The Blind Spot Monitor uses sensors to monitor the blind spot detection area and the area behind your vehicle and informs you via indicator lights in the outside mirrors. The system measures the distance to other vehicles and the difference in speed between your vehicle and other vehicles. The Blind Spot Monitor only works at speeds above about 9 mph (15 km/h).
Indicator lights in the outside mirrors
The indicator light ⇒ fig. 137 in the glass for the respective outside mirror informs you about traffic to the rear, if the system interprets the situation as critical. The indicator light in the driver side outside mirror A informs you about traffic to the left, and the indicator light in the passenger side outside mirror B informs you about traffic to the right of your vehicle.
Tinting on the side windows or aftermarket tinting films can interfere with the indicator lights in the outside mirrors or cause false readings.
Keep the glass in the outside mirrors clean and free of snow and ice, and do not cover the mirrors with stickers or other objects.
Radar sensors
The radar sensors are behind the rear bumper on the left and right ⇒ fig. 138. They are not visible from outside the vehicle. They monitor an area about 21 yards (20 meters) behind the vehicle as well as the blind spots on the left and right sides of the vehicle. The monitored area next to the vehicle is about one lane wide.
The width of the lane is not detected individually on each road, but is preprogrammed into the system. Because of this, the indicators may be incorrect when driving on narrow roads or driving in the center of two lanes. Likewise, vehicles that are two lanes away from you or stationary objects such as guard rails may also be detected and cause a false warning.
Driving situations
Fig. 139 A: Driving situation when passing with traffic behind your vehicle. B: Blind Spot Monitor indicator light in the driver side mirror.
Fig. 140 A: Driving situation when passing and merging into the lane. B: Blind Spot Monitor indicator light in the passenger side mirror.
Automatic deactivation of the Blind Spot Monitor
The radar sensors for the Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert turn off automatically if the system detects a permanent obstruction over a radar sensor. This could occur if the radar sensor area is covered by ice or snow, for example.
A text message appears in the instrument cluster display when the system turns off automatically.