FordXLTWhite

hey goes i'v had the pioneer 4000dvd for awhile and i have my back up camera hooked up to it but i want to hook it up so when i put the truck in reverse it comes up automatically instead of me having to go threw the menu options and manually doing it, theres a wire in the back of the deck but i don't know what to hook it up to? i tried hooking it to my reverse lights but it doesn't get any power someone told me theres a wire in the stearing column but i don't know which one it is? any helps appreciated

thanks in advance
Trey

luckythirteen13

your reverse lights get no power when you put it in reverse? if youve got a wire that gets power when you put the truck in reverse, you need to hook up the wire behind the head unit to that wire. then you need to go into the system menu in the radio and find the reverse camera options. when your in there, set the reverse camera to battery. there will 3 options, battery, ground and off. just hooking up the wire wont make it work you have to turn it on in the system menu.

i have the same head unit. i used a wire behind the driver's side kick panel.

Mod (Ret.)

In some cases, the wire from the reverse sender on the transmission completes the ground, and not 12V; That would be at the light socket. Sounds like "luckythirteen13" has you covered with the options setting on the head unit, so its a mater of which lead you use (ground or 12 volts) to trigger the camera. I don't have my Ford repair book with me to check the wiring schematic to verify which wire is 12 volts and which is gound, but in any event, it should be a simple check. Remove one of the tail light assemblies (open the tailgate, remove the upper and lower screws that hold the tail light housing in place). Now with a volt/ohm meter (or simple test lamp), have a buddy carefully put the truck in reverse, with the key in the "on" position (engine does not need to be running; we don't need an accidental "run you over because my foot slipped" incident). The test light or meter will show you which lead to the reverse lamp goes "hot" (12 volts). This is the wire to attach to the head unit (assuming that's what this head unit lead is for) if you set the head unit parameters to "battery" as "luckythirteen13" mentioned.
If you don't get an answer sooner on the color code for the wire in the kickpanel, I'll check my book tonight and post back. That area is much better (and shorter) to run the head unit wire to!

FordXLTWhite

thanks for the help guys i'll give it a try tonite

Mod (Ret.)

Checked the wiring schematic when I got home. Looks like fuse 12 is the power source for the reverse lamps; there is a blue wire with a pink stripe that runs from this fuse to the "digital transmission range shift" (automatic transmissions), or it runs to a "reversing lamp switch" (manual transmissions). When the transmission is shifted into reverse (either type transmission), the fused blue wire with a pink stripe is connected,via the result of the output of the "digital transmission range shift"/"reversing lamp switch" to a green wire with a yellow stripe. This would be the "output" 12 volt source when the transmission is in reverse. This wire eventually connects to a black wire with a pink stripe which connects to the reverse lamp socket in the tail light assembly.

So, I'd first look for the green wire with yellow stripe, hopefully located where luckythirteen13 mentioned it will be (drivers side kick panel), in a connector that will have several wires for the rest of the rear lights (I.E. parking and brake lights).

If you cannot find this green wire with yellow stripe, then go for the black wire with pink stripe which can be found on the socket of the reverse lamp in the taillight housing.

FordXLTWhite

thanks for all your help i used the black with pink stripe wire and it worked perfect appreciate it

trey