Front Camera for Parking Assist

[gilscales]

Hey, if you don't mind paying for tickets and risking having your insurance rates go up be my guest!

A ticket for a violation of CVC 5200 is a non-moving violation and will not garner you a point on your license or increase your car insurance premium like a moving violation with a point will. However the ticket can cost up to $197 in fines and fees if you decide to not contest the ticket and just pay it.

May have to rethink? While insurance rates will not go up $197 fine is rather high for a fix-it ticket, Just looks so much better without the front plate!

 

[artsci]

A ticket for a violation of CVC 5200 is a non-moving violation and will not garner you a point on your license or increase your car insurance premium like a moving violation with a point will. However the ticket can cost up to $197 in fines and fees if you decide to not contest the ticket and just pay it.

May have to rethink? While insurance rates will not go up $197 fine is rather high for a fix-it ticket, Just looks so much better without the front plate!

There are very few reasons to not live in CA and this may be one

 

[gilscales]

There are very few reasons to not live in CA and this may be one

Yeah not really even on my list of reasons to not live in CA and there are many, haha! problem is only one reason on the list TO live in CA trumps all the rest, the weather, at least for me, not a fan of cold or humidity, born here and while I don't agree with a large amount of the policies here I am staying as long as I can!

 

[Needsdecaf]

I've lived in New York, Maryland, and New Jersey and never had a front plate even thought they require them. Over that time, about 40 years, I've received only one warning and no tickets. The police have better things to do with their time than enforce this kinds of foolish laws.

As @gilscales noted, some laws are meant to be broken

Depends on where you live. In some places the meter maids will check for them while you are parked. Etc.

 

[LyftupX]

Parking cameras are missed , Audi has this function but it also costs more not sure if it’s on similar priced Audi’s vs 3.

 

[jkoya]

Corvette C7 also has a front camera option......

 

[barjohn]

I thought I would give you all some additional information. The one that Costco was selling has a version number on the back of the display of 1011US2. You want it to end in US3 which is their more current version. It should also have the US3 update. If you order directly from the company you can ask that it have the latest firmware. Otherwise to update it you need a PC or to run Microsoft Windows on your Mac via bootcamp or a virtual machine to do the update. What US3 version fixes is that on occasion, its ould power up when you open the car door but the display would stay greyed out. Only unplugging power and plugging it back in would cause a proper reboot and camera display. Version US3 with current firmware appears to have fixed that issue. I also discovered that while it does not display a charge level, when it get low in charge it does display a low charge level warning. Overall I am very pleased with this solution and it makes parking much easier. I turn on the range display with green, yellow red distance indicators and that really helps with placing the car between the line and centered front to back as I use the end of the green line and the end of the reverse lines to judge centering and that works very well. This is a low cost simple to install solution. One more thing I discovered is that the micro USB port on the display that is used to perform software updates can also be used as a 5V power option. You can then take a right angle micro USB plug and plug it in and run the cable down to the front USB ports and use one of those for power instead of using the 12V power cable and 12V power adapter further back. No need to remove console side panel to do this. I wish I had discovered this before I did that as it would have made the job take a lot less time and left my 12V port for other uses.

 

[jkoya]

I thought I would give you all some additional information. The one that Costco was selling has a version number on the back of the display of 1011US2. You want it to end in US3 which is their more current version.

Thanks for the update observations and the write up. There are 3 local Costcos near me and I haven't seen this item in the warehouse yet. I keep looking though, as I definitely want the Costco return policy. Thanks again !

 

[barjohn]

I would suggest buying it directly from the company if possible. I don't see any pricing on their web site but if they don't sell direct, they can certainly direct you to other sellers. I know Amazon sells them and their return policies are excellent. When I called their CS and told them I did not have a PC to update the unit they said no problem and offered to send me an updated replacement which they did. They didn't even ask me to send back the used unit. Pretty good CS in my opinion.

Better than the CS I experienced with a foaming soap dispenser I purchased from SimpleHuman. They asked me to send back the defective unit and they would repair or replace. They did send me a prepaid shipping label but the rest was on me.

 

[jjrandorin]

Hey, if you don't mind paying for tickets and risking having your insurance rates go up be my guest!

I havent had a front plate in CA for the last 20 years or so, and have gotten 1 fix it ticket in that time.

/e knocks on wood....

The thing that bothers me slightly NOW is, since california recently changed the laws to require dealerships to print out the temporary tags and place them on the car before you leave, dealerships are ALSO supposed to put on a front plate before you leave.

If you dont want it, you have to sign a waiver (so the dealership is not held responsible). Previously as I understand it, that was all verbal. You could "tell" a dealership to not put it on and they had no liability in assuring the plate was on. Now, I think they do.. so they make you sign a waiver (as of Jan 1 of this year).

I got my tesla 12/04/2018 and no front plate installed, no question about whether I wanted it either. I just made sure they gave me the brackets and screws for it at the tesla delivery center.

We just picked up my wifes X3 M40i, and the dealership made me sign a form to not have them put the front plate on our ordered BMW.

Since the law just changed to require dealerships to do this, I am worried a bit about law enforcement being more aggressive on enforcing this particular thing, especially in the next 6-9 months or so, as many times laws get enforced to "make a point" when they are updated.

Im going to chance it because I prefer the look of cars without the front plate.. but if I get a fix it ticket I will get it put on, and then leave it on. The fix it ticket wont raise your insurance rates though, its not a moving violation.

 

[jat255]

I'm very interested in this camera. Any idea what protocol the wireless data transfer is going over? I wonder how well it's secured (i.e. could you connect via bluetooth/wifi and somehow intercept the video feed to display on your phone)? Any idea from someone that has it?

 

[CanadianMetal]

Perhaps I am not understanding the need for the front camera:

When I drive into my garage, my car tells me the distance as I get closer and closer and then says STOP when I get about a foot away from hitting the nose of my car.

When it says STOP, I know I am far enough into my garage to close the door behind me .

I don't need a front camera to verify this ,
It does the same thing when I get close to a curb at the front of the car.

 

[SVMike]

Perhaps I am not understanding the need for the front camera:

When I drive into my garage, my car tells me the distance as I get closer and closer and then says STOP when I get about a foot away from hitting the nose of my car.

When it says STOP, I know I am far enough into my garage to close the door behind me .

I don't need a front camera to verify this ,
It does the same thing when I get close to a curb at the front of the car.

The car's sensors work fine when there is a wall in front.
But not so well when there is a 4" to 6" tall parking lot bumper or curb.

Mike

 

[Knightshade]

Perhaps I am not understanding the need for the front camera:

When I drive into my garage, my car tells me the distance as I get closer and closer and then says STOP when I get about a foot away from hitting the nose of my car.

When it says STOP, I know I am far enough into my garage to close the door behind me .

I don't need a front camera to verify this ,
It does the same thing when I get close to a curb at the front of the car.

The ultrasonic sensors have blind spots very close to the car and low (or very high)... likewise the actual Tesla cameras can't see close/low either- which is why there's no 360 overhead parking view like some other cars have.... and why it's possible to "hit" a curb pulling forward because none of the sensors can see it as you get really close to it.

 

[FrunkingFast]

With how high our cars sit, assuming it's not been lowered, is it common to clip parking blocks and curbs? With that said, I have a habit of backing in everywhere I go.

 

[jkoya]

With how high our cars sit, assuming it's not been lowered, is it common to clip parking blocks and curbs? With that said, I have a habit of backing in everywhere I go.

I might start doing this !

 

[jgs]

I’m hoping #elonmusk sees this and is embarrassed enough to come up with a home brew solution to this clear oversight in the M3 design.

Considering they haven't addressed it in 7 years of Model S, I wouldn't recommend holding your breath.

 

[barjohn]

You will strike and scrape on many parking blocks in CA as the car is not high enough even when not lowered. Backing in works great when you are in a parking area that is not crowded but most parking in SOCAL is very busy and if you go far enough past a spot to back into it someone else will pull in before you can back in.

 

[THX723]

Neat idea. I like the solar aspect, but wished the frame was more aesthetically pleasing. Here's a link sold by Walmart ($99.x).

@barjohn, How is the video lag, if any?

 

[barjohn]

There is no lag I can detect. It appears to be near real-time.