VW Rear View Camera (RVC) - no image on display

[Belix]

So over the weekend, this started. Or stopped as the case may be...



No image.

When I engage reverse, I hear the motor and the badge tilts, so I don't think it's a power issue unless the feed from the camera to the badge is somehow cut, but it seems unlikely. Also means it's getting reverse signal.

I checked the connector on the back of the head unit and it's seated 100%. Could not see any unseated wires.

So I'm thinking either:
- camera in badge stopped working
- head unit has a issue and is not showing the feed
- wiring between RVC and head unit.

Without a spare head unit or camera, I'm not too sure how to proceed. I don't know how to test either in another way.

In the meantime, I suppose I can at least test there is no break in the wiring...

[panic-mechanic]

Does vagcom show you that they are ok or is there maybe a comms issue. If say then maybe the control unit not working.
Does the pdc part of it still work ie. Just the camera that is dead?

[Belix]

Thanks Panic! Sorry, forgot - Vcds reports no signal.
PDC still working 100%.
As head unit reporting no signal, would that mean it's unlikely to be the head unit?

[panic-mechanic]

Mmm no my feeling is the camera packed it in.

[Awesum]

Can you test to see if the camera is getting a voltage? If it is then I would test at the head unit plug to see if the signal is coming through.
You can find the pin assignments here: http://www.my-gti.com/529/volkswagen-rn ... ssignments

[Belix]

Thanks awesome. What would I test at the head unit? Seem to remember the input was four wires but I'll use the pin out diagram to see what they are, but how do I check if there is a signal coming across them?

[Awesum]

I'm guessing, but I think you should get milli-volt on the videos wires, when the camera has a supply.
You should test from both sides. 1st the camera side, while plugged into the deck and then the deck side with the plugged in. Also test the continuity of the wires.
Make sure that the camera is getting +12V. I suspect that this might be the problem.

[Belix]

Got a chance to open the tailgate.



Issue was pretty obvious, yellow wire has broken off right at the camera. Pretty crappy design from VW, the camera movement in and out bends the wire each time it's used so it's bound to break sooner or later.

The badge comes apart so I tried to get to the camera to see if I can repair the wire.







Unfortunately I need a tiny hex screwdriver to get further. However the camera looks like a sealed unit, I assume for weather proofing, so don't know if there is a way I can repair the wire...

[Belix]

www.carsystems.pl stocks a replacement camera for €179 which is better than the €419 for the full badge, but means a wait for the replacement.
http://www.carsystems.pl/vw-rear-camera ... id843.html

[Awesum]

Damn, thats not good.
I would try and repair it myself, even if it means breaking the camera open.

[Belix]

Good news is that the camera is a separate unit



Bad news is that the wiring harness is clearly not made to be removed. I'd need to rebuild the wiring harness and need new terminals and the weather proofing outer shell that I needed to cut.

[Belix]

You know that feeling when you know you've messed up and it's gonna cost you? I cannot find the correct terminals now, and I cannot reuse them as they got bent when I pulled them out.

In hindsight, I should have just cut the weather proofing off without trying to remove from the camera...

[panic-mechanic]

There is a tag on that harness. Its it not a part number?
Price that.

[Belix]

Thanks Panic. Number on the harness fades to nothing, but googling what was left yielded no results.

The connector that was in the camera crumbled when I tried to extract it. Not winning finding the correct terminals or a replacement connector.



And to top it of, the key I made of which pin goes where has gone awol.

So all in all, it's going well! I suspect I'll just have to swallow the cost of the replacement and chalk it up as lesson to be a tad more careful...

[Awesum]

I'm sure that you can buy those repair wires from VW. The connector also looks like a common VW fitting. You might find something similar at a scrap yard and could modify it to fit. Wiring diagrams can be found on Google.

Lots of part numbers and pics here:
http://www.my-gti.com/2837/installing-a ... lf-mark-vi

[Belix]

Nah, I've been sitting through sites with vw terminals for hours and not found them. Don't have access to ETKA any longer, but not found anything on Google thus far...

[panic-mechanic]

Have you tried places like rs components and communica?

[Belix]

Not tried communica, but RS-Online is a nightmare, they stock a million items, hard to track down what you need without some way of narrowing the results down.

[Howie-WP]

Not tried communica, but RS-Online is a nightmare, they stock a million items, hard to track down what you need without some way of narrowing the results down.

Email them pics, or take samples to them ....... I normally phone them and say I don't know what the thing is called, but have a pic can I send to them to have a look. Looks like a standard type connector (just dunno what they are called) Also take a pic of the legend before dismantling.....

[Belix]

Think I've traced the connector crimp bit:


http://za.rs-online.com/web/p/products/7142404/
Looks to be called minitek.

Finding the housing is proving more difficult...not helped by the fact I don't know the actual correct name for it... I think it's called a terminal block, of type wire to board.
This is the closest I've come to finding it.

http://www.mouser.co.za/ProductDetail/A ... TbXELjTSI=
Maybe I can do some plastic surgery on it to get it to fit...

[spdgti]

Check communica or Rs for Molex connectors, they have diffent sizes and pin configurations.

[Awesum]

[Belix]

Thanks, yeah I know those ones, but those all apply to the connection to the camera harness, not to actual camera, but think I'm on the right track now. Just would love a pin out of the 8 camera pins.

[panic-mechanic]

No picture before you ripped the harness out?

[Belix]

Trouble was I had no way to see how the wires were attached as it was covered with the weather proofing. It gave a bit with a pull so I thought the weather proofing was the attachment. Next tug and all the pins came clean out.
I have estimate of where they go based on their positions after pulling them out, but I'd prefer to be certain.
Found a couple of examples on the net, but in those cases, the black terminal block came out rather than the pins, so they did not have to remove the weather proofing, so no online pictures of the wiring order.