Car Hacks – Fixing a Backup Camera (from the manufacturer)

When it feels like everything is going at the same time – stove, fridge, brakes, backup camera not working – just know that you aren’t alone. A lot of people are sharing your pain, but don’t worry there’s hope! It may or may not cause money but you know, it is what it is. 

But what if there was a way that you could get your camera fixed without having to pay an arm and a leg for someone to do it for you? It’s a good thing you came across this blog post because this issue will be addressed. 

When a piece of technology that you own and rely heavily upon in your daily life malfunctions, it can really feel like the world is ending (and no that’s not an exaggeration). It makes the tasks that were once easy to accomplish that much more lengthy and time consuming to have to do it yourself.  

Troubleshooting: Why is it not working? – Common Reasons

Sometimes if you’re lucky, things actually go your way (hard to believe I know). The problem might seem super complicated at face value to fix, but doing a deeper dive into the situation and assessing what you can, helps a lot. 

There are surprisingly a lot of reasons why the camera itself isn’t working, and most times, the issue can actually be fixed with the least amount of money (if any) spent. It could be as simple as a fuse or wire becoming disconnected, frayed, or blown – which is actually the best case scenario with these kinds of issues. Other reasons include a faulty connection (from either side), problems with the display, or even a matter of being connected to the wrong port – it all depends on the severity of the problem and what you are (or are not) seeing on the inside of the car where the camera display is. 

Can I Really Fix It MYSELF?

Yes you can! Just follow these tips (which are detailed) and your problem should be solved. First, clean off your camera with a soft cloth – a buildup of dust or dirt/debris could be causing the problem. Dust/debris/dirt on the camera itself can cause the screen to project a black or brown image. It should be noted that although wiping it off might solve this issue it isn’t a guarantee.

A way to know if there is a problem with the monitor is actually quite simple to figure out – simply turn the car on and shift to reverse which should cause the backup camera to automatically load onto the screen. If the screen doesn’t load, then the monitor is the issue, but if there is a black screen when it loads up then the camera is the issue. Troubleshooting couldn’t get any easier than this. 

Final Thoughts

If either problem is occurring, check the owners manual to see where the fuse box is located – which is typically located under the steering wheel. Either issue can be a result of the monitor or fuse box being blown. From here, you will want to check the exact fuse used to power your equipment. Remove the fuse and insert the replacement. A fuse of this nature can be purchased from any automotive store. Once the new fuse is inserted, the backup camera should be working fine. However, although most times these types of issues can be fixed with a simple adjustment, when it can’t be fixed, a new camera is needed. But hey, at least you learned to how to fix and troubleshoot for problems in the future!