Reversing camera blinking on/off?
 

Hi all,

Got a bit of an issue with my 2006 X5 - it has factory Nav/DTV/reversing camera.

The reversing camera comes on, but will cut out (back to main radio screen) and then come back - sometimes doesn't come on at all. The parking sensor always comes on (even if the reversing camera doesn't), so I'm reasonably sure it's not the reverse switch.

Any thoughts?

Hi, Same happens to.me voltage issues?

Is the camera OEM (factory)? I know you said the Nav/DTV is but did the E53 have a reverse camera as an option?

My 4.8is has rear camera oem, and a front camera, that works with a botton on the steering column.
As original too.

Hmmm, I'm thinking these "cameras" mentioned above may have been installed by a BMW dealership in your market or by a previous owner...but they didn't come off the assembly line with them. If they did, there would be cameras for the e53 in the BMW part database...and I can't seem find them. :dunno:

For example, below is a simple search for "camera" using my 2006 e53 X5 versus a 2012 e70 X5 35d on three different online part database sites (realoem, bmwfans.info, and etk.cc). A reversing camera can be easily found in the BMW database for the e70 X5...but none appear for the e53 X5.

A BMW dealership can add-on a reversing camera if it's something common and popular in that market as an accessory...but it doesn't always mean that it comes from the factory that way. Just like Bluetooth telephony capability wasn't offered from the factory until Oct/2004. Up until then, there may have been aftermarket products that could be added, then BMW eventually offered BT ULF components in their accessory catalog as well so that some BMW models built prior to a 10/04 build date could update/install BT technology. :)

e53 X5 (VIN: LV2133):

1. RealOEM.com - Part Search
2. http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E53/USA/X5_4.4i-N62/L-N/dec2005/search?s=camera
3. https://www.etkbmw.com/bmw/EN/search...E4i+N62/USA/66
   

e70 X5 (VIN: L665930):

1. RealOEM.com - Part Search
2. Search result: camera
3. https://www.etkbmw.com/bmw/EN/search...%252E5d/USA/66

Mine came with OEM reverse cam too.

Check DTV/Video module WHITE connector.

http://www.margraves.net/toys/x5/aux/aux1.jpg

Any update and info about these "oe" camera installs? A pic...especially of the oe BMW rear view cam button on the steering wheel would be interesting and educational. :)

Again, there's no reference in the part database for a steering wheel button or oe rear camera. Those that have this feature...can you update us with a BMW part nbr (or again, a pic)?

Or perhaps it is aftermarket set-ups spliced into existing oe components?

I too have a flakey OE reverse camera. It shows on my wide-screen navigation screen.

Mine sometimes comes on, sometimes doesn't. But even when it does, the image is virtually useless. Washed out. Lines thru it. Shakey.

Anyway, attached is a pic of the cam removed from the car - To show the part number etc. As well as one with it mounted on the car.

There is no steering wheel switch - Or any other switch. It simply kicks in when the car is put in reverse.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0c6512327a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2e001ec2d9.jpg

Sent from my F5121 using Tapatalk

Thanks for uploading a pic...interestingly...that doesn't appear to be a normal BMW part number. BMW part nbrs have 11 digits (XX XX X XXX XXX) and are all numerical...or sometimes only the last 7 digits are given (on smaller items) and appear like this (X XXX XXX)

I wonder if rear view cameras were something the Aussie BMW dealerships added for their market as either an accessory or something required by local regulations. Similar to mud flaps being a requirement there...but an accessory ordered from the parts department here. :)

Agreed that it doesn't look like a standard BMW part number. But, reverse cameras weren't (And still aren't) a legal requirement here is Oz.

But, one interesting thing that I did notice is that the rear door "handle" cut-out for the camera doesn't exactly look like a factory cut-out. Up inside where it can't be seen (Even with the handle removed from the car - Camera has to be removed to see it) it looks like it's almost been hacked out to accommodate the camera. I will try and get photos if I pull it off again.

A while back I got adventurous and pulled the inner panel off the hatch lid, and from memory, the wiring appeared to be "normal" - Part of the loom. There is a plug just inside which the camera plugs in to.

So maybe it is something that the dealers fitted over here. If I remember, I'll see if I can remember to ask the parts guys when I'm in chasing up parts again.

And lastly, there is a "stray" relay which is buried down next to the spare tire. O haven't chased out the wires yet, however one cable does go up the side pillar at the back. So I am wondering if the relay is hooked in to the reverse lights - To power the camera. Again, that's just some more research that I need to do. I'd like to get the camera issue sorted out anyway, although I'm more inclined to think it's something else - Perhaps the video module. (Maps look bad, as does the menu on the screen). I'll report back once I do some more digging and see it we can't sort out the mystery of the reverse cameras. [emoji106]

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My 05 E53 3.0D has reverse camera fitted by dealer. Pretty useless after all this time. Image cuts in and out during reversing. Very poor quality image during daylight, completely useless at night. Quality and consistency improved when I recently replaced the rear screen and went over all connections by removing and reconnecting but now back to poor. Mine has same notch taken out of rear handle trim

Most people don't realize that a ccd camera dies over time. All of the ones I bought that are over 8 years old now on my cars are pretty much blind now. The sun roast them.

Just replace the camera with a cheap Chinese one and problem solved. The newer cameras are (pardon the pun) night and day difference in quality over the old ones.

The low level night output is awesome now compared to the old ones.

The new camera can be spliced into the old cameras harness so its not hard to swap them.

I have my camera pics and the botton for the front camera also, how can i upload them?

Cheers Crowz
Never thought about doing that. I am planning to upgrade the entire Stereo unit in the future so will add new rear camera to the package

That is correct!

I'd really hope that if the camera was fitted by a dealer that they would have done a better job of fitting the relay in. It is extremely dodgy and looks like something that someone who isn't trained has done - I did better work when I was younger fitting stuff to my cars. Stereo's, driving lights etc.

I still want to chase the wires out for the relay and the camera. I do have a Chinese camera which I may try and install - Once I sort out the wiring.

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So today gave me a chance to look a bit further into the reversing camera situation. Attached are the photos of what is some sort of "interface" box which is tucked away near the rear window wiper motor.

The small 4 core cable goes to the camera. The other connector appears to be just like a factory BMW connection, which is attached to a very factory looking loom. However, the one give away is that the loom for the camera box thing is run alongside all the other wiring on the upper tail gate.

I did do a couple of voltage checks and found that there is only 6 volts going out to the camera from the interface box. May be right, may be wrong. Perhaps something is fried in the interface box and that's why I only have 6 volts, and why my camera isn't exactly fully functional.

At this stage, I really don't know where the cable from the interface box thingy goes. BUT, there is around 1 metre of cable in the battery compartment area which looks very similar to that cable. It's probably the same cable at a guess. But I'm not sure where it connects.

Anyway, that's today's findings.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7adbc20d7c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...bbc08bef87.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b443981321.jpg

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That's not oem, however it's pretty easy to swap out the camera. I added a camera to mine about a two years ago and the quality at night was outstanding, the camera on my E70 is absolutely useless at night, while the $20 camera i installed on the E53 is crisp (as crisp as it can get on that resolution)

For anybody wanting to install a camera take a look at this : Audio Video AV Input Lead Cable Adapter You can pretty much add anything to it after that.

I also suspect that these rear cameras are aftermarket installed.

When I put the Eonon GA6166 unit and rear camera into my X5 I experienced shaky and intermittent camera images.

I finally learned what others had learned in that picking the voltage off the reverse lights directly to trigger the camera picks up some really weird voltage monitoring stuff going on by the BMW brain.

The solution others have suggested and the one I also employed is to use a relay to isolate the camera "signal" from the actual reverse light voltage feed wire which has all that BMW brain stuff going on. Here is what I did to get a better rear camera experience.

https://xoutpost.com/1100757-post199.html

Mike

Guess that explains the funky relay box on the backup camera I just bought for my x5.

It has a positive and negative that come from a key switched source and then a positive and negative that go to the reverse light wires themselves.

When I was testing it about 30 minutes ago it took all 4 wires hooked up to actually power the camera. That would give 100% isolation from the voltage testing the car does.