How to install a car reserve camera?
Contrary to popular belief, installing a car reverse camera is not difficult. If you want to do it yourself, you can do it in 2-4 hours. We have provided a complete guide on how to install a car reverse camera system. Besides, a backup camera comes with all the required instructions. Moreover, you can go through YouTube videos to understand the process perfectly. Apart from these, you can always take your car in the mechanic garage to get it installed from a professional. However, if you want to do it yourself, here are the tools you need to buy.
- Wire stripper
- Screwdriver set
- Socket wrench set
- Butt splice connectors
- Ring terminals
- Electrical tape
- Driller
Step 1 – Disconnecting Battery
The first step to any installation on a car is to disconnect the battery. All you have to do is to open the bonnet and unplug the battery wire safely. This is going to prevent any shock or short-circuiting and fuse popping.
Step 2 – Accessing Tail Light Wires
You have to connect the wires of the tail lights to that of the camera for powering the camera as well as to activate the camera when the car is in reverse gear. You need to remove the panels around the tail lights using a screwdriver and wrenches. After all the unscrewing and removal, you should have access to the tail light wires.
Step 3 – Fixing Mounting Location
There are different places on the rear side of your car where you can install the camera. It totally depends on the available options on your car as well as on the camera. Generally, it is placed on the license plate area, and in this guide, we are stating a license plate installation.
Step 4 – Connecting The Wires
Remove the cover of the license plate and then the license plate itself. Drill holes in the license plate to fix the camera. In modern cars, there are already holes for setting up the camera and connecting the wires easily. If not, you may need to drill holes into the bumper to get wires to the camera from the back. Connect the power wire to the power wires of the camera and reverse light using butt splice connectors.
Step 5 – Connecting Camera to Display
It may be that you already have an in-dash display in your car or you buy a display separately and install it on your dashboard. It may also be that you buy a backup camera system that comes with a camera and a monitor. Considering that the camera and the display are compatible directly or via adapters, if it is a wired camera system, you have to connect the signal wire from the camera to the display unit.
For this, you have to find the signal wire from the display unit and then run it creatively from the front to the back where the camera wires are and connect them. Then you should apply electrical tape wherever needed. Make sure that the wires are not widely visible.
If you opt for a wireless backup camera system, there is no headache of wiring, and therefore, it is the best option for those who want to install the system by themselves. All you have to do is to connect the display with the power source, and the radio signal will be transmitted from the camera to the display unit.