Back Up Camera Issue
 

Hi,
Need some help with my back up camera I installed today. Done all the wiring as per the instructions on here including the relay. When I put the car in reverse there is a picture but it has vertical lines through it and is moving on the nav screen. Kind of like it needs a vertical hold or something. I check the relay and it is clicking when I put the car in reverse so I think the relay is working fine. Can anyone please shed some light on it for me.
Thanks

Back up Camera Issue
 

Anyone??????

it may be more helpful and meaningful to provide the details on the camera and document how it was installed. You could have gotten a bad ground but its hard to answer an incomplete question.

this may be a long shot, but did you get the right format camera. i.e. in the UK we need PAL cameras. I think in the US they use NTSC etc..

Sorry if this isnt helpful, its all I could think of.

did you installed oem camera or aftermarket?
If oem - there is some hardware problem.
You need NTSC camera not PAL, all video module have NTSC for rear camera input.
Turn key in pos 2, dont start engine and put in rear. You have to receive good picture.
aftermarket installation needs 2 relay. dont power camera from rear lights, it causes noise. install second relay to power camera directly from battery.
I had same problem,than installed second relay and problem solved.
Post result.

Its second Relay installation diagram, it will solve you noise problem

Attachment 21918

Manual Switch Override
 

I tried IKA dual relay config and works fine. In my case I am looking to wire in a manual switch where I can activate the rear view camera manually in order to view rear camper.

Does anyone know how I can make this happen? Currently wiring 1-pole to Chassis Ground and other to pin 17 on TV Tuner to force camera switch over. Problem is that it will not get power since this wiring is for reverse signal powering.

Just not sure how I could get switched power in this scenario without getting diodes etc.:dunno:

Any insight is greatly appreciated

Hi
I used two camers. Didnt want extra wiring run all the way to front of the car for another switch.
I setup the reversing camera (NTSC) to focus on the tow ball/rear bumber and the other camera (PAL) on my trailer/caravan. I had to hack the TV module to allow the TV to be on whilst moving.
Use the aux unput via the TV module and power from radio module. Just do a search on the forum I worked it out from the information available.
Basically the TV camera is always powered on when the car is on. So switch to TV and go to AUX. It works well because I can change the view to ZOOM etc.
The only problem is you then have no radio/cd playing. Only used to check on trailer not to run full time.

Thanks Madruf, that is a good option, but would also welcome any feedback or options to enable using only one camera and wiring manual switch to allow camera to be be powered in 2x relay configuration or similar.

Thanks all...

IKA is on the money and has eeven provide dus with a detailed wiring diagram:thumbup:!
All X5s use NTSC video system,so if you have a PAL camera you will get those lines,the same way if you are also powering the camera directly from you reverse lights.

There is an older thread, including diagrams/photos/explanations to install failures.

if i may resurrect this thread, i have the same problem (although the symptom is different). i think the noise on the signal light is caused by the 'hot check' of the light.

i have done the below tests:
Scenario 1. engine not running, key in position 2, put gear gear into reverse-> relay engages, camera works perfectly.

Scenario 2. engine running (key in position 2), put gear into reverse-> relay starts making a continuous pulsating 'TRRRRRR' noise! audibly it must be like 10htz or so.. the camera still works because the frequency is enough to flip the video module to show the camera feed. but occasionally the screen flickers (so i don't have lines going across the display etc).

the bulbs have a hot check and a cold check. so i assumed this to be the hot check that is coming out as noise.

in fact i did a further test: while in Scenario 2 above, i touched a direct +12v onto the reverse light pin (87) on the relay (through a 5A fuse just in case). and sure enough the relay stops pulsating and sure enough, a 'Check Reverse Lights' comes up when the key is later turned off. this is why i assumed it must be the hot check causing the noise.


in any case adding the second relay wouldn't stop the relay pulsating at the frequency of the light check. it possibly fixes the problem by synchronizing the NTSC timing of the camera by giving the same pulse onto the other wire of the camera?

what i'd like to do is to create scenario 1 ie hold the relay down without making it go TRRRRR.. isn't there a way to do this, options in my mind:

1. switch off the hot check of reverse lights (but how?)
2. a 2000uf (too high?) or so capacitor across pins 85 and 87 (relay would stop pulsating but that might impact the light check).
3. a 2000uf or so capacitor across pins 30 and 87? (relay would still pulsate but the video module would get a constant feed.. hopefully).

your relay is fed off the reverse lights? the Cold monitoring happens periodically when the light is off, the hot monitoring is happening periodically when the light is on... it is not a continuous signal, there are series of short bursts hitting the bulb, in most cases not long enough to overcome the induction of the relay and to activate the relay... waht you are probably experiencing is a PMW - Pulse Modulating Wave, a signal coming from the LCM that modulates the intensity of the light output by modulating the 12 VDC - a constant series of 0V with 12V (nominal, actual values are 0.5 VDC to 14VDC) with gaps of 0 Volts DC and 12 VDC spaced so the light output is either dimmer or brighter, depending which level of voltage is held longer...

10 Hz pulsating is rather high, which makes me think, that there might be another issue at stake - the lights are powered by the LCM, which powers the lights via transistors, and may so be, that the additional load of an automotive relay that is being used is too much for the sustained current on the transistor's collector, and it is cutting in and out, thus creating the "pulsating" effect... if that is the case, you may eventually fry the transitor inside the LCM, which will render the module defective... applying a direct +12 VDC to the light bulb while it is connected to the LCM may burn the back end of the transistor that powers the light bulb, again, rendering the LCM defective - you should be careful, as the LCM also stores the mileage information of your car...

you may wish to consider replacing the automotive relay with the one with a smaller current draw (see this post http://www.xoutpost.com/918829-post36.html for the spec on the relay that I would recommend)

thanks,

i have tried disabling the light checks which didn't solve the problem. your analogy explains why, i guess its the said PMW that is noticed as noise. not the light checks.

thanks also for indicating the risks of what i've done. fortunately i don't think there's any damage so far.

i can change the relay to the likes of what you have shown (i have searched around and found suitable models), but that still doesn't solve the problem does it?

the PMW would still be felt by the relay as noise?

do you have factory PDC?

yep both front and rear. why?

EDIT - think i know what you're thinking- drive the relay from the PDC on signal?

wonderful! would you know which 'box' in there is the pdc controller and which wire i can tap onto, to drive the relay pls?

you may consider tying camera to pdc operation - when pdc activated automatically or manually via button, camera comes on. i have it on mine and love the pdc button activating camera. i have a write up in pdf, if you want to see it. give me your email address, i will send pdf

Hi, that sounds fantastic!

i've sent you an email (email option in the forum) with my email. please send me the pdf

cheers

jay

email sent

:)

thanks! i'm at work wanted to do a quick scan but coudln't resist the tempatation :)

so its pin 7 on the middle black plug X300 that i'm after - which is the signal that connects to the LED on the PDC switch right? (I already have Ground from somewhere else instead of pin 6 you have mentioned i hope that is ok..)

everything else is already wired in my case. my camera is also permanently powered when the car is 'awake' like you have (can't remember what i tapped onto though..)

before getting my hands dirty i will also get myself a micro relay as well and replace mine.

cheers mate

j

you got it!!!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

cheers mate, i've done this change.

to help anybody else who may want to do this, here's how:

remove the black socket (X300) going into the PDC module, shown below: http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/...pscaae3130.jpg

tap onto the Brown/White wire, going into Pin 7, shown below:
http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/...ps459a9723.jpg

Power the relay with this.

I also swapped my automotive relay with a PCB Relay as suggested. it has 300ohms compared to 40ohms on my outgoing automotive relay.

all working perfectly with no flicker on the screen!

thanks again

jay

nice job, nice pictures... i am glad it worked out for you... if i will do the update on the PDF, is ot ok to include your pics (much nicer than the ones i have) into the write-up? of course, with the proper credits...

i am not updating the PDF yet, but in case if i do at a later date...

no probs, pls feel free to use the pics :)