A129 Electrical Issues After Hooking Up Rear Dashcam

[DT MI]

Yet another thing i dislike about Smart cars, they are now so smart you can barely take your phone inside one, and soon they will be so smart you cant even be trusted to drive your own car.

For some people this would be a very good thing.

 

[kamkar]

Hehe yes indeed, and in that future traffic deaths will probably be significant lower, but i am glad i will not be around to see it.

 

[HonestReview]

his A129 is only 6 months old, it would already have the updated cables, not the issue in this case though anyway, the TPMS issue is a common one, not the first time it has come up

You are right, I read again, and he got the A129 Duo during Christmas 2019. So his product should be up to date, unless he somehow got an old stock camera. Meaning trying a ferrite choke for interference is a good first step. Though I'd still like to know OP's fuse selection for hardwiring. As that could be causing some issues, too. OP mentions he's never done a hardwire install.

 

[HonestReview]

The real issue here is that neither do car manufacturers allow for aftermarket equipment when they test for functionality and possible interference, nor do cam manufacturers test with all the different cars out there, so the end result is that you sometimes have problems, and sometimes there is just no fix. A superbly shielded cable would help- and would be impractical to run as well as cost a lot more. Think much larger diameter and minimum allowable radius for bends meaning you can't fit it where you want to. And that wouldn't shield the cam itself, which can be the source of the problem. Car manufacturers can test their stuff with a Viofo cam but it might not assist with someone using a Blackvue, and if they redesign their cars to reduce the possibilities for cam interference they'd encounter other problems as well as increasing the cost of every car they sell in the process.

So the bottom line is that everyone is doing things as well as can be reasonably expected and no one bears all the fault when things don't do as well as we'd like. It's all that we're going to get.

Phil

Easier for car manufacturer to say install at your own risk and we absolve ourselves of any liability for aftermarket installs. Car manufacturers have no financial incentives to begin testing aftermarket products, and dash cam makers undoubtedly do not have the resources to test a camera in every make and model vehicle. So the end of the day, you take your chances.

 

[HonestReview]

My plan for this weekend is to install the actual A129 hardwire kit to the fuse box in the trunk instead of it being hardwired to the power and ground of the passenger airbag light as maybe this will alleviate all the issues and it will also give me the option to have it recording while parked. If it still has problems, I can try pulling down the rear USB cable and have it just hanging in the cabin and go from there.

Dude just no!! Go back to my original post about fuse selection. There's a high likelihood some of your problems are related to improper fuse selection! Never, absolutely never, tie into safety systems. Even if a ferrite choke were to solve the problem, your install is definitely faulty which could also be contributing to the numerous issues you've outlined (throwing codes).

 

[HonestReview]

his A129 is only 6 months old, it would already have the updated cables, not the issue in this case though anyway, the TPMS issue is a common one, not the first time it has come up

I think his fuse selection might have something to do with the issue, as originally suggested. He's tapping into the safety systems!!!! (Airbag).

 

[DT MI]

Easier for car manufacturer to say install at your own risk and we absolve ourselves of any liability for aftermarket installs...

Not a matter of it being easier at all - it's common sense. For a car manufacturer (or any manufacturer for that matter) to say go ahead and install anything you want any how you want and we'll stand behind it is ludicrous at best. It's a sure fire way to spend all your time in court because someone installed a defective product or botched the installation and now expects you (the manufacturer) to make things better afterwards.

 

[HonestReview]

Not a matter of it being easier at all - it's common sense. For a car manufacturer (or any manufacturer for that matter) to say go ahead and install anything you want any how you want and we'll stand behind it is ludicrous at best. It's a sure fire way to spend all your time in court because someone installed a defective product or botched the installation and now expects you (the manufacturer) to make things better afterwards.

That what I was alluding to when I said "easier". No company wants to assume the liability for some aftermarket modification that may or may not be installed properly and may or may not interfere with normal vehicle operation. Especially not in a country that's known for being very litigious.

 

[Gooffeyguy]

Try to find out where the remote key fob receiver is located in your vehicle. Most GMs have the TPMS receiver located in the same module, which is usually located in the trunk near the wheel well area on the drivers side.

Which way is your rear camera cable ran? You may need to route it around the other side.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[HonestReview]

Try to find out where the remote key fob receiver is located in your vehicle. Most GMs have the TPMS receiver located in the same module, which is usually located in the trunk near the wheel well area on the drivers side.

Which way is your rear camera cable ran? You may need to route it around the other side.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I direct your attention to where OP hardwired into airbag safety systems. I think the fuse choice alone could be causing problems, especially with Canbus systems being intertwined.

 

[Gooffeyguy]

I direct your attention to where OP hardwired into airbag safety systems. I think the fuse choice alone could be causing problems, especially with Canbus systems being intertwined.

Maybe, but the TPMS errors could be due to interference at the TPMS radio receiver

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[HonestReview]

Maybe, but the TPMS errors could be due to interference at the TPMS radio receiver

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Except, he has a TPMS Error, a Check Engine Light, and his Automatic Transmission would no longer shift of of drive gear. The check engine code was unable to talk to the transmission module. I truly doubt the rear cable is causing this level of interference. Sounds far more likely an improper hardwire is the root cause.

I finally got around to installing the rear cam last week. I did some short tests and everything appeared to be working fine. The next day I had to go somewhere which was about a 35 minute drive. About halfway there, I got a notification to service the tire monitoring system because two of the TPMS sensors were blank. They came back on once I restarted the car. Same thing coming home. The next morning after that, about 4 minutes into my drive, the car comes up with a check engine light and the automatic transmission will no longer shift out of the drive gear it was in at the time. Once again power off and power back on and it shifts fine. The check engine code was unable to talk to the transmission module.

 

[jokiin]

Except, he has a TPMS Error, a Check Engine Light, and his Automatic Transmission would no longer shift of of drive gear. The check engine code was unable to talk to the transmission module. I truly doubt the rear cable is causing this level of interference. Sounds far more likely an improper hardwire is the root cause.

except he has been hardwired like this since 2018 and the rear camera was the only recent addition, the TPMS error is a known problem, no the first time this has come up

that aside I would never suggest taking power from anything airbag or safety systems related regardless

 

[HonestReview]

except he has been hardwired like this since 2018 and the rear camera was the only recent addition, the TPMS error is a known problem, no the first time this has come up

that aside I would never suggest taking power from anything airbag or safety systems related regardless

What about the litany of other errors unrelated to the TPMS Sensor....Surely the rear cable isn't causing all these.... a Check Engine Light, Automatic Transmission would no longer shift of of drive gear, and the check engine code was unable to talk to the transmission module

 

[jokiin]

What about the litany of other errors unrelated to the TPMS Sensor....Surely the rear cable isn't causing all these.... a Check Engine Light, Automatic Transmission would no longer shift of of drive gear, and the check engine code was unable to talk to the transmission module

vehicle detects an issue with the TPMS so can no longer monitor tyre pressures, should it be business as usual at that point, or should it start further restricting things, don't underestimate how intrusive these systems are

 

[HonestReview]

vehicle detects an issue with the TPMS so can no longer monitor tyre pressures, should it be business as usual at that point, or should it start further restricting things, don't underestimate how intrusive these systems are

I do know, from having picked a fuse I thought benign, that CanBus systems are intertwined. Meaning the 12V accessory socket was somehow tied to my car alarm (not stated in manual). So when I locked the car it caused the camera to turn itself back on. Honestly, OP is going to need to troubleshoot. And either way, rear cable problem or not, Op needs to fix his hardwire setup.

Very scary he selected the Airbag Light / System for a hardwire. I'm no electrical expert, but that'd be the absolute last system I would piggy back upon.

 

[Travis959]

I've rewired the camera to go to two fuses in trunk and it seems to have fixed the intermittent power not coming on and I thought the other problem as well, but after test driving twice, the second time the TPMS message came up again. As soon as I unplugged the rear camera, the message went away.

I guess my next step is to take the USB cable to the rear camera out and perhaps just let it dangle from the camera down to the floor back to the rear camera. It's currently installed up and around the passenger side headliner. If that doesn't work, I'm not sure what to try next.

 

[HonestReview]

I've rewired the camera to go to two fuses in trunk and it seems to have fixed the intermittent power not coming on and I thought the other problem as well, but after test driving twice, the second time the TPMS message came up again. As soon as I unplugged the rear camera, the message went away.

I guess my next step is to take the USB cable to the rear camera out and perhaps just let it dangle from the camera down to the floor back to the rear camera. It's currently installed up and around the passenger side headliner. If that doesn't work, I'm not sure what to try next.

You could route it along the floor boards instead of around the headliner. Or Vice Versa depending on how it is routed. Might get it out of the way of whatever it is causing interference with. Glad you changed fuse selection, you were playing with fire tapping into safety systems.

 

[jdct]

I'm no electrical expert

Finally HonestReview writes something based in fact..

@Travis959: Most 12VDC to 5VDC dashcam power converters are of the "buck converter" design (you can google it), and many very cheaply made versions (poorly-filtered, like the ones Viofo provides) in effect become high frequency transmitters as a byproduct of the underlying design -- which can interfere with many types of electronic systems in modern cars, and in particular, those which rely upon wireless signaling such as TPMS. The likely reason you don't have an issue until you install the rear camera cable is because the front camera supplies the rear camera module with power from this noisy source, so that the front-rear connection cable can act as 6-meter long antenna radiating interference.

However, there are steps you can take to help mitigate the problem, and I would suggest following the advice of mostly anyone else here except HonestReview. And while I cannot be certain of the exact location and you will have to confirm it on your own, a quick web search seemed to indicate that the TMPS receiver module in your 2018 Camaro is located high up in the car near the rear view mirror under the front edge of the headliner, so it might be difficult to keep the front-rear cable away from it as the A129 front camera is probably mounted right near there too. But some experimental combination of tubular wire shielding and possibly some ferrite chokes on both the input and output wires of the power converter and possibly on the front-camera end of the front-rear connection cable might be able to get you past this issue. And of course, also keep on the lookout for potential remote door lock and keyless ignition issues if you have to relocate any of the cables. Good luck!

 

[HonestReview]

Finally HonestReview writes something based in fact..

@Travis959: Most 12VDC to 5VDC dashcam power converters are of the "buck converter" design (you can google it), and many very cheaply made versions (poorly-filtered, like the ones Viofo provides) in effect become high frequency transmitters as a byproduct of the underlying design -- which can interfere with many types of electronic systems in modern cars, and in particular, those which rely upon wireless signaling such as TPMS. The likely reason you don't have an issue until you install the rear camera cable is because the front camera supplies the rear camera module with power from this noisy source, so that the front-rear connection cable can act as 6-meter long antenna radiating interference.

However, there are steps you can take to help mitigate the problem, and I would suggest following the advice of mostly anyone else here except HonestReview. And while I cannot be certain of the exact location and you will have to confirm it on your own, a quick web search seemed to indicate that the TMPS receiver module in your 2018 Camaro is located high up in the car near the rear view mirror under the front edge of the headliner, so it might be difficult to keep the front-rear cable away from it as the A129 front camera is probably mounted right near there too. But some experimental combination of tubular wire shielding and possibly some ferrite chokes on both the input and output wires of the power converter and possibly on the front-camera end of the front-rear connection cable might be able to get you past this issue. And of course, also keep on the lookout for potential remote door lock and keyless ignition issues if you have to relocate any of the cables. Good luck!

For someone who wishes to be sanctimonious, you might actually beef up your reading skills:

@Travis959 The next morning after that, about 4 minutes into my drive, the car comes up with a check engine light and the automatic transmission will no longer shift out of the drive gear it was in at the time.

So he had more issues than just "TPMS" interference.

#1 - He had his camera hardwired to the Airbag System / Light. - His IMPROPER HARDWIRE was most likely causing problems due to his vehicle having Canbus and other systems tied into the fuse he selected . He moved the hardwire to another fuse per my advice. Those issues went away.

#2 - My advice to rewire the rear cable either through the floor or headliner was sound advice, except I guess the Camaro has the TPMS sensor near the mirror. So being that the case, there's no way to avoid inteference with a reroute to fix the TPMS issue.

So yes, using a ferrite choke as @jokiin suggested, and you simply PIGGY BACKED UPON, would be his only other solution.

None the less, I think you need to eat a slice of Humble Pie.