How do I get rid of Backup camera dimming?

[ember1205]

That might work, but it's "too manual" for my taste. It would be great if we knew how the sensor worked...

[Robert.jean1]

If you can get past the dry monologue this explains it very well.

 

 

[muntz]

I don't have a garage to test this in, but what if you were to stop briefly as soon as your light sensor is hit by (enough) sunlight, shift into park to shut off the camera, then shift back into reverse? Does that reset the camera to a daylight mode?

[ember1205]

I don't have a garage to test this in, but what if you were to stop briefly as soon as your light sensor is hit by (enough) sunlight, shift into park to shut off the camera, then shift back into reverse? Does that reset the camera to a daylight mode?

 

You need the lights to go off. And, by then, you're already part way out of the garage and the need for the better visibility through the camera is at least mostly dissipated.

 

You can try this yourself by covering up the sensor on the dash in daylight and trying to back your truck up. You won't be able to see anything with detail in the camera.

[ember1205]

If you can get past the dry monologue this explains it very well.

 

 

 

This is a decent explanation, but I'm not entirely sure that this is exactly how the sensor in the trucks works. According to his description, the sensor basically creates an open circuit under low light (he refers to it as "infinite resistance"). The resulting effect is that the only path to ground for the current at that point is through the MOSFET transistor, turning on the lights.

 

I thought that the threads that discussed disabling the auto headlights had stated that disconnecting the sensor (effectively creating an open circuit / infinite resistance) rendered the headlights disabled completely. However, I know that a failed sensor will turn the headlights on all of the time (sort of a failsafe mode so you can't ever lose your headlights).

 

If this description IS correct, then it would seem reasonable that there would need to be a second "loop" connected in where the sensor plugs in that would ALSO provide a couple kohm of resistance (I've read that the one in the trucks produces 1.8kohm). That way, even if the sensor went to infinite resistance, the second path would still provide the same load toward ground and allow the current to pass.

 

THIS is where the delay circuit would need to be built.

[ember1205]

Thinking about this more, a parallel circuit would be a bit more tricky here...

 

The original circuit provides 1.8kohm. If a second 1.8kohm circuit were added in, the resulting resistance when the ambient light sensor detects high light levels and the secondary circuit were "on" would be a drop to 900ohm resistance (since both would be providing 1.8kohm in parallel to each other, the effective resistance would be halved) and this would likely turn the lights on at startup out in the daylight. Unintended behavior.

 

Instead, we need a way for the second parallel circuit to enable the 1.8kohm resistance at the exact moment that the ambient light sensor goes to infinite resistance. Then, start a countdown of 20 seconds before the second circuit would -also- go to infinite resistance allowing the lights to turn on.

 

Additional point of consideration here: If this change were to be made, it would mean that the headlights would ALWAYS delay turning on, even at night outside.

[Robert.jean1]

I use to teach schematics to my students that were not going to be subject matter experts so I had to figure out a way to explain electron flow in a way to make them understand without being to nerdy about it as they wouldn't functionally understand. If I were to explain that circuit provided in the video in a simplistic way I would just say. The NPN transistor is on while light is hitting the base which causes an open allowing voltage to be provided to the base of the MOSFET keeping the channel open. When light is removed the NPN transistor is denergized allowing the switch to return to its normally closed status allowing negative potential to travel from the emitter to the collector which causes a voltage drop across the resistor. With no positive potential provided to the base of the MOSFET now turns off causing the channel to close allowing negative potential to travel from the source through to the drain and completing the circuit allowing the light to turn on.

Thinking about this more, a parallel circuit would be a bit more tricky here...

 

The original circuit provides 1.8kohm. If a second 1.8kohm circuit were added in, the resulting resistance when the ambient light sensor detects high light levels and the secondary circuit were "on" would be a drop to 900ohm resistance (since both would be providing 1.8kohm in parallel to each other, the effective resistance would be halved) and this would likely turn the lights on at startup out in the daylight. Unintended behavior.

 

Instead, we need a way for the second parallel circuit to enable the 1.8kohm resistance at the exact moment that the ambient light sensor goes to infinite resistance. Then, start a countdown of 20 seconds before the second circuit would -also- go to infinite resistance allowing the lights to turn on.

 

Additional point of consideration here: If this change were to be made, it would mean that the headlights would ALWAYS delay turning on, even at night outside.

[Stars_Fan]

The reasonable fix would be for gm engineers to get a sampling from the ambient light sensor more often than once every 60+ seconds. This should be an easy software fix.

 

I agree with the original poster. I've had several non gm vehicles that never had this problem. They would automatically change from day/night mode when light was in the sensor.

[ember1205]

The reasonable fix would be for gm engineers to get a sampling from the ambient light sensor more often than once every 60+ seconds. This should be an easy software fix.

 

I agree with the original poster. I've had several non gm vehicles that never had this problem. They would automatically change from day/night mode when light was in the sensor.

 

Now that I've thought about this -even more-, we're all wrong. Your suggestion is actually unsafe. When the ambient light level drops down to a certain level, the lights need to come on. Instantly. This is how the system works today.

 

We've been going about this all wrong... What needs to happen is the aperture setting (light sensitivity) for the rear camera needs to be uncoupled from the headlight state and allowed to stand on its own.

 

The current programming says "hey, the headlights are on. That MUST mean it's dark outside, so I'm going to darken up the camera as well." This needs to change.

[ember1205]

How about shining a bright light onto the sun-load sensor before starting the truck?

 

Question here is "how bright is bright enough?" My truck's lights were on when I cam home. So, flipped on the flash on my iPhone and held it six inches from the sensor. Nothing.

 

Turned the truck off, pulled the key out, started it back up - held the flashlight on the sensor the whole time. Lights came right back on.

 

With all of the sensors in these cars, why can't GM program one of the control modules to monitor the light sensor and NOT flip the lights on if A) forward speed is < 5-7MPH and B) the ambient light level change was "abrupt". This would be a pretty good indication that you're pulling under a canopy or into a garage and don't actually need the headlights on. Faster speeds and the car has to err on the side of caution and assume you need them (and turn them on).

[Silver ice 6.2]

Tow mirrors with the led's.. I do it all the time. I see extremely well. I will take a pic later on to confirm

[ember1205]

What does that have to do with the auto lights turning on while in the garage and the display brightness from the camera dropping down as a result?

 

This is about an issue with the camera specifically, and how it relates to degraded ability to see anything on the display of the truck while backing out of a garage and into bright sunlight.

[Silver ice 6.2]

What does that have to do with the auto lights turning on while in the garage and the display brightness from the camera dropping down as a

 

This is about an issue with the camera specifically, and how it relates to degraded ability to see anything on the display of the truck while backing out of a garage and into bright sunlight.

my apologies.. I thought that this was a night time problem.. but like 8 said having these led's in the Tow mirrors is a wow factor

[Silver ice 6.2]

But I wanna say I don't have this problem with mine because I park in a garage at work everyday and I see just fine. Backing out is clear the only slight problem I would say is when the sun hits me in the face.. but the Camara still looks clear.. I will take pics tomorrow

[ember1205]

my apologies.. I thought that this was a night time problem.. but like 8 said having these led's in the Tow mirrors is a wow factor

 

Ah... Gotcha. I've heard those mirrors are very nice for backing at night.

 

There is an absolutely noticeable difference in how the screen looks when the lights are on versus off. While in the garage, start the truck and allow the lights to come on from the AUTO setting. Foot on brake, selector in Reverse. While holding the truck in place, watch the image on the screen change as you roll the headlight knob to disable the AUTO mode and turn the lights off. You'll see a marked difference in the brightness and the amount of detail you can see on images -outside- of the garage in the daytime sun.

 

I wouldn't say that the image quality goes fuzzy or anything, it just drops off in the level of detail that you can see when it's in "night mode" because there is actually too much light for the settings it's using.