Front Camera Fault Errors - Issue fixed! DIY How-to

[justalfe]

I ordered both the cable and also put a foam in-between the connector to put pressure on it and no more faults.. will hold onto connector if I get any errors.. it's been a week no issues

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[someone22]

So came back from the shop with not so great news. The cable has been replaced but the errors persist. They asked if I want to continue pursing this, and, offered other possible failure points. I took the car home and will try to find the problem on my own. Usually they would probably just throw the parts cannon at such a thing and see what sticks, ending up a very expensive and time-consuming.

Will check first if 12V (or something) is coming in, at least one blip, I assume it's center positive. If it doesn't, there's probably a cable break or short - those can be found with a NanoVNA and TDR. A cable break would be the happy story I guess, I understand it runs all the way to the trunk.

Yes, the new cable has been added, the old one was left in-position.

 

[someone22]

Just as an update, not sure if this should be moved to a separate topic: there is ground continuity to the new coax, so it's probably installed correctly. The center pin voltage does not go above 100mV so it's either a center conductor break or an IPMA issue.
I could jerry-rig a 12V(?) DC signal at the camera end since the RF should pass through a break anyway (with some loss), but it's very sketchy and I don't actually know what DC voltage is expected. The other better option is to somehow hook up a signal injector and try to trace the break. Any idea how to determine wheter the car has the HKLAF or the HKLAG (perimeter alarm?) option?

 

[Gibson]

Would really appreciate if someone could post **detailed** instructions on how to safely remove the rear view mirror cover, A-pillar cover, etc. I would like to attempt to replace the coax in my 2021 California Route 1, but am afraid of breaking something. I bought mine used in 2024 and generally love it, but the main complaint I have is the inability to use any kind of cruise control because of this persistent camera fault.

 

[GT-Papa]

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/how-to-remove-rear-view-mirror.30914/

https://www.macheforum.com/site/attachments/a-pillar-removal-pdf.145213/

Take look at these links (from this forum).
The rear view mirror cover is really not that difficult, especially with a forked trim removal tool. Just pull down and the clips will pop out. It's best to do this in warmer weather (or warm garage) because if it's cold, the plastic might break. 5-year old plastic can be brittle.
The A-pillar cover is a little more tricky but it's doable.
If you search the web, there are plenty of pics and videos on how to do these things. Good luck.

 

[someone22]

Finally had some time to investigate a bit deeper and also install the comma/konik system. From my understanding, the windshield camera goes to the brown connector at the IPMA. Mine has only positions 1 and 3 filled, with 3 I assume being the camera at fault.

The picture is from the F150 schematic but should be the same.

I'm measuring 1.5Mohms at position 3 with the camera connected, so I assume (again) there's a break in the center. There are a few parts manufacturers around here which create a similar coax, so I'm asking around to see if anyone can provide me with about 6m of cable that's properly crimped.

Saw one post about someone removing the coax from the big connector but not sure exactly how that is done. I see some small clips but did not attempt anything yet.

Also still wondering about the cable variants, what's the difference between them, what does the APIM jumper do and what's the fastest way to check whether that's the variant?
It would seem weird that a coax goes in two different spots so my assumption would be that just taking out the coax from position 3 and running a new coax from 3 to the camera should fix the problem.

 

[someone22]

There doesn't seem to be much interest, but relaying my findings anyway, would probably help someone looking for this info in the future:

To know whether you need the -V or -W variant for the A-pillar to IPMA, it's enough to look at the IPMA end. If the brown quad jack has two coax cables, then it's -V, if it has three then it's -W. You can probably fit the -W if you have the -V and either leave the third cable alone or depin it, not sure what the IPMA does with the extra signal. No need to route the APIM cable through the car.

The coax cable has a diameter of around 3.5mm, consistent with RG-174 and the standard 50-ohm used in automotive.

The jack/plug/connector is mini-Fakra or High Speed Fakra Mini (HFM). in the case of the brown connector it's AMZ005-D?? likely AMK12D from Rosenberger. Equivalent from Molex should be 2079118425. The Molex drawing also lists the compatible pins and housings.

I'm not recommending that you make your own cable, but this is reference in case the parts go out of stock or you manage to find someone to crimp one for you.

 

[ERIC8585]

A similar issue started out intermittent with my 2021 and it has been constant for thousands of miles. I get pre-collission assist not available and front camera fault service required. Cruise control doesn't work either.

They told me the module is failing and there might be an issue with the wiring. I can't tell if they're bullshitting me on the module or not. I haven't tried to take anything apart.

 

[someone22]

The module takes 10 minutes to swap, not sure how much they cost on the second-hand market.
The wiring costs 30$ for the long cable, less for the shorter one. The short one takes ~2h to change. The longer one could take one day, depending on car options.
If they are even mildly competent, they should be able to test the cables, before saying what's broken. My service/dealership is not.

 

[ERIC8585]

The module takes 10 minutes to swap, not sure how much they cost on the second-hand market.
The wiring costs 30$ for the long cable, less for the shorter one. The short one takes ~2h to change. The longer one could take one day, depending on car options.
If they are even mildly competent, they should be able to test the cables, before saying what's broken. My service/dealership is not.

Not sure, the dealer I bought it from knew nothing about it, but that was in 2021. They seem to markup anything related to EV.

 

[ERIC8585]

The module takes 10 minutes to swap, not sure how much they cost on the second-hand market.
The wiring costs 30$ for the long cable, less for the shorter one. The short one takes ~2h to change. The longer one could take one day, depending on car options.
If they are even mildly competent, they should be able to test the cables, before saying what's broken. My service/dealership is not.

Is there some test they perform on the modules? I'm just wondering how they came to the conclusion that it's the problem vs the wiring since they didn't take anything apart that I'm aware of.

Let me check DTCs again...

 

[AZBill]

A similar issue started out intermittent with my 2021 and it has been constant for thousands of miles. I get pre-collission assist not available and front camera fault service required. Cruise control doesn't work either.

They told me the module is failing and there might be an issue with the wiring. I can't tell if they're bullshitting me on the module or not. I haven't tried to take anything apart.

I had the cable replaced twice and still had the fault. The dealer finally replaced the module, and It has been working for the past year with no issues.

 

[ERIC8585]

I had the cable replaced twice and still had the fault. The dealer finally replaced the module, and It has been working for the past year with no issues.

Ugh, did you have to pay put of pocket for it? I might not even bother.

 

[AZBill]

Ugh, did you have to pay put of pocket for it? I might not even bother.

Mine was still under extended warranty. It cost me $100.

 

[ERIC8585]

Mine was still under extended warranty. It cost me $100.

Good deal.

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