VW T5 Front  Optical Parking Sensors Upgrade. If your T5 does have genuine rear factory fitted parking sensors, it is possible to add front optical sensors to upgrade to Full OPS Front and Rear parking sensors. 

Optical Parking Sensors provide a visual display of the Vehicle on the radio or navigation system screen, showing the vehicles position and distance from obstacles. The location of any obstacle within range of the ultrasonic sensors is highlighted on screen. Optical Rear parking sensors would mute  your Radio ( if you have one fitted like OEM VW RNS510 or RNS315)  helping you to focus on parking more.

If Your Volkswagen Transporter T5 does have Aftermarket Multimedia or Navigation Fitted, we may need to fit a suitable CAN Interface that will work correctly with your radio, steering wheel and provide the optical display for parking sensors (Costs may vary for this). In many cases the car audio fitter will choose to fit a cheaper Interface... and unfortunately the only way to get OPS on the Multimedia is by replacing this basic CAN interface.

Front and Rear OPS parking sensors activate automatically with reverse gear or on/off with the PDC Button. The buzzer will beep once, The system will stay active as long as reverse gear is engaged. Logically the closer you are to an obstacle, the faster the beep, eventually when you're around a foot away from said obstacle the beep becomes constant.

If there is no obstacle detected the Front and Rear OPS system switch off automatically after several seconds from deselecting reverse gear or when you travel forward faster than approximately 6mph.

You can mute the acoustic signals of the VW optical parking system by pressing the MUTE function button on the radio screen or navigation system. The muting will be cancelled if the OPS is Switched off and back on again.

Front and Rear OPS Parking sensors will also work in conjunction with the Rear view OEM VW Camera, If you have both fitted, selecting reverse gear will turn the camera and OPS On. An overlayed display of the optical sensors will be displayed on the left hand side of the screen. This may work differently with aftermarket an Navigation,

However in general most of the later Multimedia/ Navigation System will either display both or give you ability to switch between them.