As any driver of a 997 cabrio must realize, vision to the rear quarter is extremely poor and it is difficult to see where the back bumper is. Looking to add a rearview camera, preferrably working through the PCM screen.

A local car electronics company was able to find a system that utilized an RGB converter box(?) from the camera that would play on the PCM. It, however, required removal and modification of the unit. Both of us were nervous about doing this. He stated that a rearview mirror with an integral TV screen may be available soon, suitable to replace the existing mirror. The add-on screen he had in stock was big and ugly.

The Porsche Cayenne option list shows a rearview camera, code 7X3. Can this be adapted to the Carrera? Can a dealer do it? Are any plug-in cameras available? No nav system in car, so open socket is present.

Has anyone out there done a camera system?

 

I would think that practicing backing up your car into some soft pillows would be more practicle. Many of us drive cars daily that you cannot see your backend or even the front of the car or the width of the front bumper. It's all about learning the size of your car. I can backup my SUV that has a blind 2 foot tow bar sticking out of the bumper within a few inches of an obstruction without a problem. Just practice a little and you'll soon be backing up perfectly.

You can't see the FRONT of the car, so how did you learn to know how close you can get to a car in front of you.

 

Why don't you get the ultrasonic parking reverse sensors?

 

That is something I missed in US. In Europe people are forced much more to know the length of the car as parallel parking is more needed.

 

Too much junk, IMHO. You can get aftermarket parking sensors; less PITA!

 

The sensors are way adequate for the cab, a camera just confuses issues.
1999Porsche911 i know what you mean, my first car was an old gmc suburban hand-me-down and i could parallel it on a coin, but still the sensors give me piece of mind on my p-car.

 

In know what you mean. I switch from car to car at time and I get in one of them I I just do not feel comfortable in my confidence of knowing where the tailend is. Then you start getting peranoid about it while backing up and it gets worse.

You could also put some HUGE bumper guards on the tail and just push things out of the way .

 

I appreciate the prompt responses from my fellow Porsche owners to my request for information about rearview camera installation. Opinions, however, even though well meaning, are less than useful. If you do not have facts about the topic to offer, please do not post to this thread. It was not my intention to start a discussion about the philosophy of car options or solicit driver education.

 

Fact: functional things should never be more complicated (and expensive?) than necessary.

Fact: because it is relatively small, all you need is an audible tone, not a camera, to park the car (not a truck or RV) safely.

Logical conclusion: get an aural aftermarket Parking Assist.

 

7X3, from an electrical perspective, can be made to work in a 9x7 PCM equipped vehicle.

The main issues would be the mechanical integration of the retracting camera assembly into the 997 vehicle/bumper assembly. No factory parts currently exist for this option; it would have to be fabricated.
I do not believe a dealer would attempt this, as it is outside their level of expertise and PCNA warranty coverage (since it is not a Tequipment/Aftersales option).

As an alternative, you could also look at a Nav-TV PCM modificaiton
http://www.nav-tv.com/
to allow NTSC video input (it's been discussed in several rennlist forums and works, rather unobtrusive modificaiton) and then purchase a rear camera which may be simpler to mechanically integrate into your 997.

Best of luck,

 

Parking sensors on your rear bumper - since you didn't order them from the factory go ahead and get them aftermarket.

 

Try the web site below.
It may be along the lines you are interested in.
( There are several others available )

www.laipac.com/multimedia-rear-mirror.htm

 

"If you do not have facts about the topic to offer, please do not post to this thread."

The info you are looking for isn't here. No one here spends the time adding a camera so he doesn't have to learn how to park a car that is >170" long...

 

No one knows that beforehand. And that's why the poster asked the question to find out if anyone here has done a camera system before. If no one has, no one replies in the affirmative, and the thread will die, just as so many have died without a reply simply because no one had an answer. It wasn't for lack of exposure - the view count will clearly show that it was read numerous times. It's just that no one had any useful info for the poster to go on and so the thread dies.

But there's no justification for some of the rude replies posted above. The man came in here with a simple question: "Has anyone out there done a camera system?" ... He didn't ask for a debate on the merits of having such a system. He didn't ask if he should get such a system. And he didn't ask what is the best aftermarket parking assist system either.

Only one poster provided information that might be of some use to him. Let's try to be a little more courteous and respectful to anyone else who comes here and asks a simple question. We use to have the reputation of being one of the friendliest forums here on Rennlist. Let's not let that die either.

 

It's the nature of the internet, buddy. Just polish your editing skills, there's tons of info out there.