Thoughts on the new Mk4 ND

[TOM 5252]

Yea that can be the case alright. After getting used to this camera in my NB, I soon fitted one on the
centre brake light above the doors on my work van, a Citroen Dispatch, and a 7inch screen hanging
from the ceiling where the mirror would be, if the van had rear windows.

When it comes to judging the distances, while investigating the refusal of the ND to stay connected to
the camera, I discovered that this camera is worth twice what I paid for it. The guide lines are adjustable with a little button on the cable where the power and video cables combine.

This is the view I have had for years.

Short%20narrow%20lines.jpg

These are the actual distances

Short%20narrow%20lines%202.jpg

After a bit of practice with the wee button.

Long%20wider%20lines.jpg

With this layout, a lot less cramped.

Long%20wider%20lines%202.jpg

The two farthest cans are just about level with the width of the car

Rear%20marker.jpg

Or dead straight ahead the black cap is just visible.

Rear marker2.jpg

When I bought it I knew that the button could turn the lines on and off, and it could switch the view
Left to Right and Upside-down.
I checked out other cameras of the same brand on Amazon as mine is no longer available
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ZCJI4NE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I was looking to see if it was PAL or NTSC because the cable I got has a NTSC label on the video socket,
I discovered that with the right number of presses and pauses I could switch the output between PAL
and NTSC as well as change the length and width of the lines with 4 different choices each.

I connected the camera to a 7inch TV I have that can be switched to accept PAL or NTSC or auto and
discovered it had been on PAL output until now, and the infotainment screen was showing a good
picture after a reboot. Using the button I changed it to NTSC hoping that would fix the need for
the rebooting, but it didn't. I just seem to have proved that contrary to info on the internet, this
system will accept either video format.

[TOM 5252]

Another update.

After connecting the camera to the 6v. output from the head unit, I thought the job was finished.
Last week returning home from a trip, I noticed the picture was rolling down the screen, like an old
CRT tv in need of a vertical hold adjustment. I moved out of reverse and back in again and this time
the view had changed left to right. Later I checked that there wasn't something touching the little
adjusting button behind the back panel in the boot. I also checked that the output was still on NTSC mode.

Then this morning I drove the car out of the garage and put it in reverse and the picture was slightly
hazy with a pink-ish hue. I checked it again when I got to the Aldi car park and the picture was ok.
So even though the camera could work on the 6 volt supply, I decided that the circuitry controlled by
the settings button is not so happy with 6 volts.

So this evening I connected my 6v. relay back on to the output from the head unit, with a 12 volt
supply to the camera switched through the relay, but this time fed from a constant B+ supply from
fuse F10 position in the fuse box in the footwell.
This works,- a 12v camera and the CMU always connects to it after coming out of sleep mode.

[TOM 5252]

Today I wanted to investigate a bit more, so I connected an LED across the 6v. input to the relay.

I can now say that the infotainment system on the ND switches power to the reversing camera as soon
as you unlock the car, after you have left it for the three minutes or so that it takes for the CMU to go
into sleep mode. This is why the 12v wire powering the camera has to come from a permanent B+ point.
The acc. supply is not powered up in time, even if you were to rush and open the door and push the
button. This is information I didn't find in my internet searches for answers. Most, including the website
that I bought the cable from, said that the camera should be powered from the acc. supply,
Also if you unlock the car and you don't switch it on, the 6v output from the CMU will switch off after 35
seconds.

[Pops]

Hi Tom, getting very close to solving your issues there, just wondering though, if you were to have a permanent 12v battery feed to the camera is there any risk that the power might feed back to the head unit and cause battery drain

[TOM 5252]

That's the benefit of using the relay. The wires from the head unit are only connected to the coil of the
relay and the 12v. wire and the camera feed are connected to the switched contacts, so there is no
interconnection between them.
The camera is only turned on when reverse is selected and for the first 35 seconds after waking the CMU
by unlocking the car.
I think I finally have finished this project.

[Pops]

Well done and a well thought out solution, hopefully will be able to make use of the car soon

[Steve]

Nice bit of diagnostics/wiring Good read.

[TOM 5252]

I changed the brake fluid yesterday, the easy way,- so long as you have about two and a half hours.

I used the gravity method, said to be best for ABS systems, where you just suck the old fluid from
the reservoir, fill it to the brim and open one bleed nipple with a tube dripping into a collecting jar.

I was talking to my mechanic last week and told him that I had gone to do the job the previous
weekend and had realised I would not know when the new fluid had arrived at the bleed tube
because the old fluid is still as clean and clear as the new.
He told me that on my car, the Mk4, you fill the reservoir to the brim and let it drip until the
level drops to below the max level. I let it go down close to the min level as I had plenty of fluid
and time.

I removed the rear wheels to get at the bleed nipples but I did the fronts on the ground by turning
the steering to full cut each way.

[TOM 5252]

I removed my winter wheels yesterday. I had fitted them last Halloween and
could hardly believe it when I checked what mileage they had done. It was 171
kilometres due to Covid rules.

Today I fitted these Sequential Rear Indicators, from MX5Parts UK
https://www.mx5parts.co.uk/sequential-rear-indicator-motorsport-mk4-p-4757.html

Well at least I fitted one (the left one) Then I checked it and compared it with the
original on the right. Today's bright Summer Sun was shining on the rear of the car and
made it obvious that in such conditions the new LED was about half as bright as the 21w.
ordinary bulb on the other side. In the bright sunlight the led unit was washed out compared
to the other one and would not attract the attention of a following driver who wasn't actually
already looking at the light cluster.
The Sun was not directly behind the car, so to be sure of the situation I re-fitted the 21w bulb
in the left light, and yes! with the sunlight still the same, it was brighter and more eye-catching
than the led unit had been.
If the day had been overcast and dull or if I had been doing the work in my garage I would
have been as impressed with the moving effect and light output as when watching the YouTube
shots which convinced me to buy these. None of the videos I've seen show the LEDs trying to
fight against bright sunlight.
Now I have to decide whether to send this kit back for refund or keep it as the wiring kit and
resistors would be useful if I fit LED bulbs in the future.

[TOM 5252]

I removed all the slider pins on my brake callipers today and re-greased them.
At less than twelve and a half thousand kms, they don't show any signs of age yet but
the lower one on the front left was more difficult to remove, but I still managed it with
just my fingers. It felt like the grease had started to dry out, also the inner pad on that
unit was about 3mm thinner than the outer one.

Tom

[Pops]

Great bit of preventive maintenance there

[TOM 5252]

Yes . I had to replace callipers on my NB more than once, so I decided to get in early
with this car. It is an easy enough job, you can get the pins out by just moving the
removable part back a little bit so the pads and shims are still held in place. Of course
I used a rubber friendly grease.

Here is a fix I did some time ago, not specifically MX5 related.
When I bought my ND I had let the jack go with the NB so I bought a jack from a breaker
which doesn't sit very well on the little shelf provided for mounting the jack in the boot.
So it was difficult to get the tee bolt into it's hole when putting the jack away.

I got an 8mm fully threaded bolt and screwed it outwards through the threaded hole from
behind the panel, with a drop of loctite on the last threads and tightened with a 13mm
wrench.Now when I position the jack it easily straddles the bolt and I just add a washer and
a wingnut. Later I embedded the wingnut in a blob of DAS Modelling Clay which is air
hardening,-it turns solid in a couple of days. I found it in Aldi or Lidl

IMG_20200726_200029668.jpg

IMG_20200726_195800408.jpg

[Pops]

Great thinking, well worth the effort

[Steve]

nice solution! didn't know about that clay and "sugru" seems to be harder to find recently.

[TOM 5252]

Yes, I don't think I have really seen sugru around since Maplins stopped trading,
and you get a lot more of this clay for your money.