Rear camera

[Ditchplains1]

Anyone have a source for the original Japanese model VehiCROSS rear view camera?

Thanks in advance,

Eddie:confused:

[ipd]

I don't, but I'd love to know. Even more than that, I'd love to know if someone found an aftermarket solution for backup cam that fit nicely in the stock location--vice on a plate frame.

[Jayd-S]

I have three JDM Vxs. Two have the original reversing cams behind the plastic crescent shaped cladding on the back door. They also have a small solenoid driven camera lens dirt cover that lifts up like an eyelid when the reverse gear is engaged.
My third VX had a non working replacement camera without any dirt cover. I replaced this one with a small half inch cube color camera from a local auto security and audio store. Cost $49, great quality resolution and colors with distance guaging marker lines.
I believe that all VXs, both US and JDM, have the camera mounting bracket welded to the inner panel of the back door behind the plastic crescent, even though the US version had the apperture in the plastic crescent blanked off.
You can pretty much make any off the shelf half inch cube camera fit or mount to this bracket to point slightly downwards through a small square hole which you may have to cut in the bottom centre of the plastic crescent. Any camera larger than half inch cube, you will likely have insufficient depth to allow the camera to tilt for an effective viewing angle.
The camera comes as a kit with screws and mounting bracket and enough cable to reach the front of a double decker bus! The camera's mounting bracket enables you to tilt the camera for best viewing. It is the camera's own mounting bracket that you will need to attach to the vehicle's own mounting bracket.
I have no dust cover and have never found it needed one, even in heavy rain.
To mount the camera, you will need to remove the plastic crescent to gain access. The metal camera box behind the spare wheel is not removable! If I recall correctly, the crescent is secured with four dome head nuts behind the spare wheel plus what look like two dime sized circular plastic slotted tubes which need to be pinched to pass through the square holes in the door panel when you remove the crescent. The plastic crescent is also held in place with double sided adhesive tape around its entire edge. So you don't damage the paintwork, use nylon fishing line to slide between the door panel and the adhesive tape and work it loose. Once loosened, you will need to pinch those plastic tubes I mentioned earlier to finally remove the crescent.
Don't forget to use new double sided tape when you replace the crescent. Peel off the the paper covering the double sided tape from one side only and stick to the plastic crescent. Do not peel the paper backing of the other side of the tape until you are sure everything fits and lines up properly and you have tested the viewing angle of the camera. (Temporarily hook up to your display monitor)
I ran the wire straight to my Kenwood double DIN touch screen head unit with video input but as the US VX has a single DIN opening for the stereo head unit, you can also get those monitors that clip over your rear view mirror or a head unit that has a 7" flip up touch screen.
Next run the cable. The hardest part for running the cable was feeding it through the rubber cable boot by the door hinge.
Hope you find this helpful!
Jayd-S
aka Geoff