anyone have a problem where the camera just doesn't work at night anymore? It used to work fine and I could see, but now it's completely dark. Camera no longer works at night, only in the day.

 

Do you mean the AVIC switches to the camera view, but the camera doesn't give you an image?
-is it just a very low-light image? (can you see things that are bright, like streetlights?) maybe the camera is malfunctioning and not self-adjusting to the low light. Are your backup lights still working?

What brand of camera are you using? (what inputs does it have? I think my Boyo VTL300 only had power/ground...and an RCA out)

 

I'm using the pioneer brand camera, forget exactly the model number. I should have the box for it still.
All backup lights are working. The screen is black.

However, it's random. The night I posted this, I re-tried it and it was working. Granted there was more light in the area.

The night it didn't work it was raining hard and it might have been dark in the area. I'm thinking I need a better night enabled camera.

 

Is it possible that the camera could have got some water inside? Maybe there was some condensation on the lens or inside the unit. It's also possible that one or more of the wires leading into the car came into contact with some water (not sure how you have these wires routed) and if they shorted out it could have caused the camera to not come on at all.

If it is working now, then I wouldn't worry too much about it. But if it keeps giving you problems, it should have a 1 year warranty...maybe you can swap it out. (not sure how long you've had it). I would check all of the wiring before you try to replace the camera...how is it hooked to power/ground? I have mine connected to the ACC/ground at the radio harness (ran the power/ground along with the video/reverse input from the back of the car to the dash). Some people use the reverse wire to power the camera (but this would only turn on the camera when the transmission is in reverse...I like to turn on the reverse camera occasionally while driving forward, so I didn't like this idea....not sure if it will wear out my camera prematurely from being powered on all the time though). If there is a problem with the power or ground, then the AVIC will still switch to the input, but there won't be a signal (because the camera is turned off).

I don't think you need to buy a different camera...the one you have (when working properly) should give you a decent image at night.

Hope this helps.

 

It's gotta be out of warranty. I've had the car for about a year now and I bought it this way. So I couldn't tell you how it was wired. All I know is it is propped against the license plate and shows up when you throw it in reverse. I can also have it as a secondary view when driving with the map.

I'm gonna try it out again next time I'm in a dark area.

 

ProperID’s anwer might solve the problem. I had a similar situation on my 4WD vehicle. The camera would occasionally malfunction (poor visibility in the dark and sometimes no image at all). Turns out it was the wiring.

The shop that installed the camera drilled a whole in the sheet metal and installed a grommet through which they ran the wiring. Then they took power off the back-up lights and attached the ground nearby. With time the grommet deteriorated allowing moisture to run down the wires causing an intermittent short that sometimes prevented the camera from working. Finally the short became well established blowing the backup light’s fuse. That’s how I discovered the problem.

The fix was replacing the grommet and sealing with silicone, and rewiring the power and ground lines to a better location and power source.

If it’s not the wiring, then the next thing to check is the camera itself. The most common cause of camera failure is moisture inside the casing. The enclosure is moisture resistant, but that can fail with time. You might be able to evaluate this by simply examining the lens. If you see any condensation, then you know.

--Spike

 

Thanks guys, I checked for condensation, but I guess I better check again when it's NOT working. Also might have to pull of the plate and find out where it's going to.

I'm also having issues with my speakers not working (mainly the driver side door). I'm still on stock bose speakers, if I turn the volume on higher it magically comes back on.