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Z4 Rear view camera retrofit

56K views 139 replies 21 participants last post by  CJW2OO4 
#1 · (Edited)
#103 ·
Ron, Any updates, here. Just anxious at this point I guess. I want to see what the final product will look like.
I met with the audio place Thursday. He didn't have any in stock that I was looking for.
He gave me pricing. I still haven't emailed Paul Kim at BOYO. Was going to do it today but got involved with a bunch of other stuff. Decided to go there tomorrow and order one for a test assuming the guy is there. If it works, I will probably buy the other three. If it doesn't, I'll eat it.
 
#105 ·
Front camera

Tried the front camera white wire to power which turns it on a week ago and it didn't work.
Screen didn't go black and no voltage on the camera lines.
This week I hard wired accy. line power to connector X322 pin 3.
Tonight I checked wiring which was OK.
Put white wire pin 7 to power and the screen went out.
Checked the power going to the camera lines and it was 6V just like the rear.
The print showing 12V is a mistake. Now it makes sense since both front and rear are 6V.
Paul Kim at BOYO said that their cameras will work at 6V. The specs. say 8V minimum.
We'll see.
When I released the power from pin 7 the screen didn't go back on.
Didn't have a camera or the speed line connected etc.
Have to look into that.
I put the shift lever in reverse and then out and the screen went on after the normal few seconds.
Will have to wait and see how it works with a camera hooked up.
Getting closer to the rush or not rush.
 
#107 · (Edited)
Rush

Picked up the test camera today.
He had a hand hold item with a screen to test it which worked well.

Plugged it into the BMW control module and no cigar. Car battery dead.
Put the charger on and screen went black but no pic.
Tried a power supply to the camera and it comes on around 8>9 volts like the spec. says.
Will power it with the 12v turn on power instead of the relay set up.

The camera is temporary taped on to the lower grille. Front of the -tires is about four feet back from the car.
Not sure where it will end up. May have it come through the plate center dot like EOD did. This keeps the unit behind the bumper.
Will try some other cameras, keep what I like and install them.
For now, I'm into it for $497 counting the BMW kit, camera and a lot of research and time.

That's all folks.





 

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#108 ·
It's official. The boyo camera with the TVANDNAV2GO module work perfectly! Finally installed today. Plug and play. The license plate mounted camera is also quite clean looking. Sorry no pictures.

To recap, in my experience the GNET module does NOT work on our cars, despite what they tell you.
 
#118 ·
I had to replace my camera because the lense broke for some reason. There has been huge swings in temperature here -25 C to +10C in one day, so maybe this is why?
The broken lense did not affect the picture at all but I decided to replace it under warranty anyways.

Here are some pictures I took when I swapped the camera.








 
#119 ·
I had to replace my camera because the lense broke for some reason. There has been huge swings in temperature here -25 C to +10C in one day, so maybe this is why?
The broken lense did not affect the picture at all but I decided to replace it under warranty anyways.

Here are some pictures I took when I swapped the camera.
That worked.
I went through the grommet in the floor NE of yours.
It goes to the alarm and evaporater area which comes out just behind the camera in the grille.
Gave me something to tie to away from the exhaust.

 
#122 · (Edited)
Update

Rear wiring on demand is under the drivers side under dash area.
Front wiring is in the engine area where it goes into the passenger side under dash area.
Most of the car is back together.
Dash will be undone for awhile. Will be doing some -Firestone electrical stuff along with some of mine.
Tonight, I made up the aux-in panel for the front and rear camera switches on demand. Also the oil and water temperature switch.

The rear camera installed in the rear grille works fine. Backing up you can see the parking lines on both sides.
When the bottom part of the grille meets the bottom of the curb the car is one foot away from it.

On the front camera, when the bottom part of the grille meets the bottom of the curb the car is one foot away from it just like the rear.

 

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#123 ·
Tonight, I made up the aux-in panel for the front and rear camera switches on demand. Also the oil and water temperature switch.
Are you using the two-position switch to flip between the sensors reporting to a single gauge? I couldn't find any posts about this in a search. If that's the case, that's a very elegant solution to needing more physical gauges.
 
#133 · (Edited)
Camera wiring

Hooked up the wiring temporary. Finally figured out how the front one works.
Always makes sense when you figure it out.

The rear camera comes on with reverse. Come out of reverse and after three seconds the normal screen comes back.
The rear camera on depend line works the same. Close the switch and it comes on. Open the switch and after three seconds the normal screen comes back.

The front camera normally has a switch on the steering column to activate it. Was not able to get that switch.
Two contacts. So a on-off or a momentary on-off. That was the clue. This switch is how it's done.
When I first tried it awhile ago I connectrd to it and it came on. When I disconnected it, it stayed on.
Instead of pulsing the front again, I pulsed the rear which brought it on and both went out when disconnected.
Today, I pulsed the front and it went on. Pulsed it on again and it went out and the normal screen came back immediately.
Will change the momentary off momentary to an off on momentary.
May try a momentary pushbutton switch on the steering column where it was supposed to be. Kind of clumsy there though.

That's it folks.
Next.
 
#135 ·
The front camera normally has a switch on the steering column to activate it. Was not able to get that switch.
Two contacts. So a on-off or a momentary on-off. That was the clue. This switch is how it's done.
When I first tried it awhile ago I connectrd to it and it came on. When I disconnected it, it stayed on.
Instead of pulsing the front again, I pulsed the rear which brought it on and both went out when disconnected.
Today, I pulsed the front and it went on. Pulsed it on again and it went out and the normal screen came back immediately.
Will change the momentary off momentary to an off on momentary.
May try a momentary pushbutton switch on the steering column where it was supposed to be. Kind of clumsy there though.

Next.
Hey Ron, thanks for sharing all of your work. I managed to get the X3 kit you recommended and hope to install it in the next few weeks. (I still need to get the cameras.) A question about the momentary switch, does it break the circuit when pulsed or does it make/complete the circuit when pulsed? Thanks in advance.
 
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