Trials and Tribulations of my Trail Cam

[TheDude317]

Greetings, I will attempt to be thorough in my description and questions so as not to waste anyone's time.


I bought a 2022 Gladiator Rubicon a few months ago and then my wife wrecked her car and got a Wrangler 4x3 and hers came with the trail cam - something I wanted but was already pushing budget at the time so I didn't push the issue. She, after seeing how much I like it and how useful I find it for parking my long ass truck in our garage..... bought me an aftermarket trail cam.

The instructions seemed simple and the description on the listing said all you needed was XX year and the 8.4 uConnect head unit. Check and check.

Well, if you have computer problems I'm your guy... if you need car stuff.. keeper goin... So I took this camera to a car audio place and they installed it. Instructions said it would need to be flashed by the dealer or by a Tazer. I didn't have a Tazer and my dealer said they would flash it for free so I went with the free option.

250$ or so in camera/install later I'm at the dealer and they connect the OBD program tool by Mopar™.

The guy tells me that it is not possible for him to add the front camera as an option to my VIN (not an option in the drop-down part list of optional parts) and explains that there are other parts that would need to be present and since they are not, he is unable to have this part added to the computer on the vehicle. That is not a good sentence, but in some models that CAN have this there exist pumps and a nozzle for washing the camera etc. Since mine do not have this, I was not able to add the optional camera to the computer.

So, I tuck tail and call my wife and tell her that we likely just wasted 250 bucks and she doubles down and starts asking me if we could get a head unit from another jeep installed would that fix it? I had no answer for that but figured that would be another grand at least - which was a figure I found tucked neatly up my ass.

I get googlin' and came across the following two posts from these forums:

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...-trail-camera-to-gladiator-diy-writeup.35026/


https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/my-oem-front-trail-cam-install-thread.52216/



These posts go on to talk about making this a factoryish install complete with squirty squirty pump, nozzle, lots of wiring, a different camera brand, and some things I don’t have any clue what they are. Such as a CVPM, and a CAN IHS BLOCK or a BCM.



In reading these posts though, I was able to pretend I understood some of it and I think one of those things above is some sort of image processing unit? I can wrap my head around that. Some sort of coax passthrough from camera > image processor > head unit. I think I’m following.



However, where I get lost…. Is when I see products like the one I bought, or like this one from zautomotive.com in which they both describe a similar process of more or less plug and play. Just need a “simple” flash using a Tazer or from the dealer.



Look, I like squirty squirty as much as the next guy, but on my front camera? I don’t think I personally need that. So, just the camera please.



Which is it? Can this be updated without a full OEM treatment and a bunch of parts to get there that I wouldn’t use?

Am I doing something wrong?

Would buying a Tazer fix this for me?

Does anyone have experience with this?

Is AlfaOBD an option?

Do any of these things I described void my warrantees?



TUNE IN NEXT WEEK FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE ‘IDIOT TRIES TO BUY THINGS FOR HIS JEEP’ SAGA



Also, thank you all in advance, I hope I picked the right forum topic section for this



Sincerely

Du Mas

Sponsored

 

[irish_love]

Since it's already installed, your best option is to get the Tazer. There a ton of other benefits outside of just the front camera. Tazer is without a doubt the best modification I've done so far.

 

[TheDude317]

Since it's already installed, your best option is to get the Tazer. There a ton of other benefits outside of just the front camera. Tazer is without a doubt the best modification I've done so far.

Thank you, I understand the many benefits of the Tazer. My specific question, is will it solve this problem where the dealer programming cannot? I'd hate to be 500 bucks into solving this problem and have to buy even more hardware.

 

[irish_love]

Thank you, I understand the many benefits of the Tazer. My specific question, is will it solve this problem where the dealer programming cannot? I'd hate to be 500 bucks into solving this problem and have to buy even more hardware.

I have't added the front camera yet, but as I understand it, it will give you the option to add a "Cargo Camera" to your 8.4 radio. When you hit the cargo camera button, your newly installed front camera will turn on.

Check out this video. This guy installed the camera and used the tazer to access the cargo camera option. https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/aftermarket-forward-trail-cam.26803/post-563730

 

[TheDude317]

I have't added the front camera yet, but as I understand it, it will give you the option to add a "Cargo Camera" to your 8.4 radio. When you hit the cargo camera button, your newly installed front camera will turn on.

Check out this video. This guy installed the camera and used the tazer to access the cargo camera option. https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/aftermarket-forward-trail-cam.26803/post-563730

Thank you, is there a particular version of the tazer I need?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Greetings, I will attempt to be thorough in my description and questions so as not to waste anyone's time.


I bought a 2022 Gladiator Rubicon a few months ago and then my wife wrecked her car and got a Wrangler 4x3 and hers came with the trail cam - something I wanted but was already pushing budget at the time so I didn't push the issue. She, after seeing how much I like it and how useful I find it for parking my long ass truck in our garage..... bought me an aftermarket trail cam.

The instructions seemed simple and the description on the listing said all you needed was XX year and the 8.4 uConnect head unit. Check and check.

Well, if you have computer problems I'm your guy... if you need car stuff.. keeper goin... So I took this camera to a car audio place and they installed it. Instructions said it would need to be flashed by the dealer or by a Tazer. I didn't have a Tazer and my dealer said they would flash it for free so I went with the free option.

250$ or so in camera/install later I'm at the dealer and they connect the OBD program tool by Mopar™.

The guy tells me that it is not possible for him to add the front camera as an option to my VIN (not an option in the drop-down part list of optional parts) and explains that there are other parts that would need to be present and since they are not, he is unable to have this part added to the computer on the vehicle. That is not a good sentence, but in some models that CAN have this there exist pumps and a nozzle for washing the camera etc. Since mine do not have this, I was not able to add the optional camera to the computer.

So, I tuck tail and call my wife and tell her that we likely just wasted 250 bucks and she doubles down and starts asking me if we could get a head unit from another jeep installed would that fix it? I had no answer for that but figured that would be another grand at least - which was a figure I found tucked neatly up my ass.

I get googlin' and came across the following two posts from these forums:

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...-trail-camera-to-gladiator-diy-writeup.35026/


https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/my-oem-front-trail-cam-install-thread.52216/



These posts go on to talk about making this a factoryish install complete with squirty squirty pump, nozzle, lots of wiring, a different camera brand, and some things I don’t have any clue what they are. Such as a CVPM, and a CAN IHS BLOCK or a BCM.



In reading these posts though, I was able to pretend I understood some of it and I think one of those things above is some sort of image processing unit? I can wrap my head around that. Some sort of coax passthrough from camera > image processor > head unit. I think I’m following.



However, where I get lost…. Is when I see products like the one I bought, or like this one from zautomotive.com in which they both describe a similar process of more or less plug and play. Just need a “simple” flash using a Tazer or from the dealer.



Look, I like squirty squirty as much as the next guy, but on my front camera? I don’t think I personally need that. So, just the camera please.



Which is it? Can this be updated without a full OEM treatment and a bunch of parts to get there that I wouldn’t use?

Am I doing something wrong?

Would buying a Tazer fix this for me?

Does anyone have experience with this?

Is AlfaOBD an option?

Do any of these things I described void my warrantees?



TUNE IN NEXT WEEK FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE ‘IDIOT TRIES TO BUY THINGS FOR HIS JEEP’ SAGA



Also, thank you all in advance, I hope I picked the right forum topic section for this



Sincerely

Du Mas

JSCAN or AlfaOBD will do it. JSCAN even has a video on how to do it all.
I think I still have the link on install and enabling with JSCAN



That's what I was sent by JSCAN

AlfaOBD will do the same.

Easy peasy.

 

[Mr._Bill]

Greetings, I will attempt to be thorough in my description and questions so as not to waste anyone's time.


I bought a 2022 Gladiator Rubicon a few months ago and then my wife wrecked her car and got a Wrangler 4x3 and hers came with the trail cam - something I wanted but was already pushing budget at the time so I didn't push the issue. She, after seeing how much I like it and how useful I find it for parking my long ass truck in our garage..... bought me an aftermarket trail cam.

The instructions seemed simple and the description on the listing said all you needed was XX year and the 8.4 uConnect head unit. Check and check.

Well, if you have computer problems I'm your guy... if you need car stuff.. keeper goin... So I took this camera to a car audio place and they installed it. Instructions said it would need to be flashed by the dealer or by a Tazer. I didn't have a Tazer and my dealer said they would flash it for free so I went with the free option.

250$ or so in camera/install later I'm at the dealer and they connect the OBD program tool by Mopar™.

The guy tells me that it is not possible for him to add the front camera as an option to my VIN (not an option in the drop-down part list of optional parts) and explains that there are other parts that would need to be present and since they are not, he is unable to have this part added to the computer on the vehicle. That is not a good sentence, but in some models that CAN have this there exist pumps and a nozzle for washing the camera etc. Since mine do not have this, I was not able to add the optional camera to the computer.

So, I tuck tail and call my wife and tell her that we likely just wasted 250 bucks and she doubles down and starts asking me if we could get a head unit from another jeep installed would that fix it? I had no answer for that but figured that would be another grand at least - which was a figure I found tucked neatly up my ass.

I get googlin' and came across the following two posts from these forums:

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...-trail-camera-to-gladiator-diy-writeup.35026/


https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/my-oem-front-trail-cam-install-thread.52216/



These posts go on to talk about making this a factoryish install complete with squirty squirty pump, nozzle, lots of wiring, a different camera brand, and some things I don’t have any clue what they are. Such as a CVPM, and a CAN IHS BLOCK or a BCM.



In reading these posts though, I was able to pretend I understood some of it and I think one of those things above is some sort of image processing unit? I can wrap my head around that. Some sort of coax passthrough from camera > image processor > head unit. I think I’m following.



However, where I get lost…. Is when I see products like the one I bought, or like this one from zautomotive.com in which they both describe a similar process of more or less plug and play. Just need a “simple” flash using a Tazer or from the dealer.



Look, I like squirty squirty as much as the next guy, but on my front camera? I don’t think I personally need that. So, just the camera please.



Which is it? Can this be updated without a full OEM treatment and a bunch of parts to get there that I wouldn’t use?

Am I doing something wrong?

Would buying a Tazer fix this for me?

Does anyone have experience with this?

Is AlfaOBD an option?

Do any of these things I described void my warrantees?



TUNE IN NEXT WEEK FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE ‘IDIOT TRIES TO BUY THINGS FOR HIS JEEP’ SAGA



Also, thank you all in advance, I hope I picked the right forum topic section for this



Sincerely

Du Mas

You don't need a Tazer to install the camera. The dealer probably could do it, you just need to explain to them what to activate. Read the installation instructions on the Tazer (ZAutomotive) website for the camera they sell, and it should give you a much greater understanding of what needs done.

 

[Gatorized]

All good information here, but not knowing what camera you installed doesn’t help determine if there is a fix for what you are trying to do.

 

[Fishee]

I too wish I had OEM front camera but went with zautomotive one since it was on sale with tazer purchase black Friday of 2021. Camera isn't HD like OEM but decent.

Flash forward less than a year later and camera quit working. Check wiring and all was good. Bad camera. Contacted them, didn't have order number or anything and they were able to find it and send me a new camera (not the whole kit, just camera which was totally fine). Plugged new 1 in and it worked again (great customer service)

Only issue is THIS camera is terrible! I noticed the back of it was slightly different so I don't know if they changed or what but the picture is BAD! And the camera is like really zoomed in and useless. 1st camera fave a nice wide angle view and I could see the end of my bumper to judge how close I was to things, this one is zoomed to the ground, bumper not in view.

So I would have recommended zautomotive 1 but idk anymore since it seemed to have changed.

 

[Lunentucker]

Can you send the camera back?

https://a.co/d/hmDNyYD

 

[Newlife]

Yes to answer the tazer will allow you enable cargo cam. But as mentioned above the camera from x automotive is novelty at best. I’m on the 3rd camera from them and each one gets worse as it goes. If you have a camera that performs well and comes with the 2 pins to plug into the main radio harness then the tazer should still allow that feature to be on.

 

[TheDude317]

All good information here, but not knowing what camera you installed doesn’t help determine if there is a fix for what you are trying to do.

Well I did mention the camera I bought and installed, it’s even highlighted with blue with a link and everything. You do in fact have that information.

Can you send the camera back?

https://a.co/d/hmDNyYD

not without uninstalling it

 

[TheDude317]

You don't need a Tazer to install the camera. The dealer probably could do it, you just need to explain to them what to activate. Read the installation instructions on the Tazer (ZAutomotive) website for the camera they sell, and it should give you a much greater understanding of what needs done.

No, the dealer cannot do it. Did you read my post? I explain everything in the post.

 

[TheDude317]

JSCAN or AlfaOBD will do it. JSCAN even has a video on how to do it all.
I think I still have the link on install and enabling with JSCAN



That's what I was sent by JSCAN

AlfaOBD will do the same.

Easy peasy.

Thank you!

 

[TheDude317]

Yes to answer the tazer will allow you enable cargo cam. But as mentioned above the camera from x automotive is novelty at best. I’m on the 3rd camera from them and each one gets worse as it goes. If you have a camera that performs well and comes with the 2 pins to plug into the main radio harness then the tazer should still allow that feature to be on.

Thank you!

Sponsored