autodimming rearview mirror with reverse camera system installed
 

Saturday I installed a rearview mirror with the built in LCD screen for a camera system for reverse. Install was straight forward but time consuming. I lowered the front edge of the headliner to run 5 wires (2 signal, power, ground and a remote turn on) The mirror has photo-optic sensors that when it sees someones headlights shining into it, it automatically dims down. I tested this on the highway last night and it works awesome. I can be in front of someone with bright HID's and within 3 seconds it dims right down so that the lights don't bother me. Before having this I've constantly driven around with the stock mirror folded into the dim-angle. The thing I love is that at night when there is nobody behind you it unfades, so you can still see what is behind you no problem. As cars approach slowly from behind you it gradually fades darker, as appropriate. The reverse camera I used was just the license plate type. I ran the remote line to my drivers side reverse light, so when it goes into reverse my mirror view screen and camera both get power. I'm still learning to feel for using this, but I love it so far. The camera I have also has infrared LEDs so that it has perfect night vision, and the screen also auto adjusts for brightness. Works good in pitch black midnight with no lights around. In the pic below I'm backed against the garage pretty close, you can see it in the mirror.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...7/DSCF1978.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...7/DSCF1977.jpg

Looks good. How much did this run you?

Reminds me of the new Tacomas. Nice mod

Camera was less than 30$ I think. Mirrors I bought a few a while back with a discount thinking I could sell them but I never really did.

I've been looking into buying the camera for my double din but I can't really find one. This may have to be the route I go.

Yeah. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I'm going to do the same exact thing on my other Ranger, but I'm going to fiberglass the camera into my hard tonneau cover, or into the liftgate itself. I didn't want to cut the metal though.

Look on eBay for either reverse or back up camera, I forget which one gives better results. One will give you $30 ones from Hong Kong and the other gives you $30 ones from the US. His is the same as what they sell on eBay.

Nice, I should do this. I want to get the stock f-150 handle with the hole for the reverse camera and do it like that.

Not to thread jack, but can I make any camera work with my headunit?

I don't see why not. I have the F150 Camera and I could make that work with the TV in my livingroom. The one I actually used above here also worked with my livingroom TV.

Should be able to. I think most of them use NTSC or PAL or either. Just find out which one your headunit uses and see if the camera does it too. Most should work.

That's good news then. I might do one like yours but it's kind of bulky IMO. I migh get one of the round ones and try and mount it somewhere.

take off that superbrightleds sticker, haha

how come, it looks good in front of the glow of all 148 LEDs and counting in my dash ...

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...7/DSCF1967.jpg

Your dash is about as bright as my HID's.

PSHHH. I like my OEM green. :-)

Advance Auto here in Ohio sells the license plate mounted back up cameras. They have them on sale from time to time. You can look them up on the internet.

You won't have to worry about that unless you didn't buy your headunit in North America.

thats pretty sweet. i've thought about doing a back up camera.

the autodimming mirror is great. my grand prix had it, and it sat really low, so it was almost always dimmed at night. super helpful though

Update:

Built another setup like this for my sonic blue 2004 ranger.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...7/DSCF2027.jpg

I took the camera out though, mounted it custom into a plate surround, used some body filler and painted it with basecoat/clearcoat to factory match sonic blue body color. Also painted the mirror to match body basecoat/clearcoat as well.

I have another mirror that I bought that I was going to put on my Evo IX, but I probably will be willing to sell if anyone wants it.

You can see here, I haven't removed all of the masking tape yet. The clearcoat also needs to be polished.

that looks awesome! hmm... lol

I re-did the camera into a plate surround on my 2003, now its like my 2004. Camera Mirror System in both trucks!

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...7/DSCF2073.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...7/DSCF2072.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...7/DSCF2032.jpg

I added the license plate camera to a double din head unit on my sport trac. The problem (at least with my set up) is you have to turn the camera on, then put it in reverse, which can take a minute with my head unit. Its wierd. You have to go to the GPS (wait for it to load, then accept the warning notes). Then hit the back button which will give the option to go to camera. then hit the camera. If you go back to the radio you have to go through this routine again.

Using it to back up to a trailer is not a problem, but this won't happen everytime I back out of a driveway. It takes too long.

with the rear view mirror, it turns on instantly in reverse.

I plan to add one to my wifes car. The only issue is the mirror is also the dome light (convertible) so I need a good light on the mirror/video screen.

Yeah - I don't have that problem. It comes on in about a half a second. If you go buy reverse going from P,R,N, to D just trying to get from Park to Drive it will not come on, it has to see you wait in Reverse for about a half a second (I think that's cool though) - Not a thing though in the 2004 because it's a stick.