Rear View Camera, mirror mount

[MSHardeman]

Dang Dino, didn't you JUST get your VX? Way to mod that sucker up.

Welcome to the obsession.

[Dumke]

Hey dino can u take a picture back away from the video i want to see how big that rear view mirror is. Like take one zoomed out from passanger seat or from front of truck or something. many thanks.

[Dino]

Well, here's this shot of the kit, pre-install.



The mirror is about the same width as the stock one. It clips on with two rubber padded spring clamps. It effectively covers the switches for the stock map lights. You loose them with this kit installed.



I didn't like that very much, so I modded it further.




I'll be posting more pics later... busy Saturday morning.

[Dino]

So... as promised, pics of the rear view camera install.

First, I removed the rear plastic blister where the factory camera mounts.





It has a plastic insert that I first glued in place, then I drilled a 1" hole in it to mount the camera.





Then I mounted the camera in it. It's waterproof and it also came with an o-ring so it seals itself up on the outside. It also has two beveled rings to allow for precise angle mounting.





Here's the cam and blister installed






The video cable and power wires got installed next. I poked a hole in the rubber gromet in the camera bay and inserted the wires.





Next comes the fun stuff. I removed this rubber boot that the wires to the tailgate run through. It's right there in the door jam. I've lightened the background in this pic.





Then I ran a wire snake through the boot. What's a wire snake? Well Here I used a piece of 1/4" vinyl tubing. I've also used large wire ties. Anything that will safely poke through the boot so you can snake the wires through by taping them to the snake. I used a little tire restore juice to lube the boot first.





Once through the boot, I had to get it into the side panel. It's a bit hidden, but if you remove the jack and reach up and left, you'll feel where the boot and wires come through the door jam.
Here you can see the snake and wires routed through the passage, ready to pull through.





Now after reinstalling the boot, I had my wires through and coming out of the jack bay. I decided to install my camera ground wire in there so I filed and area clean and ran a fresh self tapping screw into the sheetmetal. It's a brace so there's no danger of going through the hull of the ship Captain!






Then it was a matter of tucking the wire under the side panel and working my way forward towards the fuse panel area.





I easily tucked the wires under the door sill. (I later pulled it up and put them under the carpet)





Now I had the wires at the fuse panel. I decided to get power for my camera from the cigar lighter fuse. I removed the lower dash panel and exposed the fuse panel...





...then after removing the plastic clip and one screw, I slid it forward to remove it.





I found the wire I wanted by looking at the back of the panel. It turned out to be the brown/white wire. It is switched with the key and it's fused with the cigar lighter. This is where I connected my main 12V+ power lead.





I needed a good grounding point for the system up front (power filter and monitor) so I decided to take advantage of the M6 bolt just below the fuse panel.





Next I needed to find the reverse light wire. This would make my camera and monitor come on when in reverse gear. After finding the color of it in the back panel where I previously saw the wires, I looked in the bundle of wires that ran down towards the floor behind the drivers kick panel. It's the red/yellow wire you see here.





OK now I had to get the cable from the power filter to my monitor. YEP! The wire snake to the rescue!! First I fed it down from the top...





...then attached the cable with some tape and pulled it through.





Next I ran the cable up the a-pillar, removed the sun visor, pulled the headliner down a bit and tucked it in.





And there you have it!


Oh yeah... the monitor mod... I'll get pics of that up later too.

Hope you enjoyed this journey through my VX!

[MZ-N10]

great how-to....should this be added to teh how-to section?

[Dino]

Here's what I did to the monitor to get it to stay on the visor mirror. I put pieces of auto-trim double sided tape on it and just stuck it on!





It should stay there for a while until I can fabricate a nice elclosure for it.

[Bahama_Cross]

Well, here's this shot of the kit, pre-install.



The mirror is about the same width as the stock one. It clips on with two rubber padded spring clamps. It effectively covers the switches for the stock map lights. You loose them with this kit installed.



I didn't like that very much, so I modded it further.




I'll be posting more pics later... busy Saturday morning.

Hey Dino!

I got that same rear view mirror monitor kit off of ebay... I don't know much about wiring but I will have some help from people that do. I will print out your thread and follow it as an instruction booklet for my installation! Thanks for writing this thread I will let you know how my installation goes and hopefully posts a few pictures of it... thanks again!

Alexander.

[Dino]

Cool!

I have put the thing BACK on the visor. Just works out better there.

Good luck with the install...

[rowhard]

So bandit, how bad was it with the viewer on the sun visor? That would be the only option I would have or the passengers sun visor. I mean, it's not like you would be watching a video, just a 'check 6' glance.

[Dino]

So bandit, how bad was it with the viewer on the sun visor? That would be the only option I would have or the passengers sun visor. I mean, it's not like you would be watching a video, just a 'check 6' glance.

Exactly! It's just fine on the driver visor. It's become second nature to flip down the visor when I back up!

Soon I'll be modding even more with pan and tilt controls. HOW? You ask. Good question!

I'm thinking I could go to a wrecking yard, find a power mirror assembly from oh say a Honda or a Mazda, anything, something cheap.. and take out the two motor pan/tilt mechanism AND the control switch from the cabin.

After a little modding, I could mount it in the rear blister with the camera attached, and put the switch up front in the fuzzy hole ( ohhhh fuzzy hole))) what??
heh heh

Anyway.. that might be some fun eh?

[Bahama_Cross]

Dino Help!

I have everything installed now, but I m not sure how to or where to hook the camera up to a power source? If that makes sense. I installed and plugged the camera in and but do I have to hook that camera up to some type of power source like I did the monitor? The moniter worked but it comes up as a blue screen and says 'No Signal' What else do I have to do other than plug the camera in from the wire I ran from the front of the car?

Thanks a million! Followed your instructions to a Tee!

Alexander.

[Bahama_Cross]

Hey Dino!

I got that same rear view mirror monitor kit off of ebay... I don't know much about wiring but I will have some help from people that do. I will print out your thread and follow it as an instruction booklet for my installation! Thanks for writing this thread I will let you know how my installation goes and hopefully posts a few pictures of it... thanks again!

Alexander.

Dino Help!

I have everything installed now, but I m not sure how to or where to hook the camera up to a power source? If that makes sense. I installed and plugged the camera in and but do I have to hook that camera up to some type of power source like I did the monitor? The moniter worked but it comes up as a blue screen and says 'No Signal' What else do I have to do other than plug the camera in from the wire I ran from the front of the car?

Thanks a million! Followed your instructions to a Tee!

Alexander.

[Zorak]

I believe his instructions say he tapped into the brown and white wire for the cigar lighter for his +12v lead for the camera...