Weird problem with backup camera
 

I'm a new owner of an 09 TCH and my first project was to install a backup camera. After reading through a lot of posts on how to install it to work with the factory NAV, I went ahead and did it this past weekend.

The camera i used was the Rostra RearSight. Everything went fairly smooth, the only thing different with my install is that the camera needs a +12V input. It didn't like the +6V from the NAV unit, so I tapped into the reverse lights to powered the camera.

Things looked like it was all okay until i took it out for a test drive. Here is the problem. The camera picture will be 100% fine when you first get in the car and shift into R; even down to D and back to R within a few seconds. It's when the car is driven and you shift back into R to use the camera, the image will be in black and white! Yes, just like the old 60's and 70's black and white tv screens. It'll stay b&w until the car is turn off and on again. Then the cycle repeats. :confused:

I did some troubleshooting and found out that if i only have the +Video wire hooked up, the picture will be in b&w. And that if you short pin 23+24 it will give color to the picture (without the -Video connected).

Anyone have any ideas when could be the problem? Thanks.

Re: Weird problem with backup camera
 

I never installed this brand of back up camera. My thoughts are, that it may be a grounding problem at the camera end. Did you contact the manufacture. This looks like their homepage and includes some contact phone numbers. Let us know what you find.

http://www.rostra.com/RearSight.asp

Re: Weird problem with backup camera
 

My backup camera had been working well for many months, and then intermittently showing static instead of picture. Usually it would work when I first turned on the car, but then not work right later. The bad behavior got progressively frequent.

I removed the radio, and pushed in the wire pins to reseat them, and everything has worked fine since (about a month ago).

Could one of your wires (probably the short between 23 and 24) not be well seated?

Good luck.

Re: Weird problem with backup camera
 

It does sound like a ground issue to me. Run power and camera video to the dash area. I would pull the +12v from the cig. lighter below the nav and use the ground from the nav. system. The cable length and rear power/ground vs. camera ground could be causing a "Ground Loop".:lightbulb

Re: Weird problem with backup camera
 

xdroccax,
Interesting. FWIW these pins are said to be:
Pin 24 = +6V Power
Pin 23 = Video V- (Shield)
Pin 22 = Video +
Pin 21 = Ground
[http://www.oemvalue.com/installcamry07.htm#pluglayout]
So when you short the Nav pins for +6v to Video V- (Shield) it changes from b&w to color. But 21 and 23 are apparently shorted (at least when the BEC106 is installed, see https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...53/#post129484) and perhaps V- is internally grounded also (wish I could find a wiring diagram for the internal workings of the Nav unit!). So if you put +6V into the V- shield ground, it does not sound like a good thing to do. Internally (to the Nav unit) the V- shield pin may not be grounded (otherwise you should have gotten a spark or blown something). SO you apparently are energizing the video circuit inside the Nav causing the b&w to change to color. Don't know enough about the inner workings to figure that one out...but my hunch is that it may have something to do with the fact that you used a 12v camera and the video circuit is expecting a 6 volt camera. Although you are putting 12v into the power leads, when the video leads are plugged into the Nav head, it may be that the V-shield and the ground of the 12v power form the tail light are getting connected and causing some mismatch inside the camera that would not happen with a 6v camera. When you short the pins to put +6v into the V- shield pin internally (presuming it is not internally grounded) you are allowing the V+ to sense not the expected 6v at the Nav, but 6v above the now 6v shield or 12 v to match the camera voltage. Just a hunch...without Nav internal wiring diagrams and camera internal wiring diagrams, not really sure.
Joe

Re: Weird problem with backup camera
 

My rear view camera is working very perfect, however last time it was emitting "buzze" when there was no obstacles, i was strange that. Then i asked my dealer, he told me to check the sensor, Mine has four sensors. So i did as what he said. G-god, one of the sensor was broken b. "If there is one sensor, broken, then the car rear view system would not work". Then i went to the car repair service center to have a new sensor fitted. At last my parking sensor finally got workable.

Re: Weird problem with backup camera
 

Pin 23 = Video V- (Shield) is grounded to the body of the car. I tested the resistance.

Re: Weird problem with backup camera
 

I had the same problem with b/w when V+ (video signal) was not properly connected. Check cable connections. And try to solder connections if there any between nav unit and camera.