[first_BMW]

I installed the backup camera and mirroring device October 2015 and wrote everything up in a word document but I only made time now to write this post.
Since installing the camera and the mirroring device I have put 10,000+ miles and had no issues and very pleased with the performance.

The following account is my experience of installing these devices. There may be better ways to do it.

I bought a certified pre owned 320i 2014 body F30. It did not come with a backup camera installed and I really wanted one. I shopped for prices around my area and found the cost to be around $2000 (camera and installation).

After reading some posts on here I decided to go with Bimmertech.
I have not done a DIY at this scale. My experience level is slightly better than putting together Ikea furniture; but I wanted to do this. After reading a few posts on installation of backup cameras and watching a few youtube videos I decided to do it myself.

Following are links of what I used primarily.
Configt-Installation of a 235i
Bavarianboar-passenger side compartment
Technic- backup camera
Youtube 1

I bought the backup camera and mirroring device (smartview) set from Bimmertech. Below I will try my best to explain my install.

Things to keep in mind:
Don’t completely rely on the documentation from bimmertech; not the most useful set of instructions. They don’t address how to uninstall and take panels out but whats good about them is they tell you the location of the tabs and screws; which is helpful.
What I did (my recommendation)
1. Watch the videos once before buying the equipment.
2. Watch the video again after you receive the equipment.
3. Buy the toolset that bimmertech provides; they are useful in places they are needed the most.
4. Keep track of all screws and anything you takeout.

I did this project over 2 Saturdays with a friend.
My breakdown of how I did the project
1. 1st Saturday: Trunk and run the wires to the from of the car (4 hours)
2. 2nd Saturday: run the wires from the front of the car and install the controller, power the whole thing up and wrap up(4-6 hours)

1st Saturday

Taking truck panel out
Open the trunk and take the screws out. The screws are short and slightly threaded with a “tab” at the end. Once you loosen the screws with a screwdriver and don’t see any more longitudinal movement you have to manually pull them out. This step is fairly simple once you figure it out.
Keep count of all the screw tabs.



Marker 1: I found it easier to access the back of the trunk handle from this side. It required a little bit of work it was not that easy. Use the tool set provided by bimmertech to work on the clips and remove the enclosure and trunk handle.






As you can see from the above images the trunk handle sits in an enclosing. You can easily snap that out.
Run the wires in first through the enclosure and gauge how you will run the wires on the side of the trunk before snapping the new trunk handle in place.

Mistake I made:
I snapped the camera in before planning on how I’m going to run the wires. After the installing the enclosure and snapping everything I saw that the camera wire was being pinched by the trunk handle and enclosure. I had to take everything out again and fix the location of the camera wire. Luckily the camera wire was not damaged.

Install the trunk handle provided by bimmertech with the camera (next few images).





Running wires form the trunk to the front of the car
Once the trunk handle is installed I ran the wires with the set of other wires you can see from Marker 2 in image1 down the side of the trunk.





The following part took me a little time to figure out.
I need to run the wires from the trunk to the front of the car and I face two problems.
1. Unfortunately my seats don’t come down and
2. The original wires in the trunk that I was piggy backing on for routing disappear and I don’t have access to them.



I apologize for not taking any picture of this part but I’ll try my best to describe how I got about doing this.
There is a small hole in the trunk on the side that is common to the back seat cushion and the trunk; you can run the wires from the trunk to the back seat.
In the above image I am trying to get behind the back seat cushion and pull the wire out from the side.
I was able to take my back seat cushions out (the cushion you sit on) it was two clips and you just pull up on the cushion and it just comes out.
It helped removing the cushion cause then I could access a side panel to take out and run wires through and down the panels on the bottom-side of the door.



Use the tool set provided to take out the panels and you will be able to run the wires all the way to the front by the front passenger side. Once you know how to take a section out the rest is easy to run the wires up to the front.
After running the wire to the front of the car by the passenger door. I closed up the trunk panel and installed the back seat cushion.
That was a wrap for the 1st Saturday.

2nd Saturday
The first thing I did was take out the front seat passenger panel above the leg; below the glove compartment. I will call this section “Compartment”



There are 2 hex screws to loosen out. There were really screwed in for me so I had to use a power drill and try not to strip them.
Also take care there is an airbag installed in compartment.
I ran the wires from the side of the passenger seat bottom panel through the front in the compartment and left it there for the time being.



Taking out the front panel:
Using the instructions provided by bimmertech you can locate where all the clips (4) are in the front panel. Use the toolset provided and pull the front panel out.
Take care of the wire (5), I believe that connects to the hazard light switch.
The other cable (6) (fiber optic, I think) I did not disconnect. I found that I could keep that on and flip the front panel over and I could still work with the installation.






Panel (7) comes off very easily. There are four screws(2 top, 2 bottom) to take out for the radio and air conditioning console.



The above image has
A: the front panel. I disconnect the hazard light wire but kept the fiber optical cable display to the screen and flipped the thing over. You can see the slots where the front panel clips in.
B: this is the condition unit and the radio. 4 screws keep to take out to pull this out. there is a clip on wire (top right) that can be disconnected. (next image)
C: this is the computer. If I remember correctly there are no screws but its just put into place by slot pins.
D: this is the passenger side compartment where the wires to the backup camera temporarily reside, for now. The silver that you can see is the passenger side airbag.



(8) is the wire that clips to the air condition and radio unit.







When you pull the CIC out there are all these cables on the back. Take care not to tug too much. (9) is the fiber optic cable.



Looking in from the pointing arrow direction, in the following image, you can see the airbag case and there is a small hole that goes into the compartment where the CIC was housed(the following image after that). I routed the camera wires through this hole.





Make all the connections the bimmertech document asks you to do.
Don’t forget to set the dip switches.
After I made all the connections and double checked and tripled checked.
This was the scariest part of running all the wires and doing wall this work.
I turned the ignition on and put the car in reverse.



And IT WORKED!!!!
I was pretty stoked.
In the above image I am holding up the front panel; I haven’t put it in place yet.
I used Velcro zip ties to bunch the wires and hsoved them first in the space underneath the CIC. I used 3M double sided sticky tape to tape the Multimedia box underneath the CIC.
I did notice the CIC gets a little warm but I think it should be fine.




Mirroring device
I also bought the bimmer tech mirroring device that I installed at the same time as the backup camera.
There was no place to put it by the CIC so it is places in the passenger side compartment behind the airbag.




Bimmertech eventually got a software update and the mirroring device works with ios 9.

Overall I am very pleased with the install and I am glad I did it by myself.

[first_BMW]

There is a setting to clear out the red squares you see in the display. Apologizes for not taking an updated picture.

[Ace3058]

Great write up! Looks easier said than done. How much did you invest into parts?

[first_BMW]

Thanks. I bought velcro and double sided sticky tape for attachments.
Other than that everything else came with the Bimmertech back up camera and mirroring device. I have the links posted in the beginning of the write up.