My adventures with an chinese eBay CIC camera emulator

osunick · 10-04-2019, 02:13 PM

Posting this in case it helps others.

I installed one of these and had it coded:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...=2187712529017

Had a black screen. Tried a separate video source to isolate the issue. No joy.
Found a wiring diagram:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32693569047.html

Turns out my PNP harness had the camera pinned to the euro pins, and the US ones were different. Repinned harness. Laptop works on input, no camera. I noticed at this point that the battery was low in the car. I assumed from the incessant hacking to install both this and a combox.

Connected rearview camera, still a black screen. Checked camera power wire on the emulator. 0v. Turned off car, and the multimeter was still connected. 12V! Turns out the power wire on the emulator was only powering the camera when the engine was off, and that would explain the battery drain.

Anyone know how I can get a carsystems emulator? This thing is junk.

-n.

lnxguy · 10-04-2019, 10:42 PM

Why not use the Autofocustech emulator? Lots of us are using it without issue.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Reversing-I...sAAOSwoudW3SSD

osunick · 10-06-2019, 11:26 AM

Thanks for the autofocustech link. I ended up ordering an emulator directly from aliexpress to see if that resolves the power issue. Also, the back and forth with the ebay seller is pretty funny, after seeing the autofocustech listing it's clear that he ripped off that one and removed the watermarked images, including the one with the all important pin outs. I let them know and maybe ebay will sort it out. Also, despite claiming that nobody had issues, looking at the ebay feedback this is patently untrue. My fault for not looking more closely.

lnxguy · 10-07-2019, 02:41 PM

Hopefully you get it figured out.

apirumann · 07-17-2020, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by osunick

Thanks for the autofocustech link. I ended up ordering an emulator directly from aliexpress to see if that resolves the power issue. Also, the back and forth with the ebay seller is pretty funny, after seeing the autofocustech listing it's clear that he ripped off that one and removed the watermarked images, including the one with the all important pin outs. I let them know and maybe ebay will sort it out. Also, despite claiming that nobody had issues, looking at the ebay feedback this is patently untrue. My fault for not looking more closely.

Have you ever figured this out? I think I have the same problem.

osunick · 07-19-2020, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apirumann

Have you ever figured this out? I think I have the same problem.

I just wired the damn thing to be always on with ignition. And then I talked Bimmertech to sell me their module without a camera for $400. Now it works perfectly and I have dynamic lines on the display.

apirumann · 07-23-2020, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by osunick

I just wired the damn thing to be always on with ignition. And then I talked Bimmertech to sell me their module without a camera for $400. Now it works perfectly and I have dynamic lines on the display.

I wish I was that lucky. The emulator I had drained my battery because it was waking up the car every 5 minutes.

ccfj1 · 08-05-2020, 09:50 AM

Power the camera from the reverse lights, that should fix it.

10-04-2019, 02:13 PM	#1
osunick Private 4 Rep 51 Posts Drives: 2002 Honda S2000 w/oem hardtop Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Palo Alto, CA iTrader: (0)	My adventures with an chinese eBay CIC camera emulator Posting this in case it helps others. I installed one of these and had it coded: https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...=2187712529017 Had a black screen. Tried a separate video source to isolate the issue. No joy. Found a wiring diagram: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32693569047.html Turns out my PNP harness had the camera pinned to the euro pins, and the US ones were different. Repinned harness. Laptop works on input, no camera. I noticed at this point that the battery was low in the car. I assumed from the incessant hacking to install both this and a combox. Connected rearview camera, still a black screen. Checked camera power wire on the emulator. 0v. Turned off car, and the multimeter was still connected. 12V! Turns out the power wire on the emulator was only powering the camera when the engine was off, and that would explain the battery drain. Anyone know how I can get a carsystems emulator? This thing is junk. -n. Last edited by osunick; 10-04-2019 at 02:14 PM.. Reason: clarity
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10-04-2019, 10:42 PM	#2
lnxguy Lieutenant Colonel 357 Rep 1,723 Posts Drives: 2009 335D Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Barrie iTrader: (1)	Why not use the Autofocustech emulator? Lots of us are using it without issue. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Reversing-I...sAAOSwoudW3SSD __________________ '09 335D
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10-06-2019, 11:26 AM	#3
osunick Private 4 Rep 51 Posts Drives: 2002 Honda S2000 w/oem hardtop Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Palo Alto, CA iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the autofocustech link. I ended up ordering an emulator directly from aliexpress to see if that resolves the power issue. Also, the back and forth with the ebay seller is pretty funny, after seeing the autofocustech listing it's clear that he ripped off that one and removed the watermarked images, including the one with the all important pin outs. I let them know and maybe ebay will sort it out. Also, despite claiming that nobody had issues, looking at the ebay feedback this is patently untrue. My fault for not looking more closely.
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10-07-2019, 02:41 PM	#4
lnxguy Lieutenant Colonel 357 Rep 1,723 Posts Drives: 2009 335D Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Barrie iTrader: (1)	Hopefully you get it figured out. __________________ '09 335D
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08-05-2020, 09:50 AM	#8
ccfj1 Tinkerer 83 Rep 532 Posts Drives: F25 X3 M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Brighton, UK iTrader: (0)	Power the camera from the reverse lights, that should fix it. __________________ 2014 F25 X3 335d M-Sport:
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