I was wondering, I have a ford escape that has already a rear view camera and it comes on in the rear view mirrow when the car is in reverse. Can I simply just buy a second camera and install it on my dash and plug it into the video input of the rear view camera on the avic x930bt. I was wondering would the car need to be in reverse for the screen to automatically change to the backup camera option, or can I simply just press the backup camera button on the screen allowing me to view the camera that I have installed.

Thanks

You can switch to the rear view input manually.

yeah you can just install the power cord to 12v switched (accessory) Power! That's what I did with my AVIC x910bt! I guess I could of hooked it up to both that and the reverse lights, there for the camera would also come on automatically when the Car was put into reverse! but I went and bought an extra about 16 foot 12 gauge wire to run from the back of my Lexus to back of the AVIC like the Video RCA outputs have to go there anyways! So like you said I hit Reverse camera in the source screen and can l view the reverse camera if it is switched on in the av settings selection I believe, either to Battery or to Ground. Which I still do not know the difference between the two? But any time whether I am parked or on the freeway, while listening to my CD/DVD,or iPod/av source!

since you already have a reverse camera, it kinda sounds like you want to use the camera for something else since it is on your dash. if you use this option a lot and dont want to have to go through the menus to select the camera option, you could wire up a switch to the AVIC's reverse wire so that you only need to flip the switch to turn on the camera source.

Hey guys, thanks for all the inputs, so if I buy a camera and hook it up using RCA for Video, where do you think I can tap into for the power source, I was thinking either installing it at the front on the dash or the back, reason for the back is because I want one where I can always turn on while driving and I dont have to be in reverse. My OEM in the rear view mirror does this, If I end up installing it in the back, I was thinking to run the RCA cable to the HU, run the power source to the fuse box im guessing 12volt? to a fuse where its always on, but im not sure how the reserve cable will work on the unit, as 1loudls was saying to install a switch to it so if I want the HU to auto switch instead of doing it manually would be good, just not sure where the reserve cable on the HU will connect to on the camera? I figured add a 12 guage cable or 14 to the HU reverse cable to a switch and from the switch to? This is where im not sure, any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

i would get any extra power you need from behind the radio, since you are already running some wires from there (video) , just make it simple and have wires only coming from one place, you can get constant or acc from there.

now is there a reason you want all this extra work? why not just hook it up like normal and select it as a source when you want to view it. if nothing else, just wire a switch to the avic's brake wire, and you can just use it when you want to and use the OEM the rest of the time i guess. personally, i would want them both to work all the time, but thats just me.

is it recommended to tap into the reverse lights in the back of the car or is there any way I can tap into the reverse wire behind the HU?

as far as recommended, it is definitely the one place in every car where you can find the correct wire, as far as finding it behind the dash, your best bet would be either at the mirror harness, or the SJB (smart junction box/fuse box)

Perfect, I read somewhere that if I do end up installing a switch and when I'm moving forward and decide to switch to rear display by pressing the switch this may cause issues with the HU in regards to gps dead reckoning, your going forward at high speeds but the HU thinks you are In reverse. Anybody heard of this issue before?

black_escape - where did you read this? was it for pioneer units?

Modern pioneer units use gps + vss (vehicle speed sensor pulse) + gyro (inertial sensor), none of which are fed by reverse signal.

Reverse signal (into the HU) is for telling the unit to display backup camera. I dont think unit uses it for determining location/direction of navigation.

I heard it on this form, I didn't think so as it didn't make any sense at all. Thanks for clarifying it, Im just wondering if this would work if I use a switch and set it up this way instead of using diodes.

http://avic411.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=15127

I dont know for sure as I have not set this up and test it out (running a reverse switch for purposes of displaying reverse camera while driving).

So it's an educated guess that it would not have any issues.

Do you know how many amp does a reverse camera give it? I guess I got to get a switch that can Handel the current right?

its just an input signal, so a few mA. I dont think you would need anything special. It's not a current carrying application.

You can connect it so either it's 12vdc applied to the input will trigger reverse cam, or when 12vdc is removed from the input it will trigger reverse cam. This is configured from the settings menu on "polarity".

Edit: Regarding postional accuracy, i stand corrected. Just looked at the service manual and it does claim that it may be affected. Not sure if this is real or not, or just put there to scare you into not using it while driving There would be only one real way to know

sorry i keep forgetting to check the shop software while at work, the reverse wire for a 2011 escape is a green/blue wire in the drivers kick panel, in the harness to the rear of the car

I will just tap into the reverse lights in the back, that should solve my issue. I just hope the wires going to the back light is not both positive, if it is then I need to tap into the harness itself I guess.