How To: Pioneer (and maybe other brand) Stereos with Stock Back Up Cam

  • It doesn't work! That's it. Can't get the stock camera to work with the Pioneer stereos. I tried everything. Talked with everybody. Followed multiple threads. Checked multiple websites. Called tech support. Nuttin!


    But it's only an $11 fix!


    ** Disclaimer: I'm an idiot. If you do anything I say and your Slingshot burns to the ground, it's not my fault. Don't blame me. Do not try this at home. **


    Buy this camera off of Amazon: Uxcell 1/4 inch CCD Flush Mount Backup Rear View Camera


    You'll notice that the yellow RCA has a little red wire coming out of it. Use that wire for power from the stereo to the camera - forget all the stock wiring. At the stereo end, I wired that red wire into the "Amplifier turn on" wire (blue/white on the Pioneer). At the camera end, wire it to the red wire on the separate power plug. Then ground the black wire from the power plug to the frame (I used the frame bolt right under that camera). Then just plug the RCA's into the stereo and camera. You won't need to use the hole saw - it's the exact same size as the stock camera and just snaps in place. Make sure to align it for top/bottom (I just turned the camera on and watched it thru the stereo until it was right.) I noticed doing it this way that it didn't matter if I had camera polarity positive (battery) or negative (ground) - it worked both ways.


    That's it!


    Absolutely longest part of this install was running the RCA wire from the camera to the stereo. From the rear camera, I ended up going across the back under the rear deck to about where the antenna is. Then straight down to the transmission & drive shaft tunnel (make sure to use plenty of cable ties to keep that wire from hitting the drive shaft). Then came up along the drivers side of the transmission to the rest of the wire harness and then back into the stereo. The RCA cable is 20 feet long and you barely use 1/2 of it.


    Wish I had pics, but I was sweating my balls off in the garage doing this in Texas heat.


    BTW, use the Scosche wiring kit for the stereo power/transmission connections. WELL WORTH the $30 cost. That will save you hours of work otherwise - it makes everything just plug-n-play (except the speakers).


    Bonus of all this is that the Pioneer stereo I bought uses the back up camera full time to act as a rear view mirror. If I'm on stereo and don't do anything for 5-10 seconds, it turns the camera on full-time.