Lex Talionis

(add disclaimers, risks and caveats here about what damage you could do or warranties you could void or laws you could break by messing around like this) Direct to FordEdgeForum - another first install - the new plug-n-play (yep, you can now do it yourself) rear view Back up Camera to the factory Navigation System offered by AV Electronic (click here). Thanks to Sam, the owner, my plug and play unit was one of the very first sent out a week ago Friday on their official release day and by the time I had it working by this past Friday, only 1 other person - a dealer - had the new release "plug and play" unit working before me. So, for your enjoyment, here it is. Install details, products details, tips, info on the first and only know true DIY plug and play option to add a backup camera to or factory nav systems. I think, even with the camera, you will agree this setup looks as factory as you could get and the camera is almost not even noticeable. Enjoy! Products: 1. I used the "Budget Version" of the Navigation Video/Camera (Dual input) Interface as I only planned to run the backup camera and maybe a DVD player 2. I used the Power Acoustik CCD-4XS Rear View Color Camera. I did MASSIVE research on a camera that met my requirements (1) tiny - this thing is only about 1x.75x.75 (2) CCD best quality versus junky CMOS (3) adjustable pivot point. I defy someone to find a rear view camera any better, smaller, quality than this. I think you will agree when you see the final results. The only other option to consider is a license plate frame camera (which I have one to sell (click here) as I found a license plate frame I just had to have so could not use the camera). Camera Install: The camera is the bomb. Period. Anyone wanting to do this, just save your time and effort and buy this camera as it worked perfect and meets every goal (but night vision - which I did not care about given where I planned to place it which was right between the rear license plate lights which are bright LED in my case) you would want in a camera. Install was not so bad, but takes a lot of time. I would say to do it right, 3 maybe 4 hours at most just for the camera. You want to understand wiring and talking molding and such apart before installing a rear view camera. You have to remove the inside of the rear gate (easy, 4 screws). I had decided long ago to put a camera under the emblem in the little recessed alcove. It just so happens, there is a little "plug" there that I was able to pop out, attach the camera to, and plug back in with a few modifications. Like it was taylor made just for this mod. It even angles down towards ground so makes perfect angle. I then had to drill 1 hole in the inside of the gate to pull through the cable that run power, ground to camera and run to the front of the car to attach to the RCA video input. I ended up using silicon around the hole when I had it all setup to (1) keep the cables from getting cut or sliced over time with jostling and (2) make it weather proof - though I doubt that is even an issue given how it is installed with camera lower than cable and under the alcove. I had to run all of the cables and I ended up taking black (ground) and drilled a second tiny hole in the boot and attached the ground to that after sanding away and exposing the metal under pant for a solid ground. I then ran the camera power to the drivers side backup lamp (top most lamp) as you have easy access to that light. The color of the wire you tie into to get power to the camera only when the car goes into rear is: green/white in the bundle that goes to the rear light. Both of these wires I pulled through the rubber wire bundle protection sleeve that allows wires to run from hatch to car body. As for the actual thicker camera RCA wire, that was to think so I ran it behind that sleeve and zip tied it. It is clean, you cannot even see it really. This leaves the camera wire in the head liner. I then ran this camera wire over to the drivers side molding, along the rear window and down the pillar behind the passenger on drivers side and into the floor, along the floor molding - popping up molding to run clean hidden wire where needed and then right up to the kick plate at the fuse box. it is clean, you cannot see a single wire. There is PLENTY of camera wire to do this. Pictures show all of this. can you believe this perfect placement port. like it was made for this. hole for camera harness wire to be pulled through a few shots of attaching camera to that popped off port door. taped up wire from camera along gate and into open holes into wire bundles sleeve. power wires goes off to light, ground hooked right to gate and the plastic molding hides it all. notice the red power wire from the camera, it ties into that green/white wire and will only et power when car is in reverse. here is the sleeve bundle, power and ground run through this into car, but notice very close the actual thicker camera wire runs along it's backside as it cannot easily be pulled through the sleeve. a few shots of the mounted camera. pretty flush, hidden, barely noticeable... AV Electronic Video Input Box Install: This system works awesome and exactly as claimed. Also, not like you have a lot of options as they are first to market with a plug and play DIY kit. I know, I called all other places. Sam, the owner of the company, is super helpful and very nice to deal with. We had to talk a few times during the 2nd part of install, the video converter box, as it was the first time install for anyone other than 1 other dealer and there were some small bugs to work out and he was a champ about helping me. Even stayed late into night - he is 3 hour time diff - to work out some plaguing kinks. Now I will say this now, this is NOT an install for the meek and unskilled. It takes patience, a very steady hand, small screw drivers, a light touch and diligence as you are working in VERY small tight spots with very small and tight tolerances. If I were rating the install of video input to the nav unit, I would rate it a difficulty of 7-8 out of 10 for electronics and wiring and such. it is tough. I think most might end up having a shop or dealer do this, but for those of us that can and do like to wire and mess with electronics, it is doable. Just set aside 2-4 hours to do this as tying the input box to the nav unit is the tough part, hooking up the camera to the box and powering the box is a cake walk. So, with this product, you get 3-4 pages of instructors so I will not go through all of that here. I will gladly help with specific quesitons if you come up aganst a wall and want help, but the directions are pretty good. I will have some tips here, but I will not recount the step by step they provide. But, the highpoints are... the install is 2 parts, the box and the ribbon cable to the nav unit. It is nice as there are several connection points so you can tie it all together in segments and check and recheck connections if things do not go well rather than pulling it all out. So, to do this, you must remove the center console (it pops off super duper easy and the entire center piece comes off easy). This will expose a huge alcove in the dash and the DVD nac unit. Remove battery cable to neg to turn power off to car!!! you remove the DVD nav unit with 4 simple bolts, undo 5 cables in the rear of nav unit and remove it. Then, the tough part. You must essentially weasel a small bundle of wires into an existing hole in the side of the nav unit (which is actually the nav, cd, radio, stereo, all in one). Fish that out through the front of the nav unit after you remove the screen and disconnect the ribbon cable. The point is, you will remove the ribbon cable, jump there new ribbon cable into that, reconnect the older ribbon to their new one, tie that bundle of wires into the new ribbon cable that has a mother board on that, SOFLTY squeeze all of this back into a tiny opening the original factory ribbon cable came out of.... and out it all back together. Simple? Not really so much. So, as I say, their directions step you through all of this but here are 3 CRUCIAL tips I would add that: TIP ONE for step 7... this bundle of wirs that has the white connector that attaches to the mother board is not a snug connecting fit and when you go to step 7 and try to push it all back into the ribbon slot, if comes apart as it is a VERY tight tolerance with the added bulk of the wire bundle, tiny motherboard, and ribbon cable. So, what I did was make sure that connector lined up perfect - that is crucial as that connector is ultra precise and imperative it is straight, even and lines up. And the tip is I added some quick dry silicon glue to hold the connection together. Electrical tape might work, but I just decided to use glue to be safe. All other connections you have to make have press fit holders and such, but that one. so that is what I found made it firm 100%. TIP TWO for step 7... when you are pressing all of this stuff back into the slot the single ribbon cable came out of before, you look in and see what looks like a piece of paper. It is not. what it is is the ribbon cable that powers up and runs the DVD nav unit! So, the tip is be very slow and careful. do not push hard and maybe angle the whole bundle to the right slightly and work around that. I know as I disconnected that cable and had to take apart the entire factory unit to reconnect it. You do NOT want to make that error. Once you get past that and button it all up and follow the rest of the directions, you move on to part 2 and that is firing up the actual video box that this whole new wire bundle attaches to. Here is where I will give TIP 3.. on the last page of directions Step 2 you tie that new bundle of wires into the main wire that goes to the input box. This is a 2 connectors:f 4 to 4 pin and 5 to 5 pin males/female connectors. the tip is be very careful and crucial with this connection also. I did not do it precise enough and that will lead to discoloration of the nav system when you turn it on as those 4/4 and 5/5 provide the color video. So, be sure to make those nice and clean, electrical tape them together to be safe and zip tie or tape them to the vent pipes you will see in the center console cavity. Other than tie, connect he main connector to the input box and then to power the input box you run the black to a ground (I did an exposed bolt), you run red and blue together to the red power wire that sticks out of the camera RCA wire to power the box when you shift into reverse, attach the camera RCA wire to "video 2" port, and then leave the yellow as that will be used for those that want to run a DVD player or other video item I do not yet, but will this week. Since the nav unit ribbon cable bundle comes down through the open cavity in the dash and pops-out at the floor by the drivers feet (at least, that is how I did it) I then hid all of this under floor carpet and put the small nav box in a little spot that it fits perfect in right behind the center console dash at your feet (gas pedal to be more precise). Pictures show some of this. here is the small box with 2 ports, the ribbon cable + tiny wire bundle (right) and the main harness that ties the ribbon cable into the box (left) see the box hidden to the right of the gas pedal behind the dash? I put a few strips of black electrical tape just to blend it in as the box is blue. and this is what you get... how cool

Did you see there is now a DIY kit to tie a backup camera into the Ford Edge factory nav unit? Well, if you get that, you need this! Read all about that RIGHT HERE Got kids or pets? See what (or who) is behind you!! Or help you backup and get your boat, RV, trailer attached to your hitch or help with parking or making sure you do not hit the car behind you. I have a brand new, never opened, never used, black license plate frame rear view camera with NIGHT VISION ability! Yep, works great at night as well. This is NOT the cheap CMOS camera that mounts to your existing license plate frame and that cannot display the rear view in low light or at night, this is the high end CCD model that IS the license plate frame and the camera is built into it. This one is also the kind that has the night vision ability so in your dark driveway or street at night you can see just like during the day. Awesome piece. These sell for as much as $170-190 retail. IF you investigate rear view cameras as much as I have, you will see that this camera has all the key aspects that make it about as good as you can buy for any camera or a license plate camera. This is the camera only plus all wiring and all installation instructions in still sealed package. All you need is the AV Electronic DIY backup nav video input box and this camera and away you go..... Built Into sleek black Licence Plate frame Super high Resolution camera Color camera Sensor: 1/3" sharp CCD Compact Zinc Alloy Die Cast Body Waterproof Housing Night vision - 24 LEDs!! Easy To Install Wide Angle up to 150 degrees!! Adjustable up and down camera angle Securable hex nuts/bolt plenty of cable to reach the front of your car SAVE MONEY..Asking just $120 + paypal & ship. PM if any questions or an offer to consider. SOLD

read here post #12.. maybe it will help?

something is looking a little hinky about this "cold air intake" on eBay

'rumor' I heard is that it might be available for self download and install on August 8th at SyncMyRide.com.. stay tuned

true enough.. it's the delivery of the message more than the content

d'ohh.. akirby with a nice zinger.... but he could have been talking about his right side. FWIW.. I also had a few near misses when I first got the car and realized there was a definite blind spot in the rearview & side view mirrors.

pretty cool actually. I like 'integrated' versus those glue on style. this is certainly something you could swap to I am sure. its just glass (and an electrical harness clip)

can you report any noticeable difference having done the "TSB for Rolling in Drive"? which TSB # was that BTW? also, any photos of the bug shield installed?

yeah.. I keep ALL numbers like that for cycling/running (miles, avg speed, time)... but not driving. Now, it is to late for me to start as I would have wanted to do that from day one and then it just becomes one more piece of data I get addicted to keeping I wonder.. it might be curious to compare your written records to the cars computer now and then just to see, out of curiosity, how well they do/do not line up. I also use & reset the Trip Odometer, but B, for every fill up. But have never reset the others. I stopped just adding $5, $10, $8 in my early 20's, I also always fill up full. Interesting thing.. I would be curious what others report, when I fill up mine ALWAYS reports "343 Miles Until Empty"... always. When I first got the car a fill up would read 345, but since then and for months it always reads 343. UPDATE: on just my list fill it jumped to 374 miles until empty - this is the closest I have taken it to empty since owning, just claimed 20 miles left until empty, and nw it reports a higher amount of miles available per this tank of gas. FYI, I have disconnected the battery on the Edge numerous times (up to about 15 minutes or so) for various installs of items as seen here, and the Info Center (and Sync) have always retained their data.

Finally decided to pipe in on this thread So, at 6 months into car - which is about 2800k for me (I know, I do not drive much - I ride a bike more per year, no joke) my computer repors what I see as pretty crummy 17.2 miles avg with 27 mph avg. I KNOW I drive pretty much 'city'/suburb miles AND I am very early into car ownership and this is very low miles, so I know not to expect to much right now. But I admit I did expect better than that. Now, a question I have not seen raised in this thread is... how many of you: a. reset the mileage computer when you bought the car but never since b. never reset the mileage computer ever. not when you bought and not since c. reset it after each fill or a series of fills or routinely I fall into B. I never did (nor have) reset my computer and kind of wish I had at the start as it has calculations that take into consideration misc stop start driving from factory to train, train to holding tank, holding tank to truck, misc truck to dealer, dealer to me.. probably not major difference, but I wish I would have master reset it all to start fresh from my personal driving ownership right when I drove off the lot. Anyone have thoughts on resetting your computer to start a fresh set of calculations? and ps ... yeah, Mooseman and his thread spamming is wearing thin on me also

seems like a logical troubleshooting idea.. I am going to try that for my #2 seat and see what happens.

I am not a big fan of this type of stuff, but I will admit, this does not look half bad really. makes it look a little more.. "rich" well done

thanks.. I will give them a peak and see what I can afford.. but at least it seems to be great option and a place to start wow.. 8 different options for us at a range of $160 to a whopping $410 ... so yeah, there are some high end covers there. the tailored fit is a must, but I will likely fall somewhere in the middle as I can't justify a $410 cover they have a selector tool to help you whittle down the choices for what will best suit your individual needs. funny thing is, it always only recommends "superweave" - the top-of-the-line model

my easy entry feature works fine, but my seat #2 memory button does not work anymore. use to, stopped about a month ago. it's on my list to get fixed.

confirmed same here.. just did it. upon restart, I am back to it being <on> and have to do the reset button to take it to <off> if I go into reverse and my bike rack sets it off. so essentially, as I run a bike rack pretty regularly as well, I have to do the quick reset trick every single time I turn on the car and back out.

yeah, pay for something that might get fixed and might not? so, if I pay, and it does not fix my USB issue, I get the money back? Plus, this is not an enhancement, something one might pay for, it is an update to fix some issues we are having, why pay for that? I suspect the potential charge is to cover the time of the tech and use of the repair bay, but I could download this.. at my home... and install it faster, better, quicker, cheaper - and keep my car off the road wasting gas to get to a dealer for something so simple - if they just make it free to download at SMR website. maybe the failure of that "version checker" download to work properly for nearly everyone who tried it showed them a serious flaw in their system to allow us user self updates so they knew they had to throw it at the dealer level so that only serious willing-to-pay people got the update versus people just doing it on a whim and needing support after it failed to download and work?? anyway.. I have a free first oil change coming up and I am going to try to piggie-back the update on that since it will be there anyway and maybe try to skate by free

Version 1.1 This release includes Connectivity Enhancements which improve the reliability of both Bluetooth and USB connections to SYNC. The Bluetooth enhancements improve the stability of hands-free calls, call waiting, caller ID, multiple call handling and other mobile phone features. The USB enhancements improve support for media players and the playing of file formats and podcasts. (Part Number: 9L3T-14D544-AC) 9L3T-14D544-AC This Sync update requires a visit to your local dealership. Please print the Request for Sync Upgrade form before calling an authorized dealership to make a service appointment. Be sure to bring the printed form with you to your dealership. Dealer service fee may apply. this part kind of sucks... see it over at SyncMyRide.com

cool... what I expected, just wanted to be sure before I try to pry it open

agreed...

I will watch this thread with much interest

guess that splains it... never even had a chance to use the rear wiper (I keep my car soooo clean).. I have to admit I did not even know there was a rear wiper fluid nozzle.

add this one to the list

Anyone tried one they like that specifically fits the Edge? Any recommendations? Any thoughts on what makes one good or bad (material for example)?

I have been meaning to ask this for some time.. but what is that thing in the 3rd brake light? Some kind of sensor, or a place holder/plug? but for what?