You guys are going to laugh at this one - backup camera

krhodes1 · Post by **krhodes1** » 01 Jul 2021, 14:42

So as mentioned in a post six months ago or so, I put an Android touchscreen head unit in my '04 V70. Used the CRUX canbus adapter to integrate it to the car, and it works GREAT. I didn't bother with a backup camera, because it's a V70 and you don't really need one. But one thing that drove me nuts is that the CRUX has the reverse signal going to the head unit, so the head unit knows to fire up the backup camera and mute the stereo when you put it in reverse. And there is no way to turn that off!! So for six months, every time I put the car in reverse, the screen blanked and the radio muted. Slightly annoying.

So with my first FL to ME summer migration with this car coming up, and a friend of mine codriving who is used to having a camera, I figured "what the heck, they are cheap, I will install a camera and get rid of this annoyance, even if I don't really need it". So I got a wireless, license plate mount camera, and installed it. Wired to the reverse light circuit, wires run through the grommet for the screen washer, no problem. Easy! And it works GREAT. When it decides to work. The camera ALWAYS works - I can manually call it up from the head unit, and if the car is in reverse, it is working just fine. But it is completely random as to whether it will come up by itself. Sometimes it will work just fine 10X in a row, sometimes it will go a day or two not working. Seems totally random. Sigh. So I guess my next step is to run a trigger wire back to the reverse light circuit, and see if that works better than getting the reverse signal through the CRUX. But just plain odd considering with no camera attached it tried to do it EVERY SINGLE TIME. Cars...

BTW - no issues with the bulb out system having the camera run off the reverse light on one side of the car, even with the wireless transmitter involved. When I researched this, I saw some speculation that the car would not like that. I did freak out for a minute in that when I buttoned things back up, I initially had a running light bulb out on the OTHER side of the car from where I connected in, but it was just the holder was loose. Took it out, put it back in, no more messages in the info center.

-Kevin

Post by **vtl** » 03 Jul 2021, 09:33

Get a regular wired camera that goes into a license plate light, power it from the reverse light and hide the wire under the carpets. I have one for like 7 years, works great and every time.

Post by **kallekula** » 03 Jul 2021, 14:51

krhodes1 · Post by **krhodes1** » 03 Jul 2021, 19:56

vtl wrote: ↑03 Jul 2021, 09:33 Get a regular wired camera that goes into a license plate light, power it from the reverse light and hide the wire under the carpets. I have one for like 7 years, works great and every time.

The camera is working perfectly, the wireless connection is a non-issue. It's already wired off the reverse lights. If the car is in reverse, I can manually bring up the camera, and the image is perfect, every single time. The issue, as I explained, is that the headunit is no longer trying to bring the camera app up automatically on a consistent basis. Could be the Crux interface, could be the headunit. I do intend to run a wire and bypass the Crux. It's just a bit funny that it worked perfectly *until* I added the camera. Which was annoying because it also mutes the audio. And couldn't be disabled in this HU.

-Kevin

krhodes1 · Post by **krhodes1** » 03 Jul 2021, 19:58

kallekula wrote: ↑03 Jul 2021, 14:51 20210412_121722.jpg

Looks to be the same camera I have, but I like my bracket setup better, the camera is centered on the car. Having it offset like that would drive me nuts.

-Kevin

Post by **kallekula** » 04 Jul 2021, 03:22

I think my stereo has a calibration setup for that, if it would ever bother me. Which it doesn't.

Saakey · Post by **Saakey** » 15 Feb 2022, 12:07

krhodes1 wrote: ↑03 Jul 2021, 19:58
kallekula wrote: ↑03 Jul 2021, 14:51 20210412_121722.jpg
Looks to be the same camera I have, but I like my bracket setup better, the camera is centered on the car. Having it offset like that would drive me nuts.

-Kevin

I think the upper right license plate bolt missing is bothering me even more.

Post by **BlackBart** » 15 Feb 2022, 12:12

Maybe it doesn't WANT you to know what's behind you.........

Post by **abscate** » 15 Feb 2022, 18:05

I think if you get one good one you don’t really need a backup,camera

Post by **kallekula** » 16 Feb 2022, 10:39

I had to use a relay to get it working. The power from splicing into the backup light wasn’t enough to power the camera.