SONY CAR Rear View Camera For BMW 1/3/5/6 Series X3 X5 X6 E39 E53 E82 M3 E46

[thehinch]

Has anyone installed this Sony rear view camera?

I'm keen on adding a rear view camera to my 2003 X5 and want it to display through the existing Nav screen on the dash.

Does anyone know if this camera advertised on ebay is a simple plug and play?

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Cheers in advance for your help

[TerminatorX5]

this camera does not fit E53... there are many threads here about the camera installs and this particular camera...
read this thread - http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...mera-navi.html

somewhere around page 7 this camera is being discussed...
It seems that you have factory Nav system... what else do you have in your car?

[thehinch]

I have the TV Tuner, NAV, CD in the boot and tape deck hidden behind the Nav screen. I appreciate time has gone into this topic previously however I've got lost in the size of the threads available. To assist, I'm looking for guidance on which rear view camera to use that has a simple installation procedure. Preferably plug and play if achievable otherwise minimal cuting and splicing. Do you have a suggested option for me?

[TerminatorX5]

TV tuner - is good... that means that you will have to install the camera, run the power to the camera, run video to the TV module and figure out the trigger wire.

do you have PDC - the park sensor thingy?

I understand your frustruation about the huge thread but chances are, you will be referred back to the thread as the info has been covered with the pictures...

that particular camera will work if you will modify the CAMERA - you will need to cut out the buttom part of the housing, and keep the flat part with the camera - you need to look at that thread, and see the pictures that are posted there, and if you still have questions, then someone will jump in...

If you are persistent about the camera, you will have it working in no time... I have personally (via this forum) helped a few guys here but they had to refer back to the threads...

[thehinch]

thanks in advance for your help. Yes I have the PDC fitted.

With your experience can you give me your suggestion on what camera I should get and what other parts I need to purchase to fit it and get it working?

[TerminatorX5]

if you are willing to cut the camera open and modify the camera, that camera from your link will work.
you will need a small relay, the other thread has the specs sheet and the part number for that relay
you will need a small project box and breadboard to mount the relay, run some wires from the project box
you will need to tap into the power in the trunk lid
you will need to run the video cable from the trunk lid to the video module
for the pins in the module you can use original factory pins or the DIGI-KEY pins
you will need liquid rubber to seal off the open back of the camera from the elements
you will need to get an LED light for the second license plate light, to match the one from the camera housing
you will need to turn off the Cold Monitoring of the license plate light in the LCM module (using the NCS Expert software or other SW)
you will need to connect the trigger wire to pin 7 on the middle connector of the PDC via the realy in the project box


all of that is spelled out in the thread that i mentioned - start reading from the 7th page on - you will get familiar with the process... then you will have more direct questions that will be easier to answer instead of starting a new thread with the same info...

[TerminatorX5]

oh, and i don't think that the camera is Sony - they claim the chip is sony.. if that is a true claim... the camera is still chinese made...

[TerminatorX5]

Hi guys.

I have come up with a write-up on the rear camera installation on E53, the file is PDF, about 13Mb... since this is a work in progress, I would like to hear comments about removing some content or adding more content to the file.

If you care for the file, shoot me an email at

terminatorx5 at midnightstar dot com

and i will send you the file. Don't use PM, my box is full. In return, I expect to hear constructive criticism and ideas on improving the document - since I did the work and then wrote it, many things seem obvious to me but might be unknown to you.
I am posting this info on other rearview camera threads that I subscribed to.

EDIT: reduced the size of PDF to 2Mb

[TerminatorX5]

anymore takers of the file for review?

[TerminatorX5]

Originally Posted by thehinch

thanks in advance for your help. Yes I have the PDC fitted.

With your experience can you give me your suggestion on what camera I should get and what other parts I need to purchase to fit it and get it working?

hinch, did you get your setup finished?