[EnlightenedOne]

Anybody have a good way to add a backup camera to a non-Idrive car that actually looks good? I’m wondering if there’s a way I can buy the oem trunk lid handle with the integrated camera and send that to some tastefully mounted screen of some sort in the front of the car without having to actually replace the whole radio with a different head unit.

[bravoVictor]

I'd love to see this as well. I guess the embedded-in-the-rear-view options can look ok...

[EnlightenedOne]

Originally Posted by bravoVictor

I'd love to see this as well. I guess the embedded-in-the-rear-view options can look ok...

Ah yeah, I forgot about those systems. I wonder if there’s a way to feed the oem trunk handle camera to one of those rear view mirror displays.

[The Nightman]

Here's how I did it back in 2018 using the "oddments tray" and a screen off AliExpress:



I can't find the exact screen anymore but take some measurements and see what fits. Make sure the cable for the camera that you use is the mini-connector and that the cable is long enough so that you can fish it through the trunk conduit.

[Noquills]

I was in the same position. Needed reverse camera and (also) Apple play. Here is the tread I started recently and this may save you some time.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...hlight=logic+7

The Apple play screen I purchased had a reverse camera in the package (high res). However, there was no way of mounting the provided camera without drilling a hole in my trunk (hard “no”).

Looked on Amazon and found lots of trunk handle cameras but none with the configuration with the resolution I wanted. Went on AliExpress and ordered a trunk handle camera and an adapter cable to connect the camera to the small 4 pin input cable from the head unit. Actually ordered two different adapters as I wanted to hedge my bet. Unsurprisingly, one of the adapters was not what I ordered (female 4 pin to RCA, they sent a male). But at $2.97 I am not going to worry about it. The other, different, adapter shown worked.

Installation was straight forward and there a lots of YouTube videos on how to replace the trunk handle. The tricky part was the wiring. The reverse wiring (to the right side reverse light (pin 4 Black/Blue +, Brown (-)) was not stable enough to continually trigger the camera. Some say this is a voltage thing. Some say it is because of the cars “testing” to ensure your bulbs are working. I don’t know. But, as suggested in other posts, I put in a relay I had lying around. Used the Black/Blue wire as the trigger + on the relay and brown as the trigger (-). I struggled to find a local and simple “line in +” source to the relay for camera power. Could use the battery (with a fuse). Did not want to mess with the BMS. Could use some source from the fuse box up front (another wire to pull). Settled on using the “pre wired CD changer” cable package that is in the left side of the trunk tucked under what I assume to be the L7 Amplifier. Found that idea in another post. The pin location on the CD changer connector is (I believe, pin 1). I probed the pin with my multimeter and it was 12 volts. There are 4 “wires” going into the connector. Two are optical fiber (thicker ones). One of the remaining wires is brown ((-) assumed) and the final wire is the 12 volt+ Black/red. Be careful as these are thin wires. I suggest verifying the wires with a multimeter and disconnecting the battery before wiring anything up.
Note: My car is 2008. You may not have the pre-wiring for the CD changer as I understand they discontinued the pre-wiring soon after.

PS. I first tried the “capacitor/rectifier” some suggested before I tried the relay for power and that did not work at all. May help if you have LED backup lights to steady the flicker. I have none of that.

Camera works great and has good resolution.

[EnlightenedOne]

Originally Posted by Noquills

I was in the same position. Needed reverse camera and (also) Apple play. Here is the tread I started recently and this may save you some time.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...hlight=logic+7

The Apple play screen I purchased had a reverse camera in the package (high res). However, there was no way of mounting the provided camera without drilling a hole in my trunk (hard “no”).

Looked on Amazon and found lots of trunk handle cameras but none with the configuration with the resolution I wanted. Went on AliExpress and ordered a trunk handle camera and an adapter cable to connect the camera to the small 4 pin input cable from the head unit. Actually ordered two different adapters as I wanted to hedge my bet. Unsurprisingly, one of the adapters was not what I ordered (female 4 pin to RCA, they sent a male). But at $2.97 I am not going to worry about it. The other, different, adapter shown worked.

Installation was straight forward and there a lots of YouTube videos on how to replace the trunk handle. The tricky part was the wiring. The reverse wiring (to the right side reverse light (pin 4 Black/Blue +, Brown (-)) was not stable enough to continually trigger the camera. Some say this is a voltage thing. Some say it is because of the cars “testing” to ensure your bulbs are working. I don’t know. But, as suggested in other posts, I put in a relay I had lying around. Used the Black/Blue wire as the trigger + on the relay and brown as the trigger (-). I struggled to find a local and simple “line in +” source to the relay for camera power. Could use the battery (with a fuse). Did not want to mess with the BMS. Could use some source from the fuse box up front (another wire to pull). Settled on using the “pre wired CD changer” cable package that is in the left side of the trunk tucked under what I assume to be the L7 Amplifier. Found that idea in another post. The pin location on the CD changer connector is (I believe, pin 1). I probed the pin with my multimeter and it was 12 volts. There are 4 “wires” going into the connector. Two are optical fiber (thicker ones). One of the remaining wires is brown ((-) assumed) and the final wire is the 12 volt+ Black/red. Be careful as these are thin wires. I suggest verifying the wires with a multimeter and disconnecting the battery before wiring anything up.
Note: My car is 2008. You may not have the pre-wiring for the CD changer as I understand they discontinued the pre-wiring soon after.

PS. I first tried the “capacitor/rectifier” some suggested before I tried the relay for power and that did not work at all. May help if you have LED backup lights to steady the flicker. I have none of that.

Camera works great and has good resolution.

Very cool. Do you have some more pictures of the screen that you can share? Like how it’s mounted and such? Do you have it hardwired so the wires aren’t visible? Looks like a good solution as it would be nice to be able to put the Apple Maps on the screen, control music, and then also have that screen used for the rear view camera. I feel kind of silly installing a screen that is only for the camera as it seems like a waste of space at all other times.

So that rear view camera with handle also has the trunk switch built in so the factory trunk release harness connects to it?

[Noquills]

No, the car play unit is not hard-wired in. There are 3 wires plugged into the unit. The power wire (cigarette plug), The aux cable (to get sound into the head unit) and the back-up camera video connection. The manufacture does say in the instructions that can lose the FM modulator functionality (audio over FM) if you use another form of power to the car play unit other than the supplied cigarette lighter plug.

If I get some time, I may work on hiding some of these wires.

The back-up camera is hard wired per my response. The back-up lines are not adaptive but can be adjusted.

The functions of the car play unit are outlined in the linked original post. The unit I purchased has car play and apple play functions (apps on your phone that can run remotely (like google maps, Waze, stream your music from your phone, hands free messaging, etc....….some apps do not function on Apple/Car play however). It has a forward 4K dash cam. It can send the audio signal to the head unit over Bluetooth, Aux or FM modulation. It has an included rear view camera and cable. See the Amazon description. Other units for sale have different features. Only downside so far is just the screen reflectivity.

Date/time is off on the photos. Not sure why.

The trunk handle camera does have the trunk open switch in the handle. The unit very fits well but the switch/cover is not as tactile as the original BMW part. Functional but not Germanic.