Back-up Camera problems
 

Need some help trying to troubleshoot what's wrong with the stock back-up camera on my BRZ. After installing the DD917WS head unit and some sound deadener, it stopped working and there's no picture on the head unit. Where should I start with troubleshooting? Is there a fuse or relay that anyone is aware of?

From what I understand the backup camera output power from the Kenwood headunit is 12v but the stock headunit sends the camera 6v.Did you use a harness for the camera that would step down the voltage? Otherwise your camera might be fried.


https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2945196&postcount=11

^^^

I'm using the harness sold by Carbon Car Systems... I am really just trying to figure out how to troubleshoot where the fault might be. Where to start... fuse panel? Relay? checking cycles or resistance with a multimeter?

You can start by checking voltage at the head unit(12v). If you have a power step down and assuming it is working, then check the car side of the 28-pin harness(6v). If all good there then check voltage at the camera harness on trunk(6v)

Check to see if your reverse lights come on. If they don't then you blew the fuse that controls the camera, backup lights, and I believe hill assist. That fuse is under the steering wheel and is a green one. If those all work then something else is wrong and you will have to check voltages like the others have suggested.



I have the same issue with my harness from Carbon with the 918ws unit and I am fairly certain something else is wrong with the cable.

If you are having the same issue, maybe there is a wiring difference from the AU/JDM versions.

I check the reverse lights... they still work. I will make sure I am getting 6v to the camera this weekend. More to come! BTW - is there a hill assist option available in our cars, I could have really used it in Stuttgart!

it'll be the cable, grab yourself a 12v to 6v voltage dropper and manually wire it up for the camera

Do you have experience with splicing Carbons cable to make that work? Or do you think connecting it on the trunk side will work.

I looked at doing that but put it in the way too hard basket and did it on the car side of the loom. i'd already spliced into a 12v for the dash cam anyway

You might want to look at this:

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111866

Not only do you need a 12v to 6v converter, but you need to splice into the reverse wire. Did you do that? Was the unit spliced into the system or did you use an adapter? If you used an adapter, was it configured for the camera? The Kenwood uses a camera control terminal while the OEM camera does not. How did you connect the camera control terminal?

Unfortunately, there are no standards for the camera so each installation is custom. It is NOT just plug and play. The best solution would be to replace the OEM camera (which isn't that good anyway), with the Kenwood camera accessory. You'd have to run the wires through the car which would take some time to do, but it would work.

Good luck. I've installed several heads/cameras in my cars over the years, but have always purchased matched components and tried to find plug in adapters from people like Metra.

This link/thread doesn't talk about the Carbon adapter. https://carboncarsystems.com.au/shop...17-subaru-brz/

The reverse camera wiring is super thin and pretty fragile. If you used a wire crimp, check that connection again. When I installed one on my '13, I crimped it down too hard and it severed the connection. I had to redo the crimp with a lighter touch.

You are assuming the Carbon adapter is correct. I didn't see a 12v to 6v reducer on the Carbon adapter. I would contact them to ask them the questions I propounded because that's where I would first look. Remember, the BRZ is a low selling vehicle and the number of your particular Kenwood head would make only a couple of vehicles they prepared the loom for. You might even be the only one for your Kenwood model.

That was the first thing I did. The second thing I did was post here to see about troubleshooting tips. Any help you can provide with troubleshooting would be greatly appreciated.

Since you spoke to them, what did they say about the 12v to 6v adapter? The other issue would be a manufacturing defect on the loom with a poor connection. There are lots of places where there could be a problem. You would need to take out the loom and use a continuity tester to test the connections. Sometimes pins inside the connectors can be pushed loose. If you are pushing 12v to a 6v device, there can also be damage to the device depending on the circuitry.

They said the camera should work and sent another cable in case the first one was bad. I don't think you were following my previous posts about what I'm looking for and what's been offered. And I don't think you are familiar with this setup from Carbon. We've eliminated the concerns about the fuse. I'm not sure I am getting back signal so there might be problem somewhere else besides the 12/6volt issue you are locked in on. Thanks for the help.

Just trying to check all of the boxes. The camera signal is analog, so one cable carries the picture. Since the camera is only turned on in reverse, it needs to be turned on by either the head unit or hooked to the back-up lights. I believe the OEM head unit has an out that is sent to the camera to turn it on. I don't know how it is connected in the BRZ. So I would first check if your back-up lights work and that the fuse for that circuit is still good. That's easy. My guess is that it is probably all right, but it doesn't hurt to check.

My concern with the 12/6 volt issue is that if it first worked, and then didn't, it would seem that something blew in the circuit potentially due to the voltage difference. It could be the fuse, which you checked, or it could be in the camera circuits which are located in the camera. That is not an amperage issue which is what the fuse checks. If it did first work, and then you didn't touch it, and then it didn't work, chances are the wiring is correct.

Since you are so sure that all of the wiring is correct, and that there isn't a voltage issue or a wire shorting out on the back of the unit, I'm out of ideas. Sorry nothing helped here. I've done a number of installs, and this has never happened to me as I'm pretty careful to check all of the components as I install. That said, I've done no installs on the BRZ so if there is anything special here, I wouldn't know.

Good luck... I'm outta here....

I have a DDX917WS and also ordered the pre-made harness from Carbon.

Can confirm my camera NEVER worked with their harness. A local shop I took it to told me that it didn't include the 12v/6v drop (Carbon assured me this was fine and wasn't the problem), and that it wasn't wired correctly to take a camera signal. Unfortunately I don't know how they modified the harness or if they had additional harnesses... I just wanted it fixed and they delivered.

A couple other people here have used the carbon harness mostly without issue (amp trigger was not wired on early revisions) with USA cars.

I do have a Canadian car so maybe there are some minor wiring differences? :iono:

If I had to do it again I would either learn to make my own harness or let a local shop build one for me. Carbon doesn't have bad customer service but there is no way for them to effectively troubleshoot this overseas. Probably why they don't ship these units over here anymore.

What exactly did Carbon Change?

Well I'm talking to them right now trying to get a harness shipped to the states and I know for a fact they said they fixed the issue with the no bass coming out of some of the speakers.

"We have since fixed the issue with the Sub it was a power wire for the factory amp the harness is now good. "

Is what I was told when they asked me about it. Whether or not it has the 12 >6v fix I'm not sure. I'm hopeful I can convince them to send me one, and if necessary adding that fix to it shouldn't be too tough.

Yeah it is my understanding that the amp trigger is the ONLY thing they have ever changed in that harness.

I purchased in November 2017 and it didn't have the 12v/6v stepdown, that was something my local shop provided. On Carbon's website the harness still looks exactly like what I bought, so I don't think it has changed.

Hey guys! Sorry to resurrect an old thread.

I too have an '18 Limited BRZ and purchased a CCS loom harness to hook up with my Kenwood DDX919WS.

I've got everything finally working after troubleshooting the USB ports and camera issues.

I have both cameras working (both front and rear since the HU has outputs for both) but I'm getting a scrolling static image - the front camera displays a ghosting image of the rear and the rear display a ghosting image of the front.

I've checked all my connections and even tried a couple of different grounding points.

Have you guys fixed your issues? I'm wondering if I need a 12v relay/filter/capacitor to attempt to eliminate the static issue?

Example videos:

https://youtu.be/SgcEed_FSBU

https://youtu.be/CiECtsQrU3g