns on when it sees 13.5 so no switches necessary...
2. DO NOT try and unbolt the nut on the pos post - just get another nut to fit over it. It is over torqued and you will hear the fuse box plastic straining before it breaks free. I stopped before damage. Use ring terminals over both pos and neg with a little loctite red and you'll be good.
3. calibrating is easy - i threw their instructions out, and got just a bit farther up on a curb than I like, and just dialed down the sensor on it's mount until it beeped....done....

not happy with how it mounts in grill - sticks out too much...is gonna take some fabrication/remounting to get it clean looking....stay tuned...
 
#6 · (Edited)
Just took it out and after all the software calmed down and the system reset, the calibration is damn near perfect. When I get this close to a parking ingot, I get three quick beeps you can hear above the radio volume. That's it - more and it goes continuous. But this is the perfect distance for me:



small speaker mounts in pass bulkhead - wire will be buried tomorrow:


Pm me if you buy the kit- I can save you some time, once we talk......
 
#7 ·
Glen I'll be interested to see where you relocate the sensor. I appreciate you reverse engineering the installation so some of us won't have to.
 
#8 ·
Glen
Thanks for sharing. I have a side entrance garage will this detect as I make a right turn 90 degree into the garage that I have swung too wide and am about to hit the garage door frame? Or will it only detect a straight on obstacle?

Thanks Tom
 
#12 ·
The sensor in the front that needs to be cut into the grill- a project still to do.
se box
Is it possible to locate it below the bumper, pushed back far enough to not show? Does it have to be in the grill?
 
#11 · (Edited)
Ok here's the mod on the front grill and final placement - now it looks more acceptable. To normal people (meaning non enthusiasts), it's all but invisible.

So with fiskars/pruning shears, I cut a notch for the sensor to fit back in the grill - alcohol wipe, VHB stick and adjust angle:


Nestled in nicely - no part of grill shows the cuts, if you are not OCD....


And now a clean look now:


by the way, there is a pic somewhere on the web with the sensor mounted on a C7 under the top grill piece with sensor seeing straight ahead - that won't work picking up ingots and such, just walls ahead of you..and if you can't see a wall ahead of you, you've got bigger problems that what this device shows you...LOL....It has to angle 45 degree down.
 
#13 ·
I would not do it for fear of having it ripped off by a driver that did not know how it worked (valet, relative, etc)


but there are no absolutes with this kit...do what you think works best....the instructions are generic, not geared at all to the C7....
 
#16 · (Edited)
If you are going to buy this kit, here's what makes it turn key for a C7- this is assuming you know how to heat shrink/ splice elec wiring:
2 m8 13 mm nuts
two big (yellow) ring terminals/ heat shrink
Alcohol swabs
15-20 zip ties- theirs are too small


That's it-so simple
 
#17 ·
Thanks Glen!
 
#19 · (Edited)
Again, this mod is generic, it can be mounted anywhere you can get the right angle and tone. The unit comes with about three different mounting brackets, you just have to figure out how you want to stick them on the grill. It's really sad, that no seller of these ( and there are several of the same unit) and the mfr is not supplying the c7 install info....but anyone can do this, as you put the whole thing together with stick on tape , not a single hole be drilled
 
#20 ·
Glen, outstanding! You should be in R&D for C7 vendors, getting paid for your ideas. Keep the mods coming, I'm learning from every member on this site from their mods. It puts me at ease when I'll work on our C7.

SF
Rick
 
#22 ·
Glen, installing this could save StingRay owners $100's in damage, as I imagine that repairing a smashed front "fang" will not be cheap, and save even more ($1,000+) for upcoming Z06 stage 2 & 3 buyers who get a carbon fiber, significantly-protruding front splitter.

Fantastic mod!!! Thank you.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Exactly my motivation john......

Two weeks ago I went down to Lashway and told Erik that I was reading on the web that people were buying his splitters and experiencing rock damage with the flash splitter.. Also that it was protruding a little bit more, and Eric should investigate offering an easy turn key curb alert kit, and also offering an XPEL option on the splitters before he sent them out. He's selling quite a few, so he was all for that idea , so I'm working with him , and mine was a reverse engineer test case that he can look at . I'm getting anything for doing it except that I know Eric is in my court if I ever need him.

After using the curb alert for a week , it is invaluable, chirps when you start the car and chirps 3 times when you should stop moving forward, it never misses...I love it and don't have to be "careful" anymore or be talking to a passenger and forget until I hear a bad sound...LOL...

THIS IS THE THE SINGLE BEST MOD YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR CAR, IMO
 
#28 ·
Did you install it in/into the grill or below the bumper?
 
#29 ·
okay you guys are not going to believe this but i picked my new stingray up yesterday and today i was leaving a park and went up on a curb, thank GOD that nothing got messed up, i was so scared as i was getting out of the car thinking there was going to be some major damage but nothing. I can say i learned a very big lesson today.
 
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