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AZ Desert Driver
Rare combination
If my memory serves-----there was talk about activating the Front cam by poking the homelink button, and not needing the extra fob.
Am I delusional or is this still a lurking possibility?
I would not want to delay getting the switch if this anti-fob thing required a rethink.
Am I delusional or is this still a lurking possibility?
I would not want to delay getting the switch if this anti-fob thing required a rethink.
That definitely can be done. The remote can be used to set up a Homelink. I have a camera toggle on my Home Link and I haven’t used the remote for a few years. And using Homelink provides another bonus. — it rememebers the location where I toggle from rear to front view. So as I approach my home it automatically switches to the front view.
HankLloydRight
No Roads
Success! I received one of @artsci's V2 test boards, installed it and it works great! It appears to be identical to the V1 board, just reproduced as new boards (correct me if I'm wrong). I sent Artsci a long note with some comments, but the short version is that when I got the switch,it was stuck in "rear" view mode, and would not switch/toggle to the front view.
I had to pair the supplied remote to the switch (very easy to do) and then use the remote to toggle it to the front view, and then it started working as designed -- always show front camera except when in Reverse, show the rear camera.
The remote also allows you to easily switch between F+R. I also created a Homelink entry in the car, and trained it to the remote, so now I have a "Camera" entry in the Homelink menu to toggle the switch F to R and back.
Still is the best mod ever for MS/MX. Thank you Artsci!
I had to pair the supplied remote to the switch (very easy to do) and then use the remote to toggle it to the front view, and then it started working as designed -- always show front camera except when in Reverse, show the rear camera.
The remote also allows you to easily switch between F+R. I also created a Homelink entry in the car, and trained it to the remote, so now I have a "Camera" entry in the Homelink menu to toggle the switch F to R and back.
Still is the best mod ever for MS/MX. Thank you Artsci!
Akikiki
A'-Lo-HA ! y'all
Me too. I received my prototype V2 board and tested it today. Works. Yes, Success. Mine also booted to rear view mode only and would not switch to front. Seeeeee, this is important because the V1 board boots to front view as that's the default. I've not programmed my remotes so, I didn't think of that as help in testing the switch to front and rear. However, when it came up in rear and would not switch with the car's shift to front and rear, I unplugged everything and plugged it all back in. The second time it booted with everything plugged in, it came up in default/front mode and now it switches between front and rear with Park/Drive and Reverse.
Maybe its not important, but I want to mention this now. I had one of the first kits 4 years ago. I bought the Tesla camera - $345. In late '16 we found a $78 Tesla camera. It worked on the front of my '13 S with the long cable. But later, the $78 Tesla camera would not work on my '17 S with the long cable. I believed it to be the length of the cable in use (short cable worked) on the newer S.
A couple of months later someone found a rear camera on Amazon for Tesla's for $39.xx Surely this could not be any good at this price. I bought a couple. I tried it on my '17 S using the long cable and it works just like the $345 camera. If I intended today to install this front mounted camera kit I would snatch up one of those $39.xx camera on Amazon and save a bunch of dollars.
Maybe its not important, but I want to mention this now. I had one of the first kits 4 years ago. I bought the Tesla camera - $345. In late '16 we found a $78 Tesla camera. It worked on the front of my '13 S with the long cable. But later, the $78 Tesla camera would not work on my '17 S with the long cable. I believed it to be the length of the cable in use (short cable worked) on the newer S.
A couple of months later someone found a rear camera on Amazon for Tesla's for $39.xx Surely this could not be any good at this price. I bought a couple. I tried it on my '17 S using the long cable and it works just like the $345 camera. If I intended today to install this front mounted camera kit I would snatch up one of those $39.xx camera on Amazon and save a bunch of dollars.
HankLloydRight
No Roads
If you have the Reverse gear lead attached, the touchscreen should always be showing the front cam, and only switches to rear when you shift into reverse (or use the remote).
If you don't have the reverse lead wired in, then yes, you can use the remote/fob or Homelink to toggle the camera as needed.
Thanks Gentlemen. Glad to hear you both successfully set the new version up, and quickly to boot. The V2 board is basically the same but some of the V1 parts became obsolete and they had to be replaced and we weren't sure the replacement parts would work. You proved that all is AOK.
Hank let me know that the new board doesn't quite fit the old case, so we'll have to make slightly different version of the case. Now on to production estimates.
I'll post costs and buying procedures once I have the estimates.
Hank let me know that the new board doesn't quite fit the old case, so we'll have to make slightly different version of the case. Now on to production estimates.
I'll post costs and buying procedures once I have the estimates.
SucreTease
Teslarian
HankLloydRight
No Roads
SucreTease
Teslarian
I am guessing that you just copied that link, but didn't actually try it? "Page Not Found"
HankLloydRight
No Roads
Sorry, fixed: https://www.amazon.com/Tesla-1006773-00-F-Rear-View-Camera-Harness/dp/B01E0K0JT2/
You could also search for "tesla camera"
You could also search for "tesla camera"
Akikiki
A'-Lo-HA ! y'all
Yep, another of the same thing.
Tesla 1006773-00-F Rear View Camera on Amazon
I've been watching this product for about a year now. They show a decreasing stock, and then it pops up again with more.
Tesla 1006773-00-F Rear View Camera on Amazon
I've been watching this product for about a year now. They show a decreasing stock, and then it pops up again with more.
AZ Desert Driver
Rare combination
its late and I'm thick....why does the front camera need the rear camera? i thought the front wired into the footwell ocd port and we were done. i also thought i could have rear camera on-like a big rv mirror - all the time and just activate front camera during parking maneuvers. i can put the rear camera on top of my screen, or on the lower- and have a choice of several screen displays for the other half. i imagined i could select the rear camera on low, and the front on top and have both running at once. did i imagine wrong?
Akikiki
A'-Lo-HA ! y'all
Its not so late where I am. Yes, you are visualizing this wrong. Let me see if I can explain this. Let's go back to the objective of this. In '12 and early '13, the car did not come with parking sensors. And when it did come, they actually are too high. They don't see curbs and concrete bumpers in parking lots. You can hit one and break the front of your car's splitter. Our famous Artsci, whose done dozens of mods to his S, came up with the project. The idea was to put a camera at the front lower grille so we could see when we are getting close to an obstacle. There's a couple of threads that trace the history. If you have nothing to do one weekend, search and read them.
Its an understatement to say this but; a team worked on this and figured out how to build a switch that would swap the signal between two camera to the single center console input. And some smart folks figured out how to make the views swap when you put the car in drive or reverse. The default setting is the front camera. And when you put the car in reverse, or use the remote or selection on the touchscreen entry under Homelink you can switch to the rear. Or if you like, you can make the rear the default and switch to the front when you wish with the remote or the Homelink entry. (What front camera you ask?) To make this work, you will obtain a Tesla rear view/backup camera for a S or X and mount it on the front lower grille.
The center console has only one video input. And its very unique. The team never found an alternative that would substitute or match (other than Tesla). The idea was to use the touchscreen and not have a secondary screen and deal with mounting it. Because the center console has only one video input, there's only one video/camera signal/image going to it at a time. The switch is the key to swapping between between the front camera and the rear camera. And the 12V power going to the switch allows the mechanism to swap the signal with the remote or Homelink entry.
The front camera does not need the rear camera. But do you not wish to continue using the rear camera? I doubt anyone would do this, but its possible to mount (another) rear Tesla camera on the front, unplug the rear camera and plug the front camera in so the only signal going to the center console is the front view. Seems silly to forfeit the rear view at the expense of the front view. I hope that answers your question on the purpose of the switch?
The OBD connection is simply a simple persistent 12v power source going to the switch. Anyone not wishing to use it is welcome to find another 12v positive and ground source.
Does that help?
Its an understatement to say this but; a team worked on this and figured out how to build a switch that would swap the signal between two camera to the single center console input. And some smart folks figured out how to make the views swap when you put the car in drive or reverse. The default setting is the front camera. And when you put the car in reverse, or use the remote or selection on the touchscreen entry under Homelink you can switch to the rear. Or if you like, you can make the rear the default and switch to the front when you wish with the remote or the Homelink entry. (What front camera you ask?) To make this work, you will obtain a Tesla rear view/backup camera for a S or X and mount it on the front lower grille.
The center console has only one video input. And its very unique. The team never found an alternative that would substitute or match (other than Tesla). The idea was to use the touchscreen and not have a secondary screen and deal with mounting it. Because the center console has only one video input, there's only one video/camera signal/image going to it at a time. The switch is the key to swapping between between the front camera and the rear camera. And the 12V power going to the switch allows the mechanism to swap the signal with the remote or Homelink entry.
The front camera does not need the rear camera. But do you not wish to continue using the rear camera? I doubt anyone would do this, but its possible to mount (another) rear Tesla camera on the front, unplug the rear camera and plug the front camera in so the only signal going to the center console is the front view. Seems silly to forfeit the rear view at the expense of the front view. I hope that answers your question on the purpose of the switch?
The OBD connection is simply a simple persistent 12v power source going to the switch. Anyone not wishing to use it is welcome to find another 12v positive and ground source.
Does that help?
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AZ Desert Driver
Rare combination
Ahhh!! one input to the screen! cant show both at the same time because there is only one screen. Got it.
What I did was put a piece of white tape on my garage floor, and when it shows up on my rear camera (on very frequently, and always on while doing home garage) I know I got sufficiently into my garage. I don't trust the front sensor to not hit my workbench. I was expecting to see my workbench AND my white tape. But this was only during familiar parking sequence.
Now I see pulling into random forward facing parking slots and seeing how close I am to fully sliding into those parking slots. Wont need the rear camera during this phase. Seems obvious now.
A few months ago, somebody put together a good shopping list. That list had edits of long cable, short cable, mounting bracket, ....now I don't know what to shop for. I did buy a Amazon rear camera-it has a 12" lead and a set if ear-tabs begging for a mounting screw. I hope you, or somebody, produces a clear shopping list, and a "how to" punch list, and in a perfect world - a video showing the tricky things.
I'm getting excited about saving my chin!!
BTW - thank you for a) this explanation, b) participating as a tester, c) being such a solid part of the community. I've profited from your input. Thank you.
steinermeister
Member
berkeley_ecar
S 90D (fully loaded) delivered 18 Mar 2017
Akikiki
A'-Lo-HA ! y'all
You are very welcome. Yes, someone will produce the shopping list again. And while we are on the subject, the long cable you mentioned is to connect the front camera to the driver side dash area. In a nutshell, you feed it from the front grill, up the side behind the nosecone/bumper, (remove the left side plastic frunk trim) under the trim or edge of the fender, to the door hinges. Run it under the weatherstrip at the door/body and under the dash. At his point, you will need one of the short cables. Actually two short cables. These short cables serve has gender changers for the cable ends going into the switch.
There is an original set of instructions for the first switch installation still in the wild. And its very accurate. The only deviation between then and now is the difference that Tesla did to us when they changed the passenger side harness and removed our use of the wire in it for the reverse activation. For S' 16 and '17 and I guess X's, we need to run a lead/wire from the liftgate reverse/backup light wire to the front of the car/dash.
The wings on the Amazon (all the camera) is for installation on the rear of the car. The wings re not needed for most installations on the front. Some cut them off. I simply, carefully removed the screws and removed the bracket, and put the screws back. HanklloydRight used industrial strength velcro to mount his camera and it works great. I have a refreshed S and I removed my front plate mount immediately when I took delivery. I used the lower tapped holes in the grille cavity to mount my camera after I glued it to a plastic board. Hank's way is better, because it gives you the opportunity to pull it down and put it back to adjust the forward alignment for the view.
There's one more thing to mention about the rear camera mounted on the front. The image from the camera is not corrected. The camera is designed to give us a rear view on the forward screen. So when mounted on the front, the image is flipped/reversed from the forward view. The left is on the right and the right is on the left. But let me emphasize this, its not important for its use. We don't drive with the front mounted rear camera. We use it to see our relative position when pulling into parking spaces, curbs, and parking stops. Regardless of side you see that you are close to, its time to stop. So left or right, - who cares, it shows me when I am close and when to stop.
You might find this interesting. Here's the view from my front mounted camera out of my garage where I backed in. My front cam is recessed to the back of the lower grille. That's why it gives that fisheye effect.
HankLloydRight
No Roads
I've uploaded to my website all three PDF documents Artsci wrote up a few years ago for the camera kit.
Some of the information is outdated/changed, but it's all there.
Ignore the information about the "chinese" cables, they are no longer being used, only OEM cables from Tesla.
Anyone installing the camera should read through all of these to get an idea of what's involved. If you're handy with installing dashcams or radar detectors, this isn't any different or harder, although it may seem so.
https://ev-cpo.com/cams/Camera_Instructions_V1.pdf
https://ev-cpo.com/cams/Camera_Instructions_Update.pdf
https://ev-cpo.com/cams/Camera_Instructions_V2.pdf
One note in V1 discussing the OBDII power connection:
"If your car will be parked for long periods of time (7-10 days or longer at a low state of charge ) without access to a charger, do not not use this method.!"
It's my opinion that having the camera kit connected as "always on" won't affect the battery or state of charge any measurable amount. I run my dashcam and camera switch kit off the OBDII port 24x7 and have never had a problem with battery drainage. Both units pull very, very little current to worry about.
Some of the information is outdated/changed, but it's all there.
Ignore the information about the "chinese" cables, they are no longer being used, only OEM cables from Tesla.
Anyone installing the camera should read through all of these to get an idea of what's involved. If you're handy with installing dashcams or radar detectors, this isn't any different or harder, although it may seem so.
https://ev-cpo.com/cams/Camera_Instructions_V1.pdf
https://ev-cpo.com/cams/Camera_Instructions_Update.pdf
https://ev-cpo.com/cams/Camera_Instructions_V2.pdf
One note in V1 discussing the OBDII power connection:
"If your car will be parked for long periods of time (7-10 days or longer at a low state of charge ) without access to a charger, do not not use this method.!"
It's my opinion that having the camera kit connected as "always on" won't affect the battery or state of charge any measurable amount. I run my dashcam and camera switch kit off the OBDII port 24x7 and have never had a problem with battery drainage. Both units pull very, very little current to worry about.
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