For those of you that have installed a backup camera into your chevy AWD (mine is a 2007) where did you tap into a reverse line to make your monitor turn on when the car is put into reverse? I have had the camera installed for about a year but am about to do some stereo upgrades and would like to add this function. Its simple enough to navigate to the camera on my head unit but having it turn on automatically would be real nice...
Here's what I did.
My backup camera is part of 3rd brake light.
Not the normal way to wire but more efficient. Normal way is headdeck reverse lead connection under dash.
Rca video plug with piggyback wire sends power from headdeck back to camera. Second lead on camera is power/ground. Signal wire in rca provides power to that lead and ground usually just get screws to body
This results in an always powered on camera even when not in reverse. Not ideal for IR emitters to always be on.
You can add a relay in line and have the reverse signal trigger the relay to power camera only when in reverse.
Space under dash with Scosche accessory retention kit becomes tight so I put the relay in the back of van by the camera.
At the drivers rear corner you have the factory wire bundle for tow trailer. As well as reverse lead to the tailight assembly all together.
There is a convenient factory power and ground plug.
Send constant power to relay. Combine ground to relay with ground from camera lead.
Send two wires from Reverse lead off tailight, one to trigger the relay to power it on and thus the camera and also to the rca lead which naturally goes back to head deck to be connected to reverse input line.
It's a simpler way to wire the reverse lead signal wire and provides full power to IR emitters and camera via relay power as the reverse light itself doesn't and isn't recommend to use for direct camera power.
I tapped into the leads by cuttting back wire insulation to expose wire, soldering in the new wires and recoating and re wrapping wire.
Works perfect.
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