[alextheromanian]

finally picked up a white 2013 with 30K on it for a price i was happy with. i had been looking for one for about a year that had the features i wanted and im glad i finally got what i wanted aside from the exterior color which i will be fixing come nicer weather with a forum post.


i need your help though...and its with the backup camera. the ultra wide angle is GREAT...you can nearly see sideways too with it. but the quality is beyond awful. its slightly blurry it has chromatic aberrations it does not seem to read mid tones well at all and at night it is damn near useless. i backed up to a black car that was maybe 5 feet away and all you could see was the slight reflection in the headlight reflectors from the backup lamp.

so heres my question.

do any of you know if the 2014 / 2015 or maybe the 2011/2012 had better backup cameras? I read some had lines...then they were removed....then they were brought back, some even report bendy lines...

i want to replace this factory camera but prefer a direct fit OEM one than to splice and test wires. can you folks help me out? does someone make an improved aftermarket OEM style camera for these? im looking for plug and play stuff...lines not necessary but nice to have.

thanks in advance

 

[saghost]

2011s and 2012s that had Navigation have a different camera, which did include backup lines that move with the steering. I never spent any time with a 13, so I can't vouch for whether the overall quality was better.

I'm not sure if the different camera is compatible with your car, though - the center console computers were a lot different (and included a hard drive for music.)

 

[ClarksonCote]

You can get a better camera from GM, but you'll probably have to pay.

On my 2013, during warranty, I had reported the poor quality and referenced a bulletin on it, and they replaced it with a better part number. Looks much better now.

 

[VoltenRock]

You can get a better camera from GM, but you'll probably have to pay.

On my 2013, during warranty, I had reported the poor quality and referenced a bulletin on it, and they replaced it with a better part number. Looks much better now.

+1 -- If you have 30K miles and the car is still within 3 years of in-service TAKE IT IN. This is a known issue on the 2013s and should be fixed under warranty. I had the same problem and now the formerly-blurry camera is crystal clear.

If they give you a hard time, locate the TSB for it and bring it in. Oftentimes, a GOOD dealer with cover a known issue outside the warranty period.

 

[ClarksonCote]

+1 -- If you have 30K miles and the car is still within 3 years of in-service TAKE IT IN. This is a known issue on the 2013s and should be fixed under warranty. I had the same problem and now the formerly-blurry camera is crystal clear.

If they give you a hard time, locate the TSB for it and bring it in. Oftentimes, a GOOD dealer with cover a known issue outside the warranty period.

Correct, the only caveat I'll note is that - for better or worse - you're in the hands of the dealer. In my case I found that they had chipped the paint on the rear plastic bumper of the car during the replacement, which apparently requires that whole part to be removed for camera replacement. It also wasn't seated well/flush with the other panels once reinstalled.

It's clear they had some trouble removing it, though they repainted it for me. In the end that worked out well, as I had also been sideswiped in a parking lot, and that scraping got corrected at the same time.

 

[myoda]

The backup cam in my 14 ELR is not so great. On a good day, it's like a bad acid trip. Unknown if they improved it for the '16 run. Will check with my service guy. What's that TSB number?

 

[alextheromanian]

do you happen to have a part number? ill check with the dealer on monday. i just put about 2K miles on it since picking it up (drove from nj upstate NY then back downstate then upstate then to pittsburgh then to the city now back upstate.) i did get the car a bumper to bumper warranty but would like to know of the part number in case i decide to just do it myself if the dealer turns out to suck. i remember the local chevy dealer being a VW dealer too and after doing a bad job respraying 2 cars there and sending me with my passat on a road trip where the fuel line popped out of the engine 30 miles away i decided not to deal with them again. they have always managed to delay, half ass, and jerk me around for my money every time and after repeated arguing and phone calls i realized the problem was me...being their customer.

 

[Genecpu]

There are many threads about upgrading or replacing the backup camera. Youtube has some great videos showing how to replace.

 

[2015 volt]

one thing to notice on any vehicle with a backup camera to note:
when it rains,and you have road spray,you get a little around the backup camera,and when you backup, it is interesting what you can see while backingup
this only happens when you get road spray off the road when you have a rain shower

 

[Mister Dave]

.....locate the TSB for it and bring it in........

TSB Reference #PI1123

 

[jbakerjonathan]

I had the camera replaced on my leased 2012 because of the performance you describe. The replacement was better than the original, but not as good as what I had had in my 2010 Prius. The replacement camera FP Number was 22883286, Module 9.715

Note: the radio heads were different in late 2012, 2013 and 2014 model years. The hard drive was replaced with My Link and the guide lines in the backup picture were no longer available.

 

[ClarksonCote]

do you happen to have a part number?

The TSB others referenced should do the trick, but if you want I can still try to find a replacement part number listed on my old work order. (Like you, I also have a 2013 so the part number should be right).

 

[alextheromanian]

ok folks heres the update. took it to the dealer. they told me they have a memo from chevy about poor camera performance for that model year and are replacing it. since the car is newly purchased im also getting an inspection. they said all recalls are up to date on it already. i also had a disappearing check engine light (which i called onstar about) and they informed me it was a minor error with the onboard battery charger and it should clear itself up. the light came and went and when it returned i made this appointment but by the time i made it there i had gone off again. the dealer recommends i bring it in when it turns on again so they can at least note the error ( dont know why they dont call onstar or why onstar doesnt keep records of previous diagnostics synched with the service records of the vehicle).

heres the fun part. i took phtos with my phone of the backup camera screen at day AND night from before and waiting to get the call to pick up the car so i can take a new set of day/ night with the replaced camera. illl ten post here for you guys to see the difference. question is should i make a specific thread of this camera issue alone with the photos for other unknowing volt owners that may wonder what the actual f*** is up with their factory camera??

any suggestions as far as that check engine issue are welcome.
come nicer weather i plan on doing a few tweaks to the looks of the car...hopefully ill make a thread about those as well. in the mean time look up lastidip then more importantly look up AUTOFLEX. im heavily debating doing a diy with that...for a factory type color change that is reversible ofcourse...maaaybe in the summer.

 

[VoltenRock]

Next time the light is on, call OnStar right away. They WILL give you the code--but you need to ask. They never, ever offer it and sometimes may hem and haw a bit. Write it down.