Cleaning The Reversing Video Camera Lens

[williz]

would you like to clean the lens of your reversing video camera of your RX 400h and stay inside your car when the weather is really bad?

then watch this

Reversing camera cleaning system

[Gryphon]

Care to elaborate?

Tom

[williz]

Care to elaborate?

Tom

I am glad to!

We had many complains in the German speaking LOC Europe about dirty reversing video camera lenses and why a car in the price range of the RX400h is not having a system preventing this problem.

Of coarse if you live in an area like California or Arizona you may not have even noticed that driving the car on snowy roads will result in a layer of snow covering the camera lens and showing you a milky LCD screen when putting in the reverse gear.

After some brainstorming like discussion we came up with the idea to use a washing system for the camera lens like it is used for the head lights.

So I used a 2 way magnetic valve to switch the water, normally going to the rear screen nozzle, to the new nozzle installed approximately 100mm right side of the camera lens.

The magnetic valve is connected to the reversing lights. This means as soon as the reversing lights are on (you put in the reverse gear) and you switch on the water pump for the rear screen cleaning, you wash (clean) the camera lens.

So far it works very well but the real test will come during wintertime when we have a lot of de-icing/antifreeze chemicals on the roads.

Are you satisfied with the reversing lights of the RX400 when you go reverse in real full darkness?

Here in Europe many of as are switching on the fog lights or gently pushing the brake to increase the light behind the car when going reverse.

Dose the US version of the RX have this lamp cover installed in the reversing lights like the European RX version have?

If so, by taking out this lamp cover you can increase the brightness of the reversing lights dramatically!

Best regard

Willi

Ps.: sorry for my bad English, I hope you get what I am trying to explain

[Jim Nazium]

Hello Williz

Nice and very nifty modification for the reverse camera lens cleaner. I could appreciate more this type of modification if the road conditions would warrant it more. For what its worth, I wash my car aften enough that during most part of the year the lens is never really dirty. None the less, the thought and execution you put into this modification is OUTSTANDING. Bravo!

As for the reverse lights, I was not aware of the difference between the European and North American version of the rear tail light.

To this day, I wish there was a modification one could perform with respect to the metric and imperial system in displaying various data. I drive alot between the US and Canada, and would appreciate things like temperature, mileage, fuel economy displayed in either the metric system or the imperial system.

Cheers,

MadloR

[williz]

Hello Williz

Nice and very nifty modification for the reverse camera lens cleaner. I could appreciate more this type of modification if the road conditions would warrant it more. For what its worth, I wash my car aften enough that during most part of the year the lens is never really dirty. None the less, the thought and execution you put into this modification is OUTSTANDING. Bravo!

As for the reverse lights, I was not aware of the difference between the European and North American version of the rear tail light.

To this day, I wish there was a modification one could perform with respect to the metric and imperial system in displaying various data. I drive alot between the US and Canada, and would appreciate things like temperature, mileage, fuel economy displayed in either the metric system or the imperial system.

Cheers,

MadloR

so have your cars the funny lamp cover right above the lamp/bulb in the reversing lights?

i do not know of any modification of the RX systems to allow you to switch between metric and imperial systems.

what i am using is the scan gauge II system (www.scangauge.com). it connects to the ODB II bus of your car and is able to display a lot of things like car speed (can be switched between miles and km/h) engine RPM, engine temp, gas consumption and much, much more.

it can be definitely set to display miles per gallon or liters per kilometer or miles per hour or kilometers per hour, engine temp in Fahrenheit or Celsius. so may be it is what you are looking for.

right now we are testing xenon lights for the high beams with US conversion kits. looks promising!

willi

[Gryphon]

so have your cars the funny lamp cover right above the lamp/bulb in the reversing lights?

I don't see anything on mine that looks like that, Willi.

Tom

[irieblue]

When did they put the overlay option into the "back up camera view" My 06 does not have that feature to tell you where the car will end up depending on how much the steering wheel is turned to. Is this a 2008 RX?

[williz]

When did they put the overlay option into the "back up camera view" My 06 does not have that feature to tell you where the car will end up depending on how much the steering wheel is turned to. Is this a 2008 RX?

pics have been taken from a 2006 mod. the overlay can be switched on and off by touching the symbol at the left lower corner.

[DArustik]

That is pretty cool, but my camera has never been dirty. Maybe because I have a GS and I dont take it off-roading.

[shooterjz]

Lucky for us Cali folks, we don't normally need this. But it's still good to know. Thx.

[Gryphon]

When did they put the overlay option into the "back up camera view" My 06 does not have that feature to tell you where the car will end up depending on how much the steering wheel is turned to. Is this a 2008 RX?

I can't seem to find this on my 2007 either. What models/years have it?

Tom

[Jim Nazium]

I looked it up for my 2006 as well, and no overlay option. hmmm, must be an european only feature.

Cheers,

MadloR

[Gryphon]

Another cool feature deleted by the Lexus attorneys? Grrrrrrr..

Tom