Which is power for backup lights?

[wgeddings]

I am trying to install the VR3 wireless backup camera from Walmart and so far, it looks easy. I have the tail light assembly off but I am not sure which wire is the power and which is the ground for the backup light. I was trying to find some notation of which is which but not having much luck so I thought I would ask real quick. I know which is the reverse light but can anyone tell me which color is the power and which is the ground (the wires are red and green and although I would assume red is power and green is ground, I remember what they say about assuming). Thanks!

Also, when I mount the monitor later, I wanted to put it in the flip down sunglasses holder compartment on the roof. Can anyone post a link to help me find instructions for how to remove that part and what wires are in there?

[wgeddings]

Just so anyone knows, I went ahead and found out that the red is not red but orange. And orange is the ground wire, dark green (with black stripe) is the power wire. There is another bright green wire but it does not run to the reverse light so it is pretty easy to see which green wire.

The VR3 works okay but I am getting a lot of static and fuzz on the screen intermittently. Sometimes it will be a very clear picture, other times it has a lot of fuzz and I have to wait for it to clear. I was concerned it was a power problem but a buddy who does a lot of electrical stuff checked and said it must be interference in the wireless signal. Gonna check for a website now.

Overall, once I mount the monitor I think I will be satisfied with it since when it has a picture, the picture is very good and enables me to back safely and that is what I really wanted. Checked by having a friend stand in the driveway and I tried to see how close I could get just using the camera (to simulate parking lot fun when I am always worried I am about to hit another car). Able to correctly judge about 4 inches from him and stop right before touching. For less than $100, I do not know what else you can ask for.

[Andy-Montreal]

Your wiring color selection baffles me as the service manual states the following colors and designations:

BRAKE LIGHT: + WHT/BLK, - BLK
BACK-UP LIGHT: + GRN, - BLK
TAILLIGHT: + RED/BLACK, - BLK

In all cases, ground is the black wire. I'm tempted to go outside and remove my taillight ass'y to check myself!

My personal experience in working with german cars is that ground is always brown. My buddy (who works on japanese cars) always told me that japanese ground is black. Go figure.

[Andy-Montreal]

Oops, almost forgot on the disassembly instruct on the sunglass holder:

[schwejo]

Hi,

I can confirm that on the left backup light the orange is ground and GRN is hot. Tested it carefully myself when installing a backup sensor. Seemed odd to me as well, but its easily confirmed by removing the lamp and testing with a multimeter or test lamp. (of course you need the multimeter to confirm ground)

[wgeddings]

I was using the passenger side tail light and the two wires going to the reverse light were definitely red/orange (much more orange and it looked at first glance) and dark green (with a black stripe along an edge of it). I do not know where the wiring diagram came from or what service manual (which I assume is different than the owner's manual) but I would like to know. The green is definitely the power and the orange definitely the ground.

I did have a lot of trouble with the splicers that were included. They did not work well and we had to eventually manually merge the wires. In case anyone is thinking of getting the roadmaster VR3, I found it extremely easy to install except for that problem with the splicers. Still getting a frequent interference and even took it out into the countryside away from radio signals and got a lot. I had my cell phone turned off. Maybe it was something from the Navi or the XM radio? I have an e-mail into roadmaster about it to see where the antenna is so I will know if I need to stretch out either power cable more to try to increase the signal. Otherwise works good.

Thanks for the diagram about the sunglasses holder!

[RidgeDOC]

Yep 100% correct. Reverse light wires are orange=ground green=hot.

[ssmith335]

Thanks for the posts folks. I just got mine installed and it works great. Very clear picture. If I hadn't read the posts on the proper ground/hot I would have blown the camera, a fuse or something on my RL.

~Steve

[RidgeDOC]

Originally Posted by AIBIKR

I just installed the VR3 wireless camera this weekend...but I cheated. Instead of splicing the camera power wire into the existing back-up lights, I got a 4 pin harness at Advance Auto that is designed to rewire damaged trailer connections. I wired the camera to the top two of the four pins (ground and Marker / park lights) and now can simply leave it plugged in. Thanks to the OEM harness including both connections, even if I am towing, I can use an adapter in the other connection and have both a trailer and camera in use. Anytime I want to see behind, I can simply turn on my park lights and the camera is on.

I removed the overhead console and used the harness for the compass mirror that my Navi RL does not have to straight wire the monitor and placed it just above the rear-view mirror. There is plenty of room for the extra wire just behind the headliner and the tension is tight enough to hold the monitor in place. Also, the harness is only on when the ignition is on. I was able to connect the entire system without cutting / splicing any factory wires and I can remove it at anytime without any trace that is was ever there.

For 100 bucks... not a bad setup at all.

I hope you put details in mods installs and how to's. did ya didya huh?

[ogn.ynot]

anyone try to use the VR3 with an existing nav screen? i wanna get it to work with my z1 but just figured out that it is a wireless signal. any suggestions?