Tesla Model S Front Camera Touchscreen Switch Kit

Installation Tools

Choosing a 12v Power Source

To begin you must choose one of the following options for powering the camera switch.

• Powered on and off with the car (option 1)
  This option powers the camera switch on when you sit in the driver’s seat and engage Drive or Reverse. The camera switch powers off when you exit the car. This method preserves 12v battery power when the car is parked. There are two options for this “switched” power method. Both methods are described in more detail in the instructions below.

• Using a PosiTap tap power from the yellow wire with purple stripe in one of the three wire bundles behind the driver’s side kick panel. This method is highly recommended, as the fuse tap solution below requires running a long lead from the #3 fuse box through the fender channel with the camera cable into the driver’s door jamb area.

• Using an Add-a-Fuse and a 5 amp mini fuse, tap fuse #75 in fuse box #3.

    

• Always powered always on via the OBD2 connector (option 2)
  The OBD2 connector provided with the camera switch kit provides both a 12v and ground connection. With this method the camera switch is always on and thus uses power from the 12v battery. If your car will be parked for long periods of time (10 days or longer) without access to a charger, do not not use this method.

Mounting the Front Camera

• Option 1: Without front license plate
  The camera mounts on the center upper front grille just under the nose cone. While the photo shows some of the grille elements cut out, no alterations to the grille are necessary.To mount the camera in this position, the two wings on the metal camera mounting bracket must be first cut off. Using a Dremel tool with a cut off disc or a hack saw, cut the mounting bracket as indicated in the photos below.
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    The camera is now ready to mount and the cable routed. Follow these steps:

1. Remove the nose cone.
2. Remove the right side plastic frunk trim.
3. Locate the center point of chrome strip in front of the upper grille under the nose cone.
4. Attach the long Chinese camera cable to the end of the short camera cable. Make sure the connectors lock into place.
5. Cut a small square of 3M double sided auto tape the size of the camera bottom and attach it on the chrome strip as shown in the photo. With the camera cable to the left and curved up, place the camera loosely on the tape. Then push the cable into the small gap along the top of the grille running it all the way to the opening on the left of the chrome surround/mount for the nose cone.
6. Once the cable has been run, place a generous dab of clear silicone adhesive on the back of the camera and press it firmly into place against the grille and on top of the tape. Make sure it is properly aligned. Then use some duct tape to hold it in place while the adhesive dries (about an hour).
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7. Run the cable up into the driver’s side of the frunk, near the headlight. Thread it through the openings behind/around the right side of the nose cone near the fender channel.

• Option 2: With standard Tesla front license plate mount
  For this mount the wings must remain on the camera. Do not cut them off. Screw the camera mount bracket on the bottom center of the license plate frame. Mount the camera on the bracket using the two mounting screws provided with the camera itself. Route the camera cable following the same instructions for ‘Choosing a 12v Power Source’.
• Option 3: With low-mount front license plate
  For this mount the wings must be cut off the camera, as described above. If you have a low- mounted plate frame, mount the camera in a position that provides an unblocked view forward over the plate frame. We recommend mounting it just under but not touching the nose cone. Route the cables as described in Option 1.

1. From the driver’s upper door jamb find the two channels that go into the fender area. Push a 1/8” dowel through the larger, lower channel from the door jamb side. Then locate the end of the dowel from the frunk side. You may have to try several times to insert the dowel through this space, so be patient.
2. When the dowel is through the fender channel space, tape the camera cable to its end, taking care to tape over the cable connector so it won’t get caught when you pull it through the fender channel space. If you’re using the fusecase 12v power source, tape the red wire tightly behind the camera cable connector. Then carefully pull the cable and red wire through. The connector will just fit the space, so be careful pulling it through.
3. When all has been pulled way through, leave 4-6 inches of slack on the frunk side so the wires/cables are not under stress.
4. Now take the ends of camera cable (and optional fuse 12v red wire) and pull the them under the rubber door seal. To do this you’ll have to pull the rubber seal away from its seating on the door jamb. Pull the cable and wire all the way through, leaving the 4-6 inches of slack on the frunk side.
5. Snap out the driver’s side kick panel, starting with the narrow end along the door sill and work it loose up to the end near the dead pedal. At the same time, using a plastic pry tool, remove the small triangular black piece from the end side of the dash, placing it carefully on the floor of the car so that it doesn’t not stress or brake the wire connection to the key fob sensor on the back side. One this piece is removed, carefully snap out the small vertical plastic piece against the door jamb.
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6. If you’re using the OBD2 connector to provide 12v and ground to the camera switch, at your work bench solder a 16 “ piece of black 20 gauge wire to pins 4&5 on the connector and a 16” piece of red wire to pin 16 If you’re using the yellow purple stripe wire to power the camera switch you’ll only need to solder the ground connection to pins 4&5 on the OBD2 connector.
7. If you’re using the yellow/purple wire as the switched source of 12v power to the camera switch, locate the yellow wire with purple stripe in one of the three wire bundles and connect a PosiTap to it. Attach a 12” length of 20 gauge red wire to the other end of the Posi-Tap. It may be easier to locate the wiring by first finding it one of the white multiple pin connectors and tracing it back. As noted, with this connection method you will only need the OBD2 connector for ground.

8. Now locate the blue rear camera and touchscreen connector near the wire bundles. The connectors have small pinkish red tops. Press on the tab to disconnect them. Having pulled the front camera cable and connector through to the kick panel area, you will now have three connectors to plug into the camera switch PCB case: front camera, rear camera, and touchscreen. To identify the front camera connector, place a small piece of electrical tape around the front camera cable. This will be important when you plug the cables into the PCB case.
9. Now, depending on which 12v sources you’re using, cut the connecting wires to the appropriate length needed to fit the the camera switch PCB case into the space behind the dash that removal of the side panel made accessible. Then make the 12v and ground connections to the green screw connector part of the camera switch PCB case.

10. With the 12v and ground connections made, slip the PCB case into the space behind the dash make sure the blue plugs are accessible from the open size. The case will slide around but when the camera and touch screen connections are made that won’t be a concern.
11. Now connect the cameras and touchscreen to the PCB case. For easier connections, study the connectors to make sure the alignment is correct, the using your left hand inside the space behind the dash plug in the connectors, making sure the tab is snapped in place so they can’t come loose.
12. Now, using the remote that came with the camera switch kit, test the system. Sit in the driver’s seat and put the car into reverse. The rear image should appear on the touchscreen. The videos below show the switch in operation.
13. Now push button A on the remote. For 2-3 second the touchscreen will turn gray and the words “Camera Unavailable” will appear. After this short lag the front camera image will appear. Then push and hold B. With the same pause, the image will switch to the rear.
14. The remote functions are these:

• A: Front/rear toggle
• B: When held will always force camera to rear if on front or stay on rear if on rear.Next if you want to control the camera switch with Homelink, following the standard HomeLink programming instructions on the touchscreen, program HomeLink with the remote. Test that the Homelink commands work properly.

15. With everything tested and operational, careful place the camera and touchscreen cables in place. You likely will have excess cable from the front camera. Lifting the rubber door seal pull the excess through so it’s hanging loose on the outside of the rubber seal. From the frunk side pull the excess through so the cable lies tightly against the door jamb. Coil any extra on the frunk side and tape it into a convenient space where it will be hidden and out of the way.
16. Test the operation of the camera switch on more time. Then reinstall the various panels you removed in the cockpit and frunk.

Where to Buy

• Tesla Model S Front/Rear Touchscreen Switch Kit