Nburd
Member
Well I did it. Started at 7:30 Am and was done by 10:30. The only reason it took so long was trying to feed it out of the cab. Dodge actually made it real easy, but you need some silicone spray to pull it through. Below is the easiest method and takes minutes.
Anyway, all the photos are here: http://sdrv.ms/17cW5Eb
Buy the Echo $199 (free shipping) kit from Parrot Sales (ebay or their site). I got it in 3 days.
It comes with a new latch with camera, wiring harnesses and good instructions.
All the extra you will need is some heat shrink (not a necessity but I live in the salt belt and it made the install much easier. $3.99 at radio shack) and some tie wraps. Also two quick wire connectors like these
Dorman/Conduct-Tite red Interior-Connection quick splice terminal (86430) | Electrical Wire Connector | AutoZone.com
I started at the tailgate. Remove the cover, remove the plug on the power latch (hint slide it to the drivers side and it comes off the pin holding it to the tailgate).
Remove the two rods by rotating the clip and pulling out towards you. Remove the two nuts holding the latch in place. I think it was an 8mm socket. May have been a 9 mm. The latch comes right out.
Remove the two 7mm or 9mm bolts holding the key cylinder on the latch and transfer it to the new one with camera.
Installation is the reverse. Run the new camera wire to follow the existing harness. As it comes out of the bottom of the tailgate, there is a hole to the underside. I went through that. I added some heat shrink to the armored cable so it would not rub on the paint and wear through. Bring the wire toward the drivers side and clip to the tailgate harness. Leave it hanging down at the corner where all the harnesses come together underneath.
You can put the tailgate back together. You are done at that end.
Now it took me a while to figure out how to run the long harness, but my work will make it much easier for you. Open the hood. Under the main body wiring harness in the drivers firewall corner, there is a future connector right under the big one. It's like a rubber nipple. Cut off about 3/8" of this connector so it is open.
Here is where I spent 1 hour or more. I tried a plumbing snake, screwdrivers, everything, I could not shove the rear connector through the hole from inside the car. Finally, I did it. First use silicone spray. Second, See my pictures, I heat shrinked over the connector and shrinked a large long tie wrap at the connector end (the latch of the tie wrap at the connector end). Then I heat shrinked a smaller piece on the over the tie wrap thin end to lock it in. (I would add another piece too for overall strength. Coat the heat shrink with lots of silicone spray. Push it through the hole in the grommet from inside the car. The tie wrap end will come out under the hood, below the harness. I just pulled and it came right through (actually my heat shrink shrink broke when the plug was at the open end of the rummer grommet). I grabbed it with needle nose pliers and it pulled right out. Next add silicone to the armor of the cable and pull the wire through. About 18' of wire. I left 3-4' in the car. I think you really need about 30-36".
Next push the rear connector down where the body harness goes down inside the wheel well and it comes out behind the front tire inner fender. Pull the wire out here and leave a 3" radius bend from the grommet turning down where the harness goes.
Now easy work ahead. Run the armored harness along the factory harness. Use tie wraps every 10" or so. This took 15 minutes all the way to the rear. I added heat shrink to the ends of the armor to the connectors for a watertight seal. I then made the connection at the rear plug and wrapped it with tape to be sure it water , snow and salt tight.
Remove the center dash. Simple remove the two screws under the top coin tray (they are a torx) and they pull at the top and sides. The dash comes right off. I laid it flat between the dash ashtray and the console. I connected the red and black power leads with the quick connector to the 12" accessory outlet wires on the lower left, under the 4WD selector. This was a royal pain. The tape the factory uses would not budge. Normally I would solder and heat shrink, but connectors made it so easy. I wrapped these with tape and reconnected the accessory outlet. The tab is on the left and gave me some trouble to disconnect.
Finally remove the 4 radio screws. Pull it straight out. Undo the connector on the left. Insert the yellow prong in hole 31 and the black in 32. The upper right of the connector (looking at the wires).
Plug in the radio, connect the RCA connector to the yellow matching end.
I then turned on the car, put in in reverse and the camera worked! The only thing it does not do is the grid lines do not turn with the wheel. Also, I have a low short ball mount. I can only see the last 1/2" of the ball on the bottom of the screen. But it is enough to connect a trailer.
The bottom of the screen is about 10" from the Bumper or so in real life.
That is it. It was easy and rewarding. The dealer flashed it for free and I had the materials. About $205 fully installed. And about 2 hours labor.
Some Photos are below. All are posted here. http://sdrv.ms/17cW5Eb
If you use my other pics, they are named for what they are. I did not upload in order, but the names will guide you through every step.
Important Note: You need to have the dealer flash the option to your radio and vehicle computer (the radio is the computer in your vehicle). It takes about 30 minutes. They log into the Web, put in your VIN number and add the backup camera option code to your vehicle and it is flashed like a software update. It tells the built in computer that the camera/screen should turn on when the vehicle is in reverse and the menu options work.
You have to do this, it cannot be activated and the camera will not work until the dealer programs it.
The option code to be flashed is: option XAC Park View Backup Camera
I had it done before installation, as recommended in the instructions. So for a few days, I had a blue screen on my display when the truck was in Reverse.
Enjoy!
Anyway, all the photos are here: http://sdrv.ms/17cW5Eb
Buy the Echo $199 (free shipping) kit from Parrot Sales (ebay or their site). I got it in 3 days.
It comes with a new latch with camera, wiring harnesses and good instructions.
All the extra you will need is some heat shrink (not a necessity but I live in the salt belt and it made the install much easier. $3.99 at radio shack) and some tie wraps. Also two quick wire connectors like these
Dorman/Conduct-Tite red Interior-Connection quick splice terminal (86430) | Electrical Wire Connector | AutoZone.com
I started at the tailgate. Remove the cover, remove the plug on the power latch (hint slide it to the drivers side and it comes off the pin holding it to the tailgate).
Remove the two rods by rotating the clip and pulling out towards you. Remove the two nuts holding the latch in place. I think it was an 8mm socket. May have been a 9 mm. The latch comes right out.
Remove the two 7mm or 9mm bolts holding the key cylinder on the latch and transfer it to the new one with camera.
Installation is the reverse. Run the new camera wire to follow the existing harness. As it comes out of the bottom of the tailgate, there is a hole to the underside. I went through that. I added some heat shrink to the armored cable so it would not rub on the paint and wear through. Bring the wire toward the drivers side and clip to the tailgate harness. Leave it hanging down at the corner where all the harnesses come together underneath.
You can put the tailgate back together. You are done at that end.
Now it took me a while to figure out how to run the long harness, but my work will make it much easier for you. Open the hood. Under the main body wiring harness in the drivers firewall corner, there is a future connector right under the big one. It's like a rubber nipple. Cut off about 3/8" of this connector so it is open.
Here is where I spent 1 hour or more. I tried a plumbing snake, screwdrivers, everything, I could not shove the rear connector through the hole from inside the car. Finally, I did it. First use silicone spray. Second, See my pictures, I heat shrinked over the connector and shrinked a large long tie wrap at the connector end (the latch of the tie wrap at the connector end). Then I heat shrinked a smaller piece on the over the tie wrap thin end to lock it in. (I would add another piece too for overall strength. Coat the heat shrink with lots of silicone spray. Push it through the hole in the grommet from inside the car. The tie wrap end will come out under the hood, below the harness. I just pulled and it came right through (actually my heat shrink shrink broke when the plug was at the open end of the rummer grommet). I grabbed it with needle nose pliers and it pulled right out. Next add silicone to the armor of the cable and pull the wire through. About 18' of wire. I left 3-4' in the car. I think you really need about 30-36".
Next push the rear connector down where the body harness goes down inside the wheel well and it comes out behind the front tire inner fender. Pull the wire out here and leave a 3" radius bend from the grommet turning down where the harness goes.
Now easy work ahead. Run the armored harness along the factory harness. Use tie wraps every 10" or so. This took 15 minutes all the way to the rear. I added heat shrink to the ends of the armor to the connectors for a watertight seal. I then made the connection at the rear plug and wrapped it with tape to be sure it water , snow and salt tight.
Remove the center dash. Simple remove the two screws under the top coin tray (they are a torx) and they pull at the top and sides. The dash comes right off. I laid it flat between the dash ashtray and the console. I connected the red and black power leads with the quick connector to the 12" accessory outlet wires on the lower left, under the 4WD selector. This was a royal pain. The tape the factory uses would not budge. Normally I would solder and heat shrink, but connectors made it so easy. I wrapped these with tape and reconnected the accessory outlet. The tab is on the left and gave me some trouble to disconnect.
Finally remove the 4 radio screws. Pull it straight out. Undo the connector on the left. Insert the yellow prong in hole 31 and the black in 32. The upper right of the connector (looking at the wires).
Plug in the radio, connect the RCA connector to the yellow matching end.
I then turned on the car, put in in reverse and the camera worked! The only thing it does not do is the grid lines do not turn with the wheel. Also, I have a low short ball mount. I can only see the last 1/2" of the ball on the bottom of the screen. But it is enough to connect a trailer.
The bottom of the screen is about 10" from the Bumper or so in real life.
That is it. It was easy and rewarding. The dealer flashed it for free and I had the materials. About $205 fully installed. And about 2 hours labor.
Some Photos are below. All are posted here. http://sdrv.ms/17cW5Eb
If you use my other pics, they are named for what they are. I did not upload in order, but the names will guide you through every step.
Important Note: You need to have the dealer flash the option to your radio and vehicle computer (the radio is the computer in your vehicle). It takes about 30 minutes. They log into the Web, put in your VIN number and add the backup camera option code to your vehicle and it is flashed like a software update. It tells the built in computer that the camera/screen should turn on when the vehicle is in reverse and the menu options work.
You have to do this, it cannot be activated and the camera will not work until the dealer programs it.
The option code to be flashed is: option XAC Park View Backup Camera
I had it done before installation, as recommended in the instructions. So for a few days, I had a blue screen on my display when the truck was in Reverse.
Enjoy!
