Rear Camera / MFT issues

[brucemc777]

Glad i found you folks, and my thanks to you for reading this and considering my problem(s)!!!!

 

Having issues that are mainly with the rear camera display (which is the only one i have), but have noted other glitches on the "MFT" (why don't they call it an MFD like the rest of the world?).

 

The primary issue has been "sporadic no video in reverse" over the last month or two, which is getting much more frequent. We get that horrid message to contact our dealership. If i can DIY it, i would much rather. I dunno, maybe it's because in 1981-1982 i worked in a Ford dealership... (Actually, i enjoyed it-). Just in case, i did check the battery voltage with the car off and was at 12.56, as i was thinking a battery going bad can create all sorts of weird issues, but battery seems fine (as much as i can tell as i never worked with a hybrid before).

 

I have noted many posts of the issue, but yet to see anything that definitively was cause and resolution of the issue - one person pulled the fuse, reinserted it, and all was fine. Heck, according to the manual: "The fuse panel is located under the instrument panel to the left of the steering column.". I already attempted to see this panel expecting it to look like any other fuse panel i have dealt with but as i couldn't see anything that made sense (unless it was wayyyyyyyy left and they use the code name "Airbag" for fuse panels these days), i'm going to have to have another look, this time with some padding for my knees. Another person replaced his camera and now has picture, but lost any backing up aids.

 

I did note that in the manual it said something about the camera not working if the trunk was open (i think) and we have used the trunk frequently as of late. I suspect due to this i would like to check any inter-switching, but other than tear apart and guess, i am clueless, so if someone out there, a nice Ford tech, can advise, i sure would appreciate it. I did try opening and closing multiple times with no success. I only can hope it is a simpler procedure than when i recently replaced the headlight bulbs...

 

The secondary issues include

1. For a half day it appeared a thumb print was burnt into the screen
2. There was an instance about a week ago that it didn't matter what i pressed on the screen, it wouldn't change.

 

Any and all help y'all can offer is greatly appreciated; i'm afraid the days when i could just bring a car into the dealership and not worry about the bill are long gone.

 

Thank you,

-Bruce

 

P.S.- Recently did the trans shift bushing repair myself. Funny how many videos are out there for the non-hybrid versions, but i could not find anything for the hybrid. Thankfully after some swearing i followed the shift cable to the front of the engine compartment and found the darned thing!

 

[2014FordFusionSE]

Hi Bruce,

 

I had a problem with the rear camera as well and I ended up replacing it. There are videos on youtube on how to do that.

I bought a camera on Amazon which works well except that it doesn't show the guide lines. For me, it doesn't matter because I only use it to see what's at the back. I didn't pay attention to those lines.

 

There's a good chance that the camera has gone bad after all these years.

 

Hope that helps

[brucemc777]

Very likely it was your post i was citing in my original! Though i guess it should not, it seems strange to me that a camera would stop sending a signal. I certainly am considering this an option but i would hope to eliminate anything else that i might prior to doing so. Many thanks for being there to help me!

 

These things have changed so much - i'm not too sure it has been all for the better. How i remember the days when i could practically crawl in to the engine compartment to work on my dad's '66 Chrysler Town & Country with either a 400 or 440 in it; blew out all the tail lights using the high school's manuals to learn how to hot wire the thing-

[2014FordFusionSE]

?

 

These cars are almost 10 years old and still running strong.

I don't have the knowledge (or patience) to troubleshoot an electronic camera so I decided to replace it. I suspected the battery but I couldn't tell for sure.

The way I look at it is that if it lasted for 10 years, a new one will hopefully last another 10. It's something we use daily when backing into our garage so it's a no-brainer to replace.

[brucemc777]

I gave up and ordered a camera.

 

Seemed to me that if i was going to go to the trouble to inspect the electrical connections i would have to do enough work to just install a new one, and though i could easily get one from a salvage yard, unless i research and find if the same model is installed in new Fusions, and i find one that has been front-end smashed, i am just buying and installing another worn down camera, so that wouldn't make much sense! Awaiting its arrival...

 

Thank you VERY MUCH for your responding!!! Happy Labor Day!

[brucemc777]

Now that i've got it i just have to wait for a day cool enough to install it...

[2014FordFusionSE]

You may want to replace the backup bulbs while you're at it.

After I was done replacing the camera, I realized that I should have done that because they are the only non-LED bulbs and they are not easy to reach.

[billford]

If buying a factory camera,  it needs to be programmed into the car or else the guide lines will not work. 

 

I'm not sure if the amazon cameras can be progammed.

 

I personally like the guide lines as it comes in useful when parking next to a curb. 

[brucemc777]

@ billford - Thanks! I just downloaded FORScan jic my scanner can't handle it- Will be ordering an Amazon USB-OBD II cable. I have a BlueTooth OBD II hanging around here somewhere that they say will also work, but i don't trust the darned thing - i think it was the first scanner i ever got-

 

Anyway, i have a little time. This weekend is expected to still be rather hot, but it appears we might just be in for some cooler weather near the end of next week (if one cares to trust a wx prediction further than 12 hours away...).

[brucemc777]

@ 2014FordFusionSE - Also Thanks! They will be LED when i get done with them, just like the headlights now are. Why Ford would have used anything but LED is a little mysterious, other than i had a sister-in-law that was a buyer for General Motors who told me that any expense over a quarter of a cent had to be justified...

[brucemc777]

Well, it had to happen; we finally had some cooler weather. Did the work on Saturday.

 

@ 2014Ford FusionSE - I STILL don't get how solid state electronics fail when they are not being subjected to temperature extremes, other than if there were a few old tech capacitors onboard, but you were quite right. All connections were clean and corrosion free, so almost certainly it was the camera itself, somehow... Also, on your advice i put in a new set of (LED) backup lights!

 

@ billford - I am glad to say all guidance lines and graphics came up without any reset needed, but i am thankful to you for your warning lead me to Forescan, which i am looking forward to playing with.

 

In general: I ordered and received a factory camera from eBay and upon comparison they appeared identical down to the sticker and part number. I did the "normal" YouTube research for how to get at the dang camera to replace it. Though we have a 2016 Hybrid (a distinction that has great merit doing under-the-hood work, including that last trans bushing recall), i only found a video on a 2014. Somehow Ford managed to make a couple minor "improvements" seemingly between 2014 and 2016, which were fairly easy to work around. Thank goodness for snaking magnetic head part retriever, for i did manage to drop one of the nuts into the recesses of the trunk lid. Without the magnet on a flexible stick, my choices would have been to remove the trunk lid to shake the part out or to live with a rattle that would have driven my crazier than i already am. Moral: keep a good hold on those little parts as you remove them! Note: The backup light housings are each attached with three plastic nuts. The screw posts they are on are pathetically also installed by a screw on the opposing side without anything to make the "other" side stay in the plastic housing as one removes the nuts. On one out of three the "wrong" screw released. No big deal, i didn't even bother to put a drop of glue into the post hole, but an annoyance-

 

OK, off to the dentist now to continue my fun Monday!

 

P.S. And as a side note and NOT about this vehicle in particular: NEVER buy a car from Carvana. I'm sure to elaborate on a future post somewhere once the nightmare is over-

[2014FordFusionSE]

Thanks for the update. You forgot to tell us if the camera works now ? but I'm assuming it does.

Do you see the parking guides/lines, etc? Just curious because mine work intermittently.

 

[brucemc777]

So far it works and have parking guides, but it has only been a couple days and i am waiting for the fat lady to sing. I think she comes on in a week-

 

I did drop the $ on an OEM... (I keep thinking i should of pulled one from the salvage yard! At $21.99, i could have found a late year car and taken a chance. Anyhow, i get better at a job once i've done it say three, four, or ten times-)

[2014FordFusionSE]

If it's OEM, I think you're fine.

[brucemc777]

I guess i'll know if it shows a big green rectangle while i am backing up and i come to a very impolite sudden stop...