[sanjeevgpc]

Many cars these days have a reverse camera like my i20 sportz (P). The camera gets enabled when you engage the reverse gear which possibly enables a switch to power on the camera and the LCD.

1. Has anybody done modification to install a switch so that the camera can be enabled at will by press of a switch?
2. Another mod could be to just install a front bumper camera and wire it to the same LCD so it can be enabled by a switch.

As harness is different for different cars, all cars will have a slight different way to do this.

[dhanushs]

The power for these devices are usually taken from the rear tailamp cluster (reverse light).

If you want to seperately power on the device, you will need to tap the power wire of the device to give additional supply with the switch inside the cabin.

Without removing the existing connection will mean, your reverse light will glow when you switch it on.

[jinojohnt]

Option 1: Pull a wire from the car battery back all the way to the camera.
Option 2: Connect the camera to the park light. Switching on the park light would switch the camera on.
Option 3: Install a wireless camera with remote on/off. But you'll need to change the camera batteries very often.

[svsantosh]

Connecting the reverse camera to a switch is no brainer. Just get a switch and 2 same lengths of wire (Dash to the camera) and isolate the power source to the camera and connect it to one wire from dash and connect the other wire from dash to the camera and find a place (if drilling a hole) subtle enough so that no one fiddles with it.

Interesting point is you proposing to having a camera on front bumper, other than parking owes (which is your intent) I have also had queries from nuisance friends if it can be used to do blind-spot tailgating out of a truck/bus onto the left lane on a free way to overtake. (Of course I clearly turned down that silly organ-donor idea)

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by sanjeevgpc

2. Another mod could be to just install a front bumper camera and wire it to the same LCD so it can be enabled by a switch.

Possible, but why do you need a Front Camera?

OE circuit


Modified one for your request (being a mechanical engineer I'm not so good at electricals / electronics part. Experts please correct me if I'm wrong)

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

.
Option 2: Connect the camera to the park light. Switching on the park light would switch the camera on.
.

IMO this is the simplest and most practical option considering you wouldn't want too much of wiring change and modifications. If it is an aftermarket install, it is very easy, just splicing a different wire. If it is an OE part, guess it will be trickier in case the reverse signal is tapped somewhere in the middle of the harness instead of near the tail lamp itself.

The drawback will be it will be ON when lights are needed. I wanted such a setup in my car and I thought of hooking it up with the rear fog lamps since I rarely use it.

[rkg]

Some of the aftermarket AV systems have this inbuilt. My pioneer System has the option. There is a button on the display for reverse camera. I have asked the installer( prerana) to enable it, but he didn't do it. It needs a wire to be run from the head-unit to camera for power.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

The power for these devices are usually taken from the rear tailamp cluster (reverse light).
Without removing the existing connection will mean, your reverse light will glow when you switch it on.

Generally, reverse light is switched on through a switch which gets actuated while reverse gear is engaged. Therefore, if power is looped from the incoming power wire to this switch, glowing of reverse lights can be avoided.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by rkg

Some of the after market AV systems have this inbuilt. My pioneer System has the option. there is a button on the display for reverse camera. I have asked the installer( prerana) to enable. it. but he did not do. it needs wire to be run from head unit to camera for power

Yes, some of the touchscreen pioneer HUs do this. There's a system setting to turn the camera feed on or off. Think of it as interrupting the signal when off. It needs to be accessed from the touchscreen user interface - typically the main menu.
Picture courtesy: Pioneer

[mayankk]

Tape a power line along with the video cord running to the HU. Tap an unused socket. Pioneer and Sony have this feature of enabling the camera in the input menu.
I wanted to try that, but dropped the idea after considering utility.

[jinojohnt]

Originally Posted by audioholic

The drawback will be it will be ON when lights are needed. I wanted such a setup in my car and I thought of hooking it up with the rear fog lamps since I rarely use it.

Hooking up with the rear fog lamps seems to be a better idea than connecting with the park light. The only down side is that you cannot use it while driving (forward) at night, due to risk of blinding the traffic behind you. If you need the camera only while reversing, it is still sensible to connect it to the reverse light.