Reversing camera

[Felstmiester]

Picked up the c63 last week and was given the oem reverse camera and told all the wiring was in the boot ready to hook up. Done loads of searches and found many threads about this but can't find out exactly what I need to.

The wires are in the boot and I have switched on reverse cam via secret menu. But when I select reverse I get the black screen with check all surroundings. I then got a please wait message with a moving sort of buffer looking circle witch stayed on the screen for ages. I left it and went back to it around 20 mins later and it still said please wait. I then turned off the ignition and back on and then just got black screen with check all surroundings but nothing else.


The camera I have has got a red and yellow RCA, the red plugs into a cable that runs to brake light live and ground and the yellow plugs into a yellow male RCA that comes from front of car. The yellow male also has a small red wire that branches off that I assume is another live but not sure if this needs to be hooked up as when I plug the RCA in and live and ground to brake light that's when I get the check surroundings screen.


Any help would be great. Thanks in advance. Dave.

 

[Felstmiester]

Same wiring as this. So I guess it's not oem lol.

 

[paul73mt]

Did you pick up the supply for the camera from the rear lamp supply?, as this will cause interference?

and you will also have to make sure that you setup the command for a pal or ntsc camera (it's also in the secret menu)

Have you checked that you have a voltage going to the camera when it's in reverse?? and have you made sure that the video cable from the camera is plugged in to the rear of the command??

 

[Felstmiester]

To be honest I ran the cam trigger wire strait from battery and the permanent live and earth strait off the batt but still got no image on screen when put in reverse. As I was told the wiring was already run from the unit to the boot by the previous owner I was kind of having a stab in the dark as to weather it was just a simple plug n play job. Also I only activated camera through secret menu and set it to srvc or something like that. Didn't do anything else in secret menu.

 

[richard]

I am confused by your original post
a) The OEM camera does not have any RCA connectors, it has a camera, a boot handle trim, an isolator/power supply, and 2 looms
b) There is *no* pre-wiring in place ,but your post sort of suggests there is (but not how it got there)

R

 

[blue gnome123]

Looks like the seller was not quite "accurate with the truth". It doesn't look OEM to me. Richard put a reversing camera into my S212 (it is brilliant BTW Richard), fully coded with STAR. The real MB ones are kinda expensive since they come with the correct looms etc.. The only gripe I that they don't come with parking guide outlines like some reversing cameras do.

 

[Felstmiester]

I am confused by your original post
a) The OEM camera does not have any RCA connectors, it has a camera, a boot handle trim, an isolator/power supply, and 2 looms
b) There is *no* pre-wiring in place ,but your post sort of suggests there is (but not how it got there)

R

After looking into it more yes your right. It's not an oem set up. And it's obvious the wires that run into my boot are some kind of after market set up. I've decided to forget trying to wire the camera as there's no garuntee its hooked up to the comand. Prob be easier to start from scratch. Just thought that because I was getting black screen with message it might mean that I had the feed to the boot but it seems not to be the case.

 

[boxbrownie]

The real MB ones are kinda expensive since they come with the correct looms etc.. The only gripe I that they don't come with parking guide outlines like some reversing cameras do.

Hmm this is very interesting as my new (2010) ML when in reverse has the reverse screen come up WITH guide lines that move when you turn the wheel.....only problem is there is no rev camera fitted

I was wondering if one of the radio transmitter cameras would work so as to save running the looms all through the vehicle?

 

[boxbrownie]

I'll amend my assertion, the guide lines are there but do not bend with the steering, maybe only when a camera is fitted?

 

[Felstmiester]

I'll amend my assertion, the guide lines are there but do not bend with the steering, maybe only when a camera is fitted?

That surley must mean your rear view camera has been activated through the secret menu.

When I got mine I didn't get the black screen when in reverse until I activated it in secret menu.

 

[boxbrownie]

It may well have been, not by me though......not so secret I guess?

 

[Felstmiester]

Is there any way I can test if the RCA/fakra is plugged into the command unit without actually removing unit from dash ? I've lived everything up in the boot but get nothing.

 

[simppa80]

Anyone know place to buy rearcamera witch will fit to orginal place? I think there is place next to the lisenceplate light.

 

[boxbrownie]

If it were me ( and it could be as I fitted a rev cam to my ML yesterday ) I would use the other blanking plug, the one near the handle, better to be as central as you can for the best field of view.

 

[simppa80]

If it were me ( and it could be as I fitted a rev cam to my ML yesterday ) I would use the other blanking plug, the one near the handle, better to be as central as you can for the best field of view.

Problem is that my W204 estate won't have that place

 

[Felstmiester]

Look on eBay. They now do cameras fitted to number plate lights specifically for different models.

 

[boxbrownie]

Problem is that my W204 estate won't have that place

I am not familiar with your car, but what is the small area between the handle and the existing light/camera? It looks like another blanking plug.

 

[st13phil]

Reported