[Pukman]

Hi All,

I am a new member to the forum - recently purchased a 2009 SLK 280 and I am fitting a wireless rear camera. Really simple other than trying to locate a positive and negative wire in the boot lid. I don't really want to have to run the wires outside of the bootlid and would have thought I could pick up on a couple in the bootlid to make the install super easy

Anyone have any info?

thanks in advance

 

[Turbo]

I took mine from the plate light and put the camera next to the number plate. Have a look at Rear camera connection.

 

[Pukman]

Thanks for the reply. My cameras need a positive and negative each end. The console was easy of course but I can't find a positive in the boot lid? I note your install and you have picked up the negative from the reg light. That's great thanks but now need a positive...

 

[Turbo]

The console was easy of course but I can't find a positive in the boot lid?

Just take it from the same place. The reg plate light is always on when you turn the engine on.

On these cars, you really shouldn't run it 24/7/365! UNLESS you can power it with a separate battery, that's charged when the engine is running. This because there's ALREADY a contant drain to keep all the computers running (on purpose!), so if you add a camera on top of that..

 

[Pukman]

But my reg lights are only on when the main car lights are on - Which I presume to mean, its only positive when the lights are on so my camera would only work then?

 

[Turbo]

But my reg lights are only on when the main car lights are on - Which I presume to mean, its only positive when the lights are on so my camera would only work then?

Hmm, are you ABSOLUTELY sure about that?! I'm pretty sure the law say that that should ALWAYS be on.

But either way, just set your car to turn on the lighs when you turn on the ignition. There's a menu option for that in the "speed and rev counter display".

 

[hargaR1]

But my reg lights are only on when the main car lights are on - Which I presume to mean, its only positive when the lights are on so my camera would only work then?

Unless you require the camera on all the time, just take the positive from the reverse light inside your tail light.
I'm not sure if it will lagg due to it being wireless, but my rear cam positive I wired directly to the Passenger (left side) Tail light reverse light Pos+ works great no issues.
Hope this helps.

 

[Turbo]

Unless you require the camera on all the time, just take the positive from the reverse light inside your tail light.

That's what I would have done.

But I wanted to use it as "dash cam" at the same time. I have replaced my HU for a Chinese Android one and I'm running .. "some app" (that I can't remember the name of now) to record the camera at all time. AND it works as a reverse camera as well, the HU automatically switches to it when I put it in reverse.

I also have an identical camera in the grill (the HU come with TWO video in), but I can't get that to work for some reason. Androd (and the app) doesn't recognise the front camera for some reason. Didn't have much time to play around with it before I put it in storage though.

 

[Pukman]

That's what I would have done.

But I wanted to use it as "dash cam" at the same time. I have replaced my HU for a Chinese Android one and I'm running .. "some app" (that I can't remember the name of now) to record the camera at all time. AND it works as a reverse camera as well, the HU automatically switches to it when I put it in reverse.

I also have an identical camera in the grill (the HU come with TWO video in), but I can't get that to work for some reason. Androd (and the app) doesn't recognise the front camera for some reason. Didn't have much time to play around with it before I put it in storage though.

Yep, for sure they are not on without lights. Thanks for the help.

Yes I could also take from reverse light but I didn't really want to come out of the boot lid.

Thanks for the good options guys.

 

[Turbo]

Yep, for sure they are not on without lights. Thanks for the help.

Yes I could also take from reverse light but I didn't really want to come out of the boot lid.

Then you basically only have two options:

1. Take the power from the reverse light and pull the cable through the hinges and carpets like I did.
2. Make sure your lights are on when you turn the ignition on.

Of the two, point two is easiest .

 

[hargaR1]

That's what I would have done.

But I wanted to use it as "dash cam" at the same time. I have replaced my HU for a Chinese Android one and I'm running .. "some app" (that I can't remember the name of now) to record the camera at all time. AND it works as a reverse camera as well, the HU automatically switches to it when I put it in reverse.

I also have an identical camera in the grill (the HU come with TWO video in), but I can't get that to work for some reason. Android (and the app) doesn't recognize the front camera for some reason. Didn't have much time to play around with it before I put it in storage though.

Those Android apps are awesome, did you try to update the app? Maybe there's an issue? Also with my cameras I had to play around with the settings until I got picture, I set it standard as PAL, but it eventually worked with a combination of NTSC and some other setting. On a side note I did one car and couldn't get the camera to work, I swapped the inputs to find the front camera didn't work in the rear cam input and my rear cam started the front cam working. it was the actual cam didn't have a good earth so power wasn't enough to run it.

 

[Pukman]

Perfect - many thanks

 

[Turbo]

Those Android apps are awesome, did you try to update the app? Maybe there's an issue?

The app(s) I got from the Android marketplace. I think I even payed for the payed versions .

If there's an issue, it's with Android itself. Unfortunately, the Chinse units use some special version of Android, so you can't just upgrade it. And Seicane (where I bought it from) haven't (and probably never will) produced an upgrade .

Also with my cameras I had to play around with the settings until I got picture, I set it standard as PAL, but it eventually worked with a combination of NTSC and some other setting.

I haven't seen anything about PAL/NTSC but I did find some settings in the HU that looked like the input signal. But I didn't dig deep enough before I put it away for the winter. I'll take another crack at it when I take it out in April.

On a side note I did one car and couldn't get the camera to work, I swapped the inputs to find the front camera didn't work in the rear cam input and my rear cam started the front cam working. it was the actual cam didn't have a good earth so power wasn't enough to run it.

Yeah, I did the same thing.

Front camera worked in the rear input, but rear camera (that works perfectly in the rear input), didn't work in the front input.. So I'm fairly certain it's something in Android. Some setting that isn't right. OR a driver that isn't working properly..

 

[Pukman]

Then you basically only have two options:

1. Take the power from the reverse light and pull the cable through the hinges and carpets like I did.
2. Make sure your lights are on when you turn the ignition on.

Of the two, point two is easiest .

Hi Turbo,

Took the positive from the reverse light and picked up a negative from there too. Works perfectly so thanks for your assistance

 

[Sammyhagar]

Hi All,

I am a new member to the forum - recently purchased a 2009 SLK 280 and I am fitting a wireless rear camera. Really simple other than trying to locate a positive and negative wire in the boot lid. I don't really want to have to run the wires outside of the bootlid and would have thought I could pick up on a couple in the bootlid to make the install super easy

Anyone have any info?

thanks in advance

I ran the positive to the reverse light and grounded the negative at the closest grounded screw. That way the camera only powers in when the car is on and in reverse.

 

[Alex 3]

Hi All,

I am a new member to the forum - recently purchased a 2009 SLK 280 and I am fitting a wireless rear camera. Really simple other than trying to locate a positive and negative wire in the boot lid. I don't really want to have to run the wires outside of the bootlid and would have thought I could pick up on a couple in the bootlid to make the install super easy

Anyone have any info?

thanks in advance

I did an install of a Garmin wireless camera on the current SLK55 and the previous SLK320.
To get power to it I am using the feed to the left back up light. I used crimp splicers.
It is pretty easy to run wire from the inside of the trunk (boot) lid. You have to remove the plastic trim cover. Make sure you note which pin fastener goes in which hole. They are not all the same.
Just follow the path of the wiring that is there for the licence plate light and high level stop light down into to the rear tail light. If you follow the current wiring and leave a bit of slack at the corners where the hinge points and tape or zip tie it to the channel attached to the roof mechanism where the current wire runs, it will not get pinched. It works a treat. Put it in reverse and on comes the camera.

 

[NH Lakes]

I did an install of a Garmin wireless camera on the current SLK55 and the previous SLK320.
To get power to it I am using the feed to the left back up light. I used crimp splicers.
It is pretty easy to run wire from the inside of the trunk (boot) lid. You have to remove the plastic trim cover. Make sure you note which pin fastener goes in which hole. They are not all the same.
Just follow the path of the wiring that is there for the licence plate light and high level stop light down into to the rear tail light. If you follow the current wiring and leave a bit of slack at the corners where the hinge points and tape or zip tie it to the channel attached to the roof mechanism where the current wire runs, it will not get pinched. It works a treat. Put it in reverse and on comes the camera.

Wished I found your post yesterday (lol) as it would have saved a lot of frustration. I'll rerun the wires along current wiring path as you did. Thanks!