WP Fiesta Hatch Installing Reversing Camera 1.

[Webel117]

I have installed two Hatches (Fiesta and Corolla) with Reversing Cameras and would like to offer some suggestions (I installed my first car-Radio in 1960) so I have some experience! In both Hatches I fitted the Camera under the Number-plate Light Bar and took the wiring up through the rubber joiner that links the Hatch Door and the roof: here's how (Fiesta). The Hatch inner door is held by 3 Philips self-tappers and several friction 'Poppers' as used on main doors. The number-plate light bar is held by 3x10mm Nuts. I use a 1/4" Drive and stick the socket to the shaft with a blob of 'Blu-Tack' and put a bit more in the socket so as not to lose it in the Door. There are 4 Utilux connectors to the Bulbs. I mounted the camera to the Left of the leftward light because there is a convenient hole in the Hatch to take the Cable. On the Light Bar I fitted the camera over a truncated -'V' in the plastic. I drilled a 3mm hole close to the back of the Bar then snipped it back to make a slot' that way you don't need a huge hole for the 'RCA Video Plug' because you slide the thin camera cable in, instead. Mount the camera and refit the Bar after feeding the cable and plugs through the metal. The thin camera cable now splits into the Yellow RCA for Video and a Red plug for camera Power, both of which connect to much longer cables to run to the Head Unit. My Red cables were too short to reach the Reversing Light which is on the Body, so I extended them by soldering on 2 meters of 'thin' Loudspeaker Twin flex. I plugged the leads together and secured them with Electrical Tape. We have to take the wires through the hatch frame to enter the Roof through the Rubber Tube that already carries the Wiper/Light wiring. Prize the ends of the Rubber tube off the metal at both ends. Here I use 3 meters of very flexible 3mm Stainless Steel winch cable. I Tape the ends to stop fraying, then slide it into the Hatch hole heading towards the outside of the car, twisting it and gently pushing. The Door stamping curves in the right direction, and I quickly had it up at the large access hole to meet my camera cables. At this point you have to cut the 'Head-End' RCA Plug off, with 6 inches of lead because you will solder it on when you reach the Dash. Now tape the Video Cable and Power cables as flat as possible to the steel cable and gently pull it back inside the Hatch until it is through-mine went first time. Un-tape the Cables. Use a sharp Hobby-Knife to cut the along the flat top of the rubber tube (not the Ridges) for about 25mm. Now make a smaller cut 10mm in the middle across the first cut and do the same thing at the other end of the tube. Tape your Video and power leads to the full length (about 6 inches) of thin Coat Hanger wire. Poke this up through the large end of the rubber tube and through the cut you made. (Continued in part 2)