mamonti

This is assuming you have already picked up the video for your Nav... If not there are threads on the procedures and locations.

I have a 2012 coming but just received the factory manual. I haven't had much of a chance to read up on it but if you want to attempt a always on rear view camera I could suggest this. Since you already have the video feeds all you need is the reverse feed. I read here that the video feeds were located in the P/S kick panel. To be on the safe side according to the wiring diagram you want to get the reverse feed from the rear view mirror! I know you don't like hearing that but it isn't just a matter of splicing into the reverse wire. If you do that you could do to things,,, wipe out your BCM and if not your reverse lights would always be on. So you go to the closest source which is the mirror and look for a BU/WH wire. That is the feed to the reverse which tells the rearview to come on. Now you have to cut that wire, once you do this do a test,, get out your test light and probe the cut wire to the harness and not to the rear view. start your truck and put it in reverse. Now first the rear view should not come on and second you should see power to the harness side. If you do you now have the reverse wire, so move it to park or any other gear and the power should be gone! Of course you will have to do this first! Go to radio shack and get a diode... so you know a diode allows power to travel in one direction only! Ok now you have to splice a wire to the rear view side and run that down the post into the glove box area. That will be your trigger wire. with that done first check the diode direction, usually they have a arrow pointing to the direction power will travel but this is simple to check to make sure you have it in the right direction. Put your truck in reverse and touch one side of the diode to the harness side wire and the other to your test light. If the test light comes on then it is in the right direction, if not, reverse the leads of the diode and check it again,, this time it will light. Now soldier the diode lead to the harness side,, check it again to make sure it lights then soldier the other end to your spliced wire and the rear view lead. it is always a good idea to use shrink wrap but make sure there are no bare wires showing. it is ok to wrap the diode also. Now do a test,,, If you take the splice wire you lead down to the glove box area, find a power source and connect it,,, the truck will have to be running. once you touch the wire to the power source the rear view should come on! Now have somebody look at your reverse lights! They will not be on! Now you have a trigger wire that you do the following to... get a rocker or whatever kind of switch you want to use to turn power to the rear view. you will have two connectors or terminals,, one goes to power source the other goes to the end of the splice wire. If you hit the switch you will have rear view camera,, but now for the Navigation you still have to activate... splice another wire to your splice wire on the switch and lead that to the Navigation trigger wire..... Guess what,,, you got it!! Now to test,,, truck running but in park,,, hit the switch,,, camera on both Navigation and rear view but no reverse lights are on! Cool,,,, now turn off the switch,,, shift into reverse,,,,, guess what? camera on Navigation and rear view and reverse lights are on.... shift out of reverse and all is off as normal!!

Tanner2

Or...just get a lockpick and not worry about cutting all the wires, right?

mamonti

Yep! That is the best way to go! I have been out of the click as I said and trying to read up on as much as I can. I think some on this site can't afford to shell out over 200.00 for a plug and play. I do know that cutting 1 wire and adding 8.00 of materials is something that almost everyone can afford to do! I do most of my mods myself and if I can save a couple of hundred here and there, then I can afford to do other Mods. The way I look at it is time vs hassle vs mess vs money. I agree and don't advice hacking up all the wires either, but 1 wire or two??? I am going to do it if it takes the same amount of time and hassle to install the lockpick. Of course if I was looking at the Nav / DVD and the camera in motion then I too would shell out the bucks! I will also admit I didn't know that the lockpick simply plugs into a connector and provides the camera to the Nav and rearview, I though it was only for the Nav and DVD playing,, so that is pretty cool! I am in the process of getting things together to add a 5 channel amp and bought a PAC AOEM-FRD24 so I can hack into the speaker wires on it to provide power to the door speakers instead of hacking the trucks harness, Is the the best way to do this??

mamonti

BTW I haven't seen your truck but I can only imagine what is looks like... I was looking over your Mods and addons,,, COOL! Do you mind telling me what you think of the EZ Down Tailgate? I was going to order one but have read people don't think they will hold up? Also I am still sitting on the fence about putting my Kenwood Nav system in! I know you will think I am nuts but I am debating on installing it and keeping the stock HU, then just use the aux out to the aux in. Again it is all about the bucks and function! If I go the normal route I would have to get the lockpick, SWI-Jack and the Pac MSFDR1 so about 400.00 or so and above the money I still don't understand if you lose any functions of the sync system or not, other than the clock? If I do it with keeping the stock HU too, then I only need to pickup + and - and tap the aux input, I will have all the functions of the sync including the clock and the DVD / Nav. But again I would still have to hack the mirror! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I can't find anyone that has done the HU on a 2012 to tell me what works and what doesn't. Thanks