How To - Reverse Camera Fitting Guide

[weyland]

Great, thought it would be the connectors - those large ones can be tricky to clamp shut.

 

Glad it's all working 

[Jip]

Thanks for the guide Weyland, it was invaluable. I still found it a mighty pain the ass though, the bits I thought would be the hardest were the easiest, and vice versa.

 

I did it on an estate, the boot trim came off very easy, and the advice to concentrate on one side of the existing switch when removing it was great, it popped out quickly enough.

 

I didn't have to remove the upper boot trim to tread the cable, I used a cable rod set to filter down a wire that took a while to fish out, but once done it was easy to pull the cable up to the rubber sleeve, and I got it through that handily enough once I had it oiled up a bit.

 

But the next bit was a head scratcher Unlike the saloon, the rubber sleeve doesn't travel into the car towards the headliner. It goes in the direction of the rear pillar, where the factory trunking goes, and down into the body. I couldn't work out what to do here so I slid my hand under the roof liner and felt for any holes in the direction of the pillar before eventually finding one. There's a little rubber grommet below the sleeve which if you remove you can feel around for the hole in the other direction and work to get the cable from the sleeve and double back out towards the lining.

 

Once in the cabin it was much easier to feed the cable, I went along the floor and the rod was invaluable in getting it between the front and rear door.

 

Before I had started the routing I had obviously checked it was working, and for a long time was convinced it was a dud, or I broke something. Connecting the 2 harnesses together is much much tougher than I had ever expected. It probably took over a half hour to get them to connect them properly, you really have to work hard to get the fit to complete.  

 

I do like the fact the onscreen car with the amber/red proximity graphics matches what you have, i.e. it appears as an estate. I do get a momentarily glimpse of the standard park pilot screen when I take it out of reverse but I can live with that. Oh, and the 2 headunit removal tools did get stuck, just as well I had seen the video on the other thread for how to remove them when stuck.

Edited 27 May, 2021 by Jip

[kuku33]

Hi everyone, new to the forum.

Thank you for all the information and for this guide specifically, cheers @weyland.

I've read @SashaGrace original post as well and I so somewhere that it won't work without parking sensors.

Well I drive Octavia MY16 estate - style trimming, but I don't have the parking sensors (well, not the original ones anyway - I have these)

should I presume it won't work without VAG fiddling ?

 

Thank you,

[SashaGrace]

They do work without park sensors, my Octavia was just an odd one as the sensors were coded out for some odd reason. I’ve done a camera on a car without sensors, works fine

[SashaGrace]

Basically, if you have sensors they need to work, if the sensors are faulty, no camera bit if you have no sensors you will be fine.

[kuku33]

Thank you Sasha for the clarification. On my way to AliExpress

 

[Baxlin]

On 11/05/2021 at 12:11, weyland said:

Great, thought it would be the connectors - those large ones can be tricky to clamp shut.

 

Glad it's all working 

Mmm

 

Spoke a bit too soon!  It’s now intermittent!  Over the last week or so it’s sometimes been working, other times not.  I thought I’d sussed it when it worked before I closed the boot, then not afterwards, so that took me to the connection near the camera.  I re-did that carefully, but still it’s intermittent.

 

so today I’ve reinstalled it completely (except for removing the cabling through the headlining) and it worked through lots of tests.  Until I came to put the car away, as I reversed it went off again, and as I selected park, the message “the ParkPilot is currently not available - OK”.

 

Just tested it again, it worked with just the ignition on, but when I started the engine, it didn’t.

 

I think I’m just going to live with it!

 

The upside is that I’m getting to be a dab hand at taking the glovebox out!

 

Malcolm

Edited 2 July, 2021 by Baxlin

[Baxlin]

A further comment, each time I’ve used the unit removal tools that came with the camera, I’ve had the devil’s own job to remove them, I just haven’t got the knack!  So for the latest removal I used two rather pointy 40 thou feeler gauge blades - worked a treat, and slid out as easily as they went in (oooh matron!).

[crispymorgan]

Does this camera get a towbar in shot? Not fussy about flipping the image like the highline camera, just the ability to see it enough to hitch.

[Baxlin]

On 07/07/2021 at 13:59, crispymorgan said:

Does this camera get a towbar in shot? Not fussy about flipping the image like the highline camera, just the ability to see it enough to hitch.

Not 100% sure, as I don’t have a towbar, but I think you can just about see the bumper, so the ball should be in the picture.

[J.R.]

This is my second (Aliexpress) reversing camera fitted to a Skoda and both show the towball, its a real game changer for coupling the trailer and also for giving towball poisoning to inconsiderate parkers

[Vahids]

On 21/03/2021 at 11:24, 4WDDSG6 said:

Hello again , everything works perfect , i just saw the diference in autoscan  before and after installation and i would like to know why .

My opinion i that our camera works as parallel ecu and if you can see it is changing our coding in 5F adress  look above 

 

before :  037351010000000011110002000000002F0001E401000100F6

 

after    :   03735101000000001111000000000000000000000000000000  

 

i do not understand if this good or wrong but i think it is not looks good to me 

@4WDDSG6 could you track the issue? I have similar problem and my camera does not work at all.

[EnterName]

On 05/07/2021 at 13:15, Baxlin said:

A further comment, each time I’ve used the unit removal tools that came with the camera, I’ve had the devil’s own job to remove them, I just haven’t got the knack!  So for the latest removal I used two rather pointy 40 thou feeler gauge blades - worked a treat, and slid out as easily as they went in (oooh matron!).

It's easy when you know how.

Push here, and the tools will be released and come out easily.

[Baxlin]

2 hours ago, EnterName said:

It's easy when you know how.

Push here, and the tools will be released and come out easily.

Thanks, you’d think someone who’d been working on cars, (hobby only) for 60-ish years, including installing radios, would be able to do this.

 

But no!  I did try this, and one side came out, but I must have put the other in slightly crookedly, as it didn’t work.  I finally did it by sliding an even thinner feeler gauge on top of the proper tool to get it out.

[EnterName]

23 minutes ago, Baxlin said:

Thanks, you’d think someone who’d been working on cars, (hobby only) for 60-ish years, including installing radios, would be able to do this.

 

But no!  I did try this, and one side came out, but I must have put the other in slightly crookedly, as it didn’t work.  I finally did it by sliding an even thinner feeler gauge on top of the proper tool to get it out.

So long as you got it sorted.

Edited 3 August, 2021 by EnterName

[EnterName]

Thanks to @weyland's excellent instructions, and tips from a few other Brisky members in various threads, I fitted my (long overdue) reversing camera today.

I have some observations based on my experience today that may help people fitting their camera.

 

1) The media unit has plenty of room behind it. Also it can be pulled quite far out with the cables still attached. However I noticed my unit had cables which were trapped behind something initially, which made getting the media unit to move more than about an inch very difficult.

As Weyland suggested, getting down into the footwell and looking up with a torch allowed me to see what the problem was, and move the cables free to allow the media unit to be almost completely pulled out.

 

2) I tested the camera in the car. After connecting the main connector, I simply rested the camera on top of the media unit and checked to see if it worked. That way ensured I found out if I had what seems to be the most common fault, poor connection, at the earliest opportunity.

When refitting the media unit, be sure to position the camera wire correctly to the side, as it can get trapped behind the media unit. Ditto the cables out of the new inline double socket. It's quite fiddly so expect it to need some care and patience. And a torch!

Note the connector has a lever-lock action to secure it in place. The lever is at the bottom of the connector, so it's not hard to lift the lever to remove the socket it from the media unit. I found that with the lever lifted, the socket came out fairly easily, with little force required.

I plugged the new socket in very carefully, and pushed it right in, using the lever-lock purely as a lock once connected, not as an aid to pulling the connector into place.

 

3) I went the Weyland/OEM up and over route, and it was fairly straightforward. I started at the head unit, and went towards the back of the car.

Arguably, this is the "wrong" way to do it, as the connector for going this way is larger than the other end.  Something that was a particular issue when I got to the rubber connection between the hatch and the car body.

The tip to use net curtain wire as a guide to pull the cable through was invaluable, but I also used a dowel as a guide for the rear hatch hole to the C-pillar and I think around the B-pillar too. . I attached the cable to the pull wire/dowel with self-amalgamating tape, because it doesn't leave a sticky residue. I also found a "One step back, several steps forward" approach worked best, rather than simply pulling the cable through. I'd gently pull the cable back, to ensure it was moving freely, then pull it through with the curtain wire until I felt resistance. Then repeat the back/forward action. It worked pretty well.

 

4) Pushing an end clip on the boot handle as well as pushing out from behind (a two handed operation) worked a treat, but it's fiddly and awkward to do.  Don't let the pictures fool you, there are a load of obstructions in your way and it's a pain.

Be patient and use careful force on the end clip, and you'll be fine. The electrical connector into the boot handle switch has a little lock that you need to release to remove the connector.

When refitting, slot the inner edge of the connector above the number plate for an easy refit.

 

5) Removing the rear trim from the hatch is straightforward enough, but it requires some confident force to remove those clips and it's a real PITA putting it back. A 2nd pair of hands is very useful. I've uploaded some pics so you can get an idea of where to expect the clips. Note there are four clips in the bottom (furry) half of the trim which are at a different angle. (Either side of the wiper motor bulge.) Note use of picnic mat to prevent damage/soiling to rear trim.

Also the furry trim slots into the boot lock, in case you were wondering. (See pic.)

 

 

 

6) The dowel was very useful for finding the route from the rear hatch hole to the front of the C-pillar.

 

7) A particularly tricky part of the job I found, was feeding the socket through the rubber hose between the rear of the car and the hatch. It's a snug fit. Also the hose has hard plastic clips in it, it's not all rubber.

Edit: I forgot to say, I used aerosol silicone spray as a lubricant to both help the cable through, and ensure the rubber seals made good watertight contact when refitted.

I'd advise against using oil on rubber as it does not do it any good in the long term.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WD40-Performance-Silicone-Lubricant-250ml/dp/B00KPUBRJ8

.

 

Allow about 4 hours, including time for struggling with tricky bits, taking pictures, and generally not rushing and damaging anything.

By the time I was almost done, I was pretty fed up with the whole business, and was replacing the uncooperative rear trim in a pretty foul mood, so I had to try and chill out a bit to ensure I didn't rush putting it back and damage something.

 

All in all, it is fairly simple to do, but being simple doesn't make it easy.

Good luck!

Edited 6 August, 2021 by EnterName
typo correction

[telmer4362]

Sorry for possibly the age old question but is the camera same dimensions hatchback and estate as I have an estate and going to get this kit ordered today. 😁

[Vahids]

There are different sizes indeed depending on your car model and year! So you need to measure your car handle!

Edited 6 August, 2021 by Vahids

[EnterName]

45 minutes ago, telmer4362 said:

Sorry for possibly the age old question but is the camera same dimensions hatchback and estate as I have an estate and going to get this kit ordered today. 😁

Check with the seller which camera will fit your particular car.

Good luck!

[Baxlin]

Great tips, EnterName, and a couple of observations from me..

 

Yes, deffo try the camera before installing it in the tailgate.  I didn’t, but as can be gathered from my earlier posts, I wish I had!

 

I started at the tailgate end with the cable, actually at the top of the tailgate, as I thought there’d be more room to ‘lose’ the excess cable behind the glovebox (and, as you said, that way the smaller connector is fed through). 

 

I wasn’t able (brave enough?) to remove the two rectangular clips either side of the rear wiper motor immediately below the rear window, so I managed to do the job without removing the furry tailgate trim completely, just wedging it away from the frame to give access.  I didn’t disturb the upper (shiny) one at all, because tbh, I couldn’t work out how to release the clips!  I suppose I was fortunate that I managed to remove the boot latch one-handed.

 

To get the cable from the rubber gaiter to the boot latch required a long length of net curtain wire, but it was fairly easy to thread it down through the double skinned tailgate frame.

 

When replacing the glove box, make sure that the ‘brake’ lever that dampens the action is fully extended, otherwise it’s extremely difficult - even impossible? - to get it to latch on properly.

 

And finally, if, with all the acrobatics under the glove box you accidentally knock off the bonnet release lever, the good news is that it just pushes back on. 🙂

 

Malcolm

Edited 6 August, 2021 by Baxlin

[weyland]

Great to see so many people having a go at this and finding my guide useful - i'm sure most of you will agree that it is a fairly straight forward process if approached logically and step-by-step.

Thanks to all those that have added additional info and answered questions. If you're still thinking of doing this - go for it!

 

[EnterName]

3 minutes ago, Baxlin said:

Yes, deffo try the camera before installing it in the tailgate.  I didn’t, but as can be gathered from my earlier posts, I wish I had!

It was you sharing your experience that taught me this would be a good idea, so thanks for that.

This is why I emphasised getting the connector securely pushed in and using the locking lever purely as a lock, not as a way of pulling the connector into place. (Mind you, there was a lot of temptation to do just that ! )

 

5 minutes ago, Baxlin said:

To get the cable from the rubber gaiter to the boot latch required a long length of net curtain wire, but it was fairly easy to thread it down through the double skinned tailgate frame.

Yeah, you can see that's what I did in my pic. (I even labelled the curtain wire in the pic, in case anyone wondered what the white "cable" was. )

 

6 minutes ago, Baxlin said:

When replacing the glove box, make sure that the ‘brake’ lever that dampens the action is fully extended, otherwise it’s extremely difficult - even impossible? - to get it to latch on properly.

 

And finally, if, with all the acrobatics under the glove box you accidentally knock off the bonnet release lever, the good news is that it just pushes back on. 🙂

The glove box removal seems to have a lot of mystique surrounding it, but as you (and I) have found, after a few goes, it really is a piece of cake. That latch is slightly awkward, but it's no bother once you get the hang of it.

That's a great tip about the bonnet latch, I did not know that.

[EnterName]

2 minutes ago, weyland said:

Great to see so many people having a go at this and finding my guide useful - i'm sure most of you will agree that it is a fairly straight forward process if approached logically and step-by-step.

Thanks to all those that have added additional info and answered questions. If you're still thinking of doing this - go for it!

This is such a great thread @weyland, it really got me to thinking I could do it myself.

Kudos for blazing the trail that people like me have followed.

[telmer4362]

12 hours ago, Vahids said:

There are different sizes indeed depending on your car model and year! So you need to measure your car handle!

I've ordered it measured it up just now and it's camera A I need for my estate. 😁👍

[RobMac1]

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. 

Edited 19 August, 2021 by RobMac1
Additional info