Maintenance/improvements - 4.2 Flush Mount Rear Camera Install

[Hoovie]

There are basically two stages to having a reversing/backup camera working on a car.

1) The Camera itself - choices tend to be surface mount type, mounted on a bracket, or flush-mounted, in the same way as Reversing Sensors are installed

2) The Display showing the camera image - some top Audio HUs (Head Units) had the ability to accept a reversing camera; An alternative way is to fit a small dedicated monitor to display the image.

This post describes how to install a flush-mounted camera on a RAV4.2 and connection to a Full Screen Audio unit with reverse camera connection feature.

The chosen location for the reversing camera is in the number plate light housing, in a very similar place to where one of the reversing sensors would be fitted.

In order to gain access to this area, it is necessary to remove the rear door trim and free the plastic plate light housing - the Toyota Reversing Sensor installation guide has all the required info to do this - To download that PDF Guide, Click Here.

Physical Connection of Camera

To put some photos to accompany the diagram.....

The red circles show the position of the 3 clips and 2 screws that must be removed to free the plastic trim. Use a flat-bladed screwdriver to pull the centre of the clip which can then be pulled out.

Remove the number plate and the two screws that secure the trim onto the metal skin of the Door. On my RAV4, the same screws that held the number plate in place secured the trim - yours may be the same or the screws could be under the number plate.

The Blue circle is the position chosen for the camera as it is fairly central within the limitations of the spare wheel mounting

This is a closeup of the clip for better viewing.

I drilled a 20mm hole in the trim for the backup camera - the pic below shows the hole and the size of the camera that will be fitted.

Access to the rear of the trim is needed to be able to route the cable through and also to fit the collar and securing ring to the camera.

WARNING: Being a round camera, it is not necessarily obvious which way is up - and in the case of my camera, there was no indication at all, so before re-securing any trim, test the camera output and adjust as required.

The rear door inside trim is only secured by trim poppers and just pulls off without the need to any tools. The picture below shows the naked door

The routing used for the added wires can be identified by the location of the blue ty-wraps.

The suggested best route for the camera cable is through a spare hole on the lower-right of the pic - see the picture below:

This picture shows the wiring that is needed added. In the case of the camera fitted here, the Yellow RCA connection is the video signal; the black wire goes to an earth connection and the red wire goes via a bullet plug that gets connected into the reverse light signal so it is powered only when reverse is selected.

There is, on this particular camera, a little jumper (the white square block by the RCA connection) that switches between standard view and mirror image. This is something you may need to chose here, or there may be a similar setting on the display monitor.

Note that I have added a rubber grommet on this cable entry hole - this is something that it is important to add to avoid risk of cable chaffing against the bare metal.

This is the appearence of the fully fitted Reversing Camera

Connecting the Camera to the Display Monitor

The Toyota reversing sensor installation guide explains how to route the cable from the rear door into the rear light cluster area and if that is followed as detailed - Picture 8 on page 8, and especially in picture 32 and 33 on page 11, this will get the required power to the Camera.

What is then neccessary is to get the Video signal to the front of the vehicle for the monitor.

In my case, the monitor switches automatically to the reversing camera when a "REVERSE" wire is connected to +12V, and it was easiest to run a wire from the same place the camera picked up its power from to the front at the same time as running the video signal cable.

To run this cable, by removing the plastic covers by the door entrys (see picture 7, page 8 and do the same for the front door) and then run the cables to the front of the vehicle and re-secure the covers.

Depending on the monitoring method you have, you will then be able to continue the cable run discreetly to the display. In my particular installation, I ran the cables to the radio area, ty-wrapping the cable securely to appropriate places along the route and connected the video signal into the V-In/Rev Cam signal and the wire from the camera power to the REVERSE wire of the unit.

I set the display to show the mirror image, as on the conventional setting, cars and objects on the left of the vehicle appear to the right on the display and it is all rather odd like that

This is the screens display when reverse is engaged:

(Please note, you may not want small children or those of a nervous dispostion look )

And when reverse is not engaged, far more attractive views are possible .....

[dave.m]

Been treating yourself again mate ? Nice job, ask mods to pin

[Robert6920]

Hoovie

I am very impressed indeed, a super job - especially for someone who'd done his last "pimp" ;) we know you're a serial pimper of Rav4s :D

The Kenwood by itself is impressive, with the rear view it's ultimately cool

[Hoovie]

I think this really IS my last proper pimp - mainly as there is nothing left to do

Oh, please don't suggest any more ideas - think Mrs H would go mad

[Robert6920]

I think this really IS my last proper pimp - mainly as there is nothing left to do

Heard it all before........ Paddy Power is offering odds that there'll be another Hoovie pimp in the planning before the month is out......

[paulmel]

Hoovie

I am very impressed indeed, a super job - especially for someone who'd done his last "pimp" ;) we know you're a serial pimper of Rav4s :D

The Kenwood by itself is impressive, with the rear view it's ultimately cool

Very good indeed!

Can I ask where you got the camera from and for how much?

Also , would it be possible to use this particular camera on a 4.3 (XT5) ?

Is there the facility to connect directly to the sat nav unit that comes as standard spec on this model ?

[Hoovie]

I can't answer the question about compatility on the 2008 RAVs and their radios - there is a very good post in the tips section about fitting a camera to a RAV4.3 OEM full screen unit which may answer that question.

back to question #1 - eBay. about £20. It is not a fantastic camera and the contrast is not brilliant, but for the purpose it is fine and I particulalry wanted a flush mount camera which are not that common.

Probably worth mentioning that the camera also comes with a pair of bevelled collars so it is possible to mount it at an angle if you need to make it point down (or up/sideways) - this will bring the camera out about 6mm or so if you use that, but is a handy feature.

[chatman]

Hoovie....I would have reversed into that horrid vehicle you so kindly warned us about :D :D :D :D

Looking good as well.........Robert...I'd like to place a bet with paddy as well :rolleyes: what odds are we talking about....

[paulmel]

Hoovie....I would have reversed into that horrid vehicle you so kindly warned us about :D :D :D :D

Looking good as well.........Robert...I'd like to place a bet with paddy as well :rolleyes: what odds are we talking about....

The question I meant to ask is would this camera work by simply plugging into the existing loom already routed in the XT5 model ?

[Hoovie]

The question I meant to ask is would this camera work by simply plugging into the existing loom already routed in the XT5 model ?

Paul, the answer I think is in the RAV4.3 Camera Install post I mentioned - that discusses fitting a generic (non-Toyota) camera and connecting to an XT5 system ;)

[shcm]

The question I meant to ask is would this camera work by simply plugging into the existing loom already routed in the XT5 model ?

Paul, the answer I think is in the RAV4.3 Camera Install post I mentioned - that discusses fitting a generic (non-Toyota) camera and connecting to an XT5 system ;)

Yep, anything that generates a composite video signal. e.g. I've fed both video cameras and a composite out from a PC into it. It seems to handle both PAL and NTSC, but NTSC seems to give better results.

Another good mod by the way Hoovie, but I don't know where you find the time :D.

[Hoovie]

Needed a break from painting a bunch of doors last weekend - DIY Duties again next weekend

what was the quality of the PC output to the composite like? what resolution could you run it at? I was tempted to build a Carputer with the Centrafuse interface, but decided to go for the easy option - however, could be interesting to use the video in for Mobile Computing still

[shcm]

Not great. This was 1024x768 off an old laptop:

but it's a bit of a cheat, because it doesn't show the whole screen. The screen scrolls with the mouse.

Probably a bit pointless going above about 720 horizontal with a standard video signal.

In the 4.2 I had a 7" touchscreen capable of 1024x768, but it seemed almost pointless running it at that. 640x480 was good enough.

The native resolution of the 4.3 headunit is around that anyway.

[Hoovie]

Cheers I was just wondering about using a T41 I have knocking around, with a micro trackball and setting the OS to use the OSK, as the laptop is doing nothing at the moment anyway

[paulmel]

The question I meant to ask is would this camera work by simply plugging into the existing loom already routed in the XT5 model ?

Paul, the answer I think is in the RAV4.3 Camera Install post I mentioned - that discusses fitting a generic (non-Toyota) camera and connecting to an XT5 system ;)

Yep, anything that generates a composite video signal. e.g. I've fed both video cameras and a composite out from a PC into it. It seems to handle both PAL and NTSC, but NTSC seems to give better results.

Another good mod by the way Hoovie, but I don't know where you find the time :D.

Excuse my ignorance, but is that a yes, this camera would plug into the pre-wired loom in my XT5 and work ,displaying a picture on the sat-nav screen???

[shcm]

If you want a camera pre-wired with a plug, that you can plug straight in, then IMHO your chances of find one are slim. So in that case the answer is almost certainly NO.

Toyota can probably sell you one, but I expect it will cost ££££££ and depending on whether your XT5 has a spare wheel or not, you may still have to sort the mounting.

How to do it with other cameras is covered here:

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=72730

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=72731

[Harrx]

hi,

why can't see the images...?

[FROSTYBALLS]

16 minutes ago, Harrx said:

hi,

why can't see the images ...?

All down to photobucket making changes to their terms and conditions.

[Harrx]

imagine there are no way to have the post with the photo....?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Previously photobucket allowed subscribers to post photos uploaded to photobucket, onto forums free of charge. As far as I'm aware photobucket changed their terms and conditions earlier this year, withdrew the free service and stipulated that users had to have a paid subscription to post photos from photobucket onto forums, etc.

So it would be the responsibility of the original poster of this topic to enter into a paid subscription with photobucket in order for the photos on this topic to continue to be visible to forum users.

The issue is widespread and has affected scores of other forums - not just Toyota Owners Club.

[Harrx]

thanks.