Limitations of the radar unit
Blocked unit
The radar unit is placed inside the upper section of the windscreen together with the car's camera unit.
Important
If the driver display shows this symbol with the message Windscreen sensor Sensor blocked, see Owner's manual, it means that the camera and radar unit cannot detect other vehicles in front of the car.
The following table presents examples of possible causes for a message being shown, along with the appropriate action:
| Cause | Action |
|---|---|
| The windscreen surface in front of the camera and radar unit is dirty or covered with ice or snow. | Clean dirt, ice and snow from the windscreen surface in front of the camera and radar unit. |
| Thick fog and heavy rain or snow block the radar signals or the camera view. | No action. Sometimes the unit does not work during heavy rain or snowfall. |
| Water or snow from the road surface swirls up and blocks the radar signals or camera view. | No action. Sometimes the unit does not work on a very wet or snow-covered road surface. |
| Dirt has appeared between the inside of the windscreen and the camera and radar unit. | Visit a workshop to have the windscreen inside the unit's cover cleaned - an authorised Volvo workshop is recommended. |
Note
- the speed of vehicles in front is significantly different from your own speed
Limited field of vision
The radar unit has a limited field of vision. In some situations another vehicle is not detected, or the detection is made later than expected.
Sometimes the radar unit is late at detecting vehicles at close distances - e.g. a vehicle that drives in between the car and vehicles in front.
Small vehicles, such as motorcycles, or vehicles not driving in the centre of the lane can remain undetected.
In bends, the radar unit may detect the wrong vehicle or lose a detected vehicle from view.
Low trailers
Low trailers can also be difficult for the radar unit to detect, or are not detected at all - the driver should therefore be particularly careful when driving behind low trailers when the adaptive cruise control or Pilot Assist is activated.
High temperature
At very high temperatures the camera and radar unit can temporarily be switched off for about 15 minutes after the engine is started so as to protect the unit's electronics. The camera and radar unit restarts automatically when the temperature has fallen sufficiently.
Damaged windscreen
Important
If a crack, scratch or stone chip in the windscreen in front of one of the camera and radar unit “windows” covers an area of approx. 0.5 x 3.0 mm or larger, a workshop must be contacted to have the windscreen replaced. An authorised Volvo workshop is recommended.
If not rectified it can lead to reduced performance for the driver support systems that use the camera and radar unit.
- Volvo recommends against repairing cracks, scratches or stone chips in the area in front of the camera and radar unit. Instead, the whole windscreen should be replaced.
- Before replacing a windscreen, contact an authorised Volvo workshop to verify that the correct windscreen is ordered and fitted.
- The same type or Volvo-approved windscreen wipers must be fitted during replacement.
Important
Maintenance
In order that the radar and camera unit shall function correctly, the windscreen in front of the unit must be kept clear of dirt, ice and snow, and be cleaned regularly with water and car shampoo.