Auris T-Spirit - Long Shot

[Bibsy]

This is, as the title says, a long shot before I ask the dealer, who likely will go into "never heard of that mate" or "they all do that" depending on who answers the phone.

I have a 2011 Auris HSD T-Spirit with nav. (That might mean I'm the only one here?).

My question is about the reversing camera. When it is cold - that is every time I start the car in the mornings pretty much - it is very faint and pinkish. It's so dim you can't actually use it to see with to get out of my garage. But after I have arrived at work, 30 minutes later, the camera gets turned on again as I reverse in the car park, and by then the picture is just fine. Once it's warm, it's ok. But I'm not going to sit in the garage for ten minutes with the engine running each day just to get the camera to work, of course.

On my older Prius T-Spirit I never had that problem - the picture was always bright and sharp.

Does anyone else with a reversing camera on the "big screen" have an issue with the cold electronics failing to give a bright picture to the point the picture is useless? I'm hoping it's just mine really, as then I might be able to go down the warranty route, as there's still a couple of years left.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Not condensation on the lens?

[Bibsy]

No, it's not blurred, just very very dim.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Don't some ccd cameras need a small heater or heating element (I mean very small) to keep them clear of condensation on cold, damp mornings?

I know on home cctv cameras that the good ones have this built in.Google it. Not sure if it's a fault on all Toyota reversing cameras or whether yours is faulty, after market, replacement or the seal has gone.

[cuius]

Stating the obvious - try reversing into the garage - due to neighbours on-street parking on a narrow street, found this is the easiest solution (without a camera)

[kithmo]

I've seen a pinkish picture effect on old CRT computer monitors that was caused by a poor cable connection to the monitor, can't say I've seen it on LCDs though.

[Bibsy]

Well, now I feel like an idiot. Problem solved.

Just in case anyone else has this the answer is simple.

When you press the "display" button, you get a brightness and contrast button. I knew that already, and no amount of fiddling with those had made the camera image change. They only work on the map.

BUT I just discovered that if you press the display button whilst the camera is actually showing, then you get four buttons instead of two. Brightness, contrast (which now actually do something) and also colour and tone. So after some twiddling it's all as bright and clear as you like, and not pink at all. Of course, you have to adjust these whilst in reverse, so you are being beeped at constantly but that's not a problem.

So there we go, another little nugget of info to add to the forum.

Mind you, it doesn't explain why it got (gets) better as it warms up.

[kithmo]

Off we all go to try it now.

Still only two controls on the Prius+ T&G :(