Reverse Camera Calibration

[silver1011]

Has anyone's reverse camera needed calibration?

 

Mine was retrofitted a few years ago by a main dealer and has worked faultlessly ever since.

 

It was in recently for an eligibility check for Skoda's All-In warranty and the fault code was mentioned.

 

£85 to 'recalibrate' it...

[Dappernut]

No idea, but sometimes I've found the motor trade uses the terms calibration and coding interchangeably.  Presumably because they have no real idea what they're talking about. YMMV.

[kodiaqsportline]

On 03/10/2022 at 20:16, silver1011 said:

It was in recently for an eligibility check for Skoda's All-In warranty and the fault code was mentioned.

£85 to 'recalibrate' it...

 

Did that issue affect whether or not the car was eligible for the extended warranty ?

[silver1011]

The dealer isn't great, I've had issue with them before, but they're local and therefore convenient. The fault code needs fixing before they can approve the eligibility check for the All-In warranty.

 

They also claimed that it needs an air conditioning service too, but they're wrong and that debate will come afterwards.

 

The vehicle is actually already under warranty, an official Skoda warranty, but this isn't covered I'm told. I am in the process of contacting Skoda Finance to enquire why it isn't covered, the terms and conditions detailed in my warranty booklet are pretty vague in relation to this issue, the only exclusion I can see that might affect the claim is a note that the warranty excludes any component that may "need adjustment from time to time". I guess calibration is a type of adjustment, but then I'd imagine anything that might need adjustment occasionally would be listed as a service item?

 

Normally I'd dig in and kick up a bit of a fuss but the reverse camera itself isn't factory fitted, it was retrofitted by the same dealer (albeit at a different location) a few years ago. This would likely mean that it is therefore excluded from the warranty as well as being outside of any warranty offered by the supplying dealer. As a goodwill gesture the dealer is waiving the first £75 diagnostic fee and charging only for the calibration (£85).

 

I am just curious if the recalibration of the reverse camera is something anyone else had suffered with. I don't believe it has been knocked, it's a genuine camera using genuine parts fitted by a Skoda technician at a Skoda main dealer and coded using their equipment. The camera operates as expected.

 

I've read of issues with the front grill-mounted radar requiring recalibration, seemingly without reason, but not the rear reversing camera. Perhaps it was not coded correctly when fitted, but then I'd expect my favoured dealer to have mentioned the fault code during it's time with them for the vehicles routine servicing.

[kodiaqsportline]

5 hours ago, silver1011 said:

The dealer isn't great, I've had issue with them before, but they're local and therefore convenient. The fault code needs fixing before they can approve the eligibility check for the All-In warranty.

 

If it was retrofitted by a main dealer then I believe it would have come with a 2yr warranty. If it was fitted over 2yr ago then I guess they're correct in saying it's not covered. To their credit, their diagnostic waiver solution sounds reasonable.

 

If it works fine I can't understand the need for calibration. I had the Skoda highline rear camera system retrofitted ( donkey work done by me, electrical hook up done by 3rd party ) and there was no mention of calibration. It works perfectly OK. You've got me worried now, thanks 

 

it's not as if it's integrated in to any safety or parking system, it's just a camera as far as I'm aware. At a guess maybe calibration has something to do with hooking up to tow? What about pushing for it being a software glitch rather than need recalibrated?

 

Front radar was moved on VW group cars from low down on skirt to higher up to centre of grille for the simple reason they were prone to being damaged. Centre of grille still prone to damage so I can understand the need to be recalibrated, but that's something vital to safety systems. ( active? )  Rear camera is passive. The car couldn't give a monkeys if it's not working. How odd. 

 

Edit - could tell them it was working fine when you brought the car in to the dealeship so if it's now needing recalibrated then one of their employees much have closed to boot too hard.

Edited 5 October, 2022 by kodiaqsportline

[silver1011]

You may well be correct, we have the factory fitted towbar, the birdseye view option is brilliant for lining the towball up with the trailer hitch.

 

When the steering is turned the lines on the screen move in conjunction with the steering inputs, so presumably their is some (limited) integration to other systems, even if just the steering angle sensor?

 

I'm happy to pay the £85 for the "recalibration", whatever exactly it involves! Let's see how successful it is...

[langers2k]

I calibrated a highline RVC after retrofitting it to my Octavia.

 

All it does is tweak the image so the lines are in the 'correct' place. At a guess, it's probably never been calibrated and is likely close enough already.

 

I did a quick write up here:

 

[silver1011]

Thanks Langers!

[1963Malc]

I’ve had an OEM reverse camera dealer-fitted to my Kodiaq today. It’s still un-calibrated though as they didn’t have time to take it to a local body shop, to calibrate it and add the final code. They didn’t have their own tool to be able to calibrate it themselves and this might be the case at other Skoda Dealers too. 
As far as I can tell, it looks fully functional and calibration must only be for the fine tuning of aim correction. It will, if interrogated, bring up a fault code until finally calibrated and coded. 
It’s booked in next week for the calibration to complete the retrofit and get the 2 year fitted part warranty.
I did check another couple of local ish dealers, for just the calibration and they quoted £100.

Edited 16 February, 2023 by 1963Malc

[kodiaqsportline]

The world has gone completely mad. My idea of calibration is to park the car in front of another, centre the lines according to the car behind, and hey presto.  £100 my ar5e.

 

Reading back this thread, I'm still none the wiser why it needs to be calibrated for an extended warranty to apply.

 

@silver1011 - having had 5 months to think about it...  🤣     There's something weird going on here. If I was told this when taking out an all-in-1 plan, my question to skoda would be this:-  How come the camera needs calibrated for the warranty to apply using the all-in-1 plan but doesn't need calibrated if just taking out the exact same extended warranty on it's own?  ( Skoda don't check your car if you're just taking out their extended warranty )

 

We all know what the reply will be...  " Computer says no".  🤣

 

Doesn't that prove beyond doubt the 'calibration' excuse is just money making exercise?

Edited 16 February, 2023 by kodiaqsportline

[silver1011]

It wasn’t the fact that the camera needed calibrating that prevented the dealer from issuing the All-In warranty, it was due to there being a fault code logged on the vehicle. As long as there is a pre-existing fault they won’t authorise the warranty until it is fixed / cleared. I think this is pretty standard with warranties, but Skoda are quite clever by insisting on putting the vehicle through an eligibility check, otherwise no one (including me) would even know the fault existed.

 

As it happens, I already had a Skoda extended warranty on the vehicle prior to applying for the All-In warranty, unfortunately any type of ‘calibration’ was specifically excluded.

[johnny cabbage head]

Just picked up on this thread, as Im interested in fitting a rear view camera on my superb sportline estate 2022 plate, I asked mitchell Skoda Chester for a price and they said they cannot fit one , I asked why and service Lady said "I dont know why but workshop said they cannot fit one"

Sounds pretty vague to me , though I suspect its because they dont have the calibration facilities for the newer MIB3 platform  software fits, at first she said "do you want it just coding -or supply and fit "? I know they have fitted them previously for other owners on earlier cars, this conundrum with the warranty also seems to open up a further can of worms.

I found a firm in the Midlands that fit OEM cameras and code using ODIS so it can be done, Just strange why a main agent wont take the job on locally??

Im still non the wiser as to if I get a retro fit and coding from an Indy whether this will flag up some kind of diagnostic code later on that might affect my manufacturers warranty.

I am bit miffed that a main agent wont accept the Job  yet an indy can fit an OEM camera and seemingly  code it up and even supply  me with  a callibration certificate ?

 

Anyone else had a camera fitted on a late MIB3 platform skoda at a main agents in the north West ??

[ApertureS]

On 10/03/2023 at 11:13, johnny cabbage head said:

Just picked up on this thread, as Im interested in fitting a rear view camera on my superb sportline estate 2022 plate, I asked mitchell Skoda Chester for a price and they said they cannot fit one , I asked why and service Lady said "I dont know why but workshop said they cannot fit one"

Sounds pretty vague to me , though I suspect its because they dont have the calibration facilities for the newer MIB3 platform  software fits, at first she said "do you want it just coding -or supply and fit "? I know they have fitted them previously for other owners on earlier cars, this conundrum with the warranty also seems to open up a further can of worms.

I found a firm in the Midlands that fit OEM cameras and code using ODIS so it can be done, Just strange why a main agent wont take the job on locally??

Im still non the wiser as to if I get a retro fit and coding from an Indy whether this will flag up some kind of diagnostic code later on that might affect my manufacturers warranty.

I am bit miffed that a main agent wont accept the Job  yet an indy can fit an OEM camera and seemingly  code it up and even supply  me with  a callibration certificate ?

 

Anyone else had a camera fitted on a late MIB3 platform skoda at a main agents in the north West ??

The reason they said no is because there isnt a offical retrofit kit/svm/manual for the facelift superb with an mib3 system.

 

Notice how i said official - it can be done but a main dealer will not touch it.

 

 

On the subject of calibration - the calibration adjusts the images position central to the car, it also stores the vin in the camera - many many people dont calibrate with really no visible effects except a fault code and that includes retrofitters and main dealers which I think is awful personally... I wouldnt be happy with my car having a fault code in it, so neither should my customers. 

[johnny cabbage head]

12 hours ago, ApertureS said:

The reason they said no is because there isnt a offical retrofit kit/svm/manual for the facelift superb with an mib3 system.

 

Notice how i said official - it can be done but a main dealer will not touch it.

 

 

On the subject of calibration - the calibration adjusts the images position central to the car, it also stores the vin in the camera - many many people dont calibrate with really no visible effects except a fault code and that includes retrofitters and main dealers which I think is awful personally... I wouldnt be happy with my car having a fault code in it, so neither should my customers. 

Thanks for taking the time to reply, so even a skoda OEM rear view camera fiteed and coded to display correctly will still harbour a hidden fault code ?? WOW so in other words my warranty will be possibly voided if I get one fitted ?

Sounds like a can of worms better avoided in that case.

 

I managed without one on my last sportline estate but thought I would get one fitted on my new 22 plate sportline plus estate. 

maybe I would be better just buying a removeable blue tooth type camera that is not connected to the cars canbus system?

 

Can anyone advise whether the hidden fault code would invalidate warranty ?? My gut feeling is that it would be seen as incompatible by the manufacturer and invalidate my remaining 2 years warranty.

i think I will seek out another type of removeable camera in the interim, I have until easter when the towing begins in earnest again. Thank you for your reply, much appreciated

[ApertureS]

41 minutes ago, johnny cabbage head said:

Thanks for taking the time to reply, so even a skoda OEM rear view camera fiteed and coded to display correctly will still harbour a hidden fault code ?? WOW so in other words my warranty will be possibly voided if I get one fitted ?

Sounds like a can of worms better avoided in that case.

 

I managed without one on my last sportline estate but thought I would get one fitted on my new 22 plate sportline plus estate. 

maybe I would be better just buying a removeable blue tooth type camera that is not connected to the cars canbus system?

 

Can anyone advise whether the hidden fault code would invalidate warranty ?? My gut feeling is that it would be seen as incompatible by the manufacturer and invalidate my remaining 2 years warranty.

i think I will seek out another type of removeable camera in the interim, I have until easter when the towing begins in earnest again. Thank you for your reply, much appreciated

The fault code would only be stored if the calibration isn’t carried out.

 

Even if there was a fault for the basic settings it does not void your complete warranty, just anything related to that specific part or causes of it.

[SurreyJohn]

1 hour ago, johnny cabbage head said:

Thanks for taking the time to reply, so even a skoda OEM rear view camera fiteed and coded to display correctly will still harbour a hidden fault code ?? WOW so in other words my warranty will be possibly voided if I get one fitted ?

Sounds like a can of worms better avoided in that case.

 

Can anyone advise whether the hidden fault code would invalidate warranty ?? My gut feeling is that it would be seen as incompatible by the manufacturer and invalidate my remaining 2 years warranty.

 

It's not that a fault code would invalidate your warranty, it's that you cannot take out an All in One warranty with an existing fault.

 

But it makes sense as it is effectively a comprehensive warranty, not a basic warranty that is full of exclusions, so won't want people taking it out then claiming for pre-existing faults.

 

What seems to have happened in Ops case is an aftermarket addition was added, but which was done in a way that the cars computer recognised a change, but the relevant coding and calibration wasn't fully done, so it saw it as uncalibrated, and installation effectively incomplete.

 

It is separate issue to warranty, it is for the Op to complain to the fitter for not finishing the job at the time.   

[johnny cabbage head]

thank you for the replies, I found a VAG Retrofitting company down the midlands that states it fits OEM cameras and can supply a calibration certificate with the Job as well as coding via Odis , so surely they would have access to the "Tokens" with Odis to enable a legitimate MIB 3  coding change to the car ??

I will send them an email enquirey quoting my Vin Number for full clarification .