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Reverse Camera - Water Ingress


Gerg
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Our 2013 Auris Hybrid Icon has suffered water droplets inside the camera lens, this is being investigated as a warranty claim. The dash image is fairly useless now.

The car had a service (and wash) just before this happened, I was thinking that pressure washing by the garage might be to blame?

The car had this problem 9 months ago, just a mist in the lens that time, and that was after some warranty work (and dealer clean), IIRC. It cleared by itself after a few days.

It is much worse this time. A hairdryer does not help clear it.

Just wondered what other people's experiences were, and if anyone knew if a vent/breather was fitted, hidden out of sight.

I have only washed the car with a sponge, bucket and normal hose.

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I'd be furious. Mine gets clouded up by tailgate spray occasionally, but it only needs a finger wipe to clean it. And I use a pressure washer on it regularly.

The only way I can see that this would not be a warranty claim would be if it had been damaged in some way during a reversing manoeuvre. But that's pretty hard to imagine in view of its location. Let us know how it goes.

 

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Just an update to this.

The work has been accepted as warranty.  The water droplets have now all gone (recent warm weather?), this is a surprise as there was plenty of water behind the lens, and a hairdryer did nothing to remove them. The image from the camera is now fine. I do wonder if the module has a built in vent (to equalise pressure due to temperature changes?).

When googled as a fault, there are plenty of Ford Kuga owners in a similar position, some are being denied warranty as Ford are claiming that the cameras have suffered through pressure washing (!). The Kuga part is £411.  I'll post the Toyota price if I can get it.  Probably about the same price as an inverter.

P1090079a.JPG

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  • 4 weeks later...

As an update: the camera was replaced under warranty. The camera works as you would expect with perhaps fractionally better contrast now.

The camera cost £444, apparently.

Sadly, there were two trim clips left loose inside the hatch door, they rattled every time you opened or closed the boot.  And the external, body-colour 'handle trim' was refitted with the adjacent, horizontal rubber strip fitted behind rather than over the handle.  But I've fixed all that now.

When viewed close up, the new camera has a much, much darker (seal?) ring near its circumference. I suspect this was where the water entered on the old camera.  This original lasted 4.5 years.

There is no vent on the camera assembly.

 

IMG_20171009_104206440_HDR.thumb.jpg.69aaa91d60f2fe28b3479de3c9417aa9.jpg

IMG_20171009_104225255_HDR.jpg

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444 quid? :blink: And that'll be without the VAT I expect? Somebody's having a larf.

Given that it's a plug-in camera module, I'd be pretty surprised if a bog standard square Toyota-type unit such as this one (for a Camry) didn't do the job for thirty quid. No, the model-specific backplate wouldnt 'be right, but you wouldn't need that part anyway: 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BEAT-CAM-TY3-CMOS-Number-Plate-Car-Rear-View-Reversing-Camera-for-Toyota-Camry-/270949813229?epid=727999533&hash=item3f15de0bed:g:mDYAAOxy3HJTGgVw

Just sayin'. :cool:

 

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As you point out, it looks very, very similar, and the camera will detach from the Auris's backplate via the shiny, crosshead screw in the picture, no doubt.

I would have investigated this further and got the numbers of the unit (and taken it to pieces), but my phone camera isn't so good, and the (very friendly, it must be said) service advisor had to send the old part back to Toyota.

 

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No matter. Congrats for sticking to your guns and for getting the job done under warranty. :laugh:

 

 

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  • 1 year later...

 My car suffered the same problem last night.  Unfortunately, it is not under warranty.  Does anyone have any suggestions on an inexpensive solution?

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Did the water get in by itself or has the car been pressure washed?

The water ingress on mine was a problem after it had been into the dealer, and been pressure washed by them - I only use a bucket, sponge and normal hosepipe, so I didn't suffer this until just after a service.

That's not to say the camera isn't defective; when the seal around the lens looks grey then I am thinking that's because the seal is no longer pressing tightly against the back of the lens.

In summer, you could've let it dry itself out (mine did eventually) and then applied some flexible plastic glue (I have no recommendation as to brand) to the edge of the lens over the joint.  But at this time of year it could take ages heating the camera with a hairdryer to get rid of the moisture.

Removing the camera would require all the boot interior trim coming off, as well as the exterior boot handle. A bit of a PITA.

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Thank you for your insightful comments. 

I  waited for 3 days for the camera to clear up but as it didn't, I bought a second hand one from eBay.  On the fourth day, the lens completely cleared up by itself.  The problem hasn't repeated yet but I have a feeling that it could be cold weather causing it and it hasn't been as cold for a week.  

I looked at the service manual to see how to replace it and you are right - it isn't an easy task.

I attach a photo of the camera when the problem was first noticed -  do note that it is completely dry from the outside.

IMG_20181102_184938.jpg

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And no I haven't had a chance to wash the car for over a month as you can probably deduce from the photo. 

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I'm not sure how much detail the manual goes into regarding the trim removal, as I don't have one (I would be interested to know what you are using - the Toyota pay-as-you-go online manual?).  But, I did have to tidy up all the mistakes that my local dealer left when they borked my car - just damage limitation, really.

So, it's worth knowing that the boot pull-down handle can be removed without tools just by gently distorting the rim along its longest length whilst pulling it out.  It takes a little dexterity.  It certainly doesn't need the screwdriver or claw hammer that had been used in several places on mine. 

The clips that the parcel shelf cords hang from are detached by popping the top 1.5mm or so out (along an almost invisible join), this allows the 'conventional' base to collapse slightly in its hole, so it can be pulled out. 

There are four small, white intermediate trim clips that fit on the l/h and r/h of the window surround trim, they are easily lost, and just as easily pushed into the door void when refitting the trim.  If left there, they will audibly tumble the length of the door every time it is opened.  And closed.  It took the best part of an hour to extract these from inside the door on arriving back from the dealer.

The cameras on the facelift mk2 Auris have a slightly convex outer glass, I have no idea why. When my camera was replaced it was for an identical item that had an almost flat lens, I wonder if the later design is more weatherproof?

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Thanks for the detailed instructions.  I will try it out over the weekend.

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I changed the camera this afternoon. It wasn't too bad thanks to the instructions but it is still a fiddly task.  

I noted that the circumference on the old one had turned grey.  The new one is black.  The contrast does indeed look slightly better.  

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  • 1 month later...

im not having any condensation in my camera, but when washing the car today (hosepipe with brush in the end, not pressure washer) i did notice that there was a rubber seal that seems to have come out from around the bottom, i removed it i just hope that water doesnt get into the electronics, the lens is still sealed, it is from the outer gap around the lens.

the camera has always worked fine and if a wash made this seal fall out it must have been broken for a while and nothing has happened when driving in the rain

mine is a 2016 yaris not a auris

DSC02568.JPG

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Clean it out, stick some clear silicone in there and you get a great seal.

I had this problem of water being stuck in the middle stop light on old car, it started to rust, after repaint i stuck some silicone around it, wiped it out so it looks flush, you cant really notice unless you know it's there, and i think i even used some regular one for the bathroom that i already had opened.

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If there's no signs of physical damage I would try a warranty claim. After all the camera should be able to withstand all the muck and spray etc. that it is subjected to without a seal popping out.

That's before plastering it with silicone.😎

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3 hours ago, mrpj said:

If there's no signs of physical damage I would try a warranty claim. After all the camera should be able to withstand all the muck and spray etc. that it is subjected to without a seal popping out.

That's before plastering it with silicone.😎

the camera still works ok so i doubt they will do anything as they are £400+ (a laughable amount for a camera) ill just keep my eye on it as i still have 3 years warranty left i just hope the rest doesn't come out when i wash it again or it gets damaged by water getting inside

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  • 3 years later...

We have a Toyota Auris on a 2014 plate.  The rear camera suffered water ingress to significantly block the rear view.

I removed the water by placing a vaccum cleaner hose over the camera.  I allowed the vaccum to run for about 30 minutes.  The air temperature was about 10 degree C.  

I hope this post helps others.  The camera image is now clear.  

I am going to check the camera seal.

 

Regards

Val

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If you are out of warranty, you can clean the area around it very well and apply high quality silicon glue around it. 

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