Backup camera only works in the dark!

[zyb]

Hi all!

I have a 2011 X5 LCI 40d with top view. My backup camera started flickering and gradually got worse. Apparently, it is quite common that the cable fails between the car and the tailgate, because of the movements. Before buying a new (and expensive) cable, I decided to try to fix it the cheap way. There is a fakra connector just by the fuse box in the right side of the trunk, so I cut the cable there and by the camera. Then I soldered the connectors to a new shielded cable. The flickering is gone, and the camera stable, but only when its dark outside!?

During daytime, or bright light conditions, the screen is blue and it says reversing camera faulty or something. As soon as it gets dark enough, it kicks back in. Sometimes I have to turn the PDC/rear camera on and off to make it work. Thats typically at dusk.

I have tried with different cables, checked the connectors and soldering points, but always the same result. Even going back to the original cable. The camera itself is ok, I've swapped with another car with the same result.

Can this really be a cable problem, or is it the TRSVC-module having issues? Surely, the car cannot sense that I've cut the cable..or? I think it's a strange cable issue, but it started happening exactly when I cut the cable.

Anyone got ideas before I start spending money on parts?

Thank you!

[blndweasel]

How certain are you about your connections post-cutover to the new cable? You're right, I don't think there's any way the vehicle could sense you've bypassed the cable - unless you have a bad connection which is adding resistance to one of the conductors in the circuit(s).

I haven't dove into the reverse camera yet, but plan to. I'm just moving to an '09 pre-LCI X5 and the camera quality is worse than the cheap-o Sony CCD backup cam I installed on my E38. Particularly with regard to low-light performance. I intend to do whatever reverse engineering is necessary to replace the camera sensor, and will understand much more about the system by the time I am finished. I'll check back with you if I come across anything which might be helpful.

[5Xtheproblems]

Originally Posted by blndweasel

How certain are you about your connections post-cutover to the new cable? You're right, I don't think there's any way the vehicle could sense you've bypassed the cable - unless you have a bad connection which is adding resistance to one of the conductors in the circuit(s).

I haven't dove into the reverse camera yet, but plan to. I'm just moving to an '09 pre-LCI X5 and the camera quality is worse than the cheap-o Sony CCD backup cam I installed on my E38. Particularly with regard to low-light performance. I intend to do whatever reverse engineering is necessary to replace the camera sensor, and will understand much more about the system by the time I am finished. I'll check back with you if I come across anything which might be helpful.

Keep us posted. I have an '08 and the camera is dreadful at night. My fiancee jokes that if a murder took place behind the car, you couldn't use that footage because it's so grainy.

[blndweasel]

Well the search isn't promising so far, I need a donor camera to disassemble and understand its construction. A guy who has one listed for $115 on ebay won't accept a more reasonable BIN offer. It may come down to finding one at pick-n-pull.

My goal is to replace the sensor in the stock camera assembly, knowing that the calibration may (will) be off, and the view angle may change.

Ensuring proper focal length between lens and sensor is likely to be the most challenging factor.

[zyb]

I agree that the camera is really bad at night, but no camera is even worse. I'm very sure about my connections, I've gone over them many times with different cables. I have also tested the connections with a multimeter.

I've done some more experimenting, and every finding is pointing to a defective cable. First i swapped one of the mirror cameras with the rear camera, and still, the rear camera was failing in bright light conditions. From this I conclude that the TRSCV-module is ok, as swapping video input also moves the failing camera. It was a little funny to see the side view camera as the backup camera.

Secondly, I cut off the blue fakra connector just by the TRSCV-module to try a new piece of cable directly to the backup camera. With this method, the backup camera didnt work at all, under any light conditions. This means that the type of cable absolutely has something to say in this system (I have no clue how). Replace a piece of the original cable and the camera only works at night. Replace the whole cable, the camera doesnt work at all. I would love to know why.

I have ordered a new, original cable, (61129241791) hoping this will sort my problems.

[zyb]

Hi,

Just wanted to close this tread by saying that a new cable solved my problems. The camera works perfectly again now. Nothing special with the new cable as far as I can see. I assume that my issues with cutting and replacing parts of the cable is due to the frequencies of data transfer. The joints on a spliced cable obviously interfer with the signal somehow.

The replacement is not hard either. The blue fakra connector on the one side is possible to take off, leaving a metal connector the same width as the cable itself. Then it is easy to pull through the rubber hose to the trunk lid, as well as routing it through the rest of the car. I also had to remove the ground connector that is clamped to the cable before routing it through the trunk lid. This ground connector screws to the D-pillar in the trunk. Other things i removed was trunk lid cover, right side panels in the trunk and the covers in the drivers footwell. Routed the cable under/behind the rear seats, and forward on the left side of the car, under the plastic floor covers.

So the conclusion is; if you have distortions that points to a broken cable, just replace the whole cable.

[WuCreW]

Originally Posted by zyb

Hi,

Just wanted to close this tread by saying that a new cable solved my problems. The camera works perfectly again now. Nothing special with the new cable as far as I can see. I assume that my issues with cutting and replacing parts of the cable is due to the frequencies of data transfer. The joints on a spliced cable obviously interfer with the signal somehow.

The replacement is not hard either. The blue fakra connector on the one side is possible to take off, leaving a metal connector the same width as the cable itself. Then it is easy to pull through the rubber hose to the trunk lid, as well as routing it through the rest of the car. I also had to remove the ground connector that is clamped to the cable before routing it through the trunk lid. This ground connector screws to the D-pillar in the trunk. Other things i removed was trunk lid cover, right side panels in the trunk and the covers in the drivers footwell. Routed the cable under/behind the rear seats, and forward on the left side of the car, under the plastic floor covers.

So the conclusion is; if you have distortions that points to a broken cable, just replace the whole cable.

Thanks for update, I need to come around and so this to my X5 , how much was the cable?

[zyb]

Do it! It's totally worth getting the camera back, and it takes just 2-3 hours. Make sure to have a set of plastic trim removal tools!

It was €223 - about $250. I ordered from here: https://www.leebmann24.de/catalog/pr...m-61129241791/