AUTO TECH: Backup camera unit includes speakerphone

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This article was published 08/07/2011 (5351 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THERE must be a million accessories that have been made for automobiles, with everything from air fresheners to remote passenger-door openers being offered by the aftermarket.

Backup cameras are one feature I use whenever a vehicle has this option. Some of the best OEM systems display the image in the interior rear-view mirror. Now this feature is available without having to buy a new vehicle, and it comes with a bonus, too.

Yada makes Bluetooth accessories for automobiles. I tried out their YD-V43 Bluetooth rear-view mirror with backup camera display and speakerphone, available from Canadian Tire, and found the unit simple to install and, with the help of the manual, easy to use.

The Yada Bluetooth mirror backup camera and speakerphone consists of three parts. Spring-loaded clips on the back side of the mirror clamp over the existing interior rear-view mirror. The clips are strong, but there are also small Velcro security straps on the back side of the mirror to make sure it won’t pop off.

Two power cords come with the kit to power up the mirror. One cord has a lighter plug on it and the other has bare wires for hardwiring the system in place. The power wires connect to the top side of the mirror and a few minutes of concealing the wiring behind trim make it look like a factory unit.

The rear camera has a bracket that mounts over the top of the rear licence plate. It took a few minutes to install, but was again straightforward. For permanent attachment, a hole needs to be drilled in the rear for the camera cord to pass through into the interior compartment. I temporarily ran it around the edge of the trunk lid, but this could damage the cable.

Inside, the cable clips into the radio transmitter and you need to hook up two wires — one to a ground connection (any bare body bolt) and the other to the reverse lights power wire. The camera will then only turn on when the vehicle is in reverse.

With everything wired, the mirror powers up when the ignition is turned on and the camera display showed magically as I shifted to reverse. A button on the mirror turns on guide lines in the image to assist in reversing.

Connecting my Bluetooth phone was even easier. Press the menu selection for pairing and it found it quickly. The mirror will hold up to 950 contacts in its memory and three memory speed-dials. Setting this up was more a function of knowing your phone, but the manual with the mirror helped me do it in short order. The speakerphone took a few tries to operate with voice commands, but I found myself using it more as I gained experience.

The backup camera works great, although planning your wire routing takes the largest part of the installation time. The speakerphone takes a little setup, but so does any other Bluetooth phone system.

With laws across Canada banning cellphone use in cars, this option is timely indeed and a great one to have.

Jim Kerr is an experienced mechanic, instructor and member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada.

kerr.jim@sasktel.net