Rear Camera, Can it be kept clean?

[JohnnyG]

Yea, I believe it is primarily environmental... Rain / wet roads is the transport catalyst. Without rain or wet roads, my camera stays clean.
It is ridiculously worse in the winter months, when the roads are full of salt / cinders / sand.
In the middle of summer, if there's already been a good rain to cleanse the air and flush the roads, a fresh rain / wet roads is not nearly as detrimental to the clarity of the rear camera.

 

[Chaserr]

I think you're on to something with the aero hypothesis. I see the same dirt pattern on the back of my white car pretty much always, after a wash and then an immediate rain it's a perfect line on both sides, the middle of the car is dirty, the outsides stay cleaner. It seems to have a curve in the back that sweeps dirt up(?) from the diffusers on the bottom. I'll tie some ribbon to the camera and see which way the air blows by it, if it's going upward the overhang won't help but some kind of spoiler below might.

 

[Dborn]

You would think that Tesla would have already done that in the original wind tunnel design tests......however, maybe not. The problem is unquestionably aerodynamic, which suggests there should be an aerodynamic solution rather than all the fancy ones already suggested. Those probably would work, but a simple air foil at the correct spot and orientation surely is a better solution.

 

[Phillip L]

You would think that Tesla would have already done that in the original wind tunnel design tests......however, maybe not. The problem is unquestionably aerodynamic, which suggests there should be an aerodynamic solution rather than all the fancy ones already suggested. Those probably would work, but a simple air foil at the correct spot and orientation surely is a better solution.

If they did figure that out, but an airfoil decreased the range by altering air resistance they might not be interested; since increased range would always be a bigger selling point.

 

[David.85D]

Made some progress today. Wired up and programmed the little timing boards so it will provide three short sprays of cleaner, then one longer (10 second) air dry from the air pump, based on one start signal. Parts are all from Amazon, the washer pump is really poor, will continue to look for a better version. The air pump draws 200 mA, the timing boards less than 50 mA, and the washer pump about 1 A.

 

[Bebop]

This is what worries me about FSD. The back camera is utterly useless in the rain and snow when it covers the camera. It starts looking like J.J Abrams Film with all the lens flare.

 

[bktiger86]

This is what worries me about FSD. The back camera is utterly useless in the rain and snow when it covers the camera. It starts looking like J.J Abrams Film with all the lens flare.

Something like this? I couldn't agree more with your JJ Abrams reference.

 

[Akikiki]

Where's the little miniature arm that comes out and wipes it with a small piece of microfiber mitten covering it?

 

[David99]

This works!

 

[Bebop]

Something like this? I couldn't agree more with your JJ Abrams reference.

Exactly. Now how in the world is the car supposed make out anything with that kind of view. What happens if the side front cameras are covered too.

The only ones that would be possibly okay are the b-pillar cameras.

 

[David.85D]

Flying along now. Homelink interface worked on the first go. Next up is experimenting with the right place to mount the sprayer nozzle. Debating with myself if it is worth running a tube from the front washer reservoir to avoid having the hassle of a second reservoir (and having a possible odor in the cabin).

 

[bktiger86]

I wonder is there anything we can spray on or apply on the camera on the back to make it hydrophobic so it just drips off.

 

[daktari]

I don’t get it. My rear camera never has gotten dirty. I’ve had the car 18 months.

Driving too slow or too short trips ;-)
The car is designe to have laminar flow along the sides and a pretty sharp rear end. You see how the turbulence behind the car let snow/dirt/water stick to the rear in these pictures, a sign of great aerodynamical design. All my cars the last 15 years have gotten a really dirty rear hatch/trunk. Tesla is not worse.

 

[William13]

I put RainX on the lens and it helps. Clean it first!

 

[NeoDog]

NeoDog, weekly. Sometimes on Friday, or usually Saturday morning while watching the NASCAR race. For sure its gets a wash before the Cars and Coffee meets.

​

I wash my car far less often than weekly. Does anyone else wash their car quasi-weekly and still see the camera get dirty a lot?

The soil on the camera has to come from somewhere; one hypothesis is that the rest of the car is the primary source (whole car is dirt collector; aerodynamics + rain push the dirt toward the camera). Perhaps the aerodynamic influence isn't as great if the water streaming over the car is mostly clean (more likely to flow past rather than bead up on the lens).

 

[dgpcolorado]

...All my cars the last 15 years have gotten a really dirty rear hatch/trunk. Tesla is not worse.

Entirely agree.

For me, dirt road plus snow or rain = dirty camera lens. Since I back into my garage I sometimes have to get out and wipe it off first. Some sort of washer would be nice but it isn't that big of a deal. I'm just glad to have it — I really like the rear camera and guidelines, as well as the big, easy-to-see image on the screen.

 

[RDoc]

A 90’s, early 2000 NSX.. I would trade my firstborn.

Mine's a 1991 and I love it. They are around and based on the amazing reliability I've had, it's not impossible to get a good one. I drive it all year around and basically nothing ever breaks.

 

[Julie's MS]

On most days, I can clean the camera with a cloth as I depart from home, and on the outset of my journey I have a crystal clear rear camera image. When I get to my destination 20 minutes later, it is dirty enough I can't use it again. If I have to drive in reverse when I get there, I often wind up having to get out and clean it, or rely on my mirrors and turning my head.

Is this problem common? Surely there is a way to minimize this. It seems like a design flaw, but the only reliable fix I have thought of would be camera wipers, and that just seems more hilarious than practical. Maybe blinking camera eyelids. Or some tear ducts.

More practically, I'm imagining aero- and hydro-dynamic aids that steer dirt and water runoff away from the camera. How do they get so dirty so quickly?

Love the tech in the new 2018 Range Rover. Found this very interesting video. Lets hope some of this tech finds it's way into the new versions of the Tesla's.


Rear Washer jet for rear camera (Video 4.32)

Rear door blind monitor - (Video 9.26)

 

[psgabin]

i just swipe it with my thumb as i walk past to get in the car works great

 

[whitex]

i just swipe it with my thumb as i walk past to get in the car works great

Not when it's raining. 5 minute drive and you have to wipe it again.