Camera(s) blocked or blinded

[TomD]

Moderator comment - thread renamed from "Left door pillar camera blocked or blinded" and "Door pillar camera blocked or blinded"

Anyone else getting messages like this?

Ever since the last update I seem to be getting this message at least every other trip.

There looks like there might be some condensation inside the glass by the camera but haven't had the chance to properly inspect it.

Anyone know what the fix is?

 

[Smiddy]

Yup quite often lately, I think it’s just the weather, it comes and goes. I tried rainx but that doesn’t seem to help.

 

[mysp00n]

I've got the same, didn't know if its just the shitty weather at the moment or something more 'internal' are you able to see the view from the camera from the console to see what its visibility is like?

 

[Vipercat]

I recall reading some feedback from other forum members about condensation in the pillar in front of the camera. After x amount of time (while driving) the condensation disappeared and so did the message.

 

[drtimhill]

Same here .. i put it down to dark roads not giving the camera enough to “see” to keep it happy. Though my car is getting dirty so it might just be that. It always seems to vanish for me once I reach a main road and some lighting/cars to keep the camera happy

 

[LukeT]

Mine (fender though) was a camera issue, just replaced. Although it was playing up before the update, the change of messages from this update did give more info and maybe a higher frequency of messages, or it felt like it anyway. They told me that they can check the cameras remotely so if it happened again I should raise it by the app and they'll do that.

Thats not to say I don't still get these messages. I do, but they're much less frequent, no longer almost all on one camera and are explainable by weather, condensation etc. Annoyingly, it's to be expected in certain conditions. Essentially that's British ones!

I think HVAC before departure is meant to reduce the condensation issue. It also helps with regen. A bit tangential but I suspect if you can coincide this with "just in time" charging then it all goes hand in hand, but until that's properly automated I can't be bothered.

 

[drtimhill]

Same here .. i put it down to dark roads not giving the camera enough to “see” to keep it happy. Though my car is getting dirty so it might just be that. It always seems to vanish for me once I reach a main road and some lighting/cars to keep the camera happy

I'm not certain but do recall reading that the pillar cameras had heating. Which might explain why the warming comes on for me when car is cold but disappears after a few mins.

 

[MrBadger]

I'm not certain but do recall reading that the pillar cameras had heating. Which might explain why the warming comes on for me when car is cold but disappears after a few mins.

I stuck a thermal imaging camera car and specifically looked for warming there - nothing obvious, not even airflow - although I do have a leak in the roof which may reduce airflow from other exits, like door handles. Windscreen cameras are heated though - the heating element runs part way down the passenger side of the screen.

What the eye cannot normally see - what an IR camera tells us on a cold morning

 

[MaDProFF]

I am getting this on and off all the time especially in this crap weather, it is a little annoying as it is distracting tbh, probably too sensitive giving a warning.

 

[Asterix187]

Almost certainly a software sensitivity change. Random messages like this come and go with new software updates.

 

[pgkevet]

Almost certainly a software sensitivity change. Random messages like this come and go with new software updates.

I suspect that it was happening before but not reported. However whenever it is reported on my S I pull over and find there is significant condensation B pillars +/- front cam, save a clip, make notes in the book i keep in the car (date/time/temp/weather etc) and sometimes take phone pics of the condensation (but after x pics it's pointless).
Still waitng for mobile service to give a date

 

[TomD]

It is more of an annoyance as it takes up a big portion of the right hand side of the screen and you can't get rid of it. I just had a 25 mile drive and it came on and off 6 times. Just seen on the US forums there are lots of people complaining about it, probably fixed in the next update!

 

[volts]

Basic computing: there is no point reporting a message unless the driver can do something about it or know how to modify their behaviour based in the message...

 

[MrBadger]

Its a useful message. Much more informative than 'blind spot limited' and lets you know 1, which camera is affected incase it needs a clean, and 2, which side of car you need to pay even more attention to when changing lanes.

 

[TomD]

Its a useful message. Much more informative than 'blind spot limited' and lets you know 1, which camera is affected incase it needs a clean, and 2, which side of car you need to pay even more attention to when changing lanes.

But you can't just acknowledge it and get it off the screen. It just sits there right across the car screen.

 

[MrBadger]

Its only there when pertinent? You could go around a bend and the blind spot disappears, the around another bend and the camera is blinded again. I can see the point about not being able to clear it - but you get that with others, just like the previous blind spot message, or bad weather detected etc and no one ever complain of those to same extent? This one seems to be causing more angst. Maybe time of year making main problem more common and the message being so particular now.

 

[Mark_T]

I'm mostly seeing this when there is direct bright sunshine on that side early in the morning.

Message goes away when the sun isn't directly on the camera in question...

 

[RamsfanJim]

Yep, I'm getting this regularly now - comes and goes, never saw it before latest update (but it has also got colder)

 

[pgkevet]

In the future we shall see lots of robot cars fishtailing along westerly routes in winter evenings to tack towards their destination.

 

[ben_c]

But you can't just acknowledge it and get it off the screen. It just sits there right across the car screen.

You can swipe it to the left and it shrinks down (for a while)