HU doesn't switch to back-up camera when in reverse gear.
 

Hi, I've recently installed a Pioneer AVH-X2600BS head unit in my '03 G35 sedan (used to have Bose system, has since been ripped out).

Currently, the back-up camera comes on and video is displayed on the screen only when I've turned the HU's "camera view" setting on. (This setting always shows the camera view, regardless of gear selection.) The camera beeps when it comes on so I can confirm that it is only on when the car is in reverse gear. E.g. if I have the HU in "camera view" mode and am in park, the screen is black. When I put the car into reverse gear, the HU shows the video feed correctly. When I disable "camera view" mode, the camera never comes up on the screen, regardless of gear selection.

See the diagram below for how I wired this up. The camera I'm using included a video cables with an additional red wire sticking out of each end. I connected this red wire to my HU's "reverse gear" wire (violet/white), and the other end is connected to the camera's +12v wire (red) and an orange wire I tracked down from the passenger's side reverse light.

Again, the camera turns on correctly when in reverse, so I'm confident this portion is correct. I'm just not sure why the HU doesn't show the camera when in reverse gear.

Wiring Diagram

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/g35driv...45d426cf25.jpg


Bonus: In the trunk lid, this wire is grounded, but I wasn't sure if this was factory or not, it looks like an after thought -- what do you think?

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/g35driv...d12d023d99.jpg

You have a sedan, you need to use the orange wire in the kick panel for the camera signal, NOT the purple/white wire. See here:

https://g35driver.com/forums/audio-v...ml#post5036315

Thanks, but I am using the orange wire -- just not in the kick panel, but at the trunk lid.

The violet/white wire I mentioned is from the HU.

Trunk lid orange wire is the positive wire for the turn signal.

? The orange wire goes directly to the reverse light, in the trunk lid, not the turn signals. Also, the camera clearly works when in reverse gear only -- so I know I have the right wire there. The problem is with the HU not recognizing a voltage change.

It sounds like you need to swap the reverse camera polarity signal setting in the Pioneer's menu. - Page 43 of the owner's manual - https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/S...nual080814.pdf

And no, that is definitely not a factory wire grounded there.

I did try that to no avail. BTW there is continuity between the trunk lid passenger side reverse light wire harness (orange to black) when the reverse lights aren't even on, which I found to be strange. That means that the HU is actually getting some small amount of current through on the "reverse light" wire, all the time. This is my current theory for why the HU doesn't switch to reverse -- it has already sensed a signal on that wire.

Thanks for your help!

Any additional suggestions on this? I'd love to get this working tonight! Thanks! :)

If all else fails, you set the reverse camera polarity setting on the HU to detect ground, then put a microswitch that's activated by the lever position of the shifter that grounds the reverse camera signal wire from the headunit when activated.

But really, everybody else uses the reverse light power wire as both signal wire and as the power for their cameras without issue, so if that's not working for you, you may have other issues you need to investigate.

I think you're right. I recall having a short somewhere which may have been affecting the brake or reverse lights. I'll do some investigating this weekend. Thanks!

Most common source of shorts in the rear lights is the wires that go into the trunk lid, they get rubbed against each other and the protective jacket causes a short.

https://g35driver.com/forums/attachm...ired-trunk.jpg

While picking up some delicious Chinese food tonight, the HU is magically fixed. It correctly pulled up the back-up camera every time I switched into reverse gear. Thanks for your help -- good for now.

Intermittent problems like that definitely makes it sound like you've got failing wiring. Check it out now before it gets worse.

Sound advice -- thanks!

I used these Posi-Tap things to tap into my reverse wire... they work pretty well and not very intrusive, no tools necessary. Easy to reverse and you can reuse them (not that I plan on it)

http://imageftp.dynojet.com/CMD/genesis/posi-tap.jpg

(not my setup, but a good pic of how they work)