How To Install Backup Camera On 2012 Volt

Replacing the Backup Camera on my Volt

Note:  This article was originally written as a post to the gm-volt.com forum.  Information technology is both a description of what I did, and a tutorial to evidence others how to do the aforementioned thing.  Although I re-wrote portions of the article, there are still some of the sections where I am clearly instructing others how to exercise the task.

When I was looking for a Chevy Volt to purchase, I was looking for one with a factory fill-in camera.  The only way you could get one when new, was to purchase the Enhanced Safety Bundle 1, they were not available ala-carte.  Adding one to an existing Volt so it shows on the heart display is somewhat hard, every bit also all the wiring needed, you also need to take the auto to your dealer and have them re-program one of the computers to recognize the camera, a $100 expense.  I knew going in that the reports on the photographic camera were not proficient, but already being ready upward to work eliminated a lot of hassle.  My initial evaluation of the camera system afterwards ownership the car confirmed that it left much to be desired.  So I decided to keep.

When I started this project, I researched what others accept done and found an aftermarket photographic camera that several people recommended. information technology was a "Rydeen CM2-T150B-PR Hard disk MINy HD Ultra Depression Illumination Motorcar Vehicle Backup Camera" available from Amazon at $ 69. I bought one. Of course about a week later I saw information technology on Amazon for $45!  Oh Well.  Several years ago I added a backup camera to my 2011 Jeep Freedom and was happy with that photographic camera, so in my initial testing on the bench, I compared that photographic camera with my Rydeen. They were very shut in both resolution and low light sensitivity, but I judged the Rydeen to be slightly better. The Jeep camera was one from Ebay for about $xvi and was titled "UNIVERSAL Waterproof Rear View Reverse Camera Backup Hard disk drive Color CCD NTSC Boob tube system".

If I had been able to compare the cameras before buying, I would have just gone with the Ebay one. I'thou sure I would never accept been able to tell the difference once installed, just since I had the very slightly ameliorate ane, I went with that - and I already spent the coin.

One time I had selected the new camera I decided I should effort some quickie tests on the car to come across if it was really worth pulling the rear bumper to install it. I really feared this task! I take a 7 inch GPS I utilize in my motorhome. 1 of the features of this unit is that it volition support a rear vision camera. This makes it ideal to use equally a totally portable video monitor. I set this GPS on my dash instead of the smaller one I usually take there and used duct tape to temporarily mount my new Rydeen camera only next to the mill photographic camera. I ran the wires through the tailgate and upwardly to the GPS. This fashion I was able to simultaneously compare images from both cameras. It wasn't a totally definitive examination equally I didn't know how well the two monitors were matched, but wanted to encounter the differences. Boy were there differences!

Here is a shot of both monitors showing both cameras at the same time. The new camera is shown on the
GPS on the dash, and of course the original  camera shows on the Volt center monitor.

As you can see, the new camera shows infinitely more particular than the stock one. Later running this test under several conditions, I decided to complete the mods. First I would similar to thank Just Vlad for his Youtube video of a like modify. That gave me the confidence to remove the back bumper to access the camera. His video is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?5=XIGVhZmf-Z4.

As it turned out, removing the right side of the bumper and pulling it out enough to access the camera and wiring only took most 20 minutes, including the "nasty clip" at the very top corner of the bumper. Once the bumper was opened, the rest of the task was easy.

Here is what my poor infant looks like with the bumper partially removed.

I plant an unexpected problem with the Rydeen camera. It had a very long cablevision, plenty to install in about any vehicle with no splices. They had stickers warning that the camera was a three.iii volt camera and to not cut the cable. There were a couple of potted cable connections in the cable and ane was certain to be a voltage regulator.  I powered it up, and sure enough one got warm. I cut the cable just beyond that, but was even so left with about 8 feet of cablevision, when I needed mayhap one. I didn't want to endeavour cutting a piece out of the remaining cablevision as information technology contained both the video and the ability lines, and would accept been a mess to splice. My solution was to double the excess up and enclose information technology in a piece of split loom, which I somewhen zip tied to an existing loom in the car.

Here is the cablevision after I cutting off equally much as I could, and the concluding cable after placing
 the excess in a loom.

I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. I decided that rather than trying to tap into the chassis harness for the camera, I would but cut off the connector from the old camera and splice information technology to my new photographic camera cable. This was fairly straight forrad and shrink sleeving made a squeamish job of it. I too decided to remove the original camera from the bracket and substitute my new camera. The old camera was fastened with 3 very tiny Phillips head screws, and I was lucky to detect that I had one screwdriver bit set that went to a 000 Phillips size. I really used the 00 size. Null else I had fit. I had to machine the bracket opening to make it larger for appendages on the rear of the new camera. I attached the new camera with adhesive and was ready to install it all.

Hither is the new photographic camera mounted in the original bracket.

I mounted the camera, zip tied the excess wire in the loom to an existing loom of wires and started to supercede the bumper. Here is where I made a really stupid mistake!! In pressing the bumper dorsum into position to secure the many clips, I accidentally pressed on the camera and pushed information technology out of the subclass, due to the not-fully cured adhesive! Of class the "nasty" clip at the corner had only clicked in. Information technology really only cost me about 10 minutes to remove the bumper once again, merely a couple hours to clean the photographic camera and bracket then re-adhere them. This time I let them cure for an hour or and so while I did something else. It then all went back together without any more hitches.

Here is the installed camera (in the centre betwixt the 2 license low-cal housings) Sorry for the glare (the 4
white confined that reinforce the bracket). The excess wires are zilch tied to an original run of wiring.

The original photographic camera on the left lacks resolution and tonality.  On the right the new camera shows much
 more detail.  Both cameras wash out the direct sunlight while focusing on the nearby scenery.  The new
camera also has guide lines to assist when backing upward.

At night time the results are like.

I retrieve the pictures speak for themselves. I am totally happy with my update.

Addendum

One problem I accept discovered with my backup photographic camera replacement is that it has the "black screen syndrome".

The image of the scene behind you is maintained for most 5 seconds subsequently you shift out of reverse to give you a smoother action when parallel parking.  After I installed this camera, I noticed that for those several seconds, my screen went black instead of still showing the rear paradigm.

Information technology turns out that the factory camera (at least on my 2013 Volt) Has two power inputs: i labeled "IGN" on the schematic, that is on whenever the automobile is on, and a power line which is directly connected to the backup low-cal circuit. The manufacturing plant camera contains a congenital in timer which keeps the camera turned on for about twenty seconds afterwards the backup lights turn off. The center console monitor keeps the backup view for about 5 seconds later you shift from opposite to a frontwards gear. If you accept an aftermarket camera without the timer, it turns off with the backup lights and the screen will be blackness for those 5 seconds.

I have been looking for a suitable filibuster timer ever since I installed the replacement aftermarket backup camera in my 2013 Volt.  I found a number of relatively large board timers with button buttons and displays that might work, but were certainly not suitable for a wired in automotive awarding. After a fairly extensive Internet search, I finally plant an affordable and rugged delay timer to eliminate the blackness screen that occurs for several seconds when yous shift out of reverse. This is a well known problem which usually occurs after either adding a backup camera to a car that did non have ane, or replacing the less than stellar manufacturing plant i with an aftermarket unit.

The timer I establish is very small and very capable, but has a huge name. It is called "Small Miniature time on off cycling delay relay 0.1 sec to 9999 hours. 5V 12V 18V DC 5A. Ability On Off filibuster, Cycling. Industrial control and hobby" That'southward the official name on Amazon. The manufacturer just calls it a "Multi-functional Timer". It sells for just under $20 including shipping, it doesn't qualify for Prime.

There are xx different timer modes available, selected by a somewhat complex programming process, nevertheless with the fantabulous on line manual and detailed videos for programming each timer fashion, it only takes a few minutes to empathize what needs doing, and usually under a minute to actually exercise information technology. Once you program the unit of measurement, It remembers what to practise until you program a different mode. What we need for the backup camera delay is programme style 12. This will upshot in the photographic camera beingness powered on instantly upon it seeing the backup lite ability. Every bit long as the light is on, the camera is on. When the light goes off, the photographic camera will remain on for whatsoever additional fourth dimension we programmed. I am using around ten seconds. Obviously, if your screen stays blackness for longer than 5 seconds, increase this time. The biggest downside to using this timer is that for most of us it means pulling ane side of the rear bumper to gain access to the photographic camera and its connector. If y'all previously routed a carve up wire from the BCM (Body Control Module) to the photographic camera, you tin can install the timer anywhere along this wire where you have access to Ignition power and ground.

This is the timer. As you can see past the size of the pen, it is quite pocket-size.

I simply finished installing this timer in my 2013 Volt. I removed the rear bumper once more and removed the camera and cabling. On the bench I rewired the harness between the connector and the camera, installing the timer into the circuit. I gauge practice makes y'all faster. I removed the bumper and had access to the camera in well-nigh 10 minutes. In another couple I had the camera and harness out.

On the left is the timer wired into my photographic camera harness. I tied it in right at the connections to the cut harness
near the  connector. On the right is the harness subsequently using a short length of loom to tidy things upward.

Hither is the photographic camera and harness installed in the automobile. You can see the timer hanging  out the end of the
 larger diameter loom.

After re-installing the photographic camera harness, I tried shifting to reverse and then to drive. The camera image was on until the brandish changed - NO MORE BLACK SCREEN!

In case you are interesting in installing one of these timers to your aftermarket backup camera, I am including the programming and the connections needed.

Programming:

First brand sure to read the online manual at chip.ly/timer17 and watch at least the video for programming mode 12. Note that on the video he uses a different trigger style to activate by grounding the trigger wire. Since our backup lights go to +12 volts, nosotros need mode 2, not mode 4 as he demonstrates.

Set the timer upwards on the demote. Make the Red wire available to connect to +12 volts, but don't connect it nonetheless (a switch for this is handy. If you are using a power supply, its switch volition do fine.)

Connect the Black wire to Ground (the minus side of the 12 v)

Connect the Yellowish wire to a 12 volt load that draws less than 5 amps, similar a small lite bulb with the other terminal grounded.

Leave the Blue wire disconnected for now, but insulate the terminate with a slice of record just in case.

The White and Light-green wires will exist floating, just connected to ground equally called for to program the timer. You tin exercise this by merely touching the wires to ground, or actually wire in push buttons. As you will be just doing this once hopefully, just touching the wires should be fine.

Stride ane
Connect both White and Green wires to ground, then connect the Ruddy wire to +12 volts. About a second later, unground the White and Green wires. The indicator light should calorie-free for 3 seconds to show the timer is in programming mode.

Stride 2
Ground the White wire for the period of time y'all desire to delay the turning off of the photographic camera. I suggest at least 10 seconds. The timer measures how long you ground the wire and sets that as the time. There is a more complicated process to set the timer for a precise fourth dimension from 0.1 seconds to thousands of hours, just we don't need to do that.

Step 3
Momentarily ground both White and Green Wires. This sets the unit to program the timer mode and the trigger mode.  The light will turn on for 3 seconds.
Nosotros want timer mode 12, so ground the White wire 12 times. The light should flash briefly each time.
Nosotros desire trigger mode 2, so ground the Green wire 2 times and the light will flash a shorter wink each time.

Stride four
Turn off the power to the Red wire. Programming is complete.

Exam the programmed timer by turning on the ability to the Scarlet wire. Nil should appear to happen. Now connect the Blue wire to +12 volts. The light should light for as long as the Blueish wire is connected and stay lighted for near 10 seconds longer. If it does this, you are set to install information technology.

Installing

The timer is about the size of a nickel and has 6 colored wires. After programming, connect the wires every bit shown. Note that the white and light-green wires are not used and should be insulated. They are used just for programming.

On the left is the minimal needed schematic. It will piece of work just fine. If you are a "chugalug and suspenders" type like I am, you may want to add the two
diodes shown in the right schematic. The but function  of them is to ensure that the camera volition nonetheless come on with the backup lights no thing what
happens with the timer. While I accept the utmost trust that the  timer volition keep working, it's a lot of  work  to access the camera if it doesn't.

That's all in that location is to information technology. Your photographic camera at present acts only similar the factory camera and stays on long enough to eliminate the blackness screen.

Just for the record, I have no connection with Amazon or 3rdbrakeflasher.com, the maker and actual seller of this timer. I'thou only a happy customer who finally found a timer that works exactly the way nosotros demand, for it to solve a problem.

Dick

R. Due south. Mason  i/vi/2017

Source: https://www.masonclan.org/CarMods/Volt%20Backup%20Camera.html

Posted by: groutalled1955.blogspot.com

Share this post