# Rear camera doesnt turn on when in reverse



## mtnbkr738

Hi all,

I have a new camera and head unit installed. It's a Kenwood DDX5706S.

1) I can turn on "camera on" mode and see the camera work--ie it has power from the reverse light and it does come on when my truck (08 Silverado) is in reverse.

2) When "camera mode" is not on and the head unit is being used normally and I shift to reverse I don't get the camera to come up.

3) Yes I do have the wire hooked up for "reverse interface" on the wiring harness.

4) Yes i do have "reverse camera use" turned ON on the head unit.

Any suggestions??

thx!


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## mattkim1337

Touch the reverse input wire in your kenwood harness to 12v constant. If that triggers the camera view, then something is wrong with your reverse light wiring. If that does not trigger camera view, then there may be a problem with the deck. Report back!

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


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## mtnbkr738

OK so touching the “reverse” lead to 12v DOES turn the head unit to reverse camera mode. So it does seem the issue is not with the head unit but with the truck "reverse sensor." 

Any suggestions how to trouble shoot that??


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## Sine Swept

Are you low voltage on the camera? Some reverse lights are lower than 12 volts

Sometimes you may need to add a relay to get a higher voltage into the camera.

A meter is your friend.


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## Sine Swept

If you can send the camera image to a stand-alone monitor that allows a RCA video input that will give you a good idea of how the video feed is coming out.

You can use a barrel connector and another rca even to feed it into another monitor.


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## mtnbkr738

Ok I ran 12v to it and I can see it in “camera on” mode on the head unit. I also can see the image when I put it in reverse on camera on mode so reverse light power is working. The problem is when not in camera view mode and just listening to music and putting the truck into reverse (like normal operation) the screen doesn’t change to the camera mode. It’s like the unit doesn’t know I'm in reverse to turn on the screen. 

If i give the “reverse” wire 12v then it does interrupt and screen changes to camera. So I’m thinking the truck is not sending 12v to the wire when in reverse. How do I check that??? Maybe a fuse ??? but which one??? thx!


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## Sine Swept

If you tapped power from reverse light, you only have camera in reverse.

If camera is rated for full duty cycle you can wire it to ACC power instead of rev light and it will be always on.


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## mtnbkr738

The problem is not the power.

The problem is the headunit doesnt switch screen on when gear shift is put in Reverse.


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## mattkim1337

mtnbkr738 said:


> The problem is not the power.
> 
> 
> 
> The problem is the headunit doesnt switch screen on when gear shift is put in Reverse.


I would check that you tagged the correct wire, either at the reverse light lamp itself, or in the BCM/kick panel depending on the car. If you have a multimeter, or even a test light, that could help reveal the issue. 

Check to see if your reverse lights actually power on:
Set your key to ON (dont crank the engine). Shift to reverse
Walk back and check if the lights are active. 

If they are active, the problem is the wiring from the lamp to the radio. Somewhere in that run is a break or incorrect connection. 

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


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## mtnbkr738

Again..... the problem is not the power. The camera has power from reverse lights no problem.

The problem is the the green/purple wire that “triggers” the headunit to tell it to show the camera screen (instead of the default radio screen) .

Where does that green purple “reverse sensor” wire get its power from? What tells that wire that vehicle is in reverse. (This is factory default wire labeled reverse sensor)


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## timps67

Which wiring harness did you get for this? I'm thinking this may be the problem. Did you run all the wires from the HU into the harness?

I ran my reverse sensor wire (purple/white) directly to my reverse lamp wire in my kick panel. Kenwood DNX995S and the backup cam works fine when I put the truck into R.


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## mtnbkr738

Hi,

1) this harness:
Metra Axxess GM LAN Data Bus Interface with Chime Retention for Select Chevrolet Impala and Silverado Vehicles 
by Amazon.com 
Learn more: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0049MV2IY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_aB3HDbJNS2BFR 


2) yes all wires on harness are connected... seemed like correct one.

3) im happy to run the reverse sensor wire down to the kick panel and splice into a reverse light like you suggest.. QUESTION: which wire under kick panel am i looking for QUESTION: is it possible there is a separate fuse for the "reverse sensor" wire... maybe that is blown and then harness would work????

thx!


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## timps67

The manual for that doesn't say much but it does sound like you need to connect the purple/white wire from the harness to your trusk's reverse light wire, or just connect the stereo's wire directly to the truck's wire. Makes sense to do it through the harness for future HU changes. You'll have to figure out which wire it is and where the best place to tap into it is, I actually have an F150, the Silverado forums should have info on the wire though.


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## mtnbkr738

Ok, i spliced into the reverse light power... and all works perfect.. and i abandoned the "reverse sensor" wire on the new harness.... i was just hoping to use the harness for this connection obviously... but it works so all is well

thx!


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## XSVTOYZ

good to hear you fixed it 
mine was in my ground but as well as I had over sized reverse bulbs
odd thing I replaced those halogen bulbs with led and my picture went from kinda fuzzy but useable to sharp and clear even at night


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## KENNYDAGR8

mtnbkr738 said:


> Ok, i spliced into the reverse light power... and all works perfect.. and i abandoned the "reverse sensor" wire on the new harness.... i was just hoping to use the harness for this connection obviously... but it works so all is well
> 
> thx!


I’m having this same issue. I’m already spliced into the reverse lights. I can see the image when I go direct to the camera option but it doesn’t switch automatically. The harness I have. Has a Male(yellow) ac. And the radio has a camera option. I left the red tails alone and they are not hooked up to anything. Do I need to wire them into the radio even though I already have a designated slot?


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## stewart.paul1857

mtnbkr738 said:


> hi all
> 
> new camera and head unit installed red trigger wire not connected from the video feed wire red wire to radio trigger wire and then red wire to back up lights power wire
> kenwood DDX5706S
> 
> 1) can turn "camera on" mode and see the camera works--ie it has power from reverse light and it does come on when truck (08 silverado) is in reverse
> 
> 2) when "camera mode" is not on and head unit being used normally... and i shift to reverse i dont get camera.
> 
> 3) yes i do have wire hooked up for "reverse interface" with wiring harness
> 
> 4) yes i do have "reverse camera use" turned ON on head unit.
> 
> any suggestions??
> 
> thx!


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## Rmoyd79

I am having same issue on my 2008 Silverado with a Jvc HU. So what was the fix with the reverse trigger? I have power and camera is on when truck is on. When switched to reverse, it just stays with the same view, but it's not " triggered" if I put HU on home screen and not on camera view.


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## martin.mcnelis

Rmoyd79 said:


> I am having same issue on my 2008 Silverado with a Jvc HU. So what was the fix with the reverse trigger? I have power and camera is on when truck is on. When switched to reverse, it just stays with the same view, but it's not " triggered" if I put HU on home screen and not on camera view.


Seeing the same issue on a Boss head unit in my Hyundai. Camera works if I'm in reverse and switched to camera view, but doesn't autoswitch to camera when reversing.


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## dumdum

martin.mcnelis said:


> Seeing the same issue on a Boss head unit in my Hyundai. Camera works if I'm in reverse and switched to camera view, but doesn't autoswitch to camera when reversing.


You aren’t getting reverse signal to your headunit then, that was this guys issue and yours, check for 12v from reverse light to the headunit along the wire from it to the headunit


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