I have a Boyo VTL420c camera which I paid a local shop to connect to the Avic X920BT in my 2005 BMW X5.

The camera works when the iginition is switched on, but stops working when the engine is cranked. Once the engine is started, the head unit does not switch over to the rear camera when the car is put in reverse. I also have no option to use the camera from the nav screen.

The camera is turned on and set to battery in the settings menu.

There are two wires on the camera harness, one with a blue button and one with a red button on the end, which are not connected to anything.

Any ideas on what the problem is here?

Take it back and have the installer fix it.

Gee, I never thought of taking it back to the installer that screwed it up the first time. Nobody else had ever thought of that either when you make that idiotic response to everyone with a question on this board.

Seriously, if the installer did not have the intelligence to get it right the first time, why should I give him my car for another day and pray? I have the unit out and I came here looking for help from people who may actually know something. So, if anyone does, since this mod obvioously does not, your help will be greatly appreciated.

Take it back and have the installer fix it.

Well how the hell is anyone here suppose to know whats wrong with it? What you are describing points to a screwed up install. The idea that you couldn't come to that conclusion on your own is pretty idiotic. Regardless if you take it to another installer you will get charged to get it fixed. That would be another idiotic move on your part. My advice is the logical solution and your response it unwarranted. This should be easy to fix so you should take it back and have them fix what they charged you to do right in the first place.

Sorry mod, I thought this section of the board was called "problems/troubleshooting". This may come as a surprise to you, but I KNOW it's not installed correctly. That's why I am here asking questions. It's always brilliant solution to a problem to take it somewhere and have someone else fix it, especially the place that didn't know how to do it the first time. Utterly genius. That's so brilliant that I'm gonna start my own AVIC problems/troubleshooting message board where people ask for help with their issues, and I tell them to go somewhere else to find the solution. What a groundbreaking concept. I will give you credit though, unlike most of the idiotic, useless responses you make on this board to people who are actually looking for help with their problems, you have at least spelled almost everything correctly in your idiotic responses on this thread.

And, if it's an "easy fix" as you suggest, why shouldn't I seek help on this board and do it myself when I'm doing the bypass rather than drop my car off and hope they do it it right? The install is substantially done, and it may actually be an "easy fix" like you say, that I can do myself. Is that so difficult to understand, Mr. SMITH AND WESSON?

Now, moving on, is there is anyone with more helpful advice than this mod who says, "Take it somewhere else to get it fixed and stop asking questions about your problems and troubleshooting issues on the problems/troubleshooting section of our message board?"

If the camera works with the ignition on before the engine starts, but then the screen fails to switch over to the camera when the vehicle is in reverse with the engine running, perhaps this is a wiring or electric issue that someone has run into.

Well how the hell is anyone here suppose to know whats wrong with it? What you are describing points to a screwed up install. The idea that you couldn't come to that conclusion on your own is pretty idiotic. Regardless if you take it to another installer you will get charged to get it fixed. That would be another idiotic move on your part. My advice is the logical solution and your response it unwarranted. This should be easy to fix so you should take it back and have them fix what they charged you to do right in the first place.

Sorry mod, I thought this section of the board was called "problems/troubleshooting". This may come as a surprise to you, but I KNOW it's not installed correctly. That's why I am here asking questions. It's always brilliant solution to a problem to take it somewhere and have someone else fix it, especially the place that didn't know how to do it the first time. Utterly genius. That's so brilliant that I'm gonna start my own AVIC problems/troubleshooting message board where people ask for help with their issues, and I tell them to go somewhere else to find the solution. What a groundbreaking concept. I will give you credit though, unlike most of the idiotic, useless responses you make on this board to people who are actually looking for help with their problems, you have at least spelled almost everything correctly in your idiotic responses on this thread.

 

And, if it's an "easy fix" as you suggest, why shouldn't I seek help on this board and do it myself when I'm doing the bypass rather than drop my car off and hope they do it it right? The install is substantially done, and it may actually be an "easy fix" like you say, that I can do myself. Is that so difficult to understand, Mr. SMITH AND WESSON?

 

Now, moving on, is there is anyone with more helpful advice than this mod who says, "Take it somewhere else to get it fixed and stop asking questions about your problems and troubleshooting issues on the problems/troubleshooting section of our message board?"

 

 

If the camera works with the ignition on before the engine starts, but then the screen fails to switch over to the camera when the vehicle is in reverse with the engine running, perhaps this is a wiring or electric issue that someone has run into.

Try switching the polarity to GND, and see if it fixes.. Did the camera work after the installer finished the job??

Also check to see where the camera power wire is connected. (red wire). it needs to be hookes up to a switched 12V source, just like your radio..

Odie

Well as far as the lack of reverse that indicates there is no reverse wire connected.

If I switch the polarity to GND the camera stays on all the time.

The power and ground for the camera is hooked to the same switched source and ground as the radio.

The screen switches to the camera view when I put the car in reverse 100% of the time when the ignition is turned but the engine is not started. Once the engine is started, it is very rare that the camera comes on, but it does happpen occasionally.

Installer swears it was put in correctly and suggested possible firmware problem. I'm starting to believe him because the erratic and inconsistent behavior of the camera seems inexplicable. Why the heck would it work perfectly except when the engine is on i.e when I actually need it?

ha ha, i know what the exact problem is but since you decided to be a dick to Vblue, you can go kick rocks sucka.

i also would reccomend taking it back to the person that you paid to do it, unless you really like paying for something that you didnt get.

If the camera works with the ignition on before the engine starts, but then the screen fails to switch over to the camera when the vehicle is in reverse with the engine running, perhaps this is a wiring or electric issue that someone has run into.

yep, that means that the wire he tapped into is wrong and he didn't test it fully

Why the heck would it work perfectly except when the engine is on i.e when I actually need it?

because the wire that he tapped into, shows the correct signal when the car is off but not when the car is on duh... and you have the nerve to challange other peoples intelligence. ironic isnt it?

i promiss you its not a firmware issue but the wires he tapped into.

Wow, someobody just called me a sucka! Looks like there is indeed an inverse relationship between post count and maturity level on this board.

If you really knew the solution, you'd post it for the benefit of others rather than make this board look like the place where installation professionals get their nuts off making fun of the people who are not installation professionals and come here for help. But hey, even spikey haired forty year old men driving tricked out civics need to find some way to feel good about themselves. If this board fills that need, it's well worth the bandwidth.

ha ha, i know what the exact problem is but since you decided to be a dick to Vblue, you can go kick rocks sucka.

 

i also would reccomend taking it back to the person that you paid to do it, unless you really like paying for something that you didnt get.

 

 

yep, that means that the wire he tapped into is wrong and he didn't test it fully

 

because the wire that he tapped into, shows the correct signal when the car is off but not when the car is on duh... and you have the nerve to challange other peoples intelligence. ironic isnt it?

i promiss you its not a firmware issue but the wires he tapped into.

But hey, even spikey haired forty year old men driving tricked out civics need to find some way to feel good about themselves.

LOL, Im not 40 and my civic isn't tricked out as far as I know. Anyway, If you look at what I responded to you, it really should not have gotten that response from you. Think about it for a second. The issue you are describing is a weird issue and points solely to an install error. Now, you paid this place probably on the better half of 250 bucks to install a nav system the right way. That didn't happen so you should take it back and tell them, "I paid you to do this right so fix it." If the guy that did the install cant figure it out then demand that someone else there figure it out. That is what my response to you was but you didn't like it. You compared my response to other responses that i made to other people. Although you may consider that I was being the same shit head to you that I may have been to them but you would be wrong. That was simply the best solution and advice anyone could give you to solve your problem. Regardless there are people on this forum that have provided most of the answers and and content on this forum and certainly, above most others, know what they are talking about. And I am certainly one of those people. You can take that how you want. Others like 1Loudls have incredible amounts of experience with these units and general install as well. In fact as far as Im concerned he is this forums resident install expert. You also have to understand that by being a new member you have an obligation to conduct yourself in a manner that is not insulting of other members. Especially to the most valuable members that provide most of the info on this forum. You insult one its like insulting all of us. Maybe you should just bite your tongue sometimes at least until you know for sure someone is actually being a shit head to you before you make a comment. I have to bite mine multiple times a day when some new member gets on here and post another thread about a question that I have taken the time to cover and provide the answer to just so all of you can have the answer with little effort. So if I can give the benefit of the doubt maybe you can too.

And its not a firmware issue. You can take my word on that one.

BTW, everyone is 40 on the new forum. I've been meaning to let the admin know but just didn't think it was important.

Hey 1Loud, you're 40 too.

Looks like there is indeed an inverse relationship between post count and maturity level on this board.

If you really knew the solution, you'd post it for the benefit of others

by making fun of the people who are not installation professionals and come here for help.

the real reason that im am here is so that i can figure out things with other installers and help them and receive some help as well, the common folk just happen to also benifit from that.

now lets go back and think about this, it works every single time as long as the car is not running, but it never works when the car is running, the only way a AVIC could "tell the difference" would be by the voltage that the alternator is outputting, and unless your alt if failing, the avic wouldnt have any firmware issues that would make only one feature fail to work consistantly due to a small change in voltage (that is still well within spec),then we can scratch that one off of the list, which brings us right back to installer failure (which was mentioned in the beginning)

which remind me of a tale from a few years ago, where i had to correct one of my new guys mistakes. he had put a new radio into a H3,(and back when interface modules had really bad reliably issues) you had to run a new acc wire for the radio, and the radio worked perfectly fine UNTIL the car was placed into drive, then the radio would shut off. long story cut short, it was the wrong wire that was tapped into, and an important lession was learned here, just because a wire shows similar charecteristics of another wire MOST OF THE TIME (I.E. when the car is not running)it does not make it the same as the wire that behaves the right way all of the time.

normally i dont like to give out too much info to those who dont really know what they are doing, expecially since it is so easy to cause thousands of dollars worth of damage in modern cars, but in your case im going to actually hope that you do. now when its not working (I.E. car is running) if the AVIC does not turn its screen to anything when the car is placed into reverse, then the AVIC's reverse wire is tapped into the wrong place, if the avic switches to a black screen with a warning, then the camera's power (or ground if the installer is real dumb) is connected to the wrong wire. there you go, now that you have the right answer, go out and fix it and shut your man pleaser.

Hey 1Loud, you're 40 too.

awesome, now maybe finally i can stop over paying for insurance!!!!

because the erratic and inconsistent behavior of the camera seems inexplicable. Why the heck would it work perfectly except when the engine is on i.e when I actually need it?

so which is it, does the camera behave in an "erratic and inconsistent" fasion (as in you never know whats its going to do)or does it work very consistantly, such as it ALWAYS works when the car is off and NEVER work when the car is running. because you seem to describe a very consistant behavior.

I apologize for being an asshole and appreciate your help.

When the ignition is on but the engone has not been cranked, the reverse camera works 100% of the time, as in you put the car in reverse, and the camera comes on the screen, switch the car out of reverse, and it goes back to the nav/audio screen.

Once the engine is cranked, the camera only works about 10% of the time. The fact that it works even some of the time is what led me to believe it may be wired correctly.

FWIW, and for the benefit of others that run into this issue, the installer says he figured it out and that it is tapped into the correct wire, but that the signal to the head unit changes when the engine is cranked and he needs to install a relay. Unfortunately I can't take it in until after Christmas but will let you know if this works. Experts, does this sound like a potentially viable solution?

so which is it, does the camera behave in an "erratic and inconsistent" fasion (as in you never know whats its going to do)or does it work very consistantly, such as it ALWAYS works when the car is off and NEVER work when the car is running. because you seem to describe a very consistant behavior.

if the signal is strong enough to trigger a relay, than it SHOULD be strong enough to trigger the AVIC, it is very possible that the wire that he tapped into is a very low current trigger wire for the cars computer and that the signal does change when the car is running, a relay MAY help, but as mentioned above, i dont believe it will but it is possible.

what i would do it instead of tapping into a low current trigger wire for the cars computer is to tap into one of the wires at the reverse light itself (which wire depends on if the cars computer uses a negitive or positive trigger) because light bulbs use a lot more power, the signal there should have no problem being strong enough to trigger the AVIC with out any relays. this is where i always tap into for reverse signal because it always works, and since the camera is back there anyway, its not any more work.

The Boyo camera only has the video extension which plugs into the AVIC and the red/black power and ground cables. All these connections are at the head unit. The camera relies on the AVIC to know when to switch to camera view in reverse. So, are you saying, run the reverse wire from the AVIC to the back of the car and have that triggered by the reverse lights, rather than whataver trigger he has it connected to on the front of the vehicle?

if the signal is strong enough to trigger a relay, than it SHOULD be strong enough to trigger the AVIC, it is very possible that the wire that he tapped into is a very low current trigger wire for the cars computer and that the signal does change when the car is running, a relay MAY help, but as mentioned above, i dont believe it will but it is possible.

 

what i would do it instead of tapping into a low current trigger wire for the cars computer is to tap into one of the wires at the reverse light itself (which wire depends on if the cars computer uses a negitive or positive trigger) because light bulbs use a lot more power, the signal there should have no problem being strong enough to trigger the AVIC with out any relays. this is where i always tap into for reverse signal because it always works, and since the camera is back there anyway, its not any more work.

The Boyo camera only has the video extension which plugs into the AVIC and the red/black power and ground cables. All these connections are at the head unit.

yea thats pretty normal

So, are you saying, run the reverse wire from the AVIC to the back of the car and have that triggered by the reverse lights, rather than whataver trigger he has it connected to on the front of the vehicle?

exactly

Thanks for the information and hopefully this will help someone else too. If the relay does not work I will have the installer run the reverse wire to the reverse light.

The relay worked. All is well with the rear view camera now.

awesome