Haz1

Just got back from Best Buy where the installer said he could not install a backup camera as part of a mirror dashcam. Couldn't figure out how to get a wire for the camera from outside the care to inside my 2011 SL 550. There are panels behind the external trunk skin and inside the truck panels and he didn't want to drill into anything when he didn't know what was in there.
Have any of you folks mounted an external backup camera on an R230? Is so, how did you or your installer get the wire in?
Third question: is there a better place to mount the camera besides above the license?
(Curious note to me. I had a 2011 E550 AMG with a backup camera, Bluetooth streaming audio, and Distronic Plus and kind of presumed this more expensive car from the same year would have them. Nope.)
If you have any ideas, I'd appreciate hearing them.

as.thompson

I didn't have a camera installed in my SL but I did it in my CL500. The installer used an existing hole for license plate lights or similar. He had no problem. Here are some pictures and description of the job on my CL. https://mbworld.org/forums/cl-class-...eo-system.html

gaazmon

I believe the 2009 facelift and on model R230s have a space for mounting a camera next to the trunk handle area (Should be a black plastic circle). Also, the Comand NTG 2.5's have a fakra connection for the camera (Should be the open green connector). Hard part is routing the wire to the unit from all the way back there. Seems it has to be SDS coded as well. I found an older thread talking about this with a link to another forum with more detailed procedure.

https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-...era-sl550.html

The W212 comes with Comand 4.0, 4.5, and 4.7 (Similar to 3.0 and 3.5 in CL/S vehicles of that time) which are the evolution of the 2.5 in our 09+ R230s. You can add bluetooth streaming audio by adding a bluetooth device onto the 30 pin plug that goes into the MMI slot in the glovebox. You can't use one of those basic $20 units from Amazon. They don't work with these systems for some reason. It's gotta be one of those Bovee Tune2Air or CoolStream CarPro devices (Usually $70-$80 on Amazon). Full disclosure, I haven't used either of these so not too sure how well they work.

CoolStream CarPro -
Bovee Tune2Air -
Bovee Tune2Air With Cable -

Haz1

This is great. Thanks to both of you.
Gives me some places to look. I do have that round plug on the truck handle so that might be the best place to start. I also found Chinese license plate lens with a camera, but there is no hole in the lens receiver.
Was also looking at MMI adapters, some of which promise Android Auto or IOS connection, which I doubt. But even the "good ones" are cheap enough to experiment with.
This all just gives me something to obsess over. The engineering on these cars is so great the issue becomes second guessing how they did it in the first place.
But a big thanks to both of you. I will follow up and report when I get this puppy working.

Haz1

Just an update. Mounted a third party camera where the factory camera goes, routing wire through the license plate light. Works fine. Mounted the mirror and took power off the gray and brown in the overhead console for the SOS light, as is recommended in the forum. Should have read further. That doesn't work. Camera only goes on if the lights are on. Ran another power wire to the front left fuse box under the hood and tapped into the cigarette lighter fuse, which is switched. Works fine and actually a pretty easy run. Now trying to figure out where to tap the reverse light. Getting at the wiring at the light is a serious pain.

BobCT

How are you routing the camera wire for the license plate location? I just installed the mid city electronics setup on my 2012. It's all hooked up and working BUT went to put the top up and camera wire stopped it! I forgot the trunk needs to pivot in both directions. With the trunk open, I routed the wire on the hinges following the factory loom. Seemed like a great idea but when the top goes to close, the trunk pivots in the opposite direction so the wire is too short. I have the camera installed right next to the lic plate light. For power, I just tapped off the lighter power right in the center console.

thanks
Bob

Haz1

I got it routed right, following the loom. Mounted the camera just to the left of where the factory camera goes, running the wire inside through the right license plate light.

But I gave up on the mirror backup camera. Just didn't work right. Sooooo, changed the entire system to an ATOTO S8 head unit. Front camera (just below the center logo), back camera, Dashcam, two USB connectors in the glove compartment and the OBD relay for engine data. "Almost" all worked right. I forgot a wire to let the head unit know it was in reverse to automatically change to the reverse camera, so have to take it apart again. Has steering wheel control adapter from Metra, which worked. Not so much on the Sosche double din face plate (which I veneered). It "says" it works with 05 to 2012 SL's, but I had to MacGyver it to make it work. Definitely not for our years. I also emailed the company to ask about it.... and never got an answer. One more thing. The AM-FM antenna connects a different way than earlier models, NOT using the radio's port but connecting through the wiring loom to the Benz head unit. I finally gave up trying to make the factory antenna work and installed an after market one in the windshield frame. Not very good reception... which is a common complaint, but I'm adding a line amplifier when I take it apart again to fix the backup issue.

So a really long answer but the two mirror backup cameras I tried just didn't work worth a crap.

brucewane

The factory loom for the trunk lid goes from the license plate area forward to the front trunk lid hinge on the right side, then down and back along the trunk lid frame which is hinged at the rear of the car for top operation, the loom going into the main body in the area of the right rear taillight.

Here's a picture with the trunk lid in top operation position, arrow pointing to the wiring harness -

Haz1

What I did was take it to where you show, the hinge at the front. Then I partially "lowered" the top, and stopped it when the trunk was in the up position. This shows the sideways "W" frame that allows the trunk top to open both ways.

I followed the factory wiring through that.

BobCT

Got it thanks guys. I followed the factory loom as well but didn’t account for the trunk articulating in the opposite direction. After some trial and error, I wound up leaving a small loop near the weatherstripping and that seems to be fine in both directions.

I can confirm that the mid city electronics VIM230 kit does work without any programming (NTG2.5, ‘09-‘12). If you have SDS or no someone who does, then it’s probably not worth buying the kit because they should be able to have the Comand recognize the camera on these later Comand head units.


Bob