I am interested in this system too while waiting for my 2010 x5 diesel to be delivered around end of Feb. Have the same concern over voiding the factory warranty. Does anybody know the answer?

Also a newbie question: I see a lot of people here discussing all kinds of mods to their X5, would it be a problem in terms of warranty and insurance? I am shopping for insurance on my X5, they do ask the question whether the car has been modified. Thanks,

1. BMW recommends not to connect BMW unapproved aftermarket electronic devices to your car, as they may interfere with the car's electronics, since everything is computer controlled.
2. Being said that, in case you have any electronics related problem, I would recommend you remove any of these connections before taking your car to the dealer for service.
3. Regarding other mods, yes they do void the warranty...in some cases the warranty gets voided only for the replaced parts, but in some cases it may also result in much more than that...e.g you install aftermarket brake pads, BMW will void the brake warranty ;)
4. Insurance companies tend to charge more for cars that have been modded.

Thanks a bunch Shashankmittal. Sounds too much for a newbie like me. Guess I will hold off on these mods for now.:dunno:

Regarding concern to warranty. Any kind of manufacturers would do that same thing if they see anything other than OEM. However, I did not cut any wire to setup the system and all I did just wire tap to the existing wire. That way, I can always remove it in case i need to bring in for warranty service

I changed the stock low beam light bulb to aftermarket white xeon bulb for my previous car (E350), when I drove in for maintenance they noticed one of them were blown out. They told me that they will not replace it since it is aftermarket. Anything that is after market they will not touch it.

How are we getting on the second group buy please?

Sorry, I was out of town.

In fact, 2nd group buy already started and I have received one deposit so far and have other people interested to be in group buy.

I will PM you with the details

2nd group buy

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Ok, I guess I am the first one who has completed the installation of the video interface and camera, so here are couple of things that I would like to share with everyone:

1. The video interface has excellent build quality and comes with all necessary cables. You might need to solder and attach longer cables to the interface CAN wires or else it will be difficult to connect the interface to the BMW CAN wires.
2. The BMW_PIP.pdf documentation shows that the interface has a wireless remote. But actually the interface comes with a wired keypad that can be used to change any settings if necessary and then can be unplugged. You'll hardly ever need to use the keypad again!
3. There are some mistakes in BMW_PIP.pdf, so while making connections, be extra careful.
4. There are couple of permutations/combinations that you would need to try with the DIP switches and modes, etc to make the whole setup work. It took me almost 2 hours after making all connections to finally get it working. Sometimes the video would show up, but iDrive would not work, sometimes the steering wheel controls would not work and sometimes it would just show a black screen.
5. The eBay camera has built-in parking guide lines (blue color lines with distance in inches), so you'll need to turn off the parking guide lines superimposed on the video (colorful lines) by the interface. If you need to disable camera's parking guide lines, then just cut the blue wire in the camera.
6. I installed the video interface behind the CD player (below the vent). There is a good spot for it there, specially for those who have a CD changer in the glove box. I actually have a crossover for my aftermarket speakers behind the glovebox, so could not fit the interface there.
7. I supplied 12V power to the camera from the reverse taillight using a relay, so that the camera gets powered on only when the reverse gear is engaged. Connecting the camera to anything else might result in the camera receiving power all the time, which is not a good idea.
8. The delay between engaging the reverse gear and the video showing up on the screen is about 1.5 seconds (I used my iPhone stopwatch to measure it). I don't know if this is better than BMW backup camera system's delay.
9. The toggle switch is optional and is used to switch between different video sources. This can be done using the down arrow on the steering wheel, so the installation of this switch can be skipped.
10. This is more relevant for people who are getting the eBay camera: The video quality is acceptable, not too great, but not bad either. I still have to do some more testing in daylight, but night time performance was descent. The build quality is amazing and it blends perfectly with the exterior. The camera has a glossy black finish and doesn't look aftermarket once installed. I am glad BMW provides a spot for it in the trunk hatch so that we don't have to cut out the metal sheet or drill any holes.

...and finally, thanks us_matrix for taking the initiative and getting this done. Your documentation was extremely helpful! I could not have completed the installation without it and I was extremely impressed with your superfast responses to my emails!

Good job :thumbup: and glad to hear that everything workout for you!

hi,
some fotos would be good.....

form the camera mounted and when it is showing the image on the screen
thx

Thanks for sharing your experience.