Mini Cooper se terrible backup camera

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dale

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I’d like to upgrade the backup camera, any ideas?

I have added LED reversing bulbs but it’s still difficult to see properly when reversing. The problem is I have a 150foot drive which wraps around the house, the charging station is in the garage so I have to back the mini down the drive so the 20’ cable will reach the passenger side socket.

During the summer this is fine but when it’s dark, or dark and raining which it often will be it’s almost impossible to see anything.

Any ideas on an upgrade to the backup camera?
Thanks !!


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Modern OE cameras are better than anything aftermarket, it’s just the state of the tech.

Only suggestion is maybe a sort of reverse light bar? They make LED strips for pickups that have a bright white reverse light spanning the whole width. Small enough you could tuck away so it’s not super visible when off.

Also curious about your LED backups - have a link? Did you need resistors or any funny business to avoid errors?
 
Lol everybody who’s been in my car, including my neighbour who is the foreman of the service department at a large Mercedes-Benz dealership, has commented at how crisp the back up camera image is. The problem isn’t the camera or its resolution, it’s the intended use. It’s not meant for driving backwards around a bend for 150 feet in the dark in the rain.
 
Just a note: much further down the thread I linked, I reported back that the Philips bulbs do not work in my car. I went with the Luyed-branded Auxito bulbs from Amazon, and they are fine.
 
I thought the backup camera in our new 2023 SE was great and a massive improvement over the one in our Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. IMHO - The Taycan has one of the worst OEM backup cameras I have ever seen..
 
dale said:
I’d like to upgrade the backup camera, any ideas?

I have added LED reversing bulbs but it’s still difficult to see properly when reversing. The problem is I have a 150foot drive which wraps around the house, the charging station is in the garage so I have to back the mini down the drive so the 20’ cable will reach the passenger side socket.

During the summer this is fine but when it’s dark, or dark and raining which it often will be it’s almost impossible to see anything.

Any ideas on an upgrade to the backup camera?
Thanks !!


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
Click to expand...

Just curious if you have the 2021 model before the larger center screen became standard? I imagine the smaller version sold on those models would not be as user friendly.
 
dale said:
I’d like to upgrade the backup camera, any ideas?

I have added LED reversing bulbs but it’s still difficult to see properly when reversing. The problem is I have a 150foot drive which wraps around the house, the charging station is in the garage so I have to back the mini down the drive so the 20’ cable will reach the passenger side socket.

During the summer this is fine but when it’s dark, or dark and raining which it often will be it’s almost impossible to see anything.

Any ideas on an upgrade to the backup camera?
Thanks !!


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
Click to expand...
Front fog lights hooked up to the reversing lights.
You need to get real SAE J583 to get a good cutoff, or you'll be blinding people. Many, if not most aftermarket lights are not.

Plan B, line your driveway with LED path lights or even just reflectors.
 
SameGuy said:
Lol everybody who’s been in my car, including my neighbour who is the foreman of the service department at a large Mercedes-Benz dealership, has commented at how crisp the back up camera image is. The problem isn’t the camera or its resolution, it’s the intended use. It’s not meant for driving backwards around a bend for 150 feet in the dark in the rain.
Click to expand...
Same here. The camera is fantastic on BMWs including Mini. Some new Mercedes and other brands are complete crap. Even Tesla is so so. Porsche is complete crap. Source
 

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GvilleGuy said:
Just curious if you have the 2021 model before the larger center screen became standard? I imagine the smaller version sold on those models would not be as user friendly.
Click to expand...
I just drove a brand new Mini while getting my tires swapped. The screen on the new is no better from my view points. I found it just as user friendly too. And in actuality for back up the entire smaller screen is filled where the larger screen had the warning stuff on the side. In the small screen the warning lights just pop up on the screen approximately where the warnings are coming from if that makes sense.

I think having better lighting will be the answer in this case. Cameras can only do so much even in the dark.
 
I haven't tried mine in very dark conditions yet, but it is absolutely fine reversing into my shaded and unlit carport. If I had a black driveway, pale or reflective edge markers would be plenty for me.
Your reversing lights do work?
 
Screenshot_20221202_200515_Amazon Shopping.webp


I use one of these dash cams that rides over the top of my physical mirror. It gives forward or aft or split-screen-both views. It is way brighter than the stock back up cam.

WOLFBOX 2.5K Dash Cam Mirror for Car, Rear View Mirror Camera with 10" IPS Full Touch Screen, Dual Dash Camera 1440P Front and Rear Mirror with 1080P Backup Camera, Free TF Card & GPS https://a.co/d/fiKQXNB
 
pictsidhe said:
Front fog lights hooked up to the reversing lights.
You need to get real SAE J583 to get a good cutoff, or you'll be blinding people. Many, if not most aftermarket lights are not.

Plan B, line your driveway with LED path lights or even just reflectors.
Click to expand...

Yes I like this idea, in the US the fog lights don’t work anyway so this could be the fix. Thanks


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carrrl said:
Modern OE cameras are better than anything aftermarket, it’s just the state of the tech.

Only suggestion is maybe a sort of reverse light bar? They make LED strips for pickups that have a bright white reverse light spanning the whole width. Small enough you could tuck away so it’s not super visible when off.

Also curious about your LED backups - have a link? Did you need resistors or any funny business to avoid errors?
Click to expand...

I got them from Amazon. They were plug and play.

LUYED 2 X 1700 Lumens Extremely Bright 1156 4014 102-EX Chipsets



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