Backup Lamps Wiring for Backup Cam 08 9-7x

[oldog]

Installed my back up cam and was unsuccessful with the wiring. My '08 97x has 3 wires running to the backup lamps (see picture.) When I connect the camera positive to the yellow wire the backup light stays permanently on and drains the battery. The trailblazer FSM doesn't show 3 wires in the lighting diagram. Any ideas?

I should add that I'm grounded to the body but perhaps I should ground to the backup lamp as well?

 

[Matt]

You want the green wire in the main harness that runs from the lights, not the yellow one. You see what I'm talking about from this pic of my install.

https://gmtnation.com/forums/attachments/20180317_110843-jpg.83709/

 

[oldog]

You want the green wire in the main harness that runs from the lights, not the yellow one. You see what I'm talking about from this pic of my install.

Thank you! I'll give it a try. I just assumed you needed to pull from the + wire after the main harness that feeds only the backup lamps.

 

[oldog]

I tapped into the light green before the main harness and while the backup camera works, my battery gets drained when car is off. Seems like the camera is not shutting off and is draining it down.

 

[Blckshdw]

Are you confirming there's voltage at the camera wires when not in reverse? Does your reverse light still stay on all the time? Could be a parasitic drain caused by something else

 

[16vcabman]

Use a voltmeter and determine if there is voltage to the light green wire when in reverse only. Have someone put in reverse and hold brake. I have blocked rear wheels and put in reverse with key on but no engine running. No liability assumed! Should be no voltage when in park. Hope this helps. Other side of lead should go to ground.

 

[Mooseman]

I couldn't see the camera using that much power to drain the battery. It would be equivalent to a phone charger. Disconnect it and see what happens. As @16vcabman said, check for voltage there.

 

[oldog]

Thank you everybody. I decided I am going to tap into the red accessory wire at the head unit to power the camera.

now I have a new problem . I've unhooked my camera entirely for now, but when driving my voltage drops every once in a while. All the dummy lights come on for a moment, then back to normal, it happens under heavy throttle. Obviously my screwing around with the wiring seems the culprit, but everything is unhooked and this problem persists.

 

[mrwitty_1]

I would lean toward the ever famous ignition switch going south.

 

[oldog]

interes

I would lean toward the ever famous ignition switch going south.

Interesting, I've heard they were a common issue but wasn't sure about the Saab with it's unique key position. Is that typical to cause the flickering/power loss? Interestingly, I haven't been able to replicate the problem in my last 3 drives.

 

[Mooseman]

The Saab's ignition switch/key cylinder are unique to the Saab and possibly other cars that use non-steering column mounted key switch (possibly the Impala) as well as PassKey III chipped keys (whereas all other 360's use PassLock non-chipped keys). I haven't heard of these failing.

For the voltage drops, I've noticed that in couple of mine but no lights. Have you checked for codes? Have the battery checked.

 

[oldog]

Good to know. I had the battery load tested and checked out fine. Didn't get a strange voltage drop all weekend. It's a little disconcerting when that happens while I'm driving 50 mph.

Backup camera is connected to my red accessory wire and seems to powering on and off fine. I've connected my head unit harness violet white output to the violet-white wire on the PAC-RP5 but when I shift into reverse, this does not trigger on the backup camera. I'll keep messing with it, but I'm fine the functionality for now. Whenever I start the car backup camera turns on automatically.