How To - Reverse Camera Fitting Guide

[EnterName]

9 hours ago, RobMac1 said:

Hi everyone, some great advice in this thread. 
 

Ive just measured my boot handle and it is tiny, like 90x30cm or something. My car is a 2014 estate.
 

Has anyone cut their boot handle hole to make the aperture big enough for one of the handles with a camera? Any advice on what to cut it with or pictures anywhere, how to protect the bare metal afterwards etc?  

ta. 

Hi Rob.

If your boot handle is 90cm, that's not tiny, that's the best part of 3 feet!

Seriously though, you shouldn't need to cut anything, just make sure you buy the right camera.

That said, I've just measured my handle and it's 110mm wide, so 90mm does sound quite small.

I guess a fellow combi-owner might be able to help.

As you can see from my pic, you lose a fair bit of handle to the camera.

[RobMac1]

25 minutes ago, EnterName said:

Hi Rob.

If your boot handle is 90cm, that's not tiny, that's the best part of 3 feet!

Seriously though, you shouldn't need to cut anything, just make sure you buy the right camera.

That said, I've just measured my handle and it's 110mm wide, so 90mm does sound quite small.

I guess a fellow combi-owner might be able to help.

As you can see from my pic, you lose a fair bit of handle to the camera.

Haha ah yes, well spotted  

 

Yep I’m certain it’s 90mm x 35mm, give or take a few mm, so no chance of the cameras listed fitting.  

 

I’m not opposed to making the hole bigger if that’s what it takes. I’d just feel much happier if there’s someone who has done it before and can describe the best tool to use, or what they used to rust inhibit and paint with after. Maybe a dreamer would make light work of it. 
 

Rob. 

[EnterName]

20 minutes ago, RobMac1 said:

Haha ah yes, well spotted  

 

Yep I’m certain it’s 90mm x 35mm, give or take a few mm, so no chance of the cameras listed fitting.  

 

I’m not opposed to making the hole bigger if that’s what it takes. I’d just feel much happier if there’s someone who has done it before and can describe the best tool to use, or what they used to rust inhibit and paint with after. Maybe a dreamer would make light work of it. 
 

Rob. 

Edit: A dreamer would be able to do it in their sleep! Predictive text gets me every time. (It's never "duck", Samsung.)

To address your problem though, what about this one? It seems to tie up with your handle size.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000230897829.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.40694c4dTEPT93

Edited 20 August, 2021 by EnterName

[Vahids]

3 hours ago, RobMac1 said:

Haha ah yes, well spotted  

 

Yep I’m certain it’s 90mm x 35mm, give or take a few mm, so no chance of the cameras listed fitting.  

 

I’m not opposed to making the hole bigger if that’s what it takes. I’d just feel much happier if there’s someone who has done it before and can describe the best tool to use, or what they used to rust inhibit and paint with after. Maybe a dreamer would make light work of it. 
 

Rob. 

No need to cut anything. Mine was 90x35 and I got the below one and it fits and works greatly:

 

[weyland]

Good work all - there should be a camera for each size handle so it's just a case of measuring and finding the right one

[RobMac1]

Amazing lads, thanks very much for your help 👍🏻 Saves me bodging a perfectly good boot handle, even if it will just be a one finger opening operation with the camera in there as well 

 

@vahid The camera E option is the correct size for me, but do you know if the MQB connector supplied is compatible with a MIB2 Amundsen head unit? My car is a late 2014, but I have upgraded to a newer unit so I just didn’t want any complications if they can be avoided. 
 

thanks again. 

Edited 20 August, 2021 by RobMac1

[Vahids]

7 hours ago, RobMac1 said:

Amazing lads, thanks very much for your help 👍🏻 Saves me bodging a perfectly good boot handle, even if it will just be a one finger opening operation with the camera in there as well 

 

@vahid The camera E option is the correct size for me, but do you know if the MQB connector supplied is compatible with a MIB2 Amundsen head unit? My car is a late 2014, but I have upgraded to a newer unit so I just didn’t want any complications if they can be avoided. 
 

thanks again. 

@RobMac1 I have also upgraded to MIB2 and the MQB connector which comes with the camera perfectly matches the unit. Also, I don't have any issue regarding the handle side with the camera on the side.

[telmer4362]

My 2017 Octavia estate had this handle if it helps at all got my kit from there the other day.

[EnterName]

Going to tag @weyland here, as this point wasn't mentioned in his original fitting thread, and I think it's an important note for people who run their cables via the "up and over" route.

No criticism of Weyland here, it's only just occurred to me that this is a potential safety issue.

(Photo stolen from Weyland's original post.)

Note the side airbags explosively emerge from the top, where we've run our cables, so

BE SURE THE CABLE DOES NOT OBSTRUCT THE AIRBAGS.

EDIT: Just checked mine and, yep, like a chimp, I'd run the wire front of the airbag directly where it would be trying to explosively expand into the car to protect the passengers.

Wire now-re-routed safely out of the way of the side airbags. Note, the side airbags are quite large, and extend down the A-pillar behind the rigid plastic, though they are pulled out from behind it as they expand.

Edited 24 August, 2021 by EnterName
Note added after checking my wire route

[Klack13]

Hello guys!

I am going to do this retrofit, but now I have to choose between the two options presented in the first 2 messages of this topic.

 

Any recommendations? The "Chinese plug and play" option costs around 45€, the other one, also from Ali (AiDU AUTO), around 70€ + VAS6350 (which I will probably print ~5-10€). Is worthy to pay for the 2nd option? Is there any real advantage?

 

Thanks in advance!

[mfizz]

4 minutes ago, Klack13 said:

Hello guys!

I am going to do this retrofit, but now I have to choose between the two options presented in the first 2 messages of this topic.

 

Any recommendations? The "Chinese plug and play" option costs around 45€, the other one, also from Ali (AiDU AUTO), around 70€ + VAS6350 (which I will probably print ~5-10€). Is worthy to pay for the 2nd option? Is there any real advantage?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

I opted for the easier option of plug and play, however the aidu one has the added benefit of all the bells and whistles of parking overlays etc. Nobody really uses it but its nice when it is shown on screen. Same really goes for dynamic guidelines they are nice to see but if they weren't there how much would you really miss them?

[langers2k]

I used the more expensive OEM version to get that factory feel.

 

I don't like the fact the Chinese one can recode modules to install itself.... I'd much rather do that myself

[Klack13]

Thanks for your swift answers!

 

@langers2k, I will probably follow your lead. By the way, how do you know that the part sold by AiDU are OEM? It is not specified in the description (aside of the statement that they are one of the biggest VW dealer in China)

 

This evening I will check the detailed prices (since July, VAT is mandarory for all AliExpress purchases in Spain) and I will place the order.

 

[weyland]

On 24/08/2021 at 07:22, EnterName said:

Going to tag @weyland here, as this point wasn't mentioned in his original fitting thread, and I think it's an important note for people who run their cables via the "up and over" route.

No criticism of Weyland here, it's only just occurred to me that this is a potential safety issue.

(Photo stolen from Weyland's original post.)

Note the side airbags explosively emerge from the top, where we've run our cables, so

BE SURE THE CABLE DOES NOT OBSTRUCT THE AIRBAGS.

EDIT: Just checked mine and, yep, like a chimp, I'd run the wire front of the airbag directly where it would be trying to explosively expand into the car to protect the passengers.

Wire now-re-routed safely out of the way of the side airbags. Note, the side airbags are quite large, and extend down the A-pillar behind the rigid plastic, though they are pulled out from behind it as they expand.

Thanks, worth pointing out - i'll see if I can update the original post. I think due to my cable placement I didn't encounter this but worth being on the safe side 

[EnterName]

7 hours ago, mfizz said:

 

I opted for the easier option of plug and play, however the aidu one has the added benefit of all the bells and whistles of parking overlays etc. Nobody really uses it but its nice when it is shown on screen. Same really goes for dynamic guidelines they are nice to see but if they weren't there how much would you really miss them?

You get dynamic guide lines on the plug and play one.

[weyland]

Think there is some confusion going on here. As mentioned, the cheap plug and play as used in my guides supports dynamic lines 

Edited 26 August, 2021 by weyland

[EnterName]

9 hours ago, langers2k said:

I used the more expensive OEM version to get that factory feel.

 

I don't like the fact the Chinese one can recode modules to install itself.... I'd much rather do that myself

One more benefit of the OEM version is that you don't get a ridiculously distorted fisheye image like you do on the plug and play.

But it is a lot more fiddly to set up, so I went plug & play.

 

That said, some might consider the super wide-angle view a feature, not a bug.

I can live with it, but I think I'd prefer the OEM view, if I had a plug and play choice.

Edited 26 August, 2021 by EnterName

[mfizz]

13 hours ago, EnterName said:

You get dynamic guide lines on the plug and play one.

I know i was just making a point of how many functions do you realistically use. Even with the camera I only look at it if there is a view that is obstructed from a parked vehicle or something so that's why the wide angle lens is brilliant. Fish eye? I don't have any fish eye problems on mine..

[Klack13]

On 26/08/2021 at 14:15, Klack13 said:

Thanks for your swift answers!

 

@langers2k, I will probably follow your lead. By the way, how do you know that the part sold by AiDU are OEM? It is not specified in the description (aside of the statement that they are one of the biggest VW dealer in China)

 

This evening I will check the detailed prices (since July, VAT is mandarory for all AliExpress purchases in Spain) and I will place the order.

 

 

At the end I bought an OEM camera from AiDU. This is the one that fits in my Superb:

https://a.aliexpress.com/_v1kiDk 

(It is equivalent to the type B camera of the plug and play version)

[MiyamotoSmin]

I just want to thank @Wayland and everyone else for this thread and the advice in it . . . I managed to get this done today, and in the rain no less! There's no doubt that this retrofit does have some 'tricky' bits but overall, I think anyone can do it . . . With enough patience that is haha (never again!).

[Raz37373]

I fitted my camera last week, all working perfectly. 
 

Took the car to Skoda this morning to activate smartlink. And now the camera will not work. Checked all connections are good, removed harness and reinstalled and still just acts like it was never there. 
 

Does anyone know if they can disable the module? Fairly miffed if they have. 

[langers2k]

9 minutes ago, Raz37373 said:

Took the car to Skoda this morning to activate smartlink. And now the camera will not work. Checked all connections are good, removed harness and reinstalled and still just acts like it was never there. 

 

It's likely that ODIS will have perform an SVM reset as part of the smartlink activation, this means the headunit will have been restored to factory settings plus the smartlink changes.

 

If it's an OEM camera, it'll need recoding.

 

If it's a third party camera that automatically recodes the headunit, then I'm not sure how to make it perform the coding again 😕

[Raz37373]

38 minutes ago, langers2k said:

 

It's likely that ODIS will have perform an SVM reset as part of the smartlink activation, this means the headunit will have been restored to factory settings plus the smartlink changes.

 

If it's an OEM camera, it'll need recoding.

 

If it's a third party camera that automatically recodes the headunit, then I'm not sure how to make it perform the coding again 😕

Thats good info thanks, looks like all my data was there after the activation, I might try removing, factory resetting then reinstalling to see if it brings it back through. It’s just the plug and play version. 
 

 

[Raz37373]

On 01/11/2021 at 20:35, Raz37373 said:

I fitted my camera last week, all working perfectly. 
 

Took the car to Skoda this morning to activate smartlink. And now the camera will not work. Checked all connections are good, removed harness and reinstalled and still just acts like it was never there. 
 

Does anyone know if they can disable the module? Fairly miffed if they have. 

If anyone experiences this issue, pull fuse 12, the infotainment fuse and leave out for a few minutes, once you reinsert the camera will recode and work again  

[MuskUp]

Any tips (Mark III Estate) for getting the wiring from the D pillar grommet entry to join up with the headlining over rear passenger door please?  Just picked up my Octavia couple of weeks ago and wanted to follow the excellent guides here and advice from @SashaGrace by wiring up through headlining (but inside/above the airbags).  I'm going spare trying to get a fish/net curtain rod/wire coat hanger/any flipping thing from that D pillar entry into the car there.  Seems to have been simple for most others so just wondering if anything mark/model specific to know.  Rest of wiring looks to head down to the floor.  Thanks (and thanks for the great guides/advice all over here.