DIY: Rear-View Camera under $200
 

Cut all the intro crap, I will just get into the steps. :D

1.Things to buy
- camera. lol I bought Kenwood CCD-2000 from ebay for $150.
- RCA extension cable. 6ft should be good enough. $10
- 2002 and up REVERSE VW/BMW antenna adapter (EURO A107) $15
(make sure you get REVERSE adapter)
- RCA female plug only (bought it from CircuitCity) $5


2. Before you do anything, enable Back up camera option on HU.
if you got this part working, then proceed to next step.


3. Make AUX input cable that fits back of HU.
- cut one side of antenna adapter
https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...1&d=1223773105

- closer look
https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...1&d=1223773105

- Solder the wire and RCA plug.
https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...1&d=1223773105

- from Back of HU, connect it to the green plug.
https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...1&d=1223773105

From this point, there isn't much to tell you.
There are 2 GREAT posts on how to install the camera.
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w204/262634-diy-rear-camera-install-w-pics-centered-location.html
and
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w204/254208-diy-i-ve-unleashed-cyclops.html

Jus pick the one you like and follow their step. :D
I went with 'Rick Hunter's way. I didn't like to feed RCA extension cable through headliner. But it's personal preferance anyways.

Mine works like charm. :y

quick question
 

do you still need to install the VIM for this to work?

NO
Rear-view camera has nothing to do with VIM.

RCA extension cable

Audio or video (RG-58) cable?

BTW great DIY I hope to maybe do it this weekend. :bow:

Also this may sound like a stupid question how do you get the head unit out of the dash? Thanks.

where do you buy the antenna adapter?

That I can help with. Any good car audio store should have them in stock

it's rca video cable since we are not dealing with any sound. I happend to found one at home just collecting dust. :)

this is all you need for disassemble.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_5Fkawy-_g

make sure you TEST

is it the EU-10, EU-20, or EU-30?

i edited my original post.
it's 2002 and up VW antenna adapter. NOT 2000.

Just wanted to add my 2 cents for your DIY, great job...Just did mine last weekend. You can save a little hassle by ordering the FAKRA to RCA connector from Mid-City for $21+shipping, I used a 12' RCA connector, just enough if you follow the truck mounted DIY https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...57#post3074757 (THANKS TO RICK & VADAR SS)
Also you can see the whole install done by mid-city (only difference is they use their VIM) this is a great resource because it's tricky getting the vent out and the clips to release the COMAND unit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_5Fkawy-_g
The Mid-City guys were also very cool about helping out.
Cost total about $200, plus 4hrs for the install.

Alright, so the only thing Im really scared about is installing the actual camera and running lines to the front of the car. Would a place like Circuit City, who installs 3rd party backup cams, install it for me?

THUMBS UP from Rick Hunter :y:y:y

Nice to see another DIY to an option that should have been offered standard from the dealer in the first place.

So the installation really was THAT easy, eh! :D

Thank you. :D

btw, I wired the grounding to little different place.
https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...1&d=1225171359

just bought the fakra adapter and the camera. going to do this as soon as the parts come. thanks for the write-up!

Am I the only one seeing red Xs for the pix in the original post ?

You need to use MS Internet Explorer Browser. When I use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browser I also have the "red x".

Not quite true. I'm using a current version of Firefox and seeing the pic just fine!

I am using MS IE and still have no pix.

pm me with your email address. i will send them to you.

RED X
 

Just log in again. Happens sometimes. Firefox 3.03

Clear your cache.

Looking at the page source, this is the first image:
https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...p;d=1223169479

(redisplayed with included spaces so you can see the whole thing: ...
h ttp:// www.mbworld.org/ forums/ attachment.php?attachmentid=140801&d=122316947 9

How it works is like this: It's identifying an image that is supposed to be displayed, IF you are authorized to see it. If you take this http: address to a different browser window, and use it as the page address, it will immediately ask you to log in. After that, it will display the first image. (There are two.)

Once you do log in, it thanks you for logging in, then displays the photo. So, entering this http address results in the forum software going through 3 screens. When you are logged in as a normal user, this is all "automatic", but it can help explain why pages sometimes load slowly.

If you're not seeing the photo, then essentially you're not logged in. If you think you're logged in (e.g., there is a welcome message near the top that has your login name on it), then there might be an error in your account.

I don't know if clearing the cache is useful. You could try different browsers, or a different computer. I can see this photo from IE or Firefox, but I have to be logged in first.

IE?
 

Friends don't let friends use MS stuff.

Can this void any warranties?

Warranty
 

Installation and connection of the camera certainly will not but any related damage you do will be your problem.

When mucking about behind the MM, be particularly careful with the dual orange leads plugged into the left side. These are the fiber-optic connection to the network and can be damaged by bending them excessively. The glass can shatter back from the hidden break which will require replacement back to the next connecting point and is bound to be VERY expensive.

Can or will the dealer install the camera for me? how long did it take you guys to install the camera and everything? so i kinda know how long to expect from the dealer. and also if not the dealer would a place like Cartoys be a good alternative?

ya what is the cheapest professional install option... not worth the time and risk for me to screw up my car, but would love to get this mod done...

UK Camera Install
 

Backup Camera UK
I have fitted the Back up camera to my 2008 C220 CDI Sport , so I thought I’d let anyone else in the UK know the parts I sourced
Camera Kenwood CCD-200 www.dynamicsounds.co.uk £96.94

5m Composite Video/Digital Audio Coax Phono Cable Lead
GOLD RCA Phono Coupler Join AV Composite Sound Cable
Both from http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/kenable_ltd
Cost for both items £6.06
Fakra Female to DIN Female Aerial Adaptor £6.94
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/In-Car-Mart-Ltd

Female RCA connector from Maplin £1.20

Total cost £111.14

I chose to fit the camera in the centre location and ran the cable through the drivers side headlining, the Camera control unit is tie wrapped in the fuse comaprment in the boot .

Help,please.
 

I am at the first step of installation.

Removed central unit, connected cable to the green connector at the back.

Now , I am trying to activate the rearview camera in Comand unit. First of all, I don't have it in menu at the same place. I have to scroll 2 pages to find option for a rearview camera, but then I can't just simply change it to installed. It gives me 3 options:

SRVC
DRVM
DRVM-PSC

I've tried all of them and then put in the reverse and I am not getting black screen with "check all surrounding" like in initial post.

I have C63 W204. Anyone please help?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8FLdPyUr_k

Found how to activate rearview camera! From this source. Also has handy instructions of how to remove factory unit. http://www.navtv.com/manuals/W204/W204MUSB.pdf

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2609/...9036a4b0_o.png

thanks for getting that info. I know the command system has gone through a couple changes recently. I cant wait to get my backup camera set up. How did you end up hidding the wires. some have put it through the headliners, but I dont even know where to begin with that!

No problem :)

I don't ave my camera yet, still in the mail. But I am going to run wires on the passenger side at the bottom.

Done :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2651/...4f552c9f_o.jpg

nice. :y

I wish I had seen this before dropping 600 euros on an aftermarket park distance! Can you still do this once the parking assistance is installed?

Don't see why not.

How much will the dealer charge to install on an 08 or 09 now that it's available on the 2010 models?

Way to much, I think I read a qoute of the camera alone being $400.00 and it is the same as the Kenwood. Add cables and labor I would hazard between $800.00 and $1000.00. Do it as a DIY it isn't hard.

I'm going to call Crutchfield later when they are open about this, but I have found they have a wireless transmitter that might add $60 to the price tag, but will eliminate the hassle of wiring anything between your dash and rear bumper. If anyone uses this let me know how it goes, but I'm still researching.

That would make the install even easier. I found the hardest part was running the video lead.

what type of tool do you need to pull out the ac vents?

where do you get a "right angle tool?

how do you pull off the upper door molding without ripping it?

thanks

RB

why not feed through the headliner? is it much riskier pulling up the headliner than lifting up all the sills??

this is the one part of installation i need help on and more details or i prob will screw up the interior most likely

i found that door sill is much easier to work with, also less chance to wrack compare to headliner.
as for door sill, just pull it straight up and it just pops out.

i used flat-head screw driver taped with black electric tape, to prevent scratch, to pull the vent out.

if u run the wire thru headliner, problem will occured....because it may caught between the curtain airbag!

Thx for the write up, i am going to try to install the camera in next couple days....btw about the VW/BMW Antenna adaptor...is it eu-40?

I am not sure what eu-40 is but, you can just purchase this which is pre-maid with RCA output. Just easier solution. :)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Radioa-Extension...item3a53d33a84

Will this installation work on a car with audio 20? That is, if you don't have the command option installed, will this work?

Nope.

You guys are making this look too easy, I gave in and started ordering my parts today....

thx for the link.....can't wait to install the camera asap....btw for u guys (near socal area) if u want to order the backup camera, u can order thru this place

http://www.sonicelectronix.com

from my understanding....u can go there and p/u your order and they have great service....(45mins away from LA)

If you have installed an aftermarket stereo this should only take an hour. Very easy job the hardest part for me was getting the video lead from the trunk to the passenger compartment.

There's a step about splicing a wire to the reverse lights to give the camera power, that I'm a little weary about. There isn't much detail for what seems to be the most crucial part. I'm thinking it will make more sense when I'm actually doing the install.

f8al, that step isn't as difficult as it seems. The easiest way that I've found is to strip back some of the insulation on the wire that you're splicing so as to have the copper exposed, but not broken. Wrap the bare wire that you're splicing onto this exposed piece of copper and tape the whole thing up. I've done this numerous time when splicing to factory wires.

Thanks! I was picturing some wire nut splice configuration, but your suggestion makes a lot more sense.

Just go to Radio Shack and pick up a pack of these.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2104093

just finish install the backup camera last week....all the instruction are
helpful...but i need to comment some more info because i have some area which i have trouble......Spec for my c63: APP (Canadian Version P30 w/lsd) Premium Package, Carbon Trim, Sat. radio, Keyless Go

1. My kenwood backup camera require Accessories wire (red) to hook up, and i spliced to a wire going to cig ligther fuse (Pink wire) (pics will provide later)

2. for the steering wheel control to activate the backup camera funtion for my Command system, it didn't work for me, therefore i access the engineering manual by pressing 1 , # and hang up key...then i goto menu 7.7.17 to turn the backup camera funtion on. But i don't know why there is 3 option to choose, so i try each one...none of them work,everytime when i put in reverse ,also even if i turn off the car and turn on right away, it still doesn't work. At last, I have figure it out!

To Turn on the backup camera function for the my kenwood camera, first go engineering menu 7.7.17 , then choose SRVC, next turn off the car, not sure if require to lock the door or not...but i locked the door....leave the car for 5 mins....then start the car, put in "R", the backup camera screen will be turn on.

sorry, have to borrow the pics from the previous post!

I have spliced my acc wire from to this wire!

Note: spliced to red circle area!

was that constant 12v? meaning goes on when the car is on and goes off with the car going off?

not constant 12v....that is ignition on and u will get 12v in that wire...

It might just be stupid me but let me get this strait. We need a FRAKA to RCA because FRAKA is need to connect to the back of COMMAND, and RCA is to the back up cam?

Also for the FRAKA to RCA adaptor should the RCA be male or female?

Female! :-P I hope this helps

Thanks alot! Also i noticed that for the camera, there is 3 connection or wires that should be connect. Ground, Power, and Reverse light. I understand where the ground should be connected but where do i connect the power and reverse? should both be connected to the reverse tail light?

Some people run the ACC wire all the way to the front to the cigarette lighter, but I preferred to keep it clean, so i kept it back there. I forgot which one I put it to, but I'll let u know later when I re adjust my camera either today or tomorrow. The reverse should be connected to the reverse lamp.

This is a little off topic from the OP, but i noticed that there is a Blue port for AUX audio. is that what is used if someone wanted to install a system with bass? or is that for ipod integration?

thanks.

This fakra adapter.. can it be found at Radio shack? or... I just got my camera yesterday:) and want to do this tomorrow, not wait for an ebay cable!!

The radio shacks around me do not sell FAKRA adapter. I just bought mine from mid city engineering.

Boo.. maybe i'll get lucky at a bigger electronics store...

waiiiiiiiit.... I just bout the CMOS-200 will this one work??? i see the guys using CCD-2000... .. does it matter?

It doesn't matter. I tested both teh CMOS-200 and CCD-2000. Dont' ask why I bought two. lol :p

what is the difference between the two?

My Firefox works fine, no issues.

On paper, slightly better resolution and better viewing angle. But on the screen, basically same thing.

which one is the better one?

how are you all snaking the rca cable from rear to front? is taking the interior trim/carpeting apart required?

Yes, you have to take apart the trunk to wire the camera. Also taking trim molding off the door sills and underneath the glove box to wire to the headunit.

If you haven't bought one yet, then getting the CMOS-200 makes more sense because it is newer. Otherwise, if you already have one installed, you don't have to worry too much about upgrading because you can't really see too much of a difference.

Man I am having a hell of a time finding a fakra cable.. i went to radio shack, Fry's (think costco of electronics) , best buy and a shucks.. and had every single sales person look at my like I was crazy... guess I'll have to suck it up and just order one off ebay and wait for it. Good to see the CMOS-200 will work fine!

oh poo, I have the older one...in a box not installed.

Best Buy and ask for a 2008 VW antenna adaptor, cut the Motorola off and solder an RCA on. Easy as pie.

Ron, bestbuy stopped carrying them. I searched from brooklyn to baltimore and they all said they stopped carrying them.

Just order one from Mid City Engineering. They ship quick, got mine a couple days after I ordered it. It's worry-free. It'll work and you'll be happy.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Radioa-Extension...item3a53d33a84

just get this.

I did get that but the RCA plug does not quite fit...

L

Yeah this is what i was planning on but i didnt feel like waiting for 3 weeks for it to arrive from china..

I got the mid city engineering one and it fit perfectly. I don't have to worry about the cable falling out the back of the HU.

i understand the taking the trim off the trunk and underneath the glove box part... but not the door sills. is there a DIY on the door sills? or anyone have some pictures of what/how to take it apart? thx

Believe it or not, just pull on it or use a wedge to pop it out with some strength. It'll pop out. The sills are teh easiest part.

That's a great thread, does this work on any 2009 or 2008 C300 models as long as you have the LCD (I'm a newbie :) ?

yes ^^ as long as u have the MM package.

I got my VIM & Reverse Camera Kit from Mid City. VIM installed and works great, now for the Reverse Camera

Kenwood CMOS-200 Power Wiring Question:

1) You know how you have 2 power sources Needles. A) Reverse Light B) Accessory Power.

After i run everything to the back, where do i run the Accessory Power to? Instruction says to run the power to the Engine Key, but it seems that most people are running the power from somewhere else? Where do i run the power to because it has to be a NON CONSTANT Power Source.

Any help or info would be much appreciated.

Thanks..

If Im not mistaken right cable is fakra A to RCA (Female).

Have had my backup camera installed for a few months now, but have a pesky "check rear right light" error message. Camera works great, but has anyone had a similar problem, or know how to fix this?

the fakra to rca cables you see on ebay are NOT the right ones (I bought one, trust me). If you don't wanna solder, just pay the money to midcity, just make sure they get your address right, they left out a digit in my house number, and it ended up all the way on the other side of town, luckily the guy it got delivered to called the number on the package and it got to me ;)

I got my VIM & Reverse Camera Kit from Mid City. VIM installed and works great, now for the Reverse Camera

Kenwood CMOS-200 Power Wiring Question:

1) You know how you have 2 power sources Needles. A) Reverse Light B) Accessory Power.

After i run everything to the back, where do i run the Accessory Power to? Instruction says to run the power to the Engine Key, but it seems that most people are running the power from somewhere else? Where do i run the power to because it has to be a NON CONSTANT Power Source.

Any help or info would be much appreciated.

Thanks..

Just run it to the reverse brake lamp. Power only goes to it when you engage reverse.:)

is there any way to install a backup camera on a w204 without the MM package? i do have the NAV+4 option though, if that makes any difference.

wait for fotos of this camera in your car!

Installing mine this weekend. I ordered the cable from ebay even though everyone says its not the right cable since I figured I would just solder it but what they sent me seems like it's a male RCA that looks like a mini RCA female. Hard to explain but I'll post pictures later.

post pictyres of the camera installation i m ready to install kenwood cmos 200!

I followed the DYI on this thread and it works like a charm. I placed the wiring on the right passenger side instead so the cable is the grey and yellow one for the accessory and reverse tie in. It took me longer to do this project then most people here since I've never done anything like this before but for the most part it was fun and not to bad. I didn't take pictures of the install since it's mostly the same as what everyone else posted.

Make sure you have all the tools and parts gathered before you start. Also, make sure you have the right fakra cable. The one on ebay "Fakra E to RCA female" is not the exact cable but it will work. You'll need to shave it down a bit and the "RCA" female part isn't the one we need. You'll need to solder a real RCA female plug in it's place.

does this work on a w204 without the MM package??? i only have the UMI NAV+4

you need the MM package with the big ass screen.

thanks.....i m ready to buy the cmos 200 from dynamicautosound

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...0923&viewitem=

they told me that cmos 200 is NTSC but here in europe(i live in greece) we have PAL....so i buy it or not?my comand ntg4 would be able the NTSC convert to PAL?has the engineering mode this function?please help

are there different alternatives to get a back up camera with another kit? I saw on youtube that some guy installed one with the same screen that i have. anybody have any idea where i can get one?

here's a link


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKomVpxnNl4

great installation guide

can we install the cmos 200 in our european comand ntg4 or not?has anybody in europe done this?
is problem with the ntsc video signal(usa) and pal(european)?

please you are my helppp

I seem to remember that you can change that setting, but I do not remember whether or not it requires one to change the region.

thanks Nuru........so i buy an ntsc or a pal video signal camera?

anyone guys from europe has installed rear-view camera to european ntg4 in order to help me?come on......

where did you guys mount your camera? rick hunter's way or vaderss's way?

miloc204,

yiasou file, ellinas kai ego. eimai apo chalkida.

On your headunit, if you have the Comand, you can switch signal to NTSC for video (at least on most of the firmware?). This should allow the camera input to work. But you will probably no longer be able to play PAL DVDs.

I have never tried it myself but i have heard that it works...

efxaristo i bought the oem camera code 218 like vic viper in a very good price so i make the factory setting!

where did you guys mount your camera? rick hunter's way or vaderss's way?

I mounted it in the center location on my c350. I highly recommend that location due to the symmetry that it produces on your screen.

I can't begin to emphasize enough about how the OEM camera is a POS!! DO NOT BUY THE OEM CAMERA!! The quality is awful, when compared to the Kenwood camera.

so im assuming you had to cut the hole right?

ok i want to know if i install all the parts do the camera work automatic when i engage the R or shold i hit the OK and arrow to work ???
and how if i want it to work auto. ????? do i need additional parts

Hello guys, I've followed all the instructions, step by step, but I never seen an image on the screen, it's remains black with "check entire surrounding!" I tried all three settings and waited for 5 minutes but nothing.
I tried the camera and it works, but no video on the Comand .....
I'm desperate, someone can give me some advice?
Thanks in advance

Did you check to make sure that you properly connected all the wires? How did you check to make sure the camera works? Via your laptop? I would make sure all the RCA and Fakra connectors are connected properly.

sound like there is no power or loose connection to your backup camera....

Hi, thanks for your reply....

Yes, I am sure that all cables are connected well.

I tested the camera by connecting a monitor instead of the Comand.

I tested the Fakra adapter.

I tried to switc from PAL to NTCS.

I also tried to update the Comand at the latest firmware version, it has made available new features... lines of size, features for hybrid vehicles, frequency on the Radio, clouds on the sky of the navi screen, etc.... but nothing...

Everything leads me to think that the Comand does not accept the video input ...

:nix:

have u try press the sys in the command and enable the backup camera option in reservse?

2nd time im asking
i want to know if i install all the parts do the camera work automatic when i engage the R or shold i hit the OK and arrow to work ???
and how if i want it to work auto. ????? do i need additional parts

Whoopee! It works!
 

Local car stereo installer just hooked up a backup camera to my 2008 C350. I had previously followed the instructions elsewhere in the forum for informing COMAND that a backup camera was installed. I got a beautiful picture when I shifted into reverse. Except for getting the head unit out of the dash and running the cable, this is amazingly easy. No parts required other than a TV camera and the FAKRA connector. Zoowie!:D

Sure... if I put in reverse I can see on the monitor the warning message and, if the option is enabled, the guide line green and red, but no image....:nix:

As soon as I enabled the backup camera option, but before the camera was installed, I saw the "check entire surroundings" warning, but not grid lines. The grid lines on my car are produced by the camera itself. Do you still see the grid lines if the camera is disconnected? This could be a clue as to your problem.

The Grid line is a new option of the last Comand Firmware Update...
I don't think this is the problem because it didn't work before the update too...

I have just ordered my kenwood camera today and thought I would just make sure I could access the Comand Engineer menu. I activated the 'backup camera' option and also the 'play video in AUX' but I never saw the 'check entire surroundings' screen.

What have I done wrong?

I did this with the engine turned off if that will make any difference? I also couldnt get the engineering menu screen to close once I had done this so I turned the whole thing off and back on again. Then put the car into ignition mode (Just prior to turning the engine over) and selected reverse, I know that I dont have a camera installed yet but just wanted to make sure that the screen flicked over to the reverse camera, but it didnt.

Does anyone have any advice?

I only selected the backup camera option, and not the "play video in Aux", so maybe that is the problem. I also couldn't figure out how to get the engineering screen to close, so I also turned off the engine. (I later read somewhere that you can close the engineering screen by moving the command knob forward or backward ((I forget)).

My earlier comment may have been a bit misleading. When I immediatedly turned turned the ignition back on, I didn't see the "check entire surroundings" screen right away. But later, after letting the car sit for a while, I drove to the store, and when backing out of the parking space, the "check entire surroundings" screen appeared when I selected reverse.

Long story short, if I were you, i would disable the "play video in Aux", but leave the "backup camera" enabled. Then, in the regular COMAND screen, go to System, and you should see a check box option to activate the backup camera in reverse. if it is not checked, just check it. Good luck!:)

Thanks for this, It all makes a lot more sense now :) I enabled the video in Aux because it was activated on the screenshot on the first page of this thread, If I dont need it though I will knock it off tomorrow.

Thanks again though, No doubt I will be back on here in the near future when I come to install everything:rolf:

robmacca, where did you find the camera? I've been looking and haven't found a legit place to order from.

Try amazon, that's where I bought it. No problems with amazon online.

http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-Cmos-2...9158835&sr=8-1

Sweet thanks!

Mike

Sorry, only just seen this message. I managed to pick one up relatively cheaply from eBay, came with all the RCA cable aswell.

E Class Camera Installation
 

Has anyone installed a camera on a 2009 E Class, in particular an E Class Wagon?

For some strange reason I can establish routes on the Nav system while in motion, so I am thinking I do not need the VIM module, just a camera.

Also, does anyone have the "reprogram" code for the E Class; I tried the above one for the C Class but it does not work?

Thanks :)

Im having a hell of a time right now. When i hook up the fakra and rca, i plug in a dvd player just to see if the video works or not in reverse, but nothing comes up on the screen. The fakra cable must be bad, no?:nix:

1. Did you go to the COMAND Engineering screen and mark the backup camera as "installed"?
2. After doing so, does the screen go dark except for "Check Entire Surroundings" and the word "BACK" near the bottom? If not, go to the regular Systems menu and check the box indicating the camera should turn on when in Reverse.
3. There is no point in going further until you see the "Check Entire Surroundings" screen.
4. Assuming that you do see it, I am not 100% sure that hooking up a VCR is a good test. Find a video camera (they are pretty cheap).
5. If you still have trouble, all things being equal, I would suspect the cable. A lot of electronic problems are due to shaky hardware connections.
6. I was able to hook up a camera on my 2008 C350 (US spec) with no problems.
Good luck.

Yes i have gotton the check entire surroundings! to come up when i hit reverse. I have hooked up a dvd player and my digital camera, both have video output, to see if anything comes up on the screen, but to no avail.

Hopefully its just a wire. Thank you for the help.

I have a quick question. On a vehicle with option 518, there is already a lead running into the AUX video connector on the back of the COMAND unit. How does the factory deal with this on a 2010/2011 when the car has the MM package, Media Interface, and backup camera? Is there a T fitting or something to allow two inputs?

Bump question. Unixadm, where you able to find the solution?

Not sure, but once you have the digital camera hooked up, try hitting the play button, this will send the recorded content to the output on the camera, or hit the record button, this might send the signal to the output as well. I am not certain that the output is sending anything unless there is a need, I could be wrong. Easy way is to hook up to your TV, figure out how you get a picture on it to show, and then leave all the same but plug into the lead going to your command unit in the car.

just a thought...

I have not found a solution yet, though I have not been researching it much. I was hoping someone had faced this challenge already.

what is option 518? if i have a 2010 with MM package will i run into the same issue?

The 2010/11 has a video input from the connector in the glove box (it has iPod, USB and an A/V jack input cables). To access the video signal from a camera the engineering menu has to be changed and you then lose the glove box input. The head unit only accesses one video signal at a time. To access both you have to go into the engineering menu every time you wanted to change - not very practical.

Simply remove the existing video input cable at the head unit, and replace with the camera input. I guess you could connect the camera input inside the glove box using a A/V jack to RCA conversion cable, but you would lose the iPod connection.

figured it out. Had the wrong fakra cable. I ended up just buying one from midcity. Will have pics up soon! Thanks everyone

if i remove the video aux, will the ipod sound still work?

It will still work, you are only removing the video signal.

backup camera help
 

Catz, Im planning to get this backup camera BOYO Vision VTL200CIR cuz it's got led for nite vision and price is moderate. Can you tell me what other wires ect. I have to buy to get it installed? Im bring it to the shop and I don't want to charge me more the material besides the labor. Thnx!

hi all
i want to know if i buy all this thinks and conact them the most intrasting question for me
the camera will work auto. when i put the leaver in reverse or should i push some buttons ?????
and if it will not work auto. how and wait the parts that i will add to make it work auto.??
thank you

It will turn on automatically when you put it in reverse. You will need to change this setting to allow it through one of the menus.

ok thank you
ill do it this week and ill post photos of the results

some pics!

:y Very nice! What camera did you use?

Tasty - when you said you had the wrong fakra cable, did the one you have originally not fit or was it a different impedence? i'm asking because i have the same problem w. a blank screen. the cable i have is actually an SMB (which is a FAKRA cable without the plastic colored housing). It fits snug into the COMAND but I think it might be a 50 ohm plug (vs. a 75 ohm). I'd think at worst that would cause a distorted image, but I get no image at all.

You guys make this all thing sound like it's very easy. Doesn't look that easy to me.
Doesn't it say that you need to solder something? I never did this in my entire life :D


I looked for kits to make my life easier, I've looked up Cartronics the other day and they also said it was easy though they suggest you buy the VIM kit. Total almost $1,000 plus any manpower required to istall.

If I could find anyone to install this thing for a decent price in Florida I'd pay instantly lol

I had the same hesitation that you have. I don't think the "kit" is that much easier, and it is certainly more expensive. I sent a link to this thread to three car audio/video shops in my area and followed up with a phone call. Two of the three said they would give it a try. I picked the guy who specializes in after market electronics for Mercedes (mostly video and radar detectors). He first removed the AV head unit and just plugged in a camera he had with a makeshift cable. When we saw that it worked fine, I told him to go ahead with the install. It took him about 3 hours at $75/hr. (It is a fair amount of work). The only problem was that he powered the camera from the backup lights. While this worked fine most of the time, occasionally the camera would not synch the first time I moved the gearshift to reverse. When we switched the wiring so that the camera is on whenever the ignition is on, it has worked perfectly ever since. Total cost, including $120 camera, cable, labor, tax was about $400, which is pretty much what the same option costs on a new C-class.

This thread has wondered and several people have chimed in, however most Mercedes do not have inputs for a camera... That is what our kit is for.. PLUS it gives several more video inputs that some people use for front cameras and/or entertainment purposes.

However, on the scant few new Mercedes that have the input, all that is needed for JUST a backup camera is the adapted cable.

@tunafish I whish I could find what you found, he in Florida.

@Cartronics in my case I have the MM, P2 and pretty much every options. You are saying that there is no camera input?
I wouldn't think that I would need WIM from the videos and pics I watched so far. I'm a newbie thought.

But, as far as I know, ALL W204's (2008 and later) C300 and C350 Mercedes with the large MM screen have the camera input. Is that your understanding as well? :confused:

That is correct on the 2008 and up C Class with COMAND (large screen). The only reason to have the VIM on that particular car is if you want more video inputs. Without the VIM, install a camera using switched ignition 12v power, so the camera is on when the key is on. Then it will not have sync problems.
ALSO, it is our advice not to skimp on a camera... There are HUGE quality differences available on cameras. There are a plethora of cheap ones on the market, and many won't last long, won't work at temp extremes, won't work in low light, have plastic lens that fog over time etc etc. NEVER use a CMOS camera as they are the worst.
We obviously carry cameras, and all of ours are not cheap by any means. BUT they have all been weatherometer tested for accelerated aging and extremes testing. They work in low light without the goofy (and ugly) ring of LED's, and perform flawless. Two of the three we offer are the same Mercedes and BMW offer on the new cars (for a fraction of the price) You don't want to have to redo a camera because it fails because it takes a long time to install.

@tunafish, kenwood cmos200 through ebay. $130ish
@kwook, i bought a blue colored farka on ebay and it didnt work. You def need a green colored one. If you cant find one midcity has one for 30ish..
I would say its the cable cause i had one and no image at all came. Try hooking a camera of dvd player to the cable straight up and put in reverse to see if it works. If not, its prob the cable

Ok so that's what I thought, big ass screen means no VIM necessary in my (and many other) people's case.
I'd gladly buy this thing even if useless for me IF this would mean that my intall would be made easy but apparently it's the same process.

I think that the Kenwood camera that most people talk about here in this thread are pretty good.

for me it really comes down to installing this damn camera

Will this DIY work for a 2003 CL500? New to the forum and modifying and just want to make sure I'm covering all the bases.

No, it will work ONLY on the latest CL and C models. The earlier models have no camera option or ability without a Video In Motion kit.

Camera Operational!!
 

I think it was my soldering job that messed it up initially. I ended up ordering one from midcity, but they use the light blue FAKRA (universal adapter), which fits just fine. So at the end, I only ended up buying the Kenwood camera, midcity adapter, and 2 wire taps.

I mounted EVERYTHING behind the glovebox and it was very clean install. Tapped into the switched 12V and ground (pink and brown wires, respectively) from the cigarette lighter behind the glovebox and ran the FAKRA adapter-connected RCA cable to the headunit through a hole to the left side of the glovebox. WARNING - don't run the RCA cable through the "big" hole you see to the left when you open the glovebox cover although it is tempting. That hole gets sealed up when you close the cover and could snag/damage the wire. The really long camera cable was then run along the door sills to the back of the car. This allowed the video signal to travel without interference from a 12v wire running alongside (since the 12v was attached in the glovebox verse to the trunk). The hardest part was mounting the camera and getting the angle correct.

Thanks to everyone who posted the DIYs and pics. It really helped. I think we all learn as we follow others and whatever I said above are just lessons learned. :)

P.S. I should add that I have a 2008 C, iPod connector, non-updated COMAND e.g., old school way of enabling camera worked

Just did my tonight with 40 dollar ebay cam, took roughly 2 hours, but yeah total cost was 50 bucks. and works just as good

sorry about the shaky hands. it was at night and cam wasn't perfect.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_D...720/IMG071.jpg

I also used a cheeper Chinese camera bought on Ebay for less then 20 buck, it works, but the image is mirrored...:nix:
Your?

any camera will work....but for how long and in what light conditions, and how many washings, how much heat will it take, how much cold will it take, lens glass or plastic (under $100 it is plastic) which we all know hazes rather quickly in the weather and street grime.

If your camera is mirrored, it is a front camera.

I think you right.... cheeper camera=poor quality...

So, I've just order the new Kenwood CMOS-300.. :naughty::naughty:

Hey guys. I finally got around to installing my camera yesterday. I have run into a situation however. When I tested the camera before I put the car back together, it worked great. But this morning, I started the engine, and put it in reverse. The are lines all over the screen and I can barely see anything. I can change gears and then put it back into Reverse and it is normal. Did any of you experience this or have any suggestions? I made sure all my connections were tight as I worked along and taped everything at the connectors as an added measure. I tapped my camera into the reverse wire for power. I really don't want to have to take everything apart again...:wall:

This is EXACTLY the problem I had. The issue arises from the fact that you wired the camera power to the backup light. This means the camera is only powered up when you go into reverse. For some cameras (like mine and yours) there is a slight activation delay when the camera is powered on, resulting in a failure to synch with the display properly. Taking the car out of reverse and then back into reverse fixes this problem, but is a pain. My solution was to wire the camera so that it was powered on whenever the car ignition was on. This fixed this problem but caused another problem in my case. The other problem was that whenever the camera is on, it emits radio frequency interference (probably because of breaks in the shield where the wires are soldered). For me, the RF interfered with the tire pressure monitor. It took the dealer a week to discover the TPM problem, and I am very lucky I wasn't charged for this. The solution was to disconnect the camera.
You can try what I did...i.e., wire the camera to be on whenever the ignition is on, but be on the lookout for a warning the the TPM is inoperative. It may not interfere, but if it does, you will have to find an alternative solution.

The camera needs ignition power. The reverse light is low current for one, and low cost cameras need several seconds to generate a stable sync signal. Better CCD cameras can do it in about 1 second... Still not quick enough. If this is a CCD camera, then having on ignition power will not be a problem. If it is a CMOS camera its life will be greatly reduced.

Well I got my camera installed. It's a CCD PAL one,not NTSC, I am in the UK. I get a rolling picture when engaging reverse. Strangely enough though if I turn the reversing camera off in the settings and just use it as an auxillary video input the picture is fine.

I've ordered an NTSC replacement to see if it fixes the issue. I can't seem to find anything in the Comand Engineering menus that will let me set the reverse camera signal format

Can anyone recommend an ignition power supply on the passenger side of the trunk? I know there's a fuse panel and a sh*tload of wires but I'm afraid to connect to one that has too much current. Are they all 12v? If you can't tell, I know next to nothing about automotive electronics.

Electronics 101... You can not connect to too much current. Current is what is being USED. So you can connect the camera to ANY switched 12V circuit (known as circuit 15 in Mercedes schematics (not to be confused with any fuse labeled 15)), as it uses only a few milliamps. You need a voltmeter, and someone at the key and turn it on and off while taking readings. Also, keep in mind, many of the circuits do not go dead immediately with key off. Some take up to two minutes to turn off.
If you really don't know much about it, a decent honest installer should be able to sort it for you in a few minutes. In our installs, we run the video feed, camera power and reverse sense all up to the dash and use the circuit 15 power on the back of the cigarette lighter. We use NO supply in the trunk, although you certainly could. We just prefer to keep everything together if any sort of troubleshooting is required down the road, it makes it much easier for someone in the future. But all installers have their own methods....

Sorry to say that was a REALLY crappy camera. Again, I know people hate when I harp on this, but I am an engineer on these damn things....DO NOT buy CMOS cameras. They are cheap, have crappy video results, short life span, and cause all kinds of issues.... Buy only GOOD CCD cameras. Spend a few bucks and do it right. For crying out loud, we are all driving $40,000 - $200,000+ cars on this forum. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. A $40 - $120 camera is not going to cut it. Good sensors, quality drivers, quality cabling, quality GLASS lenses (that don't fog and scratch in weather) all cost money. Let this poor guy here teach us a lesson please.
Tunafish call me tomorrow... I have a demo camera (no box and papers) that I can let go pretty cheap that will get you going GUARANTEED. We have sold hundreds and not had one, not even ONE, fail.

I'm in Florida - who is the guy in Florida that did all of this for you? Thanks.

My 2010 model W204 has the reverse camera factory-installed in the Command system.

But when I looked at mugennosora's Ebay camera with parking guidance lines I became very jealous...my MB original camera doesn't have those lines!

You can turn those lines on in the engineering menu of the NTG4

Hi all,

I have bought all the bits and set work to install everything.

When I pulled out the head unit, i found that the green Fakra connector is already occupied. Has my car got a cable already run in for a camera?

It is a UK C250 estate 2010 model.

anyone got any ideas?

Thanks.
Geoff

Help a newbie out here. To get to that option I hold down the hang up/#/1 keys for 6 seconds correct? After that, do you remember which submenu you find the guideline on/off selection in?

Thanks in advance for any info!

~ can this be installed without nav? and using the factory void under the rear deck?

what about this cheap sony wireless backup cameras from ebay. 35 bucks! anybody tried them yet?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261012062029...t_11467wt_1418

After seeing this thread, i am planning in installing a rearview camera. I dont expect any problems, except that i dont think it is a good idea having the camera always on (power on ignition).

And from what i have read, there could be a sync problem if just connected to reverse light power.

So, my idea is to connect power cable of the camera to the stop light and to the reverse light at the same time.

That way, each time i reverse, as soon as i press the brake pedal, the camera is activated and stays on while i engage reverse gear.

Assuming that everybody needs to press brake pedal before engage reverse gear.

What do you think?!

PS: sorry for some english errors.. :y

By the way, i have a manual transmission.

I connected to reversed light power and no problem with camera. If you connect camera to both brake and reverse same time, both brake and reverse light will come on since all conect to one power. Unless you use diode to prevent reverse flow.

Could have used a W212 body harness and avoided most of the splicing and chopping.

By not using the factory isolator (also called modulator) you are missing one of the key protection devices for the system.

The isolator does all of these things
- provides isolated power when reversing
- protects the COMAND
- keeps the install OEM.
- improves the video signal

I cant see any advantage to making such a hash of the wiring just to save a few bucks. Using the factory harness with OEM isolator is the ideal.

Great post, just what I needed for my next project !!!

Could you tell us which setting it is that activates the lines or is it obvious in the menu?:)

Just got called back from a shop saying it's impossible to hook up to the headunit and it'll mess up and nav and the quality of the image will be really bad.

and my only option is to replace the monitor or add another one somewhere. haha wth :crazy:

Hi all!! I have read all DIY about installing a rear view camera. I have for now just one question.

Do i order a PAL or NTSC camera??

Does it make any diference? Does it affect with DVD movies?!

I live in Portugal and the car (and the comand unit) is also european. :)

Thanks!!!

DIY Rear View Using Kenwood CMOS-200
 

Hi I was going to install a Kenwood CMOS - 200 back up camera in my 2009 w204 4-matic luxury sedan, but I was wondering if I need any other wires besides the cmos200 kit? Do I need a RCA to Antenna plug? (if so which is good to get?) and when I splice the ground and rear parking lamp wire, which colored wires do I plug into them?

Thank you so much for your help!!

2013 C250 backup cam DIY
 

Hello all,

I leased a 2013 C250c with P1 and Becker Map Pilot Navi. The navi is a small box that gets connected in the glove box and the screen is 2" smaller than on the cars with multimedia pack option. The navi shows on screen in full color, with street and building views, just like on a multimedia pack cars.

I wanted to add a backup cam and first wanted to enable the cam on the system when engaging the reverse. After holding the hang up+1+#, I got a diagnostic menu, but after going trough all the options, i did not see 1 for backup cam.

I got 2 questions:

1) Is it possible to connect a backup cam to show up on the non-multimedia pack screen?

2) Is it possible to split the connection for the Map Pilot to connect both, backup cam and Map Pilot?

Can i do it on my w204 2008?

Today I have also installed a aftermarket camera on my w204.
Everything ok for the first 20 secs, command starts, put it in R, camera jumps on, having image...5 sec...then I get few lines on screen for 5 sec afterwards the images gets completely distorded and starts to flicker, the image is complety you cant see anything...somebody any idea?
The camera is connected on the reverse lights, the RCA cable is 12 meters! My own first idea goes that the RCA cable is too long, but did not have any shorter cable at hand at this moment...

FAKRA sold!

Mbkomp,
I'll take it

Hi again.

So i started to install the rear view camera. Before i put back everything, i tested if the camera works and a problem came out...

When i engage rear, the image in the screen flickers and is black and white.

I have bought a PAL CCD rear view camera, the Comand is set to PAL in DVD option, rear view camera is in SRVC and my car is original for Germany.

The problem is because of PAL / NTSC? Does it means that the Comand only acepts NTSC rear view cameras?!

I have tested the camera (PAL) in a television (PAL) and it gives a nice image.

Please help..

Thanks!

I had a pal camera in mine and it didn't work. Bought a NTSC camera and it works fine now.

I recommend not to wire + from camera to the reverse light from your rear Sam unit. This will not only make scramble line to your image on comand online but also your Sam will break soon. And you have to pay $800 for new Sam unit.
Please use Add a fuse to get + from rear cigarette, it should safe for your Sam unit. Or use my method, I line a cable outlet from rear cigarette and direct to camera without touch anything in Sam unit. It safe 100 %

Cheap Little Camera
 

Hey Guys,
I got this camera of Amazon.

It's been almost 10 months now, see all weather, rain, snow, 100+ degree days.
Works great.

Also would like to second that the "add a fuse" adapter is def the way to go for power, I tried the back up wire and couldn't get a strong enough power to the camera, swapped it for the fuse and works great.

I went with ordering the farka to rca cable, very easy head unit install.

Easy Install, Great write-up.

Total time <60 minutes, with most of it taking the trunk lid out.

I would like to connect the backup camera to the connection of the Becker map pilot. The idea is to keep both options. So it seems it would be possible to connect a splitter to the pilot outlet in the glove box to connect both, the pilot and the backup cam which would go on only when the reverse gear engaged.

This should help avoiding taking the dash apart and will not require reprogramming of the command. The down side would be that the pilot will not go in to the same spot due to the connection being on the way.

Can anybody let me know if they saw anything similar?

I don't understand how people are wiring an Add a Fuse and where???

I got a CMOS-210 and the power is next to the RCA. In other words, I need to wire the power at the front of the car. Does anyone have pictures of wiring the add a fuse?

Also, I just ran into a potential problem. My 2011 already has a FAKRA attached to the factory deck... guess it's time to see what I find in the trunk. Guessing its an existing run for a cam.

No such luck I'm afraid - that cable goes to the glove box as part of the multi-media socket and cable connectors. It is where I connected the wireless camera to save me having to take out the factory deck, and then run a long cable to the trunk.

You guys are awesome! Very helpful post.

Does anyone know if these procedures work for Volvo S60 2012 too? I know it is off topic but I could not find any post in Volvo forum (those guys are not as innovative :-)

I guess the most important question is how to get to the engineer menu and enable the rear view camera then? Right? Everything else is pretty much the same after that.

Any help? Thank you.

Make sure to check your Fackra E cable from ebay (China) my first installed I did not get any image from my camera, I checked all my wirings, found out that Fackra E with RCA female has no ground, open up your RCA connector and solder the ground (shielded) always check for continuity.
:)

That green Fakra attached to the HU (Aux Video) is going to your glove compartment for ipod or you can attached your back up camera from there..:)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but what I've been able to gather from reading a few threads is that there is only one aux on the HU, and if our car has the multimedia interface option, then that aux is already in use. In that case we don't need to pull out the HU or deal with FAKRA cables at all.

So do we have to choose between the backup camera or the multimedia interface? or can we have both? Aren't there cars that come with both the backup camera and multimedia optioned out?

Also, it looks like in the 2013's, they moved the multimedia interface from the glove box into the center console, added a USB port, and removed the 12v socket. Has anyone done this DIY with a 2013 yet, using the center console media interface? if so, where did you get the power from?

Will this work for 2012 c63 without the the nav tv module?

How can I connect it to iPod plug? Do I need to buy adapter for it? And what setting should I put the reverse camera in the system to? Please help.

Ipod connector for backup camera
 

Hello

This is my first post so please be patient. I have been studying the entire backup camera situation for some time and believe it might be simpler if we don't remove the head unit but utilize the Ipod connector that is already in some of these cars. If we can determine which pins in the Ipod connector are video output we can simply run the backup camera to a male Ipod connector ( buy an Ipod extension cord and chop it up) and just unplug the ipod and plug in the camera when needed. This would save hours of labor. And still have the Ipod available I await reply

Bob

This was the first mod I did to my car and being a complete noob myself it still took me under 1 hour, with most the time spent in the trunk, the head unit pops out very easy and is a simple connection. I would assume hacking the iPod dock would take more time and then limit your use of an iPod.

Just my thoughts.

_M

If the iPod connector is the same thing as the multimedia connector there are three different interchangeable heads so you don't have to hack up the iPod cable, just use the 3.5mm head instead. If you have the older HU with only one aux input then it's a lot easier to just use the multimedia interface. If you have the newer HU with two aux videos then UT makes more sense to pull the HU.

I finally got around to installing the wireless camera from ebay, and here's a few things I discovered. For those of you wanting to use the multimedia connector instead of running direct to the HU, on my 2013, this method is limited to using the Video Aux to view the camera feed. With the rear cam enabled in the system menus, it just flips to a blank "check your surroundings" screen. This is probably due to the dual inputs for the aux, and it is only looking for the input on the left in rear-cam-mode. There's an image of the 2012+ HU in this thread. I ended up having to disable the rear cam until I can pick up the FAKRA cable. In the meantime I'll have to use Video Aux.

Edit: I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned this yet, but for fellow noobs, when you take off the license plate trim piece, there are little rubber gasket rings for each of the orange plastic screws. I wasn't paying attention when putting mine back and didn't even notice one fell on the floor. It was only after I snapped in one side when I noticed it on another screw, then I went back and checked each one for the gasket. The side that was missing had some "wiggle" play. Once I put the gasket back, it fit very snugly and didn't move at all.

For those who are more knowledgeable:

1. Based on the picture of the newer HU in the above thread, it appears as though a FAKRA E Male is required (vs the FAKRA E Female in the HU image in the earlier posts of this thread)?
2. Is there enough room behind the HU to fit the wireless receiver? and is there a place where I can get power there?

Thanks for the input! How would I wire the 3.5 mm plug to access the video input??

Best
Bob

From what I've been able to gather from reading various threads, on your 2008 C300, if you have the ipod interface it should be located in your glove box. If you open up the lining of the glove box and follow the ipod interface cable, it should connect to a standard 3.5mm female plug. You can unplug the ipod cable, and then plug in your own RCA cable (something like this) into this plug, then you can connect your camera directly to that.

I also bit the bullet and removed my HU earlier tonight. I thought I would unplug the green FAKRA from the Aux Vid, and temporarily move it to the reverse cam input. That plan turned out to be a bust. The Aux Vid cable actually terminates with a twin female FAKRA-E connector, with one side being empty. The only way to plug something into the reverse cam input while that connector is attached is to take another FAKRA connector, and bust off the outer casing so you're left with only the center barrel.

Hopefully I can think of a good place to tuck away that wireless receiver.

Now were getting close
 

Thanks Dra for your reply. I ordered the adaptor you mentioned and it should arrive sometime next week around the time the camera comes. At this point I believe I can connect a backup camera without removing the HU at a total cost of less than 20 bucks. WOW wouldn't that be nice? I already have the backup screen available (thanks to previous posts) so I am very optimistic at this point. I will document my install with photographs and hopefully post shortly.

Best
Bob

Put it in the empty slot next to it? I'm doing mines today and don't know which plug??? The one above it or the twin plug with the left empty. Please get back to me on this. This has been a pain for me.

Yeah it's the one right next to it. I don't know what the other green input that sits higher up is for, possibly for the euro TV module...

The empty one? And the one above it I think is for nightcam.

Sorry for the late reply. I was going to have everything hooked up last weekend, but the first cable I made was a bit fragile, and the center pin got loose during final assembly. I got so frustrated I turned into the hulk and ripped it apart.

Anyways, I made a new cable and finally got a chance to put it all together tonight. Here are some pics. I ended up sacrificing my ashtray to store everything out of sight. The first pic shows where to hook up the video feed on the NTG4.5 unit.

What did you do on the ashtray? I got my cable order from a guy in HK who makes if for about 12-15 bucks for 12feet long. It's a female fakra without housing to a vid RCA. That runs all the way to my rear trunk. I try using the backup for the cam but that didnt work. So I end up using the lighter or acc switch which was in the back also. Let me know what you did in that lighter compartment.

Why not just use the 12V source in the glove box, and have the wires hidden away there?

Wish I could have done that too, but they removed the 12V as well as the media interface from the glove box in my '13. The media interface is now in the center console, but there's no 12v power there.

In the ashtray is the wireless receiver module plugged into the 12v, with the video feed going back up into the HU. If you're hardwiring, then using the add-a-fuse from the trunk is the only source of power you need. I'm doing that in the trunk for the transmitter module.

Sweet bro. How's yours looking? I have use the kenwood 310 with multi views. I'm glad that most of use are able to do it in the newer command unit. Thank you for all your help man.

I'm just using a cheapo china cam I got for $28 with the wireless transmitter. I'll probably have to swap it out at some point for something better, but it's been running fine for over a month always powered on and I already took it through the touchless wash so it might last longer than I expected.

At first I didn't like the guide lines, but they're actually pretty accurate, the red line appears just above the edge of the bumper. Although it was a pain having to make the cable, and take the HU out to plug in the video feed, I'm glad that our aux video is still available to be used alongside the reverse cam.

Can someone provide me a list(links amazon/ebay) of the items I need to buy. I don't care if it being shipping from china.

All I know is I need some sort of Fakra Cable, Camera, etc?

Hey folks I have a 2011 C300 w/ Command APS but no RearView Camera =\
What's the best method to get RV-Cam retrofitted as smooth as possible?

I been reading here but haven't seen anyone mention a new wireless rearview camera i saw on ebay.

Any tips on folks 08-11 cars ? Since I know the 12+ is probably different

Thx

i think the only option on the 5" screen with PFL's is this veyron module (i'm using it on the COMAND)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=261072105243&fromMakeTrack=true
my 3 cams are connected on that and it works great

Has anyone tried this type of camera?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Benz-C-Series-Backup-Rear-View-Camera-Monitor-/400240759634?pt=Car_Audio_Video&hash=item5d30355352&vxp=mtr
If so, is there a difference it the output of the light. I mean is one side dim compared to the other.

Thanks in advance.

thanks so much =)

BU Camera for less than $50!
 

Here's what you'll need:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121040805929...84.m1497.l2649


For less than $50 you'll get backup camera with Guidelines (turned on in the engineering menu). See the pic attached. It's a PITA to run the cable to the front, but I ran mine at the same time that I ran new speaker/battery/amp/sub cables to the trunk for my audio upgrade.

Another recommendation is to put the camera in the default location and screw the assembly into the trunk lid mounting location making sure that you dab some primer onto the holes that were drilled for the screws. It doesn't have to be perfect as it's hidden by the trim piece.

K

This is my next mod but I am looking for a camera that does not have the guidelines as it is way off a ugly. I like how the oem looks which is no guidelines. Does anyone can share a link where to get a camera without built-in guidelines?

Not a Camera Issue
 

The guidelines are helpful because I like to park as close to the curb as possible (more room between me and the carless fool next to me to avoid dinged doors) so they provide reference to the edges.

The guidelines though are not a function of the camera. These are turned on or off in the Engineering Menu.

I hope this helps.

K

The cameras I see at ebay all have built-in guidelines. I tried ordering the hammer camera but they don't ship to Canada. I like the guidelines but not from the built-in feature of the camera. That is the reason why I like to buy one that doesn't have a guideline as I know we can turn it on via engineering menu.

Just found a camera without guideline but now I am having trouble finding the right fakra cable. That link is gone by the way.

FAKRA
 

This cable does need to be right angle as there is a connector above the video in.

Guys/Gals,

I am in the middle of collecting everything I need to get the backup camera installed and although I have read many threads and pages on the install I am still confused about which FAKRA cable to buy. Looks like there are lots of options but I want to get something that is going to make the job of connect the camera to the video in the most easiest and professional.


This is what I found on ebay which seems to be the right cable and also what someone recommended:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110991103181...84.m1423.l2649

I want to confirm if this is the right FAKRA cable for my 2010 C300 4MATIC with MultiMedia Package and the iPod connector in the glovebox. I am not sure if I will have to unplug something from the back of the radio to connect this since I have the iPod connector already but I would rather have everything work as it does today and be able to connect the backup camera too. So maybe that requires buying a different cable...if so, please recommend.

I also have the option to get the FAKRA cable in any length I want. By default it comes in 8" long. Is that good enough or should I get it longer so that I can route it into the glovebox?

I know this topic has been discussed to death so I appreciate the help!

Ken

Ken,

This the one I used. http://www.midcityengineering.com/vi...-rca-connector and it looks like your ebay link is for just about the same product.
It is a simple plug and play mod.

It's a Fakra to RCA cable if you are just googling around.

THank you for that info! Was there something already plugged into the video input for you? I have have the iPod adapter and am wondering if i should get the splitter so i can connect the other item as well if the AUX is already being used.

No, it will just plug in; I also have the iPod adapter and you do not need a splitter.

You can't do a splitter as you need to always go the engineering menu and turn off the backup camera and turn on the Aux video everytime not to mention turning off the car and waiting for a minute or two for the command to reset.

What camera are you planning to buy?

The Polish cable works well and is nice quality. The right angle is important as listed above in my original post. You do have to unplug the video side of the iPod/iPhone adapter as the backup camera plugs in the same location. The cable run to the back of the car is a PITA but you can run it to the back of the radio so the cable length isn't all that important. Agree with previous post that you have to choose either AUX or Back Up Camera in Engineering menu so mine stays on Back Up Camera all of the time. You want to identify SRVC (as I recall) and then enable SRVC Guidelines all in the Engineering menu to get the guidelines. I used an inexpensive Chinese camera but I'm very pleased with the result. I also like the camera in the factory position and replaced both license plate lights with White LEDs and this provides good illumination for the camera at night.


I bought this camera:


Good luck! (not that you'll need it)

Thanks for that info. I am just thinking through all the options which I am sure everyone has done already...

I bought this camera off of ebay mostly for the fact that its cheap and seems to have the highest resolutions out of the all that I saw: http://www.ebay.com/itm/151135310905...84.m1439.l2649

Thank you for that info. So i was thinking about getting a longer FAKRA cable and routing the wire from the back of the radio into the glove box and then connecting it to the camera wire coming from the trunk in the glove box so that in the future if I have to replace anything I don't have to take the dash out again. Is that do able? I was thinking a 24" FAKRA cable would be long enough for that.

Also in regards to unplugging the video side of the ipod/iphone adapter. I will loose the ability to play video from an ipod i guess?

I bought the same camera if not similar to you...cant go wrong with a $17 camera even if it needs to be replaced a few times over the life of the car.

Thanks for the help!

hey guys. i believe i bought all the stuff needed to do this, but then never actually went through with trying to install it. if anyone wants all the parts, let me know and i can ship them over to you (i think i remember where i put everything and hopefully all the stuff is still there).

for those who are still thinking of buying the ebay cams. I have a few pointers for you.

1. Go buy the ebay cam....worth it.
2. Make sure to remove the old weather strip gasket of the old license plate bulb cover and reuse it to have a proper seal and secure fithttps://mbworld.org/forums/members/s...3-49-40455.jpg
3. Make sure that the cables for the cam is not on the bulb's way. If it is, remove the screws of the housing and re-route the wires as shown.https://mbworld.org/forums/members/s...1-06-40453.jpg
4. I find it easiest to wire the power to the #71 fuse (just tap) and just unbolt the ground nut and tie the camera ground wire and re tighten it again (no soldering, no cutting, no use of add a fuse)

https://mbworld.org/forums/members/s...7-11-40458.jpg

https://mbworld.org/forums/members/s...2-19-40457.jpg
5. It will be easier to install back the trim piece while the camera is not yet secured as you will have a hard time placing the chrome trim back.

The ebay cam that I bought is even clearer than my GLKs oem cam so don't be afraid to buy them. This is how it shows during night time....not bad. You don`t really lose all of the light of the bulb.
https://mbworld.org/forums/members/s...3-13-40451.jpg

Thanks for the pics ! I bought the same one, incredibly cheap, i look forward installing this little add-on on my coupe


Pascal

i used to have one like that but i didn't like it + its not in the center.
here are my 2 cams in the back (1 in the bumper and one above the licence plate) and the front cam (under the licence plate)
http://users.telenet.be/doake/23082013629.jpg
http://users.telenet.be/doake/20082013619.jpg

Thanks for the installation tips and pictures! I'm trying to find a camera without the guidelines. Most found on ebay have them. Also, some are NTSC and others are PAL. Does it matter which one to buy? Which camera and fakra cable did you get?

Since I have the media interface on the car I want the flexibility of having the aux video with the backup camera (I need to go to the engineering menu and turn off the backup cam and turn on the aux video) if ever I need to use the input which will be rare so I decided to buy this fakra cable:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RCA-female-to-Fakra-E-male-to-Fakra-E-female-RG174-15cm-/380423282406?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5892fe9ee6
Doing this I will have both input without removing the command again. I was thinking of buying a video switch but I got really cheap and I will not really use the aux input. If I have to use the aux input it will just be two minutes to get it back anyway so no big deal. I did not have any problem with this cable even if it is not 90 degress.

The camera I bought is this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CCD-Car-Rear-view-Reverse-Backup-Parking-Camera-for-Mercedes-Benz-C-E-S-CLASS-/140873439858?pt=US_Rear_View_Monitors_Cams_Kits&hash=item20ccb61a72
Always ask the seller if they can give you a camera without guides. I have both and somehow I like the one with the built-in guide line because I can really inch my way unlike the oem guideline which is really for the GLK.

Make sure you buy a camera matching your tv system, in north america it's ntsc, in europe it's pal, if not sure you can see the video standard somewhere in the hidden system menu.

I removed the command to find a rattling noise and it's a piece of cake on late models, takes 5 minutes to remove vent trim + 2 screws. Another 10 minutes to remove the glovebox greatly helps to wire under the carpet as once glovebox is removed you can remove passenger plastics covers/carpet, you can remove door sill by just pulling it, really easy.

Pascal

Great install and tips. Unfortunately for FL models, the bulb is molded into the housing so I had to tape mine behind the camera.

What is FL models?

Face Lift (FL) model 2012 and above.

Here is the view of the camera that I currently use.

https://mbworld.org/forums/members/s...7-27-40569.jpg

Thanks, got me worried for a sec. I have a 2010 so I am in the clear.

BTW - been meaning to ask, are those guide line built into the camera or what MB system displays?

Is your lamp a led ? on my 2011 c coupe stock plate lamps are white leds.

Pascal

The lines came with the camera. The oem ones are higher and thinner.

So are one more accurate or are they both off? BTW does the line accuracy stay the same no matter where you mount the camera or does it vary?

There are no units on the lines so it's hard to say if it's "accurate" to anything. But my lines were built into the camera and are about 1' - red, 2' - yellow and 3' - green. I mounted mine in place of the right side plate light and from there I can see the edge of my bumper so I can see if I'm too close to something. The reverse sensor alarm goes off around the red line so it matches up pretty well.

Has anyone come up with any sort of adaptor that will allow the use of both the glove box iPod adaptor and a backup camera? Were they available that way from the factory?

As I see it the FAKRA input is fully occupied with the iPod adaptor cable. Is it possible to simply splice into that cable with another set of FAKRA plugs and sockets, or can the video simply be spliced into the wires in the iPod cable (and if so, which ones)?

Any ideas??? I have an OEM camera (lucked out in a junk yard).

Look at the previous page where I referred how you can do this and what you need to get. In the end you cannot have both Video Aux and the backup camera at the same time (meaning accessible in a blink of a eye) without a VIM module or similar device that has multiple video inputs.

There is no accurate units of measurement on the cameras and yes it depends on where you install it. On my install the green lines are at 3', yellow at 2'ish, red at 1/2'.

Created a steps/resource list for the project if anyone else wants to use:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...VE&usp=sharing

^thanks.. also alot of good info here

So I am half way there with my install. So far I have mounted the camera and run the power wires to where they need to be. I have also enabled the reverse camera in the engineering menu with the SRVC guidelines.

One of the things I am still considering is how to run the RCA cable from the trunk to the dash. Considering running the cable from the bottom trims and then from under the passenger side carpet by the cabin air filter to the back of the radio instead of through the glove box. Anyone have any suggestions or advice on that?

Looking forward to having a reverse camera...

Remove the black plastic panel below the glove box and feel the inner side of the dashboard (between the command and glovebox) and you will see that there are a few holes there that you can fish your RCA cable. I found it easier to just run the RCA cable on the bottom door trims. Post pictures of he screen after the install.

Found this video that shows exactly what you were talking about...

Hello,


Just received the camera from honk kong, look a bit cheap, i'll glue the two pieces more firmly as its really easy to pull off the cam from the translucent support.


Going to install it i a few days, i had to remove the glovebox to find a rattle noise caused by the little a/c tube and it's really easy , warning while removing the undercover, the man on the video is not doing the right thing, you see the little hook at approx 1:35 and spotted with an arrow 2:35min on the video ?

There is a hole under to put a finger then push the hook to the right to unlock it instead of pulling everything like in the video.

I unfortunately damaged the hook by doing like the man in the video and see after the hole for releasing it, too late for me not a big deal it's invisible but don't do the same error :)

Pascal

WOW thats a big error thanks for giving us the heads up. I found the camera to be a little jiggly as well so i took apart the clear pieces and tightened all the screws (don't over tighten though, after all it is made in china). Might be a good idea to use glue.

Actually the camera i bought doesn't look exactly like the pictures on ebay so I don't know if its going to be the same resolution and TVLINES as in the description but there is no way for me to know until i install it. Kinda annoying and the risk i took when buying from China but its a pain to send it back and get a new one since this one took over a month to get to me...i'll just live with it if there is a problem. Maybe next time i'll buy a better one from some where local.

- Ken

Just a suggestion and don't know if this will work.
Use a 12V supply, such as a jumper battery, to power up the camera, and find an old TV with a RCA input, to see what the image is like before installing in the car.

Yeah that a great suggestion and I did try that unfortunately the 12V transformer I had doesn't work as in its broken so i gave up on testing it out and I didn't want to go out and buy one from radioshack just to test so I will just find out in the car when I power it now...

it'll work with a 9 volt battery for testing.

Pict of the $16 camera from hkg:


Pascal

Thanks for the tip, just tested on my tv with a 9v battery, the cam has integrated lines in meters (it's a Pal model)


Pascal

Cam installed, unfortunately as a dumb idiot i broke the camera lens walking on it while installing :smash:

anyway i finished the installation even if the cam was broken and it works more or less with the broken lens, but to be honest i'm not happy with the plate light, as my car has original leds as you see in the picture below, the whole light is one piece with a special connector, i cant just remove the led and use it in the camera lamp housing, it's impossible, so i had to tap the led lamp over it but it's crap, lighthing is too dimmed for my taste.

So, i just bought another camera, but this time a simple one with a screw, i hope to install it in the pre-cut place around the light and leave the original led lights in place:

http://www.ebay.fr/itm/CCD-SONY-Rear...item1c3902bce0

Very easy to wire from the rear trunk to the command, everything invisible, the hardest part was wiring from trunk to the rear seat through the little left hole filled with grey foam (i used a hard metal wire to pull the rca cable).

Pascal

Installing rearview camera wires in glove
 

I drive c300 2010 with command /nav installed. I got my rearview camera working but to put the wires through the glove. I don't see how I can get through to the wires. I took the command center out but I don't see where I put the wires to get this installed. Does anyone know how to get to the wires from the glove department or have another solution for hiding the wires to the camera?

I completely removed the glovebox, not hard the same torx screws as command, 4 screws inside the glovebox, 2 screws underneath on eah side, one on the left, hidden by the under cover to remove first and one on the right hidden by the passenger right dash cover (the flat plastic with the airbag warning post on it) to remove just pull on it.

you may only remove the undercover below (3 screws + 1 plastic handle to push) to wire but i preferred fixing the video cable to the existing fan wiring behing the glovebox to avoid any rattle noise caused by the cable.

Pascal

Here some picts of the left and right glovebox hidden screws and the wiring behind fixed to the fan, don't need to remove the plastic cover between the carpet and the fan (between yellow arrows) just wire cable passing behind that plastic cover. Nothing is visible after remount.

Pascal

Thank you for your help, I got to work

Mine rear view camera won't enable at all. I've enabled it from the service menu and rear view camera's options was added on normal system menu, still it won't do anything when I put transmission to reverse gear. I have no SRVC-setting under engineering menu's rear view camera -option at all, there's only installed/not installed -options.

UP: Camera received, this one is better than previous as this one is full metal and has a nicer rounded look.

There are 2 precut places but only the right one is easily usable, the left one is covered by the trunk metal, it may be possible to put the camera on the left if you are brave enough to widen the little hole in the trunk metal, not for me so let's go for the right place...

The camera matches pretty well, just drill a big rounded hole for the camera and a smaller one for wiring between the 2 plastic clips.

Put back the foam to avoid moisture and remount. I know the camera is not centered but my other car with stock camera is not centered either and i'm used to it.

Now i'm happy with this one, nice stock look for a ridiculous price and no plate light dimming :y

Pascal

Hi Riviera,

Do you connect the camera power (pos/neg) cable directly to the reverse light and connect the AV cable to DVD/GPS screen?

Thanks

No, don't use the rear lamp power, look here : https://mbworld.org/forums/5837854-post246.html

Did the wife's C63 tonight. It also has LED tag lights, but I am to impatient to wait for another camera, so I basically popped the lens off the LED tag light and glued the HK camera lens on the LED base an presto. Good to go. My HU has double inputs for the iPod and a back up camera. I had to bust the fakra housing off the connector then it plugged right in. I wired power from the back right and used an add a fuse from terminal 71. My only slow down was getting the HU out. You have to unscrew those two torx screws almost all the way to allow the radio to slide out.

Andy.

How is the rear view looks like?

I bought the same camera like your but after installation. I see more bumper then the road behind me. When you get a chance can you post your rear view? Thank you.

I'm real happy with it. I'll post a pic tomorrow.

Andy

I have Installed same Camera than Pascal on NTG4.5. Car is Estate.

https://i57.tinypic.com/33mqsgi.jpg

https://i62.tinypic.com/afcyua.jpg

https://i58.tinypic.com/21czevt.jpg

Nice mounting, almost centered :y

The estate has a hole at this place or you had to drill the metal ? On my coupé there's only a little hole used by an orange clip so i installed the camera on the other side.

Pascal

Dude which camera is that. It looks crisp! Send me a link where you bought it from.

Can you post the link to the camera? I want to add it to my C300 as well.
Thanks,

The french link where i bought from: http://cgi.ebay.fr/CCD-SONY-Rear-Vie...item1c3c6460e5

it's a hong kong distributor, he may exists on ebay usa i don't know but you can contact him and buy from any country i think, his email: alex.lin008@yahoo.com.hk

for European models, don't forget to ask him PAL version and of course NTSC for US market.

Pascal

Probably this is a stupid question, but i ask anyway:crazy:?

Got an 2012 e-class coupe(207) and comand 4,5,Online, with gps, parkingassistant, can i use this guide to install a camera???

And last, a list of what do i need, such as cables etc.

I'm not sure about if u can use this guide on e class but the list what you would need is here
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...=sharing#gid=0

Does that mess with the electrical at all? I was told that if you modify any of the electronics it basically voids the Mercedes warranty. Would love to install this though!

Thank you for the link

Is there any chance that the fakra connection is occupied on my comand?

Question
 

Im having an issue trying to get the " Check your surroundings" screen to enable. I activated it on the Engineering mode, and also under systems on the standard menu. I do get a check select when i enable rear view camera but i do not check the black reverse screen. I say black because i havent pluged in the camera yet. I want to get this part working first.

Im having an issue trying to get the " Check your surroundings" screen to enable. I activated it on the Engineering mode, and also under systems on the standard menu. I do get a check select when i enable rear view camera but i do not check the black reverse screen. I say black because i havent pluged in the camera yet.

Did you put SRVC in service mode ? then go the exit menu quit engenneering mode, wait for command reboot, and remove the key completely. Then put back the and star the engine : the screen will not appear if the motor is not running.

Pascal

Im having the same issue as @Petomaani i do not have the SRVC in service mode after i switch rearview camera to installed. Im thinking i may need my firmware updated. What they call Telematics update. I have a 2008 C300

Hey im having the same issue. Let me know if you figure it out.

If it helps ?

I dont think i have all those options but ill double check, thanks.

Anyone in the New York / NJ tri-state area who has successfully done this want to collab and help me out? I'm mechanically inclined and technological but this is my first car and I'm afraid of the wiring / snaking process.

Was thinking I'd buy one of the newer cameras that fit into the license plate light to simplify the process, any opinions on this, or suggestions on which model to buy?

What year is ur c300? I just did the backup camera install today on my 2012 C250. It was time consuming, but worth it. All in all, it cost around $80 bucks total and about 5 hours of my time.


I was afraid of messing up too, but if you do "add-a-fuse" you are not cutting or splicing any Mercedes Factory cables.

Going to do my rear-view camera install but most of the links for the cams here are from HK and shipping is looking for next month, anyone can recommend something that ships faster to the USA?

Thx

Mine came from an eBay seller "autoimage2010" on eBay and it came from California. Camera works great. Perfect fit.

http://bit.ly/1eQcZLd

Hope that link works.

Have now started to collect and buy, the things i need for installing camera.
If someone can see if there are something i miss,or something looks wrong
please comment!!!

This is for a 2012 Mercedes E Coupe with Comand Online(NTG4,5)

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-...213023810.html

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fakra...068700237.html

I see a few things you may be missing but maybe I don't know all the details of your install.. How do you plan to get power to the camera? If your doing "add a fuse" then you'll need the following

1. "Add a fuse" got mine from autozone (~$5 bucks) because all the ones sold online were too small
2. Red & black electrical wire, connecting joints (don't know how else to describe them), and a crimper

Since you mention this is going on an E-coupe I don't know which fuse you should use. Maybe you should post this ok te E-Coupe forum.

Hope that helps. Good luck.

I personally wouldn't replace the license plate light to put this camera. I would use the existing hole for its placement and install there.

But, nice mod to do!

Thanks anything else I need for W204 \ Command Nav ?

Thanks for replying
Fuseholder and wire ive got in my garage.

I know that the E-class coupe is based on a C-class, but im sure it is quite a lot of differences.

I have looked in the "coupe" forum and there is it nothing at all about this subject.

Im about to use the licenceplate light, but had a few thoughts, but ordered that cam anyway.

But what cam should i buy?

my camera has it own power line (red and black) but the yeloww RCA cable also had a red cord attached, what is that for?

:nix: a picture ?

The camera is different than shown but the wiring harness is the same. The camera has a plug that connects to the power (cables C + D). Then there is a RCA plug (male) on both ends with a red power line also both ends.

in this picture it says cable "B" goes to the LCD?
Attachment 281717

here is the picture of the RCA cable with a red cable on both ends
Attachment 281718

Probably useless in our case, the nav systems automatically goes in reverse mode showing reverse camera image, just connect C & D, leave B isolated.

If you have a multimeter measure resistance between C & B, if it shows 0ohms thus the C & B cables are just the same.

Pascal

2nice,

I bought the same camera you have. Cable b is useless. I put electrical tape over it and it's just dangling in the back of my head unit. Like the last guy said. Once you put it in reverse the head unit automatically switches to that video feed.

By isolated i meant "insulated" of course, my English is not as good as i'd like...

Update: after scrolling down to page 3 of HU Parameters I found the camera option :) thanks shotgun_banjo

Did anyone figure this out yet? I'm having the same issue!!

Just adding a picture of the different fakras

Just because i got a wrong one i got for the blue one.

as far as i know i should use one of the green ones,Correct????
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3...psaaa0308f.jpg


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3...psb6ae34d7.jpg

Yes it is the green one. In the picture that you took, there is the dual green cable. That empty one is the backup cam.

And one more thing. You can always bust the housing of the fakra cable and just use the tip to plug it in. The metal tip

Thanks alot lapd1989

So i can use this one?? and remove the housing?
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3...pse0073dc1.jpg

Do you know what the last green is?

BTW guys no need to turn off the car when enabling camera in the engineering menu. Just do a system reset instead of end. After the command reboots the camera will enable or whatever setting you've changed. I do this anytime I change anything in the engineering menu.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps6zmdnmac.jpg

Finally got it up and running. Turns out that it was a defective fakra cable (both bought same time/same supplier) I plugged it in the left (green input)

Anyone know anyone that does this around Seattle area? I really want to install it but I'm not too experienced with wiring.

You could probably have just about any stereo shop install for you. I'd avoid best buy and head straight to the independants.

First of all i want to thank you all in this forum for the help and enthusiasm you gave me during my camera install:)

I not finished yet, but i only spent about 2 hours installing, first i removed the comand and then i connectet fakra and rca cable, and then i installed the RCA cable almost to the backseat.
Im gonna try to do the rest tommorrow.

Im have not figured out how to pass the seatbelts yet:confused:

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-c...ml#post6000095

Ickdeep - I am in Seattle (Kirkland, actually) and have decided to have Car Toys do the installation for me after reading all of the threads here. I am still undecided on the camera... If the job is doing well I'll post here to let you know.
- Will

That would work, basically you need a FEMALE Fakra cable with Female RCA. In my case it turned out to be a bad FAKRA cable.

Thank you, hopefully it works out for you

I hope it all works out for all you guys :)

Once again!! Thanks for all your help!!:)

Installed and works great so far!!!

I just removed the blue housing and just plugged it in the comand

FINNISHED!!!!

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3...ps750f15cd.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3...ps16d33662.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3...ps7687b221.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3...psaa6e5a92.jpg

Tried this on my C63
Followed your instruction however wasn't successfu,l after I got into engineering mode (Hangup 3 & #), chose 7 and sub-option 7 and was displeased that I couldnt find rear view camera s option 3. Would like your inputs.

Hummmm. And you got a comand?

I had to use SRVC camera

Are you getting the black screen when you put it in reverse and tells you to check your surrounding ?

I called CarToys and they said they will install the camera for $150 provided I bring the camera. I can also buy one of their cameras which range from $60 to $300. I'm thinking of buying the one that is suggested on this thread and taking it to them to get in installed.

I don't think that you are leaving the menu correctly. On the last page of the menu make sure that you press "Reset" and If that fails then enable the camera again, remove key and lock car then return in a minute or two. Have you enabled the camera by the basic, none engineering menu?

Just a few notes for the 2012+ folks

This camera looks and works fantastic.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121150021490...84.m1497.l2649

I installed it just to the left of the handle. You can see the handle cut above it in this photo
Attachment 446827

I used a 1/4" drill bit to make a hole. You can see the location relative to the orange plastic clip. I retained all clips and lights this way. The goop is RTV sealant. I had to make some minor cut to clear an area for the nut.
Attachment 446828

Here it is mounted. You would never know this isn't a factory camera. Wire is routed along the sheet metal and enter the trunk through the factory camera hole.
Attachment 446829

I followed the factory wire and then went behind the paneling to the rear fuse box where I use a standard (not mini) add a circuit there. I follow a link on the forum and it took me to a mini add a fuse and that didn't work. Need a standard size for fuse 71.
Inside I just tucked the wire up under the door trim. I uses a plastic bike tire remover to lever it up enough where need. From there it runs under the panel under the glove box and up to the rear of the command unit.

To remove the factory trim on 2012+ you open the glove box and start pulling the trim towards you. When you get to the vents there are clips inside. Here I am pointing to the clip once out with a screwdriver.
Attachment 446830

This is what it looks like in the vent. See the little hole inside? put a small screwdriver in there and level that into the vent. You need to do both vents.
Attachment 446831

The fakra plug on the 2012+ units isn't compatible with the suggested plug I see most often.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/110991103181...84.m1497.l2649

You need to modify the factory plug to accept this blue housing or modify the stock housing to accept the metal portion. I cut and filed the stock housing and glued a modified blue housing to it so both fakra plugs still snapped in.

Or and don't forget to wrap all your plug connections in tape or shrink wrap. Wouldn't want something to shake loose.

One last thing- When you are removing the head unit, you have to push down the metal fitting that the two torx screws were attached to. Its perfectly fine to tap them with a hammer through a screwdriver or similar. They aren't part of the radio and slide down when tapped. Its a retaining mechanism.

How do you remove the trunk handle, I know about all the clips but there are two torx screws that hold the handle I place but can't determine how to access them.

I used a torx bit in a 1/4 ratchet with appropriate socket to hold the bit. You'll want a low profile ratchet or something like a gear wrench to remove the torx screws in the command unit up front as well (at least on 2012+)

I like your camera and install. Have the following questions -


1. Is camera lens glass or plastic?
2. Looks like you drilled a basic round hole in black trim and fed camera
cable & screw portion through hole then tighten with nut to secure
camera to black trim. Is this correct?
3. May I ask why you installed to left of handle and not right of handle
where there is a pre-cut hole trim?
4. Can it be installed to the right of handle by drilling hole through pre-cut
hole trim?

Based on your attached chart if I order a Green Fakra SMB E 6002 female to RCA Video TV female cable it would perfectly connect to the male plug of the HU? This is the cable I found on Ebay, would it connect perfectly?

1) Not sure. Auction doesn't say.
2) Yes, more or less. You need to do some minor modification to the back of the black piece as well. I'd also suggest an oval hole so you can adjust the camera a little bit. Tighten it down when you're happy.
3) The indent on that side is directly under one of the orange clips. If you could offset it a bit, but then it wouldn't be centered in that box. Figured it would look better on the other side rather than uncentered.
4) Sure, just see the above.

As long you got a Comand it should fit, but if it doesent, just remove the green housing(i did) and it will work

Newbie here, sorry if this is the wrong location to post this question. Does anyone know of a reputable shop to do mods in the Potomac, MD; VA/DC area? I'm looking at rear view camera and xenon projectors installed to start. Thank you.

I just got my camera installed at the local shop. I also have a 2013 and purchased the same cable. What you need to do is to remove the green housing completely and it will go right into the green slot.

It seems to me the housing is pretty easy to remove. The guy took literally 2 seconds to remove it

Just look up car audio shops. They should have the experience to do the rear cam for sure. Yelp, etc probably can give you reviews on shops. Just avoid the big box stores.

Thanks for the info.

Hi Guys...
finally received the female fakra connector (straight one and not angle) so I finally installed it.

Got two problems...

1st - the fuse 71in the back is Always on +12v so the camera stays powered all the time.
This means that it will not last very long.
I will try to find a power line that get enabled (+12v) ONLY when I use the rear gear.
I was thinking getting it fo the rear white lights....
Any suggestions ?

2nd: My camera is PAL but I only see it in black and White...
No matter what setting I chose from the hidden menu (I use SRVC)...it stays BW, but I have tested the RCA cable coming from the rear camera and using an external little lcd monitor, I see that my camera is in color and not BW.
So it is the command that changes it into BW...

Guys need your expertise and help....

Any idea on these 2 issues ?

why wouldn't it last long?
the mercedes reverse cam option is also always powered on...
same story for the 360° view option

I believe that having it powered ONLY when needed could make it last longer....
Of course ...this is only my opinion....
Are there any disadvantages doing it ?
Also....
Any idea why I see my cam in B/W ????

When you used the "Add A Circuit/Fuse" to circuit #71 what fuse sizes did you use for the 2 fuse circuits?

The normal size blade fuses. There are mini and maxi ones as well.

Only powering while need apparently causes some issues with the CCD image? I don't remember exactly, but people who tried the reverse lights were having issues.

oh by the way guys, i just want to confirm that the handle camera works on any w204. pre-facelift required some trimming with a dremel, but not in any area that is visible on the outside.

also, the trunk handle camera is basically just the cube with the bracket drilled into the handle. this is something you could do yourself to the oem handle if you don't mind it being irreversible. otherwise, just tape the bracket/camera on with 3m double sided... it won't go anywhere.


good luck.

What is the #25 Nightview in engineering mode? Does it have anything to do with the rear camera?

I like to know something about this also

Is that for "front view camera?"

Night view is for an infra red camera.

Mounted in the front window???

yeah, I think it's in the place where the lane monitoring camera is if you get that option. I didn't even know that infra red cam was an option on C's, but I was watching Jack Reacher, and the white C350 in the movie had that feature. Tom used it to see where he was driving while being shot at.

Hi!

Does anyone know how to turn off the "Check entire surroundings" words in Engineering menu ? Please help

Thanks

It's a security message, i don't think you can disable it

Anyone having a problem with their camera install not working in extreme cold weather? My install went perfect without a hitch last May but noticed during this winter the camera did not function when inside car cabin temperature was extremely cold. After cabin warms up the camera functions perfectly. Based on that it seems something relating to the camera sitting in the cabin is not functioning in extreme cold. Only 2 install hardware is in the car cabin, Fakra Cable and Video Cable to the camera.

My works perfectly. And it's pretty cold here

Started a new rearview prosjet on my 2011 E250CDI and saw this: RIZ signal source Attachment 373987
Anybody who know what this is?

Hi again:confused:

Got a problem here, seems like i dont hav signals to the camera.
Tested the camera on my rear seat entertainment system it worked,
Checked the fakra, and found ok.
When i set the car in reverse, i only get a black screen saying " check entire sorroundings" as it should be..
For me it seems like the camera wont start:confused:

Took a look at the rear of the comand and did see 2 green fakra connectors, and thougt maybe the connector that was occupied was for rear view camera (pre mounted)

Anyone got a tip????

Post a pic of the back of your head unit. Which unit do you have (NTG4 4.5?)

You may also have better luck on the e-class forums (assuming this question is for your e-class?)

Make sure your Camera is getting power. Looks like everything in the system menu is set up correctly and the rear view is getting activated. It can only be two things:

1) No power
2) No Signal

Thanks for answering:)

I got a NTG 4 Unit

I used this guide to install rear view camera on my 2012 E class Coupe, and that worked perfect for me:)

Attachment 373986

1)I got power, tested with the cigarette lighter
2) No signal i think, but why???

Tested the camera with the rear seat entertainment, and it worked perfect there!!!:confused:

I think you were suppose to plug it into the non empty port by removing the FAKRA cable that was already there. Reason being that that cable is for video input from the glove box into the dvd system. You were suppose to use that port and give up the video input from a aux device that you might plug into the glove box.

Try that and see what happens.

I will give that a try

HMM, Started to think a little, mabe i recived a NTSC camera, instead of PAL

No blank screen when selecting reverse.
 

Hi,
I Had exactly the same problem with my 2008 C220k sold new in Japan.
last week I had the Comand firmware updated to the latest spec by the dealers (did not include the Maps) they reported to me upon completion that the camera did not work and I would have to reschedule for diagnosis.

So at home the next day I went in to the engineering menu 7.7 page 2 of 3 noticed the camera was not selected ON, I selected SRVC exited the command menu and waited 2 minutes started selected reverse an on she goes.

Ebay camera works a charm and latest firmware works on Japanese command units.

Just shows you that don’t trust anyone on face value always do your home work and check there diagnosis..

I had my eBay camera installed by Best Buy Automobile Geek Squad for $119 for anyone who is interested. I closely monitored him the entire time and it took approximately two hours. I proposed and he agreed to allowing me to remove the head unit. All I needed him was for running wires and doing electric as I am uncomfortable with the later. I used Scott's video on youtube, a quick search will reveal it.

My only complaint is his placement sucks, he used a license plate light at my request but the point of view on the camera shows my trunk/boot lid.

Also I chose a back up camera with built in LED lights on each corner and now it is brighter than my other LED license light.

Installing a rearview camera on a E-class 250 cdi Wagon Comand NTG4, and some problems came up.
First of all when i go into Engineering menu to set NTC or Pal it says NTC and then i change to PAL ond then go to END, the Comand restarts.
When i go inti Engineering menu again it says NTSC, seems like the Comand wont save my settings.
Tested the cameras on my rearseat monitors, pictures come up.

Attachment 373592

Attachment 373593

Attachment 373594

Attachment 373595

Attachment 373596

Attachment 373597

Attachment 373598

Attachment 373599

Attachment 373600

What am i doing wrong???

Hi!!

From what i have learned with the installation of a rearview camera in my W204 is that you need a NTSC camera! For American and European cars... Good luck!!

Tested tis also, but the same problem is still there:confused:

Hi,
From what I learned installing mine was with SRVC turned on in command and rear camera selected on via the settings screen (externally via command knob) in the setting screen the monitor should be blank screen when car going and reverse selected that is even with the cameras not connected up or plugged in still should get blank screen.

If you can not get the blank screen when selecting reverse then the problem lies in the command settings or firmware area.
Since you don’t have SRVC in your menu I would think you will need installation of the latest firmware so you have more to chose from than pal and ntsc.

Firmware update is done in conjunction with DAS and a loadable disc and from what I could tell dealer only and no the maps are something different.

I get the blank black screen saying "Check enire sorrounding"

I actually have the "SRVC" in the menu and chosen

How can i find out wich firmware i got?

Hi
With my limited amount of knowledge from researching this forum:
If the screen turns blank when selecting reverse and SRVC selected all is good with comand and you have the correct firmware.

I Don’t know what number is the latest or where to find it in comand, with the firmware mine
had originally there was no SRVC to select just camera installed or not to select.

My advise would be double check the camera is plugged in to the correct plug in the back of the command unit
and also look in Mr Scotts tube video as to which type of camera to buy and make sure yours is the right one.

I`ve been thinking alot lately:confused: and tested again.
I just switched the two Fakras, to see of that worked, and it did.
I Don`t understand why, but it worked, so far i don`t know if i miss any functions yet

Attachment 373382

Switched the two fakra Cables and now it works:)


Attachment 373374

Hi,
Glad you have got it operating the command unit is a really complicated piece of kit, I really miss the uncomplicated operation of the normal am fm in dash radio.

hello friends,

want to ask, how to make sure that my W204 2013
use "Audio20" , "Audio50" , "NTG4" , NTG4.5 ?

I'm suspecting mine is Audio20.
because when I pressed "# 1 end " and
enter the engineering mode.
the page is very different from what i saw here.

:(

here's some of the menu



really want to install a rearview camera and the display is from the 5" original dashboard display.
( no need to add new monitor )

in my center console.
i got a USB port
and a Media Interface port ( got 3 different cables )

wonder what I can do with this ,
please advise.

can i just put the video out from rear camera to one of these cables ?