# Adding a switch to backup reverse camera



## larbian (Jul 30, 2014)

Has anyone successfully added a manual switch to their camera?

I have a 2014 Cruze and from what i see is the blue/ violet wire on the connector in the top of the trunk lid is the backup lights supply voltage which would turn on the camera.

If I tap the cig lighter power with a switch and run a wire back to the blue/viiolet wire, where would I place a diode so when I hit the switch the backup lights do not turn on.

I would have to go after the connector but not sure of diode placement.

Anyone know this detail?


----------



## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

larbian said:


> Has anyone successfully added a manual switch to their camera?


Not that I know of. You've got two issues: Powering the camera and getting the radio to switch to the backup camera. Both are under the control of the BCM. I'm not sure as the radio will switch based on the input signal.


----------



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

I thought the camera was triggered by the brake lights?


----------



## larbian (Jul 30, 2014)

It was to my understanding that the backup light powers the camera which triggers the video sent to the dash and the dash head automatically detects signal and turns on.

I may be way off base here and ill informed.


----------



## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

larbian said:


> It was to my understanding that the backup light powers the camera which triggers the video sent to the dash and the dash head automatically detects signal and turns on.


That's probably true of aftermarket. I'm not so sure about factory. The BCM and radio talk to each other over the car's bus. 

I do remember one person here had the MyLink but no backup camera. They added the camera, but the radio wouldn't switch. So that suggests at least at some level some programming is involved.


----------



## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

The BCM tells the radio to use the backup camera as ChevyGuy says.

Sadly it's kind of annoying to override that. You would need a gateway to isolate the radio. Definitely doable but not worth the time.

I would also imagine the radio has ways of overriding this signal. But obviously no one has found how to do that.


----------



## larbian (Jul 30, 2014)

Thanks to all for clarifying. I will scrap the idea for now. It is probably true, everything I have researched did not reference a factory head unit. Like snipesy states .... not worth the time for now.


----------



## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

larbian said:


> Thanks to all for clarifying. I will scrap the idea for now. It is probably true, everything I have researched did not reference a factory head unit. Like snipesy states .... not worth the time for now.


Okay great news... Looks like the override signal is done by the BCM, not the Radio itself like I suspected.... (Radio is, really annoying to get to without special hardware)


So uh.... Gimme an hour I might have something for you.


----------



## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

larbian said:


> Thanks to all for clarifying. I will scrap the idea for now. It is probably true, everything I have researched did not reference a factory head unit. Like snipesy states .... not worth the time for now.


Right so whatever control the BCM has doesn't work...

But the radio should have its own control, problem is the radio lies on the sw can and there isn't really a consumer device capable of talking on that...


----------



## larbian (Jul 30, 2014)

Thanks Snipesy !!


----------



## larbian (Jul 30, 2014)

Oh, by the way snipesy, do you do electronics repair or a gm tech? I didnt look at your profile. Guess I should if i wanted to know HUH !


----------



## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

larbian said:


> Oh, by the way snipesy, do you do electronics repair or a gm tech? I didnt look at your profile. Guess I should if i wanted to know HUH !



I do alot of things these days, and this is one of them.


Pretty sure I can get it to work off a phone. Problem is you need an adapter capable of talking to the radio with sw can.

The only 2 I know of outside of $1,000 are the obdlink mx and the comma ai pandas...

The MX can't do more than one sub network at a time so I just made the decision to say it doesn't support sw can. The pandas can do both simultaneously... I am suppose to get a few at some point... Too many people want them to retrofit cars to automation, which eh, we won't go there. I can't exactly develop for the pandas if I don't get one, and what's the point of developing for them if no one else can get them eitheir...


So, the only thing I have right now that can talk to sw can is this giant pile of soldered wires. But it works... The camera pops up so as long as I am sending the signal.

I might order an OBDLINK MX or two and see what I can do, but for some reason amazon is sold out of them.... Sooo may be a while.


----------



## Ravenkeeper (Sep 10, 2017)

I'm looking at doing this mod to all of my vehicles. It is my understanding that the reverse lights, or the BCM (when in R), send power to the camera, etc. Instead of running a wire all the way back to the camera, I'm looking at running a wire from power to a switch, and another from the switch to the camera wire at the BCM, with a diode (only allowing power to the camera) between the BCM and both wires (to camera and from secondary switch). My wife's CR-V does something like this for the right mirror camera, switch on the end of the turn signal.


----------



## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

Ravenkeeper said:


> I'm looking at doing this mod to all of my vehicles. It is my understanding that the reverse lights, or the BCM (when in R), send power to the camera, etc. Instead of running a wire all the way back to the camera, I'm looking at running a wire from power to a switch, and another from the switch to the camera wire at the BCM, with a diode (only allowing power to the camera) between the BCM and both wires (to camera and from secondary switch). My wife's CR-V does something like this for the right mirror camera, switch on the end of the turn signal.


It's not quite as simple as just giving the camera power. So don't start tearing up your Cruze.


----------



## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

As far as I can tell, the OEM radio switches on the screen in response to a command from the BCM via the bus. You can try powering the camera, but there's a fairly good chance the plan will fail. So, test before ripping things up.


----------



## bsb2001ca (Jan 16, 2016)

On a completely unrelated note, I’m glad I’m not the only one coming up with these ideas. I always thought it would be cool to have the back up cam come on, in command from a momentary push button switch, but reading this makes it seem a lot harder, but I guess I would have been fine with the reverse lights coming on with the back up cam, and this seems to be to have the cam come on, no reverse lights. Could you not have a double throw switch, where it makes the car think it’s in reverse (if there’s a reverse switch like in an older trans) and then have the second side power a relay that opens the circuit to the reverse lights so they stay off. Like your 5 pin relay has one position that’s always on (5a) and then 5b or what ever it is; is switched on.


----------

