maverik259

So just got my Kenwood CMOS-310 camera in and was really just wondering if any of you have installed a rear view camera in the w203 specfically...the part im stuck at is the trunk and placement...

Do i need to drill a hole through the lid? or can i just slip the cable through a specifc spot near the handle/license plate lights? I just dont want to drill if I dont have to and if I dont great, I've already got the trunk liner out so just need a go no go, lol

Any all help would be great!

maverik259

also anyone know which wire in the OEM harness is the reverse sensing wire?

maverik259

no ones done this?

MIKESV8

and you didn't just get a high quality black license plate camera because...? i dread installing the unit you got.

maverik259

because a high quality license plate camera is an oxy-moron in my experience...they're really not that high of quality and the CMOS-310 is the best on the market...i ended up just running the wire through a small gap in the license plate light and found that we dont have a reverse wire running to the head unit area...so i ran a wire connected to the supposed reverse sense wire going into the Kenwood h/u and connected it to what I saw as the reverse tail light wire plugged into the passenger side tail light, and while the camera works manually, it still wont auto transfer when i put the car into reverse...

MIKESV8

that's your personal opinion. there's something else you have to do to make it trigger on automatically. be it in the settings or a way of connecting it, but it should do it. give 1(800)kenwood a call and see what they say. they should be able to tell you.

maverik259

well no its not a painting, its just pure quality and options available is what im basing it on as well as reviews...sorry if you have the license plate one, wasn't trying to bash it or you in anyway...but ya i might just have too...i mean it only had 3 connection points...video input, acc power, and ground...so i just naturally figured the rest had to do with the input to the h/u from the car telling it it was in reverse...

SunnyRayToronto

Since you're placing the wire through the license plate light,.... there's also an "adapter",... - made in China - that replace clear plastic lens of the license plate light fixture with another clear plastic lens that has a clear plastic mount for the camera. And of course, it can be found on ebay!

Do you have a PAC steering wheel interface (so you can control your aftermarket radio with the steering wheel buttons)? If so the PAC SWI-CAN/SWI-CAN2 will pick up the reverse signal from your CAN-bus. NOTE: the competing Axxess steering wheel interfaces does not pick up the reverse signal.

maverik259

ya i already have the axxess steering wheel adapter in place...i own the pac swi-can, but i cant remember why i didnt/couldnt install it with my car...there was a reason why i bought the axxess brand...

and how does it pick up the reverse signal? and once it does, your saying it just tells my h/u for me?

SunnyRayToronto

Just noticed yours is a 2005 facelift model. Only the 2003-2004 has CAN-bus so I guess that would explain why PAC SWI-CAN didn't work on yours.

PAC SWI-CAN has wiring to pick up reverse signal and speed signal from CAN-bus directly; the cheaper Axxess solution doesn't.

You'll probably have to run the reverse signal all the way to the reverse light. Speed sensor in engine bay might be easier but check AVIC thread (even though your HU isn't AVIC) which has lots of info.

c32used

I have the kenwood ddx8905s already installed on my 2002 C32 I wanted to ask here because you both may be able to help me....only issue I'm having with my rear license plate camera. Anyone has or can guide me on rear brake wiring schematic? I'm try to get power from reverse wire on rear drivers side light. Thru reading your post here you made me realize that due to my Canbus I need to stick to Pac-SWI Can for steering wheel controls.