Help
The reason it took so long is because I've been searching for the best looking most OEM looking camera I could find to install on the car. I seriously considered buying http://www.sharpvisi...proof/cw642.htm because of the distance display and nightvision but the company did not accept Credit Cards or Paypal so I did not buy from them in the end. Beside I didn't quite work out how to get a wire from the number plate into the boot without permanent damage.
In the end I went for http://www.doseongms.com/product/product02...rd=&search= Its a very neat looking item which replaces your boot lid switch. It has its own switch in the housing so you don't actually loose the functionality of the switch.
In order to make the install a full plug and play solution you need the following BMW parts
1 x UNIVERSAL PIN TERMINAL UNCODED 2 POL. 61138373583
2 x PIN-CONTACT 0,2- 0,5MM 61130005198
The camera housing comes with a switch that has two wires and a 2 pin plug attached to it. The instructions almost seem to suggest that this plug can be used as is but you can't. You need to remove those wires and solder your two 61130005198 instead. Polarity or colour coding doesn't matter because its just a switch anyway. Put those pin contacts into the plug 61138373583 and then you have a plug and play solution.
The camera comes with a control box that you will need to secure in the boot lid itself underneath the fabric carpet.
The control box is connected via the long wire that contains 3 plugs, an RCA Video plug, a power plug and another 3.5mm mono plug (which I have no idea what use its for). The Manual does state some use for the last plug but I think its something to do with the company's iDrive Interface. Ofcourse I have the ACM so I didn't need to use that.
Heres the tricky bit. You need to run the long wire from the glove box or steering wheel all the way to the boot lid. Because the wire has these 3 plugs connected on one side and only a single plug (used to connect into the control box) on the other its actually easier to start your wiring from the front of the car and work your way to the boot lid. This way you always have the smaller plug to pass through, around and inside all the obstacles you need to get past on the wire's journey.
Use the left hand hinge pole of the boot to run your wire through because the right side is already taken by BMW's own wiring harness for the boot. This is also a better route because then your wire stays on the same side of the car all the way through. I don't think there is enough wire to go the length and width of the car so this is how I did it.
When connecting the camera to the ACM you need to build yourself a custom connector using the following BMW parts
1 x UNIVERSAL SOCKET HOUSING UNCODED 18 POL. 61131383852
2 x BUSHING CONTACT 0,2- 0,5MM 61130005197
And 1 RCA socket cable
In the 18 POL. 61131383852 plug put your contacts 61130005197 in pin positions as follows
Pin 17 - Rear Camera +ve
Pin 8 - Rear Cameras Ground -ve
Then connect the other ends of the wires of these contacts to the RCA plugs using the Pin 17 wire for the center and the Pin 8 wire for the shield. This will allow you to connect the camera video plug straight in. Of course you can cut the camera wire and remove the plug completely if you wanted and connected directly into the 18 POL plug via the socket contacts. But I didn't want to do that.
Its important that you connect the rear camera into the rear camera inputs of the ACM because the ACM automatically switches to this input when you put the car into reverse.
As for the power for the camera. I used the front fuse box. I used a spare slot but currently I've not yet found the right contact to be used in the fuse box, So I've just push a fuse in to keep the wire in place. If any one can tell me the part number for the fuse box contacts that would be great. Negative it supplied by making contact with the body somehow or use the existing Ground connections from around the place.
Few photos to show you the results.
DSC00561.JPG (140.87K)
Number of downloads: 47
DSC00562.JPG (139.84K)
Number of downloads: 33
While doing this I came across another Setup option in the ACM which I'm hoping someone can shed some light on. Its called "PDC 4" "PDC 8" and "PDC OFF". However on the ACM you can select if you want the PDC graphics to be displayed on Reverse or the camera.
