I have a base model 2015 NIssan Altima and it doesn’t have a back up camera. I have driven other vehicles that had this and it always helped me. I have depth perception issues and I don’t back into parking spaces and sometime I have to adjust my parking even when I am pulling forward. I have a hard time judging whether I am in fully inside my garage and have had my garage door hit the back of my car a couple of times cause I didn’t pull in fully. I didn’t want to pay thousands of dollars to have my console upgraded and a backup camera installed and so I went searching for a wireless option. The only problem is that even though most of them are wireless they still require you to wire into your reverse light in order to work and this was out of my skill level. I wanted something I could install easily and didn’t require any wires. I stumbled upon the solar options and after many reading many reviews, I finally decided on this option. The shipping was fast and when I got home from work on the day that I received it, I started to install the unit. Now, for people who know exactly what they are doing, this is probably a 10 minute install but I went in with several assumptions and that delayed the install.
First, I thought I was going to be able to install the camera onto the license plate at the top; however, my license plate is located in a recessed area of the truck and is already situated close to the top where the trunk release button and so if I placed the camera there, I would never be able to open my trunk. (I attached a photo that where I circled the truck release so you can see how close it is to the top of the license plate).
Second, my car didn’t come with holes for the bottom of the license plate so I was unable to have it secured to the bottom part of my license plate as well. I was thinking I would have to send this back but then I remembered the sticking strip that was sent with the camera. This was actually a better option for me since it allowed me to affix the camera to the right of center which actually put the camera part itself almost dead center of the car. I attached a couple of photos to show the camera on the bottom and how the actual camera part is almost center.
I removed the license plate completely, cleaned the entire area and dried it completely. Determined the placement of the sticker and then applied it. I then placed the camera still attached to the bracket onto the sticker and held it in place for a few minutes. I then cleaned off the license plate itself and replaced it.
I then moved onto figuring out the placement for the monitor. I have a non textured area directly above my console that I initially tried to place the monitor; however, that area is slanted and the monitor wouldn’t stick. It kept falling off! The instructions state to place it on a non-textured flat surface. The rest of my dashboard is textured but I have more options of a flat surface. Placing it on the windshield is not an option for me because then I wouldn’t be able to use my sunshades in the summer time. So I found a place that was in line with the driver’s view and it was a little farther back where it was flat and although it was a textured surface – it stuck! And I mean it stuck solid! After I placed it on the flat area, I had decided I was going to adjust the position just a little but it was so solid that I decided to leave it alone. After watching several YouTube videos, I was able to figure out how to pull the trim off my dashboard which allowed me to hide the extra cable behind my radio and a small hole was just above the area where my cigarette lighter. You can see from the photos I attached that only a small portion of the cable from the monitor is visible where the monitor is at and down where the product plugs into the cigarette lighter.
So I put several objects behind my car at different distances and with the help of my son, it allowed me to adjust the camera to the proper level. I have been driving for over a week with this product installed and I just LOVE it!. I no longer have anxiety pulling out of a parking spot and hoping there is enough distance between me and the cars parked on the other side. I backed into my garage for the first time and it was a breeze. When I pull forward into my garage, I no longer have to get out of the car to see if I have pulled in enough to clear the door, I just hit the monitor and line up the grid line to the line on the cement that separates the garage from the driveway and viola, I am in with no problems. The grid lines are slightly off on one side because the camera isn’t dead center. (I wish now I would have installed it more center than I did but the sticky stuff they sent works really well and I’m not getting it off to readjust the camera). After driving with this product and the installation issues that I ran into, I have a couple of suggestions for those of you who are like me.
Before the product arrives, visually look at where your license is at and determine how much space you have between the top of your plate and the trunk release and also if you have holes in the bottom to mount there if needed. This product is bulky. Also look for flat area on your dash board to mount, flat is more important than smooth texture. IF I had done this before hand, I would have saved a ton of time when I went to install it.
My next suggestion is based on my need for accuracy of the grid lines. I would highly suggest to avoid mounting the camera onto the license plate with the screws because that puts the camera itself on the side and thus the grid lines will not be accurate. If you are after a cleaner look or don’t rely on the grid lines to park/maneuver then this suggestion will not apply to you; however, if you don’t mind the look of the product being off center or need accuracy for the grids, then use the sticking tape that comes with the product and mount it where the camera will be dead center. As I said before, I wish I had mounted it a little farther over than I what I did so that the camera would have been center but that ship has sailed cause its stuck so well that I can’t move it! Also, my cigarette lighter area is down in a recessed area of the console and I found that I had to lean forward quite a bit in order to hit the button to activate the monitor. So I went ahead and purchased a splitter that brought the power button up out of the recessed area. It not only made it easier for me to reach the power button of the monitor but it also gave me another cigarette lighter port for other devices that require that. You can actually see that splitter in the photo where I am showing the wire under the console. I would suggest getting a splitter if your cigarette lighter area is a little out of your reach. I have placed the URL here for anyone who wants to know. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FDQLL7K?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details).
I am so happy with this purchase and if I ever get another vehicle that doesn’t have a backup camera, this is going to be my first purchase for that vehicle! If you are after something easy to install, easy to use, and doesn’t cost you your first born to get – then get this camera! Highly recommend!