I'm trying to read up as much as I can before I actually do the install but I have a quick question. I've been reading how everyone hooks up the camera to the reverse lights in the trunk and the tvandnav automatically switches. If you wire it in that way does it make it impossible to view the camera while not in reverse?

 

no, what you do is, you wire up the lead for the 2nd input to your reverse wire under the shifter, and that sends signal to both the lights and your box that automatically switches to reverse input

i hope i made sense there LOL

 

Okay so what your saying is it will automatically switch to camera. How would I wire it if I wanted to be able to switch to camera whenever I want?
Which wire do I need to grab from the trunk to always give the camera power when the car is on?

 

well you can wire up a switch in between the box and the reverse wire,

as for power everyone usually just uses the reverse lights themselves, but if you poke around a bit, you might find some more info, sorry i cant be of more help to you

 

The wire that runs to the reverse lights can be tapped in the drivers kick panel, no need to run all the way to the trunk! If you put a switch on the input make sure you diode isolate it from the reverse lamps.

 

great tip mr pierson

 

Where is this reverse wire? I have everything opened up and I don't see anything under the shifter. it is a 6mt if that makes a diff.

 

The 6MT doesn't have a reverse wire going to the shifter, it gets its signal directly from the tranny.

Look in the drivers kick panel. There are a ton of wires down there, but you should find a purple wire (at least on my '04 coupe) that reads 12vdc when you put the car in reverse.

Grab a meter and start checking them until you find it!

 

+1, i basically got my reverse light wire...from the back =\ didnt think of the side panel, and i put a diode in to prevent it from turning on when i flipped the switch, and from there i ran it to a switch + the nav unit. Voila!

 

Just hooked up a device to the reverse wire in an '06 coupe yesterday. It's a purple wire in the big harness that runs to the back of the vehicle in the kick panel. It honestly is a pain to get to, but still easier then running a wire all the way back.

Basically, you remove the sill plate and the kick panel cover and you'll see a big black loom of wires going down under the carpet. I undid the lowest wire tie that you could see and then cut the first one under the carpet so that the loom would move a bit. I then used a razer blade to cut the tape that was wrapped around the loom. Then, open the loom up and I was lucky enough that the purple wires was right on top. There are about 50 wires or so in the loom so make sure you use a meter to verify.

 

Here is a picture of the reverse wire. It is the purple wire that has a 2nd purple wire spliced in to it. Keep in mind that this is in the drivers kick panel, with the plastic kick panel removed. Hidden right behind the big black loom is the BCM.

 

Does any one know the color wire for the reverse light?
I have the camera installed in the rear bumper near the plate(+Power)(-Ground) install the wire into the reverse light + connect the converter camera to the reverse light also.

Let me know if this work?

 

ok now I am personally stuck,

I finally bit the bullet and forked over the cash for a reverse camera, now...on the 5AT Sedan, where would the reverse wire be?

Is it the same as the 6MT? (Purple wire?)

 

+1.

 

I don't think it is, I just tried to install a camera, and used a coupe DIY because no one has posted one of a sedan; I have an 04 at sedan. Anyways, using the solid purple wire, not the various ones with stripes, I received no picture when the car was put into reverse. The only way I have gotten a picture so far is to tap into the power of one of my trunk lights. I'm not going to use that as a final tap, but I had to check it to make sure I wasn't a complete moron. If anyone has this setup on a sedan, not a coupe, a little insight would probably be priceless. Especially as my car has even in pieces for 3 days now.