Park assist blocked — causes and fixes

There are many assistive systems in modern cars that make driving a lot easier than it was back in the day. One of them is the park assist system which informs you of any obstacles nearby while parking your car. Still, what happens if you get a park assist blocked message on the dashboard?

Park assist blocked means something is interfering with the park assist system, and you should sort things out as soon as possible to use it properly. Since many drivers are frequently relying on this system to park their cars much easier, our team decided to cover the reasons behind this warning.

About the park assist system

To say the truth, many drivers consider parking their cars one of the most demanding driving actions. Although you always have your mirrors to help you out when parking in reverse, it still gets difficult to park your car in small parking spots or between other cars.

One of the best driving innovations was the introduction of park assist systems which help reduce the risk of hitting another car or obstacle while parking. There’s a common misconception that parking sensors are the park assist system itself, while they are a completely different system.

However, the park assist system uses parking sensors in terms of communication with the ECU and that’s where they cross. Still, the park assist system also uses ultrasonic sensors and that’s one of the main things to focus on in case the system isn’t working properly.

Modern cars that have this function integrated can significantly help you out when parking your car. The system’s sensors work to scan the parking slot, and the computer does all the steering. All you have to do is sit back and relax while controlling the gas pedal and the brake.

However, the problem occurs once the system fails and you are getting used to it for parking your car. There’s a variety of reasons behind the “park assist blocked” message that might appear on your information screen.

Reasons behind park assist blocked warning

Besides the “park assist blocked’ warning on the dashboard, you might also notice that the function itself isn’t working when you try to use it. Even worse, the system might seem confusing and erratic, in which case you shouldn’t rely on it when parking your car.

There’s a variety of reasons behind a park assist system fault, and these are some of the most common ones:

• Malfunctioning sensors
• Problems with electrical connections
• Damaged bumpers
• Parking your car at a higher speed

The weather conditions and even washing your car could also affect the sensors and cause erratic park assist system functions. Dirt and debris might pile up on the sensors, and moisture from rain or washing the car could even get stuck in the sensors and cause them to stop working.

You should keep the area around the sensors clean after a bad storm or driving in the mud, and this usually includes the bumpers and body panels.

Damaged sensors

Sensor damage is one of the most frequent reasons behind the “park assist blocked” warning. The system uses ultrasonic sensors and parking sensors to scan the objects on your parking route. These sensors don’t last forever, and they might be damaged by a lot of things, including snow, ice, mud, and dirt.

While it’s sometimes enough to clean the sensors and restart your car, you might have to replace the sensors with new ones in some cases. The sensors communicate with the ECU and submit information to the park assist system, so if they fail, you won’t be able to use the system anymore.

Electrical connection damage

For the park assist system in your car to stay operational, everything needs to be all right with the electrical connections. Like the electric parking brake, a lot of problems could simply be caused by poor electric connections.

A blown fuse or problem with park assist sensor wiring is enough to tamper with the system and render it useless. So, you should check the sensor connections, as well as the battery voltage and ECU connection with the system to get rid of the “park assist blocked” warning.

Damaged bumpers or body panels

Any damage on the car body could cause a sensor malfunction, and it doesn’t even have to be frame damage or something as serious as that. It could simply be due to a small bumper damage since it could lead to sensor damage and the system won’t be able to scan the parking route.

Park assist sensors can’t keep up with high-speed parking attempts, so in case you’ve done something similar and even lightly hit the car, it could have caused system faults. It’s enough that the impact tampers with sensor connection to the system and the ECU to cause park assist damage.

High-speed parking

If you are attempting to park your car at a slightly higher speed, the park assist system might not deliver. The speed recognized by the sensors is mostly in the range between 5 mph and 8 mph. So, if you are suspecting that your park assist system might be malfunctioning, try parking your car a bit slower.

If the system still reports a fault, it’s time to consider doing some repairs and replacing the sensors if necessary, in case they are the root cause of the problem.

Fixing the park assist block

There are two possible scenarios if your vehicle’s computer reports a “park assist blocked” warning. Either it’s a system malfunction that requires fixing it and dealing with bad sensors, or a faulty warning. An ECU malfunction may cause the warning to glow up on the dashboard.

In this case, all you need to do is restart the system and the warning should disappear. However, the restarting procedure depends on the vehicle manufacturer and model. It usually includes pressing the park assist button multiple times within a certain period, but you can refer to the owner’s manual for your model.

On the other hand, if the system a malfunction, it needs to be fixed by replacing bad sensors and checking the electrical connections. Based on the number of damaged sensors and other system components, the price could go anywhere from $500 to $700 or even slightly more.

Our take

Overall, if you spot the “park assist blocked” warning on your dashboard, it’s a red flag that requires your attention. You shouldn’t be using the park assist mode until it’s sorted out, and getting the system inspected by a trusted mechanic is the best thing you can do.

Hopefully, it will all be a result of a faulty warning, but if the park assist system is malfunctioning, you should deal with the connections or faulty sensors as soon as possible.