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Adding backup camera to 2012 non-nav Prius 2 with touch screen

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by our1vue, Aug 31, 2013.

  1. our1vue

    our1vue Member

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    Felice,
    Don't have much experience with the European models, and I'm not an EE, so be warned.
    Does your car have the OEM camera that displays the picture on your OEM head unit ? Are you
    removing the OEM head unit and replacing it with an android device ? The OEM headunit is the
    one that puts the 6.5V on the white wire. If you remove that, there goes your 6.5 V source. Also the head unit checks
    to see if there is a camera attached to it at power on (not when the car is put in reverse). If this test fails, then
    it doesn't send the 6.5V to the camera when the car is put in reverse.
     
  2. Felice

    Felice New Member

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    Hi our1vue, thank you for your hints.

    Originally, the OEM camera displayed the picture on the OEM head unit, that I replaced with an android-based system.

    I just came up from my garage: I tried to put some 6V on the white wire and connect the red and black to the video cable, but nothing happens.

    I also have another question: how does the system "know" when the car is put in reverse ? I'm talking both about the OEM system and the aftermarket one...

    I'm really banging my head on the wall with this camera!

    [I'm posting the same message in two different threads, maybe it's interesting for both of them]

    I managed to make the camera work by applying 6V from a AC/DC converter. The aftermarket system has a wire called "reverse in" that has to be plugged on a 12V source in order for the picture to appear. When I plug it in a random 12V source, the picture on the system automatically switches to the rear camera. This is a big step forward!

    Now, my next two challenges are:
    - find a 12V source behind the kickpanel that activates only in reverse gear (any idea?)
    - find some "native" 6V somewhere (I know I could easily build a little converter as explained in other threads, but I love challenges)

    Actually, with my multi tester I found a 5,8V source (which I tried but unfortunately it's not enough for the camera to operate) and a couple of 8V sources (which I didn't try because I don't want to blow my camera... especially now that I know it works!)
     
  3. our1vue

    our1vue Member

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    Felice,
    I don't know how the OEM radio knows when the car is in reverse. Since Toyota designed both the HU and the camera, they
    could do all sorts of magic :)
    On aftermarket systems, they usually tie into the reverse lights and that triggers the camera. I don't have a wiring diagram to
    know where the reverse lights start in the kick panel area.
    I'm not much help in finding a 6.5V source. The HU provided that for the OEM situation (which is a strange way to do it). Some
    people wonder why Toyota used a 6.5V camera instead of a 12V camera which would make things a lot easier for everyone.
    I think you are heading into unknown areas and solving problems we didn't encounter. This thread was mostly about
    adding a new camera to an OEM HU. You are going the other way around by adding an OEM camera to an aftermarket HU.
    If you have any questions, please feel free to append them. Not sure how much help we can offer, but we will be very
    interested in hearing how your project turns out.
     
  4. GFO

    GFO Member

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    I've thought of getting one of these, it's $120.00, but it seems like an easier install as the wiring into the radio/display is already sorted out:



    Anyone have any experience with this particular unit?

    Not sure why the amazon link isn't showing up, but it's a:
    Toyota Rear Backup Camera Kit for Camry, Corolla, Prius, Rav4 (2012, 2013, 2014)
     
  5. AllMightyM15

    AllMightyM15 New Member

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    I did this already on my 2014 Toyota Prius two that did not have the camera, I actually just bought the OEM Camera kit on ebay and had that installed, works good.
     
  6. our1vue

    our1vue Member

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    AllMightyM15,
    Could you please post what OEM kit you got so others will know what worked ? Thanks
     
  7. AllMightyM15

    AllMightyM15 New Member

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  8. FinToy

    FinToy Active Member

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    Funny how the camera is installed in the middle of the trunk. I believe the factory installed cameras should be on the left side of the license plate - where I also installed mine.

    Also, the stock camera looks totally different:
    2014 Toyota Prius Rear View Camera 86790-47040 10 11 12 13 14 | eBay
     

    Attached Files:

  9. our1vue

    our1vue Member

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    AllMightyM15,
    Thanks for posting the link. Having a 6V camera make life so much easier.
    FinToy,
    On my Prius, there was a D shaped cutout that the camera snapped into. No screws were necessary. It looks like the above
    camera uses 2 mounting screws.
     
  10. AllMightyM15

    AllMightyM15 New Member

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    No problem and yeah, I had noticed their was already a cut out and place already established for the camera system, just had to pop it out, run the wires through and mount it back, heard some had the same thing but you had to drill a little hole in the encloser


    iPhone ?

    Edit : here's a video of an installation, the video is fairly quick and was done very well

     
    #130 AllMightyM15, Mar 23, 2016
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2016
  11. KeinoDoggy

    KeinoDoggy Member

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  12. KeinoDoggy

    KeinoDoggy Member

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    I wanted to post the link to it at Amazon but for some reason I can not post Url link.
     
  13. tigerpilot

    tigerpilot Member

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    I'd like your opinion.
    2015 Prius stock radio with backup camera working fine. I want to add a 12 volt front camera to the existing monitor. I have a relay set up but not sure about splitting the video input on the rear of the stock radio. It doesn't look like a shielded pair. Beat-Sonic is out of stock on their BCUS but I'm not sure I need that. I've been a Ham Radio guy for over 60 years so I'm not afraid of soldering etc.
    The plan would be when going forward (parking) I would just switch the camera input relay. The front camera would always be powered.
    Thanks for any suggestions.
    Regards, Don
    Naples FL
     
  14. our1vue

    our1vue Member

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    Don,
    Do you have the stock camera along with the stock radio ? There isn't a shielded pair for the video. The stock camera has a red wire for the video signal and a black wire for the ground. Those are the wires that would go to your relay. But there are unknowns about what the stock radio is going to do when the car is not in reverse. Does it just look for a video signal and display it or will it only display the video when the car is in reverse. I'm thinking the car needs to be in reverse. One of our fellow priuschat camera installers wired his camera to
    a constant 12V source to satisfy the power on check. I don't remember him saying the rear view camera was being displayed when the
    car was going forward.
     
  15. tigerpilot

    tigerpilot Member

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    You're correct about the factory rear camera. The radio is going to be confused going forward. I'll need an addiitonal kit from BeatSonic for $110 and it's just not going to be worth it.
    I think I'll go with a Pioneer HU. They work 'cause I have one on my '09. I was just hoping to keep the factory look and ALL the functions for the display but I'm pretty sure I'll lose most of them.
    Regards...
     
  16. nanoxnano

    nanoxnano Junior Member

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    Question. Would it be the same difficulty if I wanted to install a rear dash cam on the back window?
     
  17. FinToy

    FinToy Active Member

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    Don't think so. In that case you wouldn't need to pull any wires to the front of the car, just get power for the cam somewhere. I've been thinking about the same. Haven't had time to investigate the power source yet.
     
  18. our1vue

    our1vue Member

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    Append #5 in this thread talks about a wire that has 12V in the rear hatch (assuming 12v is what your camera wants). Are these
    camera wireless for the video signal ? If so, what receives and displays this wireless signal ?
     
  19. FinToy

    FinToy Active Member

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    I thinkg he talks about dash cams that record on a memory card.
     
  20. frosio

    frosio New Member

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    First of all, thanks to our1vue for the very detailed post.
    I confess, I have no Prius. I have another japanese car: Mazda CX5,
    However, the back up camera issue is similar.
    In my case, 12V cam was connected to 12V ACC by the car diller, because they did not know,
    how to power the cam by HU 6V, As a result, inline power converter has burned within a year.
    I did know nothing about the rear camera. I know much more now, thanks to diller.
    The camera labeled "3.3V", so, I had chance it is alive. I have disconnected camera from 12V first.
    To check the camera itself, I have cut the insulation on the cable between the power adaptor and camera,
    It has red (for +3.3V) and coax cable inside, where the shield wire used as "-3.3V", too.
    Without cutting wires completely, I connect 2 x 1.5V batteries,"-" to the shield, "+" to the camera red.
    Video signal wire remains, goes through the burnt converter PCB all the way down to HU. TEST was successful, cam detected,
    works as it should. Than, I've used standalone DC-DC LM2596 stepdown, powered by 12V Acc, set to 3.3V, instead of the batteries.
    It works, but the pulse voltage of LM2596 makes the picture "noisy". I made the stepdown convereter myself using LM317, 2 resistors and 2 capacitors, ran the wires from HU "+6V" and "-6V" (white and orrange in your setup). Again, everything is working. I've been ready to cut away the original converter, but did not, left it for a while. I cut ONLY red cam wire right behind the inline converter, and this setup does not work. When the red cam wire re-connected to the "burnt" inline converter, setup works fine again. What is inside broken inline converter still affecting the signal? I am sure, that 3.3V + and - connected to cam wires, Video + is intact. Any ideas? I don't want to cut out the old converter PCB until fully realise it's function.