Repairer Driven News

Hyundai, Genesis release position on repairing bumpers with radar and ultrasonic sensors

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Hyundai released a position statement this month on repairing front and rear bumpers with corner radar units or ultrasonic sensors. 

Front and rear bumpers may have corner radar units mounted behind them on the unibody, according to the statement. It says the units must be masked off or removed from the vehicle to prevent contamination and paint overspray during repairs. 

Any corner radar units damaged or contaminated, including due to paint overspray, during the refinishing process must be replaced and recalibrated according to shop manual procedures, the statement says. 

The statement does allow touch-up paint on the front and rear bumpers in the areas in front of the corner radar units. It notes that paints with excessive aluminum content may interfere with the corner radar performance. 

Repairers should use a radar-optimized formula, if available when repairing vehicles equipped with corner radars. To find the maximum allowable percentages of aluminum content for specific exterior colors refer to TSB 23-BD-012G “Refinishing Precaution for Paints and Aluminum Contents.” 

Plastic repairs to the front and rear bumpers are not recommended, the statement says. The altered shape/surface of the bumper may affect corner radar performance. 

Repairers should remove any ultrasonic sensors attached to the front or rear bumpers before performing any refinishing work. 

Refinishing or touch-up paint application may not be done on the ultrasonic sensors. The sensor must be replaced according to shop manual procedures if damaged or contaminated, including paint overspray. 

The statement refers repairers to the parts catalog to find the correct part number that corresponds to the exterior color of the vehicle when ordering ultrasonic sensors. It adds that the replacement sensors are pre-painted by the supplier. 

During a Collision Industry Conference meeting last year, the Parts and Materials Committee discussed how bumper refinishing was becoming more complex

Benito Cid, Mercedes-Benz USA collision programs manager, said the company was continuing to advance technology that uses sensors, cameras, radar, and more as part of the technology suite in its Level 3 automated driving feature, Drive Pilot, in California and Nevada.

“All of these things require a clear line of sight,” Cid said.

Ensuring the repair process and products don’t interrupt the line of sight of those systems is why “looking at the procedures is even more important at this point,” he said.

Repairers can’t repaint some parts with sensors, Cid said. Sometimes, replacing the part is the only option.

Other colors have a maximum amount of layers of coating such as primer, paint, and clear, he said. Some of these parts can only be painted one additional time.

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Photo courtesy of Tramino/iStock

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