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I think there may be a wrinkle to this (bolded text). It is true that cars with PDK and an OEM backup camera take the camera power signal from shifting into reverse. But I am not convinced that this is true for PDK cars that have aftermarket cameras. When I fitted the aftermarket backup camera to my wife's Cayman, ages before I even thought about replacing the PCM, I recall that the camera did not work at first. I had to go into the PCM and enable a setting in the menu to tell the car that I had a backup camera. I had forgotten this until reminded of it yesterday when discussing another aspect of the car with my wife, who reminded me. So it may be that when we fit aftermarket cameras to PDK cars, they still need some way of getting power to the camera, independent of simply shifting into reverse,
In the current case, it is clear that the HU is switching the display to the reverse camera input, or we wouldn't be seeing the camera backup guidelines. The lack of image, assuming the camera is not broken and is plugged into the correct RCA, which we are assured it is, is almost certainly because the camera is not being powered. I still think that connecting to the brown wire is, if not a guaranteed fix, at least a likely one. Of course, I will be happy to eat crow if this turns out to be just another blind alley
EDIT: To elaborate: If you have a car with the OEM backup camera, and you fit a CHSTEK HU, the backup camera will work out of the box. Engage reverse, camera turns on, image appears. But if you have an aftermarket camera, it won't work because (obviously) the camera had not been enabled in the PCM menus as described above, because Porsche supplied the car without a backup camera.
That's why I said if it's already powered, he doesn't need to tap the brown wire 😀. The brown wire is just providing signal to the HU that the car has shifted into reverse. I was testing my cameras while being powered from the fuse box, so I am certain there was no need to tap into this if the camera is powered.
That's why I said if it's already powered, he doesn't need to tap the brown wire 😀. The brown wire is just providing signal to the HU that the car has shifted into reverse. I was testing my cameras while being powered from the fuse box, so I am certain there was no need to tap into this if the camera is powered.
Is the brown wire a 12v trigger then? I thought it was providing power? His camera is already being triggered - hence the guidelines showing up. The lack of image is the issue, and that seems to me to be a lack of power to the camera (since he is certain he is connected to the correct RCA video).
My point earlier was that he is NOT already powered since the PCM has to be told there is a camera fitted when using an aftermarket camera. I had to enable this before my aftermarket camera worked (nothing to do with HUs - I had the PCM at the time). But if the brown wire is just a trigger to switch the HU to the appropriate input when reverse is selected, then hooking into it won't solve his problem (which IMO is lack of power to the camera. Like I say. I believed the brown wire to be providing 12v.
What he could do is simply, and temporarily, hook the camera's power wire to a live 12v and then put the car into reverse. If it's lack of cam power, that will prove it.
Is the brown wire a 12v trigger then? I thought it was providing power? His camera is already being triggered - hence the guidelines showing up. The lack of image is the issue, and that seems to me to be a lack of power to the camera (since he is certain he is connected to the correct RCA video).
My point earlier was that he is NOT already powered since the PCM has to be told there is a camera fitted when using an aftermarket camera. I had to enable this before my aftermarket camera worked (nothing to do with HUs - I had the PCM at the time). But if the brown wire is just a trigger to switch the HU to the appropriate input when reverse is selected, then hooking into it won't solve his problem (which IMO is lack of power to the camera. Like I say. I believed the brown wire to be providing 12v.
What he could do is simply, and temporarily, hook the camera's power wire to a live 12v and then put the car into reverse. If it's lack of cam power, that will prove it.
Right, it's just a 12v trigger that gets energized in reverse signaling the HU to switch to the rearview display and correct as well he could try tapping into it to test but I believe his camera power wire didn't run up to the head unit to do that easily like most of the after market cameras. But if there is a red pigtail wire coming out of the RCA cable, then he can try using that to test as suggested previously.
At this point, it's likely the camera has no power or the harness/connectors are not connected properly.
Right, it's just a 12v trigger that gets energized in reverse signaling the HU to switch to the rearview display and correct as well he could try tapping into it to test but I believe his camera power wire didn't run up to the head unit to do that easily like most of the after market cameras. But if there is a red pigtail wire coming out of the RCA cable, then he can try using that to test as suggested previously.
At this point, it's likely the camera has no power or the harness/connectors are not connected properly.
Yes, agreed. So he's switching OK, but seeing no image. As you say, no camera power or a bad/wrong connection. It should be relatively straightforward to troubleshoot from here. 👍
IMHO until the camera is wired up according to Chsteks instructions we are clutching at straws a little here. And if the camera has a negative wire that'll need connecting to the loom as well..
Just AAMOI, most advice tells you not to have the camera permanently powered, but I have had the camera on the Cayman permanently powered for about 2 years now, and it doesn't seem to have caused any problems. A (sort of) benefit is that we can turn the camera on when driving forwards to get a very good rearview. I wired it this way for simplicity, meaning to do it differently at a later stage, but then never got a round tuit. So, in this case, I'd see no real problem in wiring the camera to any switched (red wire) source on the HU. This would mean it was always powered and would switch when going into reverse to the correct input. Sorted!
*They say that permanently powering the camera can reduce its life. I don't really see why it should - my (inexpensive) home security cameras are permanently powered, obviously, and have been for years, and they are all still working. I'd think that any decent rearview camera would be the same. Just avoid the 2 bucks rubbish with plastic lenses.
For the steering wheel controls how do you put it into pair mode? I get this screen when I select it but don't get a response when I hold a button so I assume I'm missing a step
Yes, agreed. So he's switching OK, but seeing no image. As you say, no camera power or a bad/wrong connection. It should be relatively straightforward to troubleshoot from here. 👍
Rear Cam RCA Connection Front Cam RCA Connection
So those are the 7862 harness connections I utilized. They seem correct . Next step is to recheck that the cams’ power source & ground are all okay. First I need to take a little break from this since my fam thinks it’s been driving me a bit cuckoo
Last edited by StanfordBear; 08-18-2024 at 12:55 PM.
For the steering wheel controls how do you put it into pair mode? I get this screen when I select it but don't get a response when I hold a button so I assume I'm missing a step
It's a mystery to me too. It wasn't working for me initially but it magically works out of the blue. Maybe try pulling the PCM fuse and connect it back and see it it works after that.
I have also moved from Erisin to Chstek and I had the hiss with the Erisin and I went to great lengths to reduce it by making some custom in line ground loop isolators, which helped a bit.
Hiss is greatly reduced with the Chstek and the settings change mentioned above and playing with the various input level settings means for me this is no longer an issue and is not something I notice.
I can't guarantee 100% that there won't be a very small background noise if you are in a silent environment but I no longer consider it an issue in my setup.
Is you car non Bose eg with the SPP audio? I believe this is the the setup with the erisin that caused the problem.
Thanks for the response. Yes I have non Bose which I think is the SPP audio. I've just ordered a CHSTEK unit so will install it and update this thread with my findings.
It's a mystery to me too. It wasn't working for me initially but it magically works out of the blue. Maybe try pulling the PCM fuse and connect it back and see it it works after that.
Thanks I tried removing the fuse to do a cold boot but no change, not sure how this option is supposed to work as holding a button on the steering wheel seems to give no response to this menu.
08-18-2024, 08:57 AM
