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I loved my backup camera in my Titan. It was easy to install too. I bought an Alpine camera that plugged into my Alpine HU. Couldn't get easier than that. This time around it is not so straight forward.
I did a lot of clicking around trying to find the features that I wanted with a pleasing look and budget. The options that were available were HomeLink, auto-dimming, auto-brightness (monitor), and bluetooth. I plan on adding a HomeLink to the overhead console at some point, I don't need bluetooth, and the auto-dimming ones were just way too expensive or didn't have a monitor. I finally landed on these both purchased from Amazon.
Mirror (ARECORD)
Camera (AUTO-VOX)
First, the mirror:
I should preface that I know little about cars and even less about their wiring. That said, I did find this part pretty easy.
Getting the stock mirror off was easier than I thought. There are a few YouTube videos out there that explains it. I just took a large jeweler's flathead screwdriver, put it in the hole on the underside of the mount, and with a little pressure on the screwdriver while pulling up on the mirror it slid right off. All you're really doing is relieving the tension on the spring clip holding the mirror on.
Mounting the new mirror was as easy as sliding it on the mount and tightening up the hex set-screw.
I started at the fuse panel to run the power cable. I started here because I thought it easier to fish that one connector rather than a pigtail of wires going the other way. The plastic panel is just held in by some clips and can easily be pulled away. The rubber weather stripping can be pulled away revealing a perfect chase for the wire.
From the top of the pillar I routed the cable over the airbag to where the headliner meets the pillar. A little tucking under the headliner and we're golden.
I then made the electrical connections at the fuse panel. +12v to the supplied fuse extender. I extended the existing fuse labeled 'mirror' because duh. I attached the ground to some metal and ohm'd it out to make sure. This mirror has two video cables, but I will only be using one. They will just sit here until I install the camera.
I turned on the key to make sure it worked (and the side mirrors too) then turned off the key and made sure it didn't work.
Success! The mirror also came with a little extendable wire chase that clips into the bracket and tucks into the headliner.
Hopefully I can get around to doing the camera by this weekend. I will add to this post when I do.
This is as far as I got the next day...
Next day:
Alright...I got the camera installed. It was a little easier than I anticipated. I must say that it did not work at first. I thought at first it was my skill level or lack there of, but as it turns out it was a bad wire on the tiny circuit board on the video selector switch (hopefully a manufacturing anomaly). After soldering on a new one it worked like a champ.
So here's how I did it:
I started at the fuse panel plugging in the video cable. The red wire (on the right) is for if you're running video to a head unit with a signal wire or if you wanted to control the camera by a switch for monitoring whatever you're towing. I did not hook it up, just tucked it to the side
My route for the cable was under the thresholds on the passenger side. The supplied orange plastic wire hider pry tool thingymabobber ( <--- actual name) came in super handy.
I then ran the cable behind the panels in the back seat. The plastic and fabric shrouds are held on by little clips that are easily removed with a little pulling. Half of those orange connectors stayed with the truck while the other half came with the panel. You'll want to pull these out (pry tool thingamabobber works great here) and put them back on the panel. The black ones just pull out.
I used the vent on the drivers side to exit the cab. No trick here... just push the wire through.
Everything on the outside gets put into some split loom for protection (3/8 worked just fine). I followed other wires and cables securing with cable ties every now and again making my way to the driver's side tail light.
After mounting the camera to the license plate I ran the cable (in split loom) to the tail light and plugged it in to the other cable. Now it's just a matter of finding the hot and ground on the reverse light to tap into for power. As it turns out the blue is hot and black is ground. I used splice connectors to make my connections.
Finished product. I'm very pleased with the outcome. Hope this helps anybody else with their project.
I did a lot of clicking around trying to find the features that I wanted with a pleasing look and budget. The options that were available were HomeLink, auto-dimming, auto-brightness (monitor), and bluetooth. I plan on adding a HomeLink to the overhead console at some point, I don't need bluetooth, and the auto-dimming ones were just way too expensive or didn't have a monitor. I finally landed on these both purchased from Amazon.
Mirror (ARECORD)
Camera (AUTO-VOX)
First, the mirror:
I should preface that I know little about cars and even less about their wiring. That said, I did find this part pretty easy.
Getting the stock mirror off was easier than I thought. There are a few YouTube videos out there that explains it. I just took a large jeweler's flathead screwdriver, put it in the hole on the underside of the mount, and with a little pressure on the screwdriver while pulling up on the mirror it slid right off. All you're really doing is relieving the tension on the spring clip holding the mirror on.
Mounting the new mirror was as easy as sliding it on the mount and tightening up the hex set-screw.
I started at the fuse panel to run the power cable. I started here because I thought it easier to fish that one connector rather than a pigtail of wires going the other way. The plastic panel is just held in by some clips and can easily be pulled away. The rubber weather stripping can be pulled away revealing a perfect chase for the wire.
From the top of the pillar I routed the cable over the airbag to where the headliner meets the pillar. A little tucking under the headliner and we're golden.
I then made the electrical connections at the fuse panel. +12v to the supplied fuse extender. I extended the existing fuse labeled 'mirror' because duh. I attached the ground to some metal and ohm'd it out to make sure. This mirror has two video cables, but I will only be using one. They will just sit here until I install the camera.
I turned on the key to make sure it worked (and the side mirrors too) then turned off the key and made sure it didn't work.
Success! The mirror also came with a little extendable wire chase that clips into the bracket and tucks into the headliner.
Hopefully I can get around to doing the camera by this weekend. I will add to this post when I do.
This is as far as I got the next day...
Next day:
Alright...I got the camera installed. It was a little easier than I anticipated. I must say that it did not work at first. I thought at first it was my skill level or lack there of, but as it turns out it was a bad wire on the tiny circuit board on the video selector switch (hopefully a manufacturing anomaly). After soldering on a new one it worked like a champ.
So here's how I did it:
I started at the fuse panel plugging in the video cable. The red wire (on the right) is for if you're running video to a head unit with a signal wire or if you wanted to control the camera by a switch for monitoring whatever you're towing. I did not hook it up, just tucked it to the side
My route for the cable was under the thresholds on the passenger side. The supplied orange plastic wire hider pry tool thingymabobber ( <--- actual name) came in super handy.
I then ran the cable behind the panels in the back seat. The plastic and fabric shrouds are held on by little clips that are easily removed with a little pulling. Half of those orange connectors stayed with the truck while the other half came with the panel. You'll want to pull these out (pry tool thingamabobber works great here) and put them back on the panel. The black ones just pull out.
I used the vent on the drivers side to exit the cab. No trick here... just push the wire through.
Everything on the outside gets put into some split loom for protection (3/8 worked just fine). I followed other wires and cables securing with cable ties every now and again making my way to the driver's side tail light.
After mounting the camera to the license plate I ran the cable (in split loom) to the tail light and plugged it in to the other cable. Now it's just a matter of finding the hot and ground on the reverse light to tap into for power. As it turns out the blue is hot and black is ground. I used splice connectors to make my connections.
Finished product. I'm very pleased with the outcome. Hope this helps anybody else with their project.
