My Back up Camera Install

[dalandshark]

I just finished installing a back up camera on the rear spoiler of my 03 Sport.

Camera is from GrandMall on Ebay for $16:

My head unit is a JVC Arsenal ADV65BT I installed 2 years ago.

Here's how I did it:

1. Remove rear spoiler brake light. Using the right tool you won't have to remove the whole spoiler, especially if you roll down the window.

2. Drill a hole for the camera to fit in.

3. Install camera in to hole (I made a rubber gasket to put between camera and spoiler. Route wires through spoiler. Sorry, lost the picture.


4. Wires routed out from spoiler (Orange Arrow). Then route through the conduit (Green Arrow).

4a. Route the wires through conduit and then plug together with the other cable from the following steps. Tape together. This is where I capped and stowed the extra power wires (Green Arrow).

5.Route the other part of the wire up through the area behind the passenger side cargo mirror or speaker (w/JBL) and behind the tailgate gasket. Second pic shows transition from behind tailgate gasket to inside the rear mirror/speaker area.

6. Route the rest of the wire behind the luggage panel or subwoofer panel if JBL, under the door sills, and up to the radio head unit. I ran mine up above the inner glove box along where I had routed my wire harness for the UN-JBL conversion. The arrow points at the level where there are wires running forward.

Passenger Rear Door Sill. Orange Arrow is the Camera RCA wire. Green Arrow is the wire bundle I installed to convert this thing from JBL to Non-JBL.

7. Plug the rca connector into the radio (White Arrow).

8. Run another wire down under the steering column just left of the fuses. Connect this wire to Red wire w/yellow strip. I followed the wire that I had used for the parking brake wire. I soldered my connection, but do whatever you feel comfortable with. My solder job is better than it looks in the Pic. Purple arrow is the Reverse Light Wire. The Gray Arrow is the Parking Brake Wire (for dvd).

9. Connect the other end of this wire to the "Reverse Gear" wire from the head unit and also the red wire coming out of the Yellow rca connector from the camera. Blue arrow shows the three wires connected, wrap with connectors with tape. I used the male/female spade in case I have to remove the head unit.

10. Check head unit settings and test.

** I can see just behind the ball of the trailer hitch, so pretty good considering I didnt have to dig into the tailgate area of the truck.**

 

[LOSTR4]

I cannot see your photos...sounds promising though

 

[Beater]

This is great!

I've been planning on installing mine in exact same location!!

Have a link to the camera you used?

 

[Stone5_T4R]

Looks good!! Nice work!

 

[ghostman7401]

What head unit are you using?

 

[CXS]

Read from the start again, all the questions are answered there.

 

[dalandshark]

Done

Yeah, all questions should be answered now, but I just finished at 12:23 pm PT. Let me know if you have anymore questions though and I will try and update!

 

[A/V1]

Nice job! Looks great! I like how much you have in view with it mounted there. Do you have any better pics (bigger) that you can post of the rear view?

Also, how do you like that head unit? I've had Kenwoods and Alpines for the last 5 or 6 years, and haven't really been able to demo any JVCs in person. I like the layout. How is the interface? Easy to use?

 

[rich045]

I just did mine too, had a lot of hiccups since this pioneer head unit has 2 inputs, one for video in and one for reverse camera. I tried 3 different cameras thinking it was the camera when all it was was the wrong input... Fml. Huge word of advice, for pioneer head units, the back up camera is RC in, the brown one, not the yellow one!!!
(on a side note, my steering wheel controls dont work... I believe its a ground or some wire is lose. I am too tired to fix it now, next time i guess lol)
Here's a pic of it working lol

 

[Speedy123]

Thanks for the write up. I'm doing my install this week. You said your camera view doesn't actually show the hitch ball? That's a concern for me as I'll use it a lot to hook up to my trailer. Could the camera be tilted down a little when installing in that location?

 

[Frankduhhtank]

Awesome

 

[earthrealm]

awesome...could you explain how you got the rear brake light off?
mine is burnt out on my 05..n i gat rear spoilers like you...

 

[Frankduhhtank]

awesome! will def look into this

 

[dalandshark]

Thanks for the write up. I'm doing my install this week. You said your camera view doesn't actually show the hitch ball? That's a concern for me as I'll use it a lot to hook up to my trailer. Could the camera be tilted down a little when installing in that location?

This particular camera doesn't adjust because of the shaft. You can buy ones that do, but I don't think they look as good.

I also will use mine for trailer h/u. I can't see the ball, but it's very close and with a little use I'll know where to line it up on the trailer receiver.

 

[dalandshark]

awesome...could you explain how you got the rear brake light off?
mine is burnt out on my 05..n i gat rear spoilers like you...

1. Roll down the back window.
2. Lift Tailgate.
3. Remove two bolts on rear of spoiler using a small "short profile" ratchet and fingers. I think I just made up the term "short profile".
4. Wrestle out the light/housing. It doesn't come out real easy because of the metal bracket on the back of the lens. Slides out from left. I think it's a one piece unit without a replaceable bulb. But you can probably mod and led or regular bulb.

 

[dalandshark]

Nice job! Looks great! I like how much you have in view with it mounted there. Do you have any better pics (bigger) that you can post of the rear view?

Also, how do you like that head unit? I've had Kenwoods and Alpines for the last 5 or 6 years, and haven't really been able to demo any JVCs in person. I like the layout. How is the interface? Easy to use?

I added another picture, it's a little closer. You'll notice the bluetooth speaker that I installed into the stereo trim ring. It doesn't work well there, but it looks nice! Otherwise, the JVC interface is very easy to use. The balance/fade and equalizer functions are pretty cool. I would recommend a different microphone and different mounting place. There is not a built-in microphone.

 

[runnyeggsham]

This is an old write up but not too bad. I followed most but am a little confused still:

1. For step 9: The “brake (reverse) light wire” (red w/yellow stripe) is connected to the “RCA red wire” and the “reverse gear wire” from the headunit. This triggers the headunit basically?
-I saw a youtube video from a stereo guy, he said to connect the red wire from the yellow RCA wire to the “red wire” of the headunit. This didn’t make sense to me. This means there is voltage going to the HU telling it that the reverse camera is powered on. Kind of defeats the purpose to trigger it to come on when the car is on and not when the car is in reverse?

2. For step 8: He used a white wire to connect to the parking brake wire. What color is the parking brake wire and where on the head unit did he connect it to exactly?

 

[nusrat]

...-I saw a youtube video from a stereo guy, he said to connect the red wire...

Do you have a URL for that video?

 

[dalandshark]

This is an old write up but not too bad. I followed most but am a little confused still:

1. For step 9: The “brake (reverse) light wire” (red w/yellow stripe) is connected to the “RCA red wire” and the “reverse gear wire” from the headunit. This triggers the headunit basically?
-I saw a youtube video from a stereo guy, he said to connect the red wire from the yellow RCA wire to the “red wire” of the headunit. This didn’t make sense to me. This means there is voltage going to the HU telling it that the reverse camera is powered on. Kind of defeats the purpose to trigger it to come on when the car is on and not when the car is in reverse?

2. For step 8: He used a white wire to connect to the parking brake wire. What color is the parking brake wire and where on the head unit did he connect it to exactly?

The Red/Yellow Wire provides voltage to the head unit letting it know when the car is in reverse.

The other wire has nothing to do with the camera... It should be there already for your Head Unit to prevent DVD use when the car is moving (or installed at the same time if you are also installing your head unit with the camera)... Sorry for the confusion, hope this helps the next person!

 

[dalandshark]

Update

Camera is still working well!