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Wireless front parking camera with monitor for front bumper protection

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It does that if you leave front camera selected. The switch has memory so it will remember its state when powered off and then back on. If you want rear by default just toggle the camera to rear..

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Well with half my trunk disassembled I just realized that the reverse light wiring is in the rear hatch. There are big plastic panels that will likely snap off to access the reverse light but I am very reluctant to mess with the big one.

I went back to the driver foot well harnesses and continued measuring. Have found the brake light 12v but not the reverse light. I know this has been done by the pros installing rear parking sensors but I am clearly no pro.

To remove the big one you have to remove all of the smaller ones first. A real PIA. I'd keep probing the footwell wiring -- it would be a much better solution.
 
Well things went back together okay. Unfortunately my quest was unsuccessful and I did not learn much other than how to open up the wrong part of the car.

So this is what I am thinking:

1) Although I cannot be 100% sure, as I might have missed a wire in the harness, it seems like the reverse light power is not provided as switched power down a wire. Measuring is a PIA as I had to make sure I made contact with my multimeter and then push the brake pedal and shift to reverse for each measurement. The bundle is tight and even though I stripped some of the insulation tape the inner wires were tough to get at.
2) My guess is that a lin bus is used to signal the tail light electronics to turn on the reverse light.
3) As Artsci said getting at the tail light in the tailgate looks like a real PIA. I do not feel comfortable attempting it.

I am really hope that there is an easier way to detect the reverse light than opening up the hatch and either installing a remote transmitter or running wiring. That is no DIY job. Monitoring the Lin bus using a micro is another option but that is a whole new engineering exercise and assumes that a Lin bus is being used in the first place.

I think we need expert advice. Ideally from an installer who has experience detecting reverse for rear parking assist.

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Awesome awesome work guys...in NYC for the weekend but I will ask the guys who installed my rear parking sensors where they tapped into the reverse light wire??? The rear parking sensor draws power and reverse signal all from the back.....I think they took pics. I think the front camera will bar a great addition to the front parking sensor retrofit I did as I wanted some coverage for the front sides as well (I clipped the side of my garage door pulling in and I don't think a front camera would have warned me.....) happy new year to all!!

If your installer will share his secret it would be really helpful! Please see the latest posts.
 
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Was busy in the OR all day. Will contact Sound in Motion tomorrow. WhiteP85, where in Mass are you.....May be helpful for the guys at SIM to show you the wire tap in person, they are located in Brighton...great guys and. I am sure they would be happy to help and possible do installs for local owners who may not want to do this as a DIY.
 
I am really hope that there is an easier way to detect the reverse light than opening up the hatch and either installing a remote transmitter or running wiring. That is no DIY job. Monitoring the Lin bus using a micro is another option but that is a whole new engineering exercise and assumes that a Lin bus is being used in the first place.

I also tested this harness for a reverse signal (to silence front parking sensors while in reverse) a few months back. While I'm not 100% sure I got every pin, I couldn't find the one I wanted.
I only tested the driver side, the two huge connectors near the floor. As you noted, it's a real pain to test it as you have to have a connection and then turn the car on, press the brake pedal and set reverse for each test. Perhaps with two people it would go far faster. I haven't pulled apart the passenger side yet, but I think another harness might have it. Another project!
 
Seams to me (from this picture) that the wire harnest in the right side of the car is the one going to the rear (left on picture) - the wires in the left side seams to go to the front and back seats among other.
some wires seams to cross side in the midle of th car.

(picture is seen from infront of car)
tesla_wire.png


side note: I belive minor difference exist between EU vs. US cars. EU cars does only have one reverse light - the US car have 2 reverse lights, right ?
 
Seams to me (from this picture) that the wire harnest in the right side of the car is the one going to the rear (left on picture) - the wires in the left side seams to go to the front and back seats among other.
some wires seams to cross side in the midle of th car.

(picture is seen from infront of car)
View attachment 39958

side note: I belive minor difference exist between EU vs. US cars. EU cars does only have one reverse light - the US car have 2 reverse lights, right ?

Looking at this photo it may be that removing the rear seat (which is pretty easy to do) might expose the harness to the tail lights. That may enable some further testing.
 
The trunk lid has 2 wire rubber harnest going from the car in each side - afaik (guess) the left side (drivers) is where the reverse cams data + some other black wires goes (posible power).
WP_20140105_001.jpg


The right side have alle the nice colored wires.
WP_20140105_002.jpg


I just did som wire testing using a induction meter 1 wire at a time (not exact)
WP_20140106_003.jpg


I did not measure all wires, but I got a clear signal on the Green/Brown wire when setting the car in reverse - this could indicate that a green/brown wire is used by the reverse light. other wires I mesured did not give a current indication - the white/blue did have some current while pressing the breake so posible this is the break light.

If someone is checking wires up front in the car, please messure a wire with green/brown color extra carefull.
this is the wire Im refering to:
WP_20140106_002.jpg


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I guess Tesla might try follow some sort of a standard....
BS-AU7a 1983 Colour Code for Vehicle Wiring, from the British Standards Institution
acording to this green/brown is reverse light as well.
 
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Hi Folks,

Been away for the last week so sorry about the silence. I am also off to CES show today through the weekend so I am afraid I will not have much Tesla time. Not much of an update on my side. The bracket Artsci sent has arrived but I have not had time to test it. I am still waiting for the latest set of PCBs.

Great feedback on the wiring. I will dig in more deeply when I get back.

Best,
WhiteP85
 
I spoke with my installer today who did the rear parking sensors. He tapped the rear backup light wire to engage the rear sensors. He said it was a purple wire with green stripe that is most easily tapped behind the rear passenger side C pillar near the rear seat latch. He just pried up the trim piece to access the wire as seat removal and reinsertion can be tricky with regards to the clips according to him. Unfortunately, he didn't have any pictures. Hope that is of some help.
 
I have been back to the car to meassure any current changes in this purple/green wire - but could not see any changes while switching my reverse light on/off - still measure only induction, so its not exact but will normaly give a good indication..
WP_20140106_004.jpg


My car is a EU car produced in October 2013 - My car does only have 1 (single) white reverse tail light in the right side - it is posible that the US version have a different wiring - or tesla may have made a different wiring/colors for later VIN's - hint the missing 12 V permanent power supply in the roof in newer cars.
 
On the passenger side there is one bundle going to the back of the car. It splits at the front-bottom into a connector with 8 wires, and the rest go up somewhere else (no easily visible connector). Of the 8 wires, two are green/black, two are green, and one purple/black, one purple, one blue/black and one blue. While hard to tell, I didn't see any Green/Brown or Purple/Green wires in either bundle.

I tested all the greens and the purple/black and didn't see any change going from Off-On-Reverse-Drive-Park on each wire. While fairly easy to get to, it's a pain to close the door run around to the drivers side and go through the operations for each wire test. I'm about 95% sure I had a good connection (but not 100%) on each test. Usually you'd get a few millivolts when you had a good connection.

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My last post wasn't clear, but this was tested at the front pillar, not the rear C-pillar area as suggested by nkohlimd's installer.
 
another "maybe usefull" information.
acording to this
http://geremology.com/files/Tesla%20Model%20S%20Tips%20and%20Tricks%20010514.pdf
on page 7 they claim cornering lights are switched on when in reverse - if not posible to find a wire for the reverse light, it might be posible to find both wires for the cornering light and make a "AND" input from those 2.
I haven''t veryfyedd this my self, and it is posible that future SW may change this behavier.
 
another "maybe usefull" information.
acording to this
http://geremology.com/files/Tesla%20Model%20S%20Tips%20and%20Tricks%20010514.pdf
on page 7 they claim cornering lights are switched on when in reverse - if not posible to find a wire for the reverse light, it might be posible to find both wires for the cornering light and make a "AND" input from those 2.
I haven''t veryfyedd this my self, and it is posible that future SW may change this behavier.

For my car, both cornering lights definitely turn on when in reverse.