W164 Fit Aftermarket Reversing Camera

[E55BOF]

The car is a 2007 W164, with a COMAND NTG2.5 from a 2010 fitted and working fine. The car does not have a factory reversing camera, though the NTG2.5 is camera-enabled; all it needs is a camera signal.

I'm looking to fit a cheapo-cheapo Chinese wireless reversing camera, wireless to avoid having to run a cable all the way to the front of the car. I have all the parts I need, and I'm happy I can install it. I think I can take a 12V feed from Fuse 37 in the boot, switched by a relay triggered by the reversing light, to power the camera and transmitter; if not, I can jump off another switched live in the fuse block. However, there are a couple oof things I'm not sure of (aren't there always...).
Apart from

 

[E55BOF]

STOP PRESS: Corrected full message reads:

The car is a 2007 W164, with a COMAND NTG2.5 from a 2010 fitted and working fine. The car does not have a factory reversing camera, though the NTG2.5 is camera-enabled; all it needs is a camera signal

(I'm amending this on the fly; I found a video on Yutube answering my biggest uncertainty, so deleted that part...)

I'm looking to fit a cheapo-cheapo Chinese wireless reversing camera, wireless to avoid having to run a cable all the way to the front of the car. I have all the parts I need, and I'm happy I can install it. However, there are a couple of things I'm not sure of (aren't there always...).

Firstly, I think I can take a 12V feed from Fuse 37 in the boot, switched by a relay triggered by the reversing light, to power the camera and transmitter; anybody know if I'm right? if not, I can jump off another switched live in the fuse block if I need to.

Secondly, I need a trigger signal from the COMAND to power the wireless receiver module. Pin 15 on the C2 connector block is shown as 'Reverse Signal', but if (as I suspect) that is just a one-off 'wake up' signal for the OE camera installation, then I think I'd best connect the receiver to a switched live behind the dash.

Does that sound like a a workable plan?

 

[badgx]

When I fitted my aftermarket ebay reverse camera to work with my ngt1, I joined both the power and signal camera wire together and tapped to the positive wire feed leading to the rear cigarette 12v socket. This meant I partially removed the panelling to gain access to the wire behind the 12v socket and i wasn't too confident about tapping into the rear fusebox, plus i didn't want to risk or disturb the fuse box or cause any accidental damage.

My camera comes alive with ACC and can be viewed permanently when driving forward. I have an old NTG1 unit with the dvd option. It's an old system but the sound quality from the fibre optics is really good. Hope this helps

In the near future I'm planning to replace the factory HK paper speakers with Alpine Status HD speakers and currently researching into Audison DMI Digital MOST Interface - Fibre Optic to TOSLINK optical output. I can then utilise an aftermarket Audison Forza AF M5.11 Bit DSP Amplifier to run some new Alpine Status HD speakers.

The system hopefully should deliver 1200 W (11 CH DSP) + 4 X 150 W @ 2 Ohm + 1 X 600 W @ 2 Ohm for a subwoofer. Its a fully digital D-Class compact amplifier that can be discretely mounted behind the interior panelling.

 

[badgx]

Slightly off topic, here's are a few video which contains some information on the Alpine Status HD and Audison DMI. This will retain the full use of fibre optic and retain the digital quality. Particularly some useful information on the Alpine speaker's, some amazing stuff.

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[E55BOF]

When I fitted my aftermarket ebay reverse camera to work with my ngt1, I joined both the power and signal camera wire together and tapped to the positive wire feed leading to the rear cigarette 12v socket. This meant I partially removed the panelling to gain access to the wire behind the 12v socket and i wasn't too confident about tapping into the rear fusebox, plus i didn't want to risk or disturb the fuse box or cause any accidental damage.

My camera comes alive with ACC and can be viewed permanently when driving forward. I have an old NTG1 unit with the dvd option. It's an old system but the sound quality from the fibre optics is really good. Hope this helps

The rear fusebox on the W164 unclips from the mount easily, but Fuse 37 doesn't have direct wires to it, so I wasn't going to risk messing about trying to identify the actual associated output wire. It is indeed a switched live, and all the info I've found suggests it's a camera power feed. A 5A male spade terminal fits into the fuse block OK for the actual feed, so I'll just take the power off the live side, via an inline 5A fuse, switched with a relay activated by the reversing lights.

I think I may have to have the receiver permanently live, though, but if Pin 15 is a switched steady feed from the head unit, I'll use that to activate it.

More anon.

 

[E55BOF]

Fired it up today; it works - hooray! The ML really does benefit from a reversing camera, I think.

If I were fiting another one, it would take me less than half the time; I've been up every possible blind alley along the way... Not as straightforward as I hoped, but I got there in the end. Now just waiting for the relay and some replacement trim fasteners - half of those holding the main tailgate internal trim broke rather than let go - then I'll connect up, reinstall all the trim, and it's done.

 

[badgx]

Congratulations, your an expert now. Well done, glad its all sorted and working

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Fired it up today; it works - hooray! The ML really does benefit from a reversing camera, I think.

If I were fiting another one, it would take me less than half the time; I've been up every possible blind alley along the way... Not as straightforward as I hoped, but I got there in the end. Now just waiting for the relay and some replacement trim fasteners - half of those holding the main tailgate internal trim broke rather than let go - then I'll connect up, reinstall all the trim, and it's done.

Nice one, was fuse 37 the original fuse position for the factory camera?

It surprised me that yours doesn’t have it. I had been under the impression that all UK ML 63 came with the reversing camera.

 

[E55BOF]

Mine certainly didn't.

 

[E55BOF]

And yes, Fuse 37 is the feed for the factory camera. If I could have identified the output wire from it at the fuse box, I'd just have tapped into that, but I couldn't.

And frustratingly, though my car does not have the powered tailgate, there is a deactivated switch and the wiring to it, but the switched live feed only has 3.5 volts (no idea why or how, but my multimeter was consistent), which isn't enough for the camera. If I could have identified the other end of that wire, and turned it into a 12V feed for the camera, it would have avoided a great deal of mucking about installing a new wire into the tailgate through the factory rubber ducting.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

And yes, Fuse 37 is the feed for the factory camera. If I could have identified the output wire from it at the fuse box, I'd just have tapped into that, but I couldn't.

And frustratingly, though my car does not have the powered tailgate, there is a deactivated switch and the wiring to it, but the switched live feed only has 3.5 volts (no idea why or how, but my multimeter was consistent), which isn't enough for the camera. If I could have identified the other end of that wire, and turned it into a 12V feed for the camera, it would have avoided a great deal of mucking about installing a new wire into the tailgate through the factory rubber ducting.

No power tailgate is unusual too, I thought that was also minimum spec for a UK car.

Without it you car is safe if you ever give my mate Donald a lift - he sees power tailgates as man vs car challenge and he wins every time

 

[E55BOF]

Yes, the spec is pretty basic for an AMG, but I'm happy with it now. It was the interior that sold it to me; if it had been Anthracite, I wouldn't have bought it.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Yes, the spec is pretty basic for an AMG, but I'm happy with it now. It was the interior that sold it to me; if it had been Anthracite, I wouldn't have bought it.

A coloured interior is super rare on these, and I’d take an coloured interior over any other factor option. The other must have for me is clear glass but that’s even more rare - you don’t have clear glass to do you?

 

[E55BOF]

Yes, I do. Well, as per standard Avantgarde trim on the W211, slight blue tint. I'm not a fan of privacy glass either.