Backup Camera Wiring

[Crippin87]

Ok, here we go again with another backup camera wiring thread. So I put my new head unit in the other day and I have been trying to figure out where the best place to tie the purple/white reverse camera wire from the hu to under the dash is. I have read countless threads on this and everyone of them seem to say something different with no clear answers. The best I have been able to come up with by combining everything I've read is to tie into this green wire I have pictured. Only problem is I believe it is supposed to be a olive green wire and mine is more of a darker green and I don't have a way to test it to be sure. The pic is of the block between the brake and the parking brake pedals. Any help is appreciated!

 

[MrBalll]

I've read that that wire will flick your screen on and off when you (un)lock your vehicle.
I went with the dark grey wire on the far right directly under the steering wheel. Still a reverse light wire, but no power when locking and unlocking.

For your application is it not the three wire block on the far right? Top right in your pictures. Thought I read it was the three wire. Like you said there's about five different topics on what wire to go with.

 

[PatDTN]

FWIW I put a nice Kenwood head unit into my old Buick Roadmaster. Instead of tying in to the reverse system I just controlled my reverse camera with a switch. I could use the camera when I was towing to check on things.

I think now that I'm getting used to having a backup camera I would have hooked it up but left a manual switch as well.

 

[Crippin87]

I've read that that wire will flick your screen on and off when you (un)lock your vehicle.
I went with the dark grey wire on the far right directly under the steering wheel. Still a reverse light wire, but no power when locking and unlocking.

For your application is it not the three wire block on the far right? Top right in your pictures. Thought I read it was the three wire. Like you said there's about five different topics on what wire to go with.

I'm not sure, I read there was supposed to be a blue wire in the top right plug in the block but mine does not have a blue wire in that plug. Could you take a pic of the grey wire you tied into? I definitely don't want my screen turning on and off every time I lock or unlock the doors lol.

FWIW I put a nice Kenwood head unit into my old Buick Roadmaster. Instead of tying in to the reverse system I just controlled my reverse camera with a switch. I could use the camera when I was towing to check on things.

I think now that I'm getting used to having a backup camera I would have hooked it up but left a manual switch as well.

I've read where people have done that but I am such a perfectionist that it would drive me crazy if I did that lol. Sometimes I wish I could take the easier route because the amount of time I spend getting things just right is ridiculous lol

 

[MrBalll]

I took a few 'bad' photos for you. This wire is labeled as A8 on the little blue marker. It is very hard to see as it is so cramped and the text is extremely small. But, with my photo hopefully you can get an idea of where it is.

Because of the extremely small wires I didn't want to split it, splice in a wire and solder in the wire. Felt like if I messed up and burned another wire then that's the end of that wire. So I just used one of those cheap Scotchlok wire taps. Not the best, but it will do. And since those wires are never disturbed I'm not worried about it coming undone.

Click photos for bigger picture.
Here is a photo of the wire with the tap in it. The light blue plug is 'A' and you want slot 8. It's on the top towards the right side(if facing the plug).


This is where the wires will be.


In order to take this cover off I believe there are two screws at the top of it. You have to remove your dash bezel to access the screws. It simply pulls off.

 

[Cattivo]

You can do it the way MrBall described which will work, all you need is a 10mm socket to remove 2 screws in that panel...or you can pull off the a pillar on the drivers side and splice into the olive green wire in there. You just need to peel back some tape on the harness

 

[Tonyrodz]

You can do it the way MrBall described which will work, all you need is a 10mm socket to remove 2 screws in that panel...or you can pull off the apillar on the drivers side and splice into the olive green wire in there. You just need to peel back some tape on the harness

That's what I did, pulled the a pillar and spliced into the green wire, that's the reverse wire. Works great for me.

 

[Crippin87]

Nice! Thanks guys I really appreciate it! Thanks for the pics MrBalll, hopefully anyone else with this problem can pull this thread up and see exactly where to tie into no questions lol

 

[Crippin87]

So kind of an older thread of mine but I wanted to brag a little and show everyone that it could be done. I had my camera mounted below the lift gate on the back side of the plastic on top of the bumper. Though the camera was pretty well hidden I hated it, made it look like a widescreen movie when I put it in reverse. Over the weekend I went to my local junkyard and picked up an extra window release button and was able to mount the camera inside of that button and still retain the functionality of it. Here are the pics of it completed.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Great job! Gotta do a write up on that.