Need Help With Backup Camera Installation

[jbelcourt]

I ordered an all-in-one dash cam, backup cam, GPS unit from eBay. I got it last night and I just installed it. I'm having an issue where the camera does not initiate backup mode when I put it in reverse. The "picture in picture" of the unit shows the rear camera working but when put into reverse, it does not work properly.

The instructions it came with are....not even instructions. No surprise. I'm hoping someone can lend a hand as I've never installed a backup camera before and maybe I'm just missing something.

The plug for it has a headphone style jack, which plugs into to unit. It then leads to the back for the camera and has a red wire. I assumed that red wire needed to go to the reverse light power wire but that's not working. I noticed it has a blue wire, which generally would mean remote....but it's looped back to itself so it doesn't look like it's supposed to be cut and wired to anything. I have no idea, though.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated it. The company I got it from off eBay is extremely slow to respond and I have my car all taken apart right now.

 

[jokiin]

the blue wire will be to disable the parking line function, if you cut the wire it turns that off

power the red wire and see if the camera comes on, if it has more than one AV input make sure you have the camera connected to the correct input, they generally only auto switch on one of the inputs

 

[jbelcourt]

The red wire is run to the reverse light power wire. I checked it to ensure power, it gets power when I put it in reverse.

When I turn the device on, the dash cam works and the picture in picture displays both front and rear camera. The device is set up so if I turn the car off, it gives me a warning of lost power and powers itself off. When I put it in reverse, it does not switch into rear view mode and the device gives the warning that it's lost power.

The four small lights on the rear view camera do not power on though, which I found odd.

 

[jokiin]

sounds like a hardware issue

 

[jbelcourt]

Hmm. Well shoot, that will suck. It's a pain dealing with item return like this. I'm hoping I'm overlooking something. I find it odd that there's no ground wire, for one.

 

[jokiin]

Hmm. Well shoot, that will suck. It's a pain dealing with item return like this. I'm hoping I'm overlooking something. I find it odd that there's no ground wire, for one.

the camera itself should be grounded, but that may run back through the main cable

 

[jbelcourt]

the camera itself should be grounded, but that may run back through the main cable

Yeah, I bought a 12v to 5v converter with micro USB plug. I cut the wires that powered my stock rear view mirror light (it was 12v) and powered and grounded it there. That powers the unit itself when I turn the car on. Then, the rear view camera has a separate plug that is like a headphone jack. That runs to the back of the car and has the single red wire.

Here's a stock photo of the wiring for that:

 

[jokiin]

fault in the camera maybe, hard to know with stuff like this that doesn't follow any particular industry standard

 

[jbelcourt]

Well thank you for responding, I appreciate your time. Hopefully the company answers, though I doubt that'll fix anything. There's got to be a fault in the camera or something then.

 

[jbelcourt]

I'm starting to wonder if maybe the reverse cam is 5v powered as well (just like the unit as a whole is). I wonder if a 12v to 5v step down is required to power the reverse camera off the 12v reverse light wire...

 

[jokiin]

highly unlikely

 

[jbelcourt]

highly unlikely

I'm not sure what to think. I tried at the connector with no luck and I tried at the bulb directly. There's power at the break point harness for the camera but the camera lights aren't coming in and it's not initiating.

I'm hoping you're wrong about it being defective but you're probably right lol.

 

[jbelcourt]

Here's a video of what it's doing. Excuse the mess, I have panels pulled down and stuff everywhere.

 

[jbelcourt]

Just wanted to follow up and let everyone know I figured out the issue. I couldn't give up, it was eating me up, so I decided to mess with it more. I noticed I had power drain. It was down to 55% and kept going down little by little even though it was powered. Then I figured why not try the factory plug.

 

[jokiin]

yeah not enough power, that would do it

 

[jbelcourt]

yeah not enough power, that would do it

Turned out to be a bad ground at that harness I installed. I grounded it to the sun visor bolt at the roof and it was fine.

All that work and the rear camera sucks lol. The grid is WAY too thin so you can't tell how wide you can go lol.

Glad I figured it out at least.

 

[cjsprianu]

Hello

I realize I’m commenting on this thread more than a year after you’ve resolved your issue, but I was browsing online and was led here because I’m just now having a very similar issue and I was hoping you could help clarify some things with what worked for your fix

I just installed a similar system, where I have a rear-view mirror with a screen and front facing camera and a rear camera that connects into it via that headphone-style jack. My rear view camera, like yours, also only has a red power wire, no ground wire. I spliced that wire into my rear right reverse light, and everything seems to be working normally; screen switches when I go into reverse and switches back when I come out.

Here’s my problem: I seem to have a short, because my rear right turn signal no longer works. I’m wondering if I’m drawing too much power (since I spliced the rear facing camera on that side), or if I need to ground the camera somehow because splicing it screwed up the circuit. You mentioned that you had a bad ground at the harness you installed and that you grounded it to your sun visor bolt, and I was hoping you could explain a bit what you mean by that because I’m not getting the mental picture? What harness? How did you ground your unit if there wasn’t a dedicated wire for it?

Thanks for any help, this is driving me nuts.

-Caesar

 

[sunflowerbkk]

Here’s my problem: I seem to have a short, because my rear right turn signal no longer works. I’m wondering if I’m drawing too much power (since I spliced the rear facing camera on that side), or if I need to ground the camera
-Caesar

Hi Caesar,

I also just purchased a camera with only has a red power wire, no ground wire. I am confused and concern about whether it is safe.

Did you ever resolve your issue?

Thanks
JK

 

[bluejay81]

I just got this same wire set up. I will not be putting in the back of my vehicle, it will be on the inside. My question is: what do I do with the red wire? I would like to hardwire in to have constant power, how do I do this? Any help will be much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[bluejay81]

Yeah, I bought a 12v to 5v converter with micro USB plug. I cut the wires that powered my stock rear view mirror light (it was 12v) and powered and grounded it there. That powers the unit itself when I turn the car on. Then, the rear view camera has a separate plug that is like a headphone jack. That runs to the back of the car and has the single red wire.

Here's a stock photo of the wiring for that:

I bought a set up like this. everything is truil the same. I am not going to use it a backup cam but rear cam on my back window, with this said, what do I need to do with the red wire.
I would like to hardwire in to a sswitch box so I can continuing power, I am wanting it because I need 24/7 ×watch on my vehicle