Car Camera Wiring Tip - Using the red tail wire for power

[@briananderson401]

I was looking for a simple explanation on how to properly wire a backup camera & I found the bulk of imy answer here. I had to watch/read other tutorials for a better explanation re: the red pigtails, but you explained it perfectly. BTW, in my particular situation, the red pigtails on both ends of the RCA cable serve as "trigger" wires. The end that attaches to my Pioneer head unit attaches to the wire labeled "reverse trigger wire" & the end going to the rear camera connects to the reverse light positive wire. In my Toyotas case, it's the black wire coming out of the bulb assembly. The two triggers work in tandem to switch the camera on when putting the vehicle in reverse.

[@therealjackieheezy]

yeah that what i always used that red wire for, the reverse trigger this video the first time i’ve ever seen somebody use it for something other than that

[@KhanHS]

Perfect. Just what I needed to know. Been to 4 different Auto electricians to connect a power and ground for me and they all fobbed me off to come another day as it's a lengthy job and 1 even went on to say he needs the trigger wire to run to the reverse lights too lmao. Watched your video. Camera was already in place as well as wiring. Just connected the trigger to the red on camera and it fired up in reverse. My xtrons unit actually had a wire labelled reverse behind the headunit so other trigger wire went to that. Literally took me 5 mins to get my reverse camera working. Thanks again

[@chrisb8870]

Can you explain this again please? My radio instructions say to connect Headunit's brown (Back/Reverse) wire on its harness to Car reverse trigger wire. I already fed the Camera at Rear Reverse light harness in trunk. I found the Bulb/harness and tapped the (+) to Red of Cam and (-) Black to Ground in trunk also. The NightVision LEDs go on when I put gearshift into Reverse but Camera does Not show up on Radio. What do I connect Brown wire to from Headunit?

[@KhanHS]

@@chrisb8870 Sounds like you do have power as the leds turn on. Are you sure you connected the camera video feed to the correct input on headunit side? Try other inputs too incase they been labelled wrong on headunit.

[@chrisb8870]

Did you connect the small red wire on Camera wire/Near Radio to anything? I didn't connect it because I already connected other end of Red wire/Camera Side to reverse lights wiring in trunk. Do you still comnect the other red to the radios wire(Marked Reverse)

[@KhanHS]

@@chrisb8870 Yh so my radio (xtrons) had a wire on headunit side for it to connect to. I used the trigger wire only and didnt connect to reverse light at all but my headunit also has canbus so it only needed the trigger wire to get it working when putting in reverse

[@BradPaul1863]

Very good. You got the basics covered clearly in less than 5 minutes compared to the "other" guys that took twice as long to make things somewhat confusing. Thank you.

[@xavifut]

Especially when they tell you their life story before describing what u were actually looking for in the first place

[@SDSproductionsLLC]

Just tried this! It works. No need to ground the black wire to ground. Power can come from the radio connection. Connect the red cables together at the camera end. Thanks!

[@1973andym]

when you say from the radio connection? do you mean by just plugging in the yellow connectors to the stereo itself?

[@testvideo6614]

There you go, probably the outside circle is ground on RCA

[@francisco5434]

My head unit (cheap but good, Boss) has backup camera and alternately rear video feed selection from the touch screen, so I chose to draw power from my rear license lamp. I can now turn the camera on/off with my driving light switch. I don't have to be in reverse to power the camera on. That way, I can see traffic behind me while driving: tailgater's license numbers or just watch behind me while parked. I also hard-wired my mirror dash cam from my dome/courtesy lights (ignition hot,) so it starts recording as soon as I start the car and there is no wire dangling down to my cigarette lighter. I did have to buy a separate 5V USB step-down transformer, but it looks stock, with only a 2" lead going under the headliner. My mirror cam has an extra video feed to record both from the front-facing and a second camera. I could split the feed from my backup camera and run the video signal to the dash cam to record both views. But, I chose instead to install a second cheap camera pointing out the back window, powered the same way, for higher resolution. This would work with any brand camera, head unit combination.

[@testvideo6614]

That is another good idea as parking lights/license plate have controlled switch. In my case when lights (parking) are on auto then they come on by itself when dark so keep this in mind. Thanks

[@thomasmarquez6790]

That red wire on the video cable is for instant on in reverse. It is connected with the power wire to camera which is connected to reverse light and the one at the radio side connects to your radios wiring harness labeled reverse gear signal input. So now when you put in reverse it automatically switches to camera mode and when you put it in drive it then will go to the last mode you where on.

[@nickkennedy4218]

This was what I also thought as well. I didn’t think it was for actually powering the camera, but only to wire with the head units reverse trigger wire.

[@adamjensen6376]

I know this post is couple months old but I got a question here I just bought a new stereo android and its got brake, reverse and key 2. can you tell me what is key 2 and brake for where do I wire them up at Thanks

[@guccimane5752]

Aaron Darren if your car doesn’t have those wires, I believe you just leave them alone

[@adamjensen6376]

@@guccimane5752 I found out what they are and your correct those wires are for vehicles who don't have keys on their steering wheel Thanks bro

[@ultrakewlkidd]

So do you hook the black and red both to the reverse light?

[@batfenderman7212]

As far as the ground wire that is part of the 12v feed at the camera end, you may not want to connect it to ground. This is because there is already a ground connection at the head unit (monitor). If you connect grounds at both ends you can end up with a ground loop. If you have screen flicker with backup camera activated, try removing the ground connection at camera end and you may find that flicker disappears.

[@MonaichFother]

I've installed a dozen of these cameras and there's nothing new this video can show me- Wait What?? :O

[@viewer2325]

thank you. Your first 3 minutes I think answers my questions, I will find out tomorrow.

[@vinceancheta]

Watching this on NYE2024. Still more clear of an installation than any of the billion KZbin videos posted.

[@tbonemalone6678]

The red wire that runs in the harness with the yellow video signal wire is meant to be used for the signal from the camera back to the head unit so the head unit knows when to switch the screen to camera mode. This video makes no mention of this important function. Also, the only time you wouldn't need to connect the camera ground wire is if the camera mounting hardware was acting as a ground through contact with the vehicle chasis.

[@submittedbymail]

I have an android head unit. Can I set the rear camera to record all the time, but still take the screen when put in reverse?

[@marcellochriscitiello1870]

The android radio turns the video mode automatically on as soon as you put reverse. Even if the camera is not installed at all!

[@extrakimF]

No it doesn't.

[@batfenderman7212]

As far as the ground wire that is part of the 12v feed at the camera end, you may not want to connect it to ground. This is because there is already a ground connection at the head unit (monitor). If you connect grounds at both ends you can end up with a ground loop. If you have screen flicker with backup camera activated, try removing the ground connection at camera end and you may find that flicker disappears.

[@extrakimF]

@@batfenderman7212 if that's the case you should run the ground wire from the camera to the same spot that you grounded the head unit. You shouldn't use the RCA as ground.

[@juanguerrero1747]

Thanks man everyone else on KZbin makes this set up look messy 🙎🏽‍♂️ but this videos great !!

[@discopa]

Finally got an answer from you after watching 10 other videos. Simple and clear! Thank you for the vid!

[@ChiacchieraconMichele]

Thank you! This makes it a lot more clear. I've been searching on the internet everywhere and have been very unsuccessful in finding an answer. Thanks again!

[@rafaelaguadalupe3167]

Hello My name is ralphie, I too was searching for the rear view reversing camera. While looking through the images and reading the descriptions. It explains how one can connect the red and black wire meaning the negative and positive to any reverse brake light. I was confused for a little while, but I didn't realize there are so many different reversing cameras for different vehicles. And what I also realized is that most of these products don't include extendable wires to make the connection easy and comfortable to install. Great video.i definitely understand how it works thanks.

[@Phil-Sands]

This way of installing the power wire at the radio end only works if the radio switches to reverse camera mode using CANBUS, if it's a cheep Chinese radio the camera end needs the red connected to the reverse bulb 12v feed and black to ground or leave disconnected and use the phono plug ground, the red wire at the radio end will need to be connected to the radio reverse signal terminal.

[@dudewax]

I did just this and I'm still getting black screen with grid lines. I've triple checked my connections and everything seems to be connected properly, what can I try differently?

[@rickss69]

They are all cheap Chinese radios, even with a Canbus lol...

[@emduplessis9996]

Check the camera settings. You might need to change the camera resolution and/or type i.e., NTSC, AHD 720P, PAL, etc. I don't know what head unit you have but look through your menu settings for camera type.

[@emduplessis9996]

@dudewax, Check the camera settings. You might need to change the camera resolution and/or type i.e., NTSC, AHD 720P, PAL, etc. I don't know what head unit you have but look through your menu settings for camera type.

[@chefro1]

I too wired an aftermarket camera (nearly identical to yours) to a 2-DIN aftermarket head unit in a VW Jetta Sportwagen - these cars have CANBUS. As any other "standard" instructions, I have tapped into the Reverse Light connector. What happened was that I would turn the key to Accessories (only), shift into Reverse and have video feed. However, with the engine operational when shifting into Reverse I would only get a blank screen with only the grid lines-feature incorporated into that head unit. I combed through a lot of videos on youtube and various information in forums and finally I have seen someone's comment who said that if the CAR HAS CANBUS - do not tap into Reverse Light. If the new head unit preserves the functionality of the Canbus then it should power up automatically the camera when shifted in reverse. That's another tip. What I wanted to comment about is your "Ground" note toward the end. Actually I disconnected that separate or "local" ground wire when troubleshooting my situation and the camera had no feed. I too was thinking that the ground is already carried out through the RCA wire to and through the head unit which is already grounded. That was wrong. As soon as I reconnected that local ground I had video feed. I'm not sure what your further research has unveiled, but you might consider amending your video (which provides an excellent how-to, btw) with complete information concerning that local ground wire. Thanks. good luck

[@TheChapen]

Hello Ionel P. Just came across your comment while looking for the solution for my reverse camera. When I put the car in reverse, I only get that "blank screen with the grid line-features" as you mentioned. What did you say was the solution the get the camera to work normally? Thanks in advance

[@fredben56]

Peugeot 107 needs ground to otherwise there is no video feed.

[@MrJfred78]

Thank you! The instructions that came with my camera said to hook up both red wires to power and I thought that didn't make since and it should be one or the other. Glad I found your video.

[@RikAindow]

My car, a 2007 Ford Mondeo, has a weird switched polarity tail light. What you think is ground is actually live, and turning on a signal, putting the car in reverse etc, actually switches on the ground for that light. I believe it's done this way so that if the car's control module fails, the lights turn on for safety. So to get around that headache (and CANBUS), here's how I wired the camera. The black lead from the camera went to a ground point near the camera. I used a tail light screw. The red power cable connected to the red cable on one end of the video cable. I ran the video cable to the head unit and connected it to the camera socket on my headunit. The red power cable was then connected to my headunits remote turn on lead (usually used for amps etc). By doing this, I was able to get a camera that is permanently live when the stereo is on so can be used at any time. My headunit wiring harness adapter had a reversing light signal output which I connected to the headunit reversing sensor. Hey presto! The camera automatically shows when I enter reverse, or manually switch to the camera input.

[@hughdavis3135]

Surely the power cable that runs with the AV cable is to connect to the back up / trigger wire on the head unit. Thus when reverse is selected, power is supplied to the back up wire, and the radio/head unit automatically displays the camera image.

[@jimmitch923]

yeah...this video is essentially wrong. You need to hook that red wire (w/ the video cable) to the reverse trigger on your stereo.

[@Jason.F.]

@John Kuehn yeah well he should be more clear. This this video is very unhelpful and misleading on what the end result.

[@RVingTheCountry]

@John Kuehn yes! That’s what I’m trying to do. Have the camera to turn on at will since my unit will let me view up to 4 cameras. So basically I need to wire the red extra wire on the video end to a constant hot? What’s hot in the back of a Jeep?

[@RVingTheCountry]

@John Kuehn yeah. I must have connected it wrong behind the radio then. I do think it’s best to wire it to reverse as it will automatically switch on the screen to show the camera when backing up right? But I got the heigh10 radio yesterday and it does allow you to install 4 cameras and view them whenever. I just can’t get the wiring correct in back I guess. Trial and error I guess. So only one end of the video cable with the red wire needs to be connected not both ends I assume?

[@RVingTheCountry]

@John Kuehn Im pretty sure I did that. As it said power but no luck. I’ll go back in and see what I did wrong. But thanks. I’m understanding now. I thought I had to connect the red wire that’s at the end of the camera aswell. But it’s just one end. Thanks for your kindness in responding though.

[@JerryJ26]

An added tip that I use is to not use the ground wire spliced to the backup light ground wire. I drill a pilot hole near in the body near the camera, then rotary brush the area around the hole to get bare metal. Crimp a eye terminal to the ground wire and attach it to the chassis hole with a self tapping screw to ensure a good bond.

[@zjhildreth]

That seems like that’s a better idea than letting it ground thru the head units video ground. I’m no expert, but it seems like that tidbit of information he shared in this vid wouldn’t meet an actual electrician’s approval. Your way seems like it a better bet

[@MannyGonzalezReyna]

You have the exact right way.

[@thenathans96]

Awesome, thanks for the explanation of that mysterious red wire!

[@testvideo6614]

I was reading some of the comments saying not to connect or use ground on RCA. My idea is that ground is ground and whole car body and chassis works like a ground and can be connected any where cable or chassis and should not have problem

[@rockymountainplecos1058]

This video clears it up for me. Was so confused about the two red wire sticking off the yellow rca plug.

[@testvideo6614]

Great info to connect positive along with the RCA wire, another thing you can check with multimeter for continuity of negative wire in RCA pole, i guess outside round pole and not the middle one, will check and get back. Thanks

[@BrendonWBrown]

Nice that it doesn't need ground. I didn't see that one coming. Recommend people test this before they screw everything down or cut wires off, I think this is a YMMV situation. You want the screen to immediately show backup camera when you shift in reverse. Some people have a head unit that will allow you to switch to Reverse Camera input manually. - Reverse only: power from the reverse lights or trailer plug. Convenience wire to the backup wire on the head unit. - Reverse and manual on. 1) Some modern vehicles (CAN bus) provide a backup signal from the internal computer - wire Accessory only on the head unit along convenience wire to the camera power. If not, you may have to run an extra wire from the 12v accessory wire on the head unit to the positive wire connected to camera. Convenience wire positive has to be connected to Backup on head unit to positive on trailer or reverse lights for triggering the backup screen when in reverse.

[@ssgundy]

THANK YOU! So easy. Why hasn't anyone explained the red wire power source before. Holy cow! Trying to find the correct wire on Ram truck was driving me bonkers, every answer was different. Good video.

[@emoneybags6038]

How did you connect it to your ram truck i8m getting power to to the Camara and lights up when in reverse but the head unit doesn't do anything

[@parveerchahal3901]

@@emoneybags6038 I’m having the same problem. What did u do to get the camera to work?

[@christopher2206]

The tails are for the reverse power to head units with a reverse switch to automatically switch to camera mode.

[@taniavital1570]

christopher 0 Xfbidncbud

[@lowbottomcustoms1228]

So one red to the head unite and the other red just nothing right

[@superspicytofu]

1 red to head unit, the other end plus the power in red are tied together and connected to the reversing light. When put into reverse, camera turns on, signal is sent to headunit to reverse.

[@dilix95]

ive done exactly that but i get "no video input on my headunit, what do i do

[@juanrobertoruiz1309]

Dilan05 i think you have to go to your head unit and change the camera settings to on and the polarity option as well thays should give you video right away

[@RVingTheCountry]

Great. Thanks So question... will my radio, I just got the Heigh10... will that notify my camera to turn on or do I still have to tap into my reverse wire on the taillight?

[@glennfarrugia7297]

Great video just made my day the black wire has been doing my head in

[@kenem123ify]

If I could give you a thousand thumbs up I would. Works perfectly. I watched so many other videos making it seem complicated when it actually isn't. Now not only can I see it when I reverse, I can tap the camera app on my head unit and turn it on whenever I want. Thanks.

[@Shepherdstudio1]

hello what is a camera app i dont understand

[@Tugoose]

@@Shepherdstudio1 like an Android head unit with a camera app

[@rezarafiee6514]

Very well explained. I did mine before watching this one. But it took a long time to figure it out. Thanks

[@skeptic9368]

Short and sweet. Thank You

[@DrJak1ll]

Thanks, wasn't getting any feed until I hooked up the red trunk wire like you stated.

[@nickglowacki7010]

Very informative, it's exactly what I was looking for. Thank You!

[@rabihavi8062]

big thanks...im looking for hours...finally you answered my questions

[@stingray4mesidewinderbandga]

Got my backup camera working finally in my 2010 tacoma. the factory one didn't work with the pioneer nex 1400 stereo. I bought a $15 cam from walmart & it still didn't work. I bought another $15 cam today from walmart & this one worked !

[@CrazyCowPie]

Yes..the ground for power is connected to the video plug (the outside ring). Do a continuity test, plug in the power (red) plug at the camera end. The black is the ground and check continuity that to the video plug (outside ring) and you'll see they are connected...hence your ground.

[@micjakes1]

Life is so simple when there is someone like you, who knows what they are doing, to show us the way. THANK YOU!!!!! Took me forever to find this amazing video.

[@CesarQuinteros]

Thank you! I looked through a bunch of videos for what the red cables meant! Even considered not putting in the backup camera because I wasn't sure about the red wire. Thanks!

[@Johnwenn1]

EXCELLENT VIDEO WITH GREAT INFO ON RED PIG TAIL

[@twisttwister8254]

Thanks. That was very helpful. 🎉

[@patrickbrown3317]

When reverse is selected the canbus sends 12v to wire which can be used to supply power to sensors /camera or both 😁 it’s not a trigger wire it’s a 12v supply that is triggered by canbus. Earth or negative is not required as camera cable does that.

[@paulpippos8451]

Just to add , the red wire running up the camera line back to the head unit is a trigger to tell the HU to go to camera screen. Especially in the case of an android HU.

[@Neroi21]

Big help on understanding those red wire, thanks

[@DezBruce]

This is the video i was searching for. Thank you.

[@JimboX1461]

You didn't mention the reverse trigger wire which is going to confuse people. Most people use the red wire on the RCA cable for the reverse light to trigger the camera. The way you set it up you will have access to the camera at all times but unless you run a separate wire for the reverse trigger it won't automatically come on when in reverse.

[@LNWLF-cb3di]

SWEET!!!! Easiest way to tap reverse in older cars. Don't have to trace down a line up front somewhere. Don't have to pull another line all the way up to the front of the bus!!! Only prob I can see might be Running power by low V and speaker lines, but its not like running 4 AWG or something

[@RenanteNate]

they share the same ground or neutral line if they are directly connected to same power source (car battery). But there are dashcam monitors that are battery backed up to avoid relying on ACC of car.

[@FredDoggs]

Great tips 👍😁

[@thacam12]

If you already have I stock rear view mirror reverse camera and just want you add a audio out connection to a portable touch screen radio how would you do it? Can I hard wire the the code cable right to the outputs by the fuses?

[@thacam12]

I’m using a carpuride 7in portable touchscreen stereo.

[@eliseogaytan8211]

Great tutorial you really helped me out thanks

[@campfireguy3870]

Very clear. Bravo! Thank you.

[@sishirbhusal91]

I was searching for this type of video, and finally, I found it! I just installed my reverse camera by connecting the red wire to the head unit backup 12+ve cable, and it worked perfectly. Surprisingly, I didn't need to connect the two red and ground wires near the camera. I assumed that the ground is already included in the video cable, and we just need to provide the +12V from the head unit. But I'm now wondering if our rear camera will always be on while driving using this method??

[@rickss69]

If you installed it you would be able to answer your own question lol...

[@rcboathandbook7709]

This is incorrect if you want to use the reverse camera when you reverse your car. Don't follow this video if you want to use as a reverse camera. The red positive goes to your reverse tail light positive, the wire that travels with your video RCA is the trigger wire for your radio deck. Your radio deck will have a reverse camera trigger input wire. You solder to this. Too bad the video doesn't help with what most people want to use the camera is used for.

[@o3djeeps]

your error is in assuming that this video is about wiring a reverse camera. It is not. In fact, the camera I'm wiring in this is not used for a reverse camera at all. This video is about running power along with a camera using the red pigtail, in cases where installers need to run power along with the camera. This is not about wiring a reverse camera.

[@GrnXnham]

@@o3djeeps This is the problem here. 90% of the people watching this video are trying to install a reverse camera. Your video does not state that it is for a reverse camera but it doesn't specifically say that it is NOT for a reverse camera either. Yeah, your setup won't work for a reverse camera install if you want it to kick on when you put it in reverse.

[@Nickoli0811]

@@GrnXnham All you have to do is run the reverse signal wire from your aftermarket headunit down to the kickplate where the reverse light wire is and tap into it. Then it will work when you put it in reverse and you will also have the option to turn it on while driving.

[@lawadvocate7]

@@Nickoli0811 I'm not sure I understand how this provides camera power on demand. If you are on the reverse circuit it will only trigger power when you go in reverse.

[@usmanshahid4706]

how is the idea to connect trigger to the tail light while power to the stable power, so when we will put reverse gear camara will be on priority, otherwise we will have the option to select av2 source to turn on the camara

[@taxxlean]

great video, it worked well

[@papabilhas]

Easy way; Plug the yellow rca to the radio and the red(power) on to red wire coming out from the radio( normaly its a red wire identification with ccd power), that means you have power. Then you have to connect the other yellow rca to the camera(witch is the signal that comes from the rear camera to the radio). Finally connect both wires from the interface(red and black) to the reverse light. Using red with red and black with black. Don t forget to connect the red wire from the rca cable with other 2 red wires coming from the reverse light also as you ve done with the black ones. Done!

[@kashmirinomad]

thanks for the explanation. helpful! installing my cam now :)

[@patrickbrown3317]

Let’s start again with newish cars if you go into setting in your media screen it has a option for switching on oem camera or after market camera, switch to what ever applies. Then select reverse if screen goes blank your in business just remove head attach camera cable and pig tail as described in video. No need for cutting into wires or looking for power hope this helps

[@user-pf1wj6gg5u]

Awesome, answered so many questions, thanks

[@kuikukui5077]

Thanks for video!

[@Tarquesha]

Maybe this is just me, but it seems to me it would make sense that you use the red and black wire for the camera and that you also splice the red wire with the RCA for the purpose of activation the camera with the “reverse in” wire on the head unit.

[@JohnCox-p6l]

there is a voltage regulator in the molded plastic insulator where the av and power tie together. if u cut the cam cord and supply 12v to cam . the cam will burnout. cam is 5v.

[@jennyomalley7634]

Also I thought the red pig-tail was to connect to the reverse on the head screen and the other end to the reversing light as a sort of switch wire so when you put the car into reverse it switch's on the camera.

[@billykurtz]

The gauge on the tail wire isn’t rated for any notable draw of amps. Its designed to feed a very low amperage @ 6-12v as a relay trigger to switch a display on/off, a display that has its power sourced from a proper 12v supply as well. Using this as a jumper to supply 12v at that distance will surely be imbalance the load and reduce the life of the camera if it doesn’t immediately cause intermittent issues. They may be super cheap cameras but this is just bad practice. Thats why the units are supplied with a heavier gauge and shorter length (key words) hot and ground wires, with separate grounds. Sharing a ground on a dc system is one thing, but you’re sharing a ground from a headunit’s VIDEO signal (interference/equipment damage) that is just as long of a run as your hot wire. If you like your things and you don’t want to do something twice, don’t wire your camera like that. Always keep gauges as big as you can and distance as short as you can, the camera distance you cant control but the video patch cord gauge and the hot/ground gauge and distance you sure can control.

[@jerichobrady4179]

Billy k do u have an email?

[@elregio5269]

So let’s say I use the camera as side view camera, can I get power from signal light? (So when I turn on signal light camera turns on by itself) With power and ground cable. Now the power cable that runs with video cable does that need to be connected as well? If so, would that make the camera be on even when signal light is not on? Hopefully I made sense lol Thank you

[@RaduMichael]

So, will it work without connecting the pig tails?

[@therealjackieheezy]

El Regio for one thing that red wire that runs with the video cable is not a power wire it’s a signal wire the dude on the vid is just being lazy and using it as a power wire You hook that wire up to the reverse signal wire on the deck and the other end to the reverse lights so the camera is “signaled” to cut on when you put it in reverse You are supposed to power the camera separately with the supplied power/ground cable And your scenario would work if you connected the signal wire to the blinker (connecting the other end to the reverse signal wire on the deck still) but it would probably cut on and off as the blinker is blinking which would be ridiculous plus it would just cut on every time you hit the blinker which is even more ridiculous not to mention you probably would have to split the signal cable to wire both left and right blinker idk hopefully you are just asking a random question and not considering doing that

[@Gr8rome407]

@Billy K That is such misinformation the cams are suppied with heavier gauge wire because its a video cable and powercable not because it requires more power. A year later no problems for me and the instructions even recommend this tecnique so not sure why you feel this way it is no problem really

[@PattonDickson]

So about to install one of these in my TJ, i was planning on running the red wire off my backup lamp or hitch reverse wiring. If I am understanding correctly, I can ignore the red wire with the video feed if I am getting power from the back of the Jeep.

[@badrulhisyamo]

the most question sir, where is 12volt nearest infront(red wyre, to display) will be connected? can u make an example(from what source that 12v come from infront. if at back to the camera it more easy tail light wyre(or reverse lamp) but infront so confuse. people like me do not understand so much abt electronik n electrical will be lost there.

[@cameronowens8921]

Thanks for the informative video! I'm getting ready to install one on my TJ & the ATOTO SA102 headunit has the red 12V lead available. However if I want the camera to only come on during reversing would I use the other 12V lead close to the camera & tap into the reverse light power?

[@gregoryminogue1350]

I have done exactly as you suggest - the camera works when I go into reverse. The issue is the LEDs around the camera are on 100% of the time when the car is on. I spliced the RED power wire at the head unit into the wire going to 12v Ignition?

[@gymworks7958]

“convenience wire “-(pigtail) that you connected to the “reverse switch-( behind radio) “ Can you explain more in-depth ... the reverse switch wire behind radio? I should able to see a free short red wire behind Aftermarket radio harness? or find and splice continues red power wire behind radio? Did i get this right this far?

[@Nickoli0811]

Can I install the red wire into the red 12v on the back of the head unit instead of the purple video viewer. And then run a wire from the kick panel and find the reverse light wire and run that to the purple video viewer cable? That way I can view the camera whenever I want as well as have it kick on when put into reverse? Thanks

[@solidamber]

The tail is not to get power it is a trigger wire to send power to head unit that is not cambus so it can switch to reverse screen view, the live should come from the reverse lights so its not powered all the time

[@jonnywonderland420]

ian gee I just got one of these and the other power cable has plenty of length but the "tail" won't be able to reach the reverse light any suggestions on how to fix this?

[@solidamber]

@@jonnywonderland420 you have to extend the wire, if you dont know how to do that, then you shouldnt be tampering with car electrics.

[@nuramoboy]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pITPqGOVedGag5Y see link for reversing trigger

[@bymac3976]

All ground connections on a car are the same ground. Also, the red wires coming out of the pigtails are not to be used like that. its the other way around. Its a way to send power from the tail light to your camera screen/android radio, so it knows its time to display the video feed because you hit reverse.

[@driverguy5864]

Thank God for this film....finally some answers. Great product horrible instruction sheet.

[@jeromeaskew4856]

I totally agree about the instruction sheet. I had wired my camera both ways accordingly to that sheet and i still had no power going to camera. After watching this video i can go back in and fix.

[@George-nx8zu]

How do I identify the reverse light wire? Is it always the same color, like a red? Or can it be striped like red and black as well?

[@apexpredator_jku]

Funny u mentioned this because the same exact scenario happened to me. As I was wiring cam up I noticed everything was working and I hadn't even wired up the ground yet so I left it be. Everything ran fine without issue for a month & then screen started flickering intermittently. I went through everything & couldn't figure out the prob. Ended up finally terminating the ground & wala...back in business. Still can't make heads or tails out of it. Glad to hear that everything's running smooth on Seicane, looks like they addressed some passed issues with revised edition.

[@o3djeeps]

Thanks for the info...if I start noticing that, I'll check the grounding first. I was really confused when it happened...then was like BONUS!!! lol

[@MLK.PaNoRaMa]

still not sure where to connect the little red wire to the screen side, my one is android screen after market have reverse camera rca connector, but no reverse wire to connect the red cable. i have parking sensor wire and brake in wires only.

[@eddward758]

Mike Kattan did u ever figure it out?

[@catacatalin9769]

@@eddward758 just use a cable from your navigation that has the output of 12 volts. There should be a brown cable labeled "back" that will do the job

[@marcellochriscitiello1870]

@@catacatalin9769 I tried connecting to that brown cable but it didn't work....

[@jmac822]

Use the red leader wire at the head unit for the reverse trigger wire. The camera end was wired correctly but you need to grab power from the rear tail ight and connect it to the red leader wire ( RCA cable) and camera power wire.

[@bajcl69]

Hi, thanks for the video. How do you connect the red wire to the reverse light for power?

[@mjamesharding]

Locate the reverse light on your taillight. Identify the power wire. Cut and splice into the power wire. Solder and heat shrink. Done. (Now for that pesky pigtail up front.)

[@bajcl69]

@@mjamesharding Thanks Bro

[@mjamesharding]

@@bajcl69 Right on. I'm guessing though that my comment was probably about 29 days too late for you!

[@bajcl69]

@@mjamesharding I haven't actually attempted it yet. Will try it out soon. Tks

[@stevevet3652]

The way you are wiring the harness, how does the headend unit knows you placed the vehicle in park?

[@salscotto6478]

Thanks for the info. answered all my questions. I was very confused, thanks again

[@jshockley03]

First. That setup is for vehicles with reverse capability. Meaning, the radio harness has a wire for the video. Coming from reverse relay. Some vehicles do NOT have that. Your camera POWER wire will need hooked up somewhere else. Preferably to the reverse lights in the back of Vehicle. Then ground it to frame. Still, you must run the RCA wires from stereo to the trunk, or rear. Then. When you put your car in reverse, the stereo will display reverse.

[@jimcobm3]

Do I need to bridge the camera wiring with the reverse light?

[@kaja122]

I did the wiring exactly the same as in this video, but for some reason when I switch to reverse I get the message no signal. I connected the yellow cable to the head unit's yellow cable labeled "video in". Can someone tell me what I did wrong? or could it be that I did not connect the ground to anything?

[@y0dilan]

I have the same problem 😞

[@PloyMoto]

Just go to your reverse camera settings and select NTSC

[@anthonyhite2410]

Not exactly. On some stereos(mine included) the red wire hooks up to a wire from my stereo. On the other end-camera end- the red wire gets spliced into the power wire on the pig tail. The pigtail is supposed to be hooked up to the reverse light circuit. When vehicle is put into reverse the light gets power thus powering up the camera and signaling the stereo to switch the display to the camera.

[@Gubsies]

Yeah but the reverse light doesn't have enought power for both

[@anthonyhite2410]

@@Gubsies it works on mine. Works as if it were factory installed. When I put my vehicle in reverse the camera gets power and the radio detects the voltage and automatically switches over to camera view. When i take it out of reverse it goes right back to where I had it.

[@piotrpaczuski4060]

Ah... Just the video I was looking for. Thank you, kind sir ☺

[@ianparsons1257]

Black wire is for earth. So earth can be anywhere that makes a connection with the vehicles bare bodywork. Nice to join it to existing earth wire but if you don’t have a 12v tester then put this wire around a metal stud which has a nut on it. Red wire is positive. So find the positive wire for the reverse lights. Then make the connection. When you then and only then put it in reverse the reverse lights come on. The wire now becomes positive hence lights glowing white & your positive feed is then sent to the head unit to make a display on the screen for you.When vehicle is out of reverse the positive circuit is broken so no reverse lights on and no head unit display on. This is the approach I’m taking.

[@glencolledge2586]

Hi can you send me the link to what you did to epoxy the magnets to the camera please ?

[@skipjuma2882]

helpful video. Thank you

[@dareptile2653]

I'm confused why you made no mention of which wire from the harness you connected that to, yes 12vdc source but in some cases there is a few sources right at the stereo. My problem is I've already crimped my accessory red and my constant yellow and I'm looking at this blue wire that says remote output 12 volts 500 mAh, and I'm wondering if I can run it off of that rather than cut one of the lines I've already crimped.

[@joshzimmer7477]

Super helpful! Thank you!

[@MrStaykalm]

Does Connecting the short red pig-tale the way you said to the power plug solve the interference problem? And after putting them together i’m I suppose to connect them also to the backlight ?

[@chlyon]

The other way to wire it , Is to hook the red power wire for the camera to the red power of the reversing light , and also hook it to the red wire on the RCA to provide a signal wire to the monitor , your way if Im no mistaken would have the monitor or at least the camera running 24/7 so to speak , which may reduce the cameras life expectancy ?

[@BruiSSer81]

A lot of people have asked but I haven’t seen an answer, does this method mean the camera can be viewed while not in reverse also since it’s connected to the head unit power source not the reverse light wire??

[@Suavecito_p]

wow!! thanks with this video you helped shave off 30 min minimum to my install! cheers

[@esteban6714]

Hi I have the power acoustik P-81ACRD 08-12 Accord 8.3" Touchscreen with Navi but in the back of the unit have the rca yellow for the camera but is not have the red wire

[@waz411]

Wow I got minds from Ebay plus it's wireless with extra parts I'm 65 do you think I can plug this up myself 😊

[@MoreNoShoWTuCanaldeHumor]

Hello, could you tell me how I find the reverse cable in the radio cables? It is to connect the small cable that brings the cable with the yellow plug in ford focus Mk2 2008,Thanks

[@jmend8859]

My red pigtail that comes off the yellow rca got pulled off (such a cheap pos). Its the part that connects to the rca on the camera. I wonder if i should not worry abt it or get a new wire?

[@qhairulhafizhafiz5572]

actually the power wire is to power the camera, it should be connected to reverse light so it will turn on when reversing (for reverse camera with led so that the Led wont turn on along the road). the short wire is to trigger the monitor display when reversing the car. sorry for my bad english.

[@rval9375]

Is it safe to attach the camera power red wire to the small red wire with the video RCA and then attach the red wire on the other end video RCA at the head unit to the reverse wire of the headunit harness which will then power the camera when in reverse without attaching to a reverse light source?

[@supersaiyanyaaj4219]

Thanks for the tutorial and great explanation but when I did the same connection as in this video clip, key in ACC mode engine not start gear in reverse my camera will only display/come on. When I startup car and put in reverse the camera lost signal. I then separate the little red wire to reverse backup light only and run the power cable separate to a 12v fuse box. Everything work when I startup the car gear in reverse, so I really don't know why it doesn't when I combine (red cable, power cabe to the reverse light like in this video.) It could be the my car is different not so sure my car is a Q5.

[@jordanhowell9567]

Ive got this same problem

[@twopecker]

For what its worth, I did have to run the ground wire on mine. Be careful with any overzealous snipping!