Installed an aftermarket camera from ebay into the license plate.
It appeared to be working fine the first day except that I had to make frequent changes to Brightness and Contrast.
Then I discovered that the LEDs don't light up at night.
The next morning the reverse view screen went completely dark (except for the map portion) while driving for about a half hour with only undistinguishable ghosting moving around.
After setting brightness and contrast to max I was able to see a faint black and white picture with occasional bright color flashes.

I assume that this is a camera problem BUT is there any chance that it might be a Z1 problem?

Hook something else up in the Z1's rear camera input.

Take a portable DVD player or even the Z1's video output and put it into the rear camera input. I'm not sure if the Z1's video output will work because I'm not sure if the Z1 still outputs video while its in the rear view mode.

You can also try taking the RCA out from the camera and hooking it into a TV.

If the camera works properly when hooked up to the TV, its a Z1 issue. If the Z1 displays the picture from either itself or a DVD player, its an issue with the camera.

I would do both tests before deciding which is broken.

The ebay seller confirms that the camera is defective based on the description of the problem. He wants to give me back my money but doesn't want to replace the camera. Hmmmmmmm.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130037943811&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_RSII_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT&refitem=130031234913&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&usedrule1=ItemToItem&usedrule2=StoreCatToStoreCat&usedrule3=CategoryProximity&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget
'Wonder if that means that all of his cameras are defective and if that's the case then why does he keep selling more. Unfortunately I've drilled the 1 1/4" hole and where it is I don't have room behind it to install another camera that is longer than this one.
Anyone know of another WIDE angle (at least 100 deg. viewing angle), reverse camera that will fit into a 1 1/4" hole and is no more than 2" long/deep ?

Passat 05 said:

The ebay seller confirms that the camera is defective based on the description of the problem. He wants to give me back my money but doesn't want to replace the camera. Hmmmmmmm.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130037943811&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_RSII_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT&refitem=130031234913&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&usedrule1=ItemToItem&usedrule2=StoreCatToStoreCat&usedrule3=CategoryProximity&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget
'Wonder if that means that all of his cameras are defective and if that's the case then why does he keep selling more. Unfortunately I've drilled the 1 1/4" hole and where it is I don't have room behind it to install another camera that is longer than this one.
Anyone know of another WIDE angle (at least 100 deg. viewing angle), reverse camera that will fit into a 1 1/4" hole and is no more than 2" long/deep ?

Strange that he does not want to replace it?

You should have warned us about the annoying ActiveX pop up on that site. It goes off even when you try to click it away and you can't get rid of the noise until you get out of OE.

I'm hoping that some one will recommend another camera here that is not to expensive and not to big.

Strange that he does not want to replace it?

You should have warned us about the annoying ActiveX pop up on that site. It goes off even when you try to click it away and you can't get rid of the noise until you get out of OE.

I'm hoping that some one will recommend another camera here that is not to expensive and not to big.

Sorry, I don't know why he has that damn Active X.
He finally did agree to ship me a replacement and hopefully this one is going to be ok.

I had a similar problem with my first Z1. If you don't have another video source, put in a dvd, play it and change your settings on the Z1 to mirror the dvd output. Hook up an RCA from the video out to the back up camera input. Then with ignition on and the car not running, e-brake on, shift the car into reverse. If you get a perfect image of the movie, it's not the Z1. But if the image is as bad as with the camera, then it is the Z1. I first thought it was my camera and after I recieved a replacement and took my truck apart, I still had the same issues, I was pretty pissed that I had a bad unit from factory, but it happens. Hope this helps

I took the Z-1 to Pioneer in Toronto and after 3 weeks they gave me a new one.
Apparently they couldn't get the part that was needed to fix the camera problem.
So it turns out that the problem was NOT the camera but the Z1.

The picture that I now get is very good. :lol:

bump, i'm having teh same problem

is there no fix for this? only return it to pioneer?


my bacxk up camera worked when i tested it out, so i ran teh wires and then tried it out and it won't work! I attached it to a vid input, and it didn't work either so i assumed it was the camera, however, when i tried putting a video source to the back up camera input, it didn't work either

sooo, i'm thinking its a problem with the Z1... everything else works fine EXCEPT this reverse cam function!

help!

Krisen Type-S said:

bump, i'm having teh same problem

is there no fix for this? only return it to pioneer?


my bacxk up camera worked when i tested it out, so i ran teh wires and then tried it out and it won't work! I attached it to a vid input, and it didn't work either so i assumed it was the camera, however, when i tried putting a video source to the back up camera input, it didn't work either

sooo, i'm thinking its a problem with the Z1... everything else works fine EXCEPT this reverse cam function!

help!

Sounds identical to my problem and if Pioneer replace a Z1 because they can't fix it then I would think that there just is no fix for it.

Hopefully everyone tests their camera connection before the warranty runs out.

so its a problem with teh HU right? not that the camera itself somehow messed it up

i'm worried if i get it fixed from pioneer and then install a cam it may just do the same thing again!

so your's has been working fine ever since

I am trying to install my pioneer reverse cam tonight and the picture is all screwed up with the reverse cam input. But when I connect it to the aux input the picture is perfect. Using the reverse input the picture is all weird and shows random scan lines and seems dim and sometimes shows double pics horizontally.

Passat 05 said:

Krisen Type-S said:

bump, i'm having teh same problem

is there no fix for this? only return it to pioneer?


my bacxk up camera worked when i tested it out, so i ran teh wires and then tried it out and it won't work! I attached it to a vid input, and it didn't work either so i assumed it was the camera, however, when i tried putting a video source to the back up camera input, it didn't work either

sooo, i'm thinking its a problem with the Z1... everything else works fine EXCEPT this reverse cam function!

help!

Sounds identical to my problem and if Pioneer replace a Z1 because they can't fix it then I would think that there just is no fix for it.

Hopefully everyone tests their camera connection before the warranty runs out.

Oh boy, I just ordered the same camera from the same guy this morning.
How did you make out with the camera?
I hope I don't have any problems...
You have any helpfull tips for me? :D

Hello everyone, I`m a bit worried about trying the ebay cameras... I see this one available, anyone have any comments on this one here?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Wide-Angle-120-deg- ... dZViewItem

Next I asks to list whether we need PAL or NTSC, which one do we use here in the US?

thanks!
LM

We use NTSC.

Plus it doesn't appear to have night vision, if that's important to you.

Cool info, so maybe there is more to the standard camera offered... How is the night vision on the recommended one??? Is it worth the extra $$$, I'm guess for me it wouldn't be... but are there any sugesstions?

From those that bought the recommended one, if you had to do it again would you go with a $40 ebay one??? And ultimately I should just buy it and try it, for $40 you can't go wrong... (arguing and answering my own questions! :roll: )

I had a night vision camera on another car, and I found that it was difficult to use. When you had a car behind you, the headlights tended to be overly bright (at least you knew there was a car behind) and overwhelmed everything else. When you were backing up, the infra-red leds were so close to the camera, that they bocked some of the picture (kind of like shinning a flashlight indirectly at camera at night). I always thought that it would have been better having the night-vision without the leds, as the car's backup lights were probably bright enough.

Well said, thanks for the useful info. :)

Okay, I just purchased the camera in my previous post, then remembered to check the method of wiring this thing up to the Z1.... THe video cable is self-explanatory, but how about the following pic ...

Do I have this correct? The yellow video cable will plug directly into the RCA plug at the back of the Z1. Then, what do we do to make this power part work??? See the Ebay camera pic...

Thanks again.

I'm guessing that the cable attached to the camera is around 1' long (mine was). Which means you should have a second cable that is something like 18' long. One end has the reverse of what you see (so it can plug into the camera). The other end should have an RCA jack (for the video) and two wires to connect to a 12V power source (might want to use the amp wire) and ground. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to say in the description.

If it doesn't have a wire, you should be able to get a connector from an electronic store like Radio Shack. Just make sure that the connector fits snugly. Also, check your documentation to find out where the +ve and -ve poles are.

If you can't get a connector, then your final option, I think, would be to snip the connector off, and hope that the wire underneath is color-coded (correctly). Forget about returning it if it's defective, tho'. Definitely the worst of the three options.

alright, well I has having the same proble as the thread starter and another guy in this thread... the image was shaking and was all dark

i took it to pioneer, and in 3 weeks, I got it back. They repaired my unit, they didn't replace it

anyway, the reverse camera input is working perfectly now, except now I have no sound! Nothing fom the library/cd/ipod, not even the navi voice

i'm calling in again and i'm gonna try and get a new unit...

What kind of car is it in? Do you have sound what listening to the radio?

cntrylvr79 said:

What kind of car is it in? Do you have sound what listening to the radio?

lol, i'm so stupid

i forgot to connect the remore wire thing :oops:

Bose system in I'm going to guess an RSX? Anyway glad you got it working.

cntrylvr79 said:

Bose system in I'm going to guess an RSX? Anyway glad you got it working.

yep, thats it


on another note, i can't adjust my visual settings... like brightness, dimmer, etc...

any ideas why?