Thread: Best Backup Camera for a Mercedes Wagon

Now that I am zeroing in on the other issues related to installation of a backup camera; I am looking for some advice as what to look for in the actual camera for the back of our 2009 Mercdes W211 E350 wagon -- including cabeling options.

I may have to reconsider the wireless cameras as I hear they interfear with the bluetooth system, or it interfears with the camera -- not sure? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I recommend you purchase a W221 reversing camera kit. That has all you need in it.

The only problem is cutting the bodypanel to have a camera in it and the tailgate handle strip to have a hole in it.

I am not sure if I ever thanked you for your termedious help in getting the backup camera installed on our 2009 E350 wagon. All we had to buy was a camera after your help with programing on the Command. We were able to find a camera which included the parking grid overlay and excellent quality picture for $100 US dollars -- thank you so very much again!

Originally Posted by 2mbusa

I am not sure if I ever thanked you for your termedious help in getting the backup camera installed on our 2009 E350 wagon. All we had to buy was a camera after your help with programing on the Command. We were able to find a camera which included the parking grid overlay and excellent quality picture for $100 US dollars -- thank you so very much again!

Did you buy the Mercedes control module so that you isolate your COMAND from the camera so that you dont blow up the COMAND if the camera becomes water damaged.

Please tell me more about the "Mercedes Control Module". I had the camera installed by my MB dealer, but I don't know if he insatlled any type of a control module -- nothing was said to this effect. Is there an MB part number that I could check into?

Thanks

Originally Posted by 2mbusa

Please tell me more about the "Mercedes Control Module". I had the camera installed by my MB dealer, but I don't know if he insatlled any type of a control module -- nothing was said to this effect. Is there an MB part number that I could check into?

Thanks

IT is a small black modulator the size of a box of matches.

I don't mean to be "flippid", but "a little black box" doesn't tell me a hxxx of a lot -- surly you can do better than that?

Is it an after market or an MB part? If it is after market, where can I get one and if MB, what is the part number?

Sorry, but as you can tell I expected little more from an MB Guru. Previously I was told I needed an expensive converter box to trick the Comand into allowing a backup camera. However, one of your MB Gurus was able to talk my MB dealer through reprograming the Command so all I had to purchase was a camera. Now you have me really, really concerned about this little black box -- HELP, please don't leave me hanging out to dry here !!!!!!!

Sorry 2mbusa, you ignored one of the gurus advice in post 2 which stated all of the genuine merc parts would have been in the genuine W221 kit ... and no one here knows anything about the camera you bought since there are many camera manafactures, and we specifically recommend MB cameras, as I will explain below :-)

Basically, with a genuine MB camera, there is an 'isolator' box. This connects to the vehicles 12V supply and the camera and the reverse light feed. This also seperately connects to the mercedes benz camera. It provides two purposes
a) Isolate camera from COMAND
b) Stabilise the voltage so the camera gets the correct voltage perfectly smooth so that the picture is lovely and stable.
It is not intelligent in anyway, i.e not a control module, just electrical isolation / power supply

The idea of the isolation is that if the camera filled wth water (from a careless jetwash for instance!) it stops the 12V being fed back down the video cables and into the video input on the COMAND.

There are Mercedes cameras that operate on 5V and newer ones that operate on 12V, and thus there are at least 2 such boxes (one starting with A164 xxx xx xx, and one starting with A212 .. .. ..)

However, you are going to have trouble installing it without
i) the genuine loom
ii) knowing which one generates stabilised 12V
This is because its designed to pair with the Mercedes cameras

As you have a good picture from your aftermarket camera, I would suggest it has a voltage stabiliser in it, but as its all in one box filling with water could feed power back down the coax.

Which is of course why Benzmodz and I tend to recommend using factory camera parts.

One of the parts is A164 543 00 62 but pretty sure that provides a 5 Volt feed, but i've never measured it since i've had no need to. The ML wiring loom (nice and long) is A164 440 85 37 and that ends in the green fakra you need to plug into COMAND. The other part is A212 827 00 06 and I suspect that is the 12V version. Suitable wiring looms are A207 540 83 07 and A212 540 86 07 for use with the camera that would be used on the W212

Hope that helps.

Richard

At the time we were updating the Camand software, which you were so helpful with, the part number you sent did not make any sense to my MB Parts Department -- they seem to strugle with being able to find part numbers that are ot USA ones. Thank you for the new input, I will try them again.

In the mean time, the camera I did purchase license plate frame type that has voltage stabilazaton built in. It is a Farenheit model LP-1CA -- you can see it at Farenheitusa.com -- when installed it looks very factory. That said, do you have any other suggestions that might allow me to keep the current after market installation? The picture quality is excellent and it looks great on the back of the wagon -- Thanks Again!

Well, again, my MB dealer cannot find the part numbers you have referenced. I have also tried EPCnet Online with no results. There must be a secret to the part number game?

Sorry to be so much trouble!