Back up Camera Flicker
Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 96
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From: Sarasota, Florida
I have the same problem with the flicker and blue screen but I think I have it narrowed down to moisture in the connector. In the beginning I thought it had something to do with night-time or cooler temperatures but then one day when I was having a problem with it I unplugged the camera from the wiring harness and did nothing more than to plug it back in and the camera started working fine and continued to work fine until the day after the next rain storm. At that point I did the same thing, I unplugged it and reconnected it and it was fine until it rained again. At some point I realized the only time I had a problem with the camera was when I ran through standing water on the street and the rear tire slung water up against the connector. It usually takes several hours for the water to penetrate the connector and cause a problem but eventually the video signal goes out and you get a blue screen. I assume the water either causes a short or corrosion on the connector pin. Anyway, what I have done to try to correct the problem was to pack the connector with dielectric compound which has worked with light rain but with heavy rains like we frequently get here in Florida, I'll probably have to completely seal the connector by wrapping it in plastic or something along those lines to totally eliminate the problem.
Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Sarasota, Florida
At this point I no longer have any faith in the moisture in connector theory. Yesterday I had problems with the camera and it hadn't rained for nearly two weeks. I immediatly went to the local Ford dealer and of course it was working fine by then so they weren't going to do anything. At that point I got a little upset, demanded satisfaction and told them to call the district manager. That prompted the service manager to dig a little deeper and after some research he found there had been a couple of cases up north which turned out to be wiring harness problems. He said there was a kink in the harness somewhere which I assume caused a short. I asked him why unplugging and plugging in the camera worked and he said because doing that acts as a reset just like turning on and off the ignition. At any rate, he said he would order a new wiring harness and camera. He told me when they come in he will need to keep the truck all day, take out the wiring harness, inspect it, test it and replace it with the new one if necessary. If that doesn't turn out to be the problem he said he would replace the camera. The reverse switch and the display in the rearview mirror seem to be working fine so hopefully that will solve my problem.
Thank the Lord!! The problem has finally been resolved. It turned out to be the camera wiring harness. The dealer said they found some chaffing on the harness. Don't ask me how it got there, maybe it was done at the factory but that was the root of my problem. I waited several weeks to write this just to make sure and I haven't had anymore problems. Hope this helps anyone who is still having problems.
Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Sarasota, Florida
If your dealer's service department is like mine they will probably tell you there is nothing they can do because the the camera is working. Don't let them off the hook so easily. Tell them you expect satisfaction and if they can't do anything they need to call the district manager. At that point they should realize you mean business and the service manager should step in and have his people troubleshoot the system like they should have done in the first place. Normally when the mechanic does his job and checks the system properly he will will find the problem.