Reverse camera distortion

[Adieu]

When wiring an aftermarket camera, I had similar crap with loose/exposed reverse wire connection during test fit

I suspect securing and taping off all wiring should do the trick

 

[rndlmn4]

I have a 2015, and it does the same thing. There’s no rhyme or reason to when it shows a staticky negative image, or when it looks perfectly normal. It’s good a lot more often than it’s bad, but I would really appreciate it working correctly all the time. I will consider the replies above and decide how to approach the problem.

 

[JasonH]

For future searchers, I used the instructions from Munkiebunz3 to fix the camera. The distortion eventually became continuous, which is dangerous in a vehicle this size.

Disconnecting the camera and cleaning everything, then reconnecting several times and ensuring the connector latch was locked fixed the issue.

I suggest a helping hand when making this repair. The white clips holding the rear trim on were difficult to access and remove without applying some leverage to the trim. The area behind the trim was filthy.

My camera is now working properly!

 

[Ktay219]

So glad I found this forum! I also have camera distortion that comes and goes.Started when it was under warranty so Ford actually replaced my whole camera and harness last yr....now it is out of warranty and the problem came back. I will try all these suggestions.
Also have a sync issue with phone button not even responding,so that another problem to troubleshoot
Never have these fancy issues with my '03 Lightning...

 

[Hulkster]

This is an issue on all expy it seems. My 08 has same issue!

 

[JasonH]

Bumping this. The issue is back. I suspect the contacts have been sullied again. Thinking of using a combination of dielectric grease and liquid electrical tape to seal off the connector from moisture and dirt. I've never used liquid electrical tape before, and I'm concerned how permanent it would be. If it needs to be removed, will I be able to get it off? Should I put some conventional electric tape underneath and seal over with the liquid tape?

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

Liquid electrical tape is similar to conventional electrical tape in that it bonds well to itself, but not so much to whatever you're attaching it to. You will be able to peel off the liquid tape should you ever need to do so. That said, it's also similar to conventional tape in that it doesn't hold up particularly well to the elements, so use it only where there's not going to be a lot of direct exposure.

 

[JasonH]

Fixed this again this weekend. It's a silly design. The rubber seal in the connecter degraded substantially and the connector keeps working loose. I picked out much of the rubber seal and packed the connector with dielectric grease, then coated the entire connector in liquid electrical tape. The underside of that trim piece was filthy (just like last time).

Ford really should've molded a lip or something into it to keep dirt and debris from accumulating beneath the trim. I was going to apply caulk to the top edge of the trim but could not find my caulk. The last repair held for a year. Hopefully this one will last the duration of my ownership.

 

[Hal Flynt]

Fixed this again this weekend. It's a silly design. The rubber seal in the connecter degraded substantially and the connector keeps working loose. I picked out much of the rubber seal and packed the connector with dielectric grease, then coated the entire connector in liquid electrical tape. The underside of that trim piece was filthy (just like last time).

Ford really should've molded a lip or something into it to keep dirt and debris from accumulating beneath the trim. I was going to apply caulk to the top edge of the trim but could not find my caulk. The last repair held for a year. Hopefully this one will last the duration of my ownership.

JasonH - any chance you took any pictures of yours? I've got a 2017 Ltd with this issue - sporadic, at times seems weather related like when hot - seems to happen more (live in FL) and cooler/cold less likely. All suggests loose connection somewhere - I tried these suggestions a few months ago and it worked for about a week or so then started back up. I've left off all the inside trim in my garage and am about ready to take the camera back out to reexamine everything. I'd appreciate any more suggestions or description of what you saw and did to stabilize this.

I examined the connection from the camera inside the door panel. That looks good. The cable coming out from the left of that merges with another bundle that wraps up around the outside of the window to an opening in the top corner where it feeds into the roof of the car. All that wiring looks clean and wrapped nicely. Can we assume the issue resides in the last foot - from the connector and the harness through the door to the camera? Like a ft of cable and the connections to the camera.

My wife is about to take this to the dealership and I would hate to go down that $$$ route. Is there ANY chance the camera has some faults of its own - like something with bad voltage or something where a replacement would resolve this? Not sure how to test this cause the darn thing does work...just when it wants to. Such a PIA. Appreciate any feedback.

 

[JasonH]

Sorry you're having this issue, it's really frustrating. I think I posted a photo of what my screen looked like earlier in the thread, but no pictures of the connector.

Both times that I experienced the issue, it was because the connector in rear beneath the trim was filthy and likely had some corrosion or contamination. I noticed the rubber seal degraded and basically disintegrated the last time I cleaned it out. I suggest starting there, as it shouldn't take more than an hour to disassemble. The hardest part is reaching all the plastic panels clips in the rear. To fix the issue, I packed the connector with dielectric grease then sealed it with a liquid tape product to prevent water from getting into it. Make sure both ends are secure. There's a plastic tab to lock both halves together. Good luck.