[PJ Kuga]

Hi, I have had a non-OEM rear parking camera installed in my Kuga by a “professional” fitter. They did such a bad job that I actually didn’t have to pay for the job at all.

Besides the fact that they ruined a number plate light fixing, the camera they installed worked for a couple of days, then had intermittent signal/blue screen, and eventually lost all signal. That was a year ago. I have finally decided to fix the issue myself and installed a new camera in the proper place (and fixed the plate light). I got a compatible camera module and plugged it into the existing wiring. In the process, I checked all connectors in the tailgate and all came back fully functional. I also monitored the power supply to the camera and its rock solid.

The problem is that the new camera also worked for a short while and is now once again intermittent. Sometimes there’s no signal at all, and sometimes there’s a signal that suddenly becomes noisy and then cuts out.

Does anyone here have experience with installing the aftermarket cameras? Assuming the rear connection is fine, either the wiring is faulty, or there’s a problem in the front. Since I haven’t done the original installation, I don’t know where to check for a faulty connection between the camera and the screen module. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Andi]

Have a look here:

Reversing camera

Just collected my Kuga yesterday from Sandicliffe @ Loughborough. Perfect first drive back up the M1 home to York. Sun was out, air con on, absolutely beautiful after the last 7 years in a standard no frills VW Beetle. Cool air, leather seats, panoramic roof, steering wheel controls etc-...

www.kugaownersclub.co.uk

@andspenka should be able to help you.

 

[andspenka]

Thanks @Andi,

When you say you installed a camera module, can you explain what you mean by the module?

I fit the same camera all the time, it's a cabled version from back to front, no modules or anything required. How is it connected to the Sync screen? I know you have said you haven't looked at this, so did you make your connections in the tailgate?

The only way to be sure is to replace the whole lot and start fresh, you could have a poor connection at the Sync end. How is it powered? I've heard of people powering from the reversing lights, I never do, all mine are powered from the fuse box via a fuse tap. I think it's a more stable connection. I read something similar, can't remember if it was on here though where someone had powered from the reversing lights and was having intermittent issues.

 

[smartguy69]

That's correct, Andrew. It was someone on here who had used a wireless sender and receiver set up and was only working intermittently and was powered from the reverse lights. I asked him to do a temporary connection to a permanent 12v feed from the rear fuse box but he hasn't got back to us yet.

 

[PJ Kuga]

Hi, thanks for the responses.

What I haven’t installed myself is a cable that I assume runs the length of the car from dash to the tailgate and ends in a standard 4 pin connector with 12v/3.3v/gnd/signal. I bought a new camera with 4 pin connector and simply plugged it in (that’s the module I mentioned, I didn’t use any of the wiring it came with).

I don’t know how the camera is powered, but it looks to be on a 12v permanent live (stupid!) which I believe is stepped down to 3.3v near the connector (I cannot be sure but there’s a black thingy near the connector which usually does that).

Like I said, I checked the power supply before getting to work, and it seemed perfectly stable. So I suspect (or rather hope) it’s the connection to the screen which comes and goes.

 

[andspenka]

Do you have any pictures, of the camera and the connector?

Does it have dynamic lines or just static? I'm just trying to work out why it needs 4 wires. I'm also interested in how it's connected to the Sync screen.

The type I use has 1 single cable, it's a video cable and power cable in 1. The video is via a phono socket and the power is a single wire. Camera is earthed in the boot and the power brought through to the fuse box along with the video signal. Keeps it nice and simple, no need to over complicate things.

 

[PJ Kuga]

The camera has a connector just like this one. I think it must be fairly standard since I’ve come across it before in hobby and automotive cameras. The camera itself runs of the 3.3v and returns the signal, the 12v as far as I know could be for integrated lights or such. I was actually rather happy initially that I could just swap out the camera like that.

And I would also love to know how the camera is connected to the screen, I’m hoping someone here knows where to look!

 

[smartguy69]

View attachment 12422

The camera has a connector just like this one. I think it must be fairly standard since I’ve come across it before in hobby and automotive cameras. The camera itself runs of the 3.3v and returns the signal, the 12v as far as I know could be for integrated lights or such. I was actually rather happy initially that I could just swap out the camera like that.

And I would also love to know how the camera is connected to the screen, I’m hoping someone here knows where to look!

@andspenka has all the info you need.

 

[andspenka]

On the back of your screen there’s a 54 pin connector. The camera connects to pins 14 & 15, usually by means of a phono socket.

The only way to know is to remove it and have a look.

 

[PJ Kuga]

Thanks @andspenka! Unfortunately all connections seem to be fine in the front as well.

Funnily enough, this has resolved my problem nonetheless. Because I noticed that every time I disconnected everything to check the connections, the camera would work again for a while. So I started to suspect some parasitic capacitance from the long run of cable. And sure enough, when the video feed drops out, it seems that connecting signal and ground “resets” whatever charge buildup is happening.

I guess I’m off to the electronics forums to look for solutions. Maybe a simple ferrite ring would be enough?

thanks everyone

 

[PJ Kuga]

PS: An alternative explanation (or aggravating factor) could also be that the camera is permanent live, and charge builds up because of that. I will try and figure out where the power comes from (still haven’t, it’s somewhere alone the way to the dash) and see if there’s an ignition live nearby.

 

[davidoff]

If you're running a long video cable you need to ensure it's of decent quality and properly screened.
What on earth is parasitic capacitance,

 

[smartguy69]

A factory fit rear camera would be live all the time. On sync 1 the power came from the camera module which was powered from F29 in the rear fuse box. On sync 2 and 3 the camera module was done away with and looks like power still comes from F29 looking at the wiring diagram I have.

 

[PJ Kuga]

@davidoff yeah I’m starting to think it would have been less work to just redo the wiring … and I only meant to say that the there seems to be an accidental build up of charge due to the wiring

I have basically confirmed that btw by 1) driving around until the signal cuts out, 2) removing camera and reattaching - still no signal, 3) removing camera, connecting signal cable to ground, reattaching - signal!

@smartguy69 But I meant to say that my camera is permanently on even if the car is turned off and locked. Surely the OEM camera isn’t that stupid?

 

[davidoff]

Electromagnetism is always present in cars, cell phones alone operate on frequencies between 800mhz and 3.4ghz so the quality of cable to run video front to back or in this case back to front is important.
A lot of the cables bought off of ebay are crap and you will need to pay good money for decent ones, believe me I know

 

[smartguy69]

@davidoff yeah I’m starting to think it would have been less work to just redo the wiring … and I only meant to say that the there seems to be an accidental build up of charge due to the wiring

I have basically confirmed that btw by 1) driving around until the signal cuts out, 2) removing camera and reattaching - still no signal, 3) removing camera, connecting signal cable to ground, reattaching - signal!

@smartguy69 But I meant to say that my camera is permanently on even if the car is turned off and locked. Surely the OEM camera isn’t that stupid?

No, the OEM camera is operated from the ignition. It sounds like whoever has installed yours has used the power source for the 12v socket in the boot or from the boot courtesy light.

 

[andspenka]

Personally, I’ve never liked the look of them cameras, my suspicions were correct. The type I fit don’t have any of that 3.3v nonsense. They just work from 12v and I’ve never had any issues or anyone coming back.

I would change the camera and wiring.

 

[PJ Kuga]

I have gone back to this today and figured out that I actually have a very different setup than what’s found in the threads here.

I didn’t realise it at first, but the circled component is actually part of the aftermarket camera setup. According to the Internet, it’s a “composite to differential video standard converter” connected to the 54 pin APIM connector via its own 14 pin connector. The power for the camera comes from that same board.

I have tested the connections of that little component now and it seems to have fixed my video issues for the time being.

Edit: And I found the fault. One of the electronic parts on that little board isn’t soldered on properly.

 

[andspenka]

Just as I figured, totally over-complicated, bound to fail and what do you know

I'll stick to the type I've been using.

 

[PJ Kuga]

Yes, I don’t understand the point of it either. I have ordered the 54 pin connector with video, and tomorrow I’ll transfer the power supply to piggyback off fuse F86 from under the glove compartment. That ought to sort everything out!