Install License Plate Rear View Camera
Drill a hole for camera lens and carefully mount camera in rear bumper cover. Install rear-view video monitor in place of existing rear-view mirror. Connect monitor to rear-view camera located on rear license plate or bumper. Buy Pyle PLCM18SC License Plate Mount Rear View Backup Parking Reverse Camera, Built-in Distance Scale Lines, Night Vision Waterproof Cam, Silver Zinc-Chrome: Vehicle Backup Cameras - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases.
But the average age of a vehicle on the road is 10.8 years (up from 8.4 in 1995), which means the vast majority of cars and trucks don't have this feature. If you plan to keep your older car but still want the peace of mind that comes with a backup camera, it's not too difficult to install one yourself.
Aftermarket manufacturers now produce a wide array of DIY rearview camera kits. The cost varies, based on the size and resolution of the digital screen. A hundred bucks—the price of our wireless kit from Peak Automotive—buys a good balance of quality and easy installation.
We installed it in a 2003 Honda Civic coupe. The hard part was opening the plastic clamshell package.
Nick Ferrari Our camera-kit installation didn't require a deep dive into the toolbox. All that was necessary was a wrench to remove the license plate and some simple wiring tools. The kit has three parts: the camera, which mounts to the rear license-plate bracket; a transmitter that sends video wirelessly; and a rearview mirror with an integrated screen.
A signal wire runs from the camera through the trunk or cargo area and plugs into a small control-box transmitter. You may need to get creative passing the wire to the interior. We snaked it behind a license-plate light 1,but it might be necessary to drill a small hole in the trunk or hatch and use the included grommet to protect the wire from the hole's edge.
The transmitter is powered by splicing into the wiring for the backup light 2, which is electrified only when the car is shifted into reverse. Mounting the camera took us all of 15 minutes, and we got a clean, nearly undetectable install. Since video is transmitted wirelessly, we didn't have to run a signal wire through the cabin to the dashboard.
Inside the mirror housing are the video signal receiver, a 640 x 480—pixel monitor hidden behind a one-way mirror, and a few control buttons to adjust the picture. Installing the mirror is even easier than hooking up the camera. All we had to do was mount the new mirror over the old one 3.
A spring-loaded clamp grabs on to the top and the bottom of the factory mirror, and Velcro strips wrap around it to keep the kit mirror in place. To power the new mirror, there are several options. Tuck the power cord that plugs into the top of the mirror into the front of the headliner. Then route the wire down the driver-side A-pillar, where you can hide it behind the trim and run it into the dash. Our A-pillar trim came off by hand, but yours might require a bit of work with a screwdriver or a trim-removal tool to get it free.
Best License Plate Rear-view Camera
From here you can either plug it into the cigarette lighter or permanently install it into a keyed-on circuit. We chose the.
Rearview, or backup, cameras have become increasingly common on new cars, adding a measure of safety and convenience when reversing. If your late-model car is not so equipped, there’s an aftermarket retrofit available that will work as well as a factory original. Mounting evidence shows that rearview cameras help avoid accidents that involve backing into an object or—worse—a child invisible from the driver’s seat. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), if all cars had rearview cameras, about 60 lives a year could be saved in the U.S. We consider a rearview camera a must have, especially for an SUV, pickup truck, or any other vehicle with a big blind zone straight back. But beyond the life-saving potential, a rear camera is a welcomed convenience that you would appreciate every day, as you back out of or into parking spots. If your car was produced in the last decade, chances are it already has a display screen in the dash used for at least audio functions.
These screens can often be used with camera retrofit kits, enabling a very tidy installation. Good packages start around $120 for the Japanese brands and go up to about $600 for the German brands. The kits contain the lens, a camera module for the screen and all necessary wiring and connectors. No splicing of wires is required.
This style is much better than some cheapo alternatives that can leave a lens dangling above the license plate or attach a fuzzy screen to the rearview mirror. Typically, installing a proper rear camera demands some advanced do-it-yourself skills and will take about three hours due to the careful removal of the rear hatch lining and other trim running all the way to the dashboard. This requires care and expertise. But not everyone has the time or skills to take on such a project in their own driveway. Unfortunately, franchised car dealers are reluctant to install these aftermarket retrofits, and we’ve found nationwide chains like AutoZone and Pep Boys won’t perform such installations, either. The good news is that Best Buy’s Geek Squad will do the installation for $99.
Many local car audio/electronics shops can also perform the installation. Here’s a list of vehicles that already have the infrastructure to be compatible with a model-specific aftermarket rearview camera. I bought such a kit online from for my wife’s 2011 for about $600. Having a shop and a few qualified technicians at the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center certainly made installation a lot easier than it would be otherwise. The kit contains a camera integrated into a rear-hatch handle, a few wiresets, and a computer module.
Once installed, the camera automatically took over the screen when the car was put in Reverse. The model I bought came with optional guidelines on the screen, aiding backup maneuvers. All told, this was a nice upgrade that was worth the investment. Many brand-specific retrofit modules are available. Just search online for your car's model and 'rear camera retrofit.'
You can also find them from major online retailers, such as Amazon and Crutchfield, or specialty online sites, such as (focus on Detroit 3 upgrades). If you had new-car envy because of this helpful feature, know that there are upgrades available. —Gabe Shenhar with Seung Min Yu.