Electrical question

[cito quod fortis]

I have fitted a rear view camera to my car and have it working great when the the engine is not running. The problem is that, as soon as I hit the start button, the whole electrics cut out for about 5 minutes. The only thing I can think of is that the immobiliser spots a difference in the load and it thinks the car is being hot wired, thus cutting the car out. I have tried wiring the positive feed to a vacant connector on the back of the ignition barrel and directly to the battery, but same result both times. I've run out of ideas to make this work now.

Are there any other more suitable places I could get a positive feed to prevent the problem or does anyone have any other ideas? Any help gratefully appreciated please.

Thanks. Andy

[Steve_D]

Does everything stay working if you switch the camera system on once the engine is running?
If so then you could get a timer module from Radio Spares which will then switch your camera on a little after engine start.

Steve

[donkeasy]

Maybe the voltage goes down to much.
Hang a small motorbike batterie over it.
Or a big condensator.

[cito quod fortis]

Steve_D said:

Does everything stay working if you switch the camera system on once the engine is running?
If so then you could get a timer module from Radio Spares which will then switch your camera on a little after engine start.

Steve

Steve. When it's all wired in, I can't start the car, even with the camera off (and the in-line power switch off). To do as you suggest would therefore mean connecting it to a live feed after the engine was running, unless I am misunderstanding what you're saying? Thanks

[cito quod fortis]

donkeasy said:

Maybe the voltage goes down to much.
Hang a small motorbike batterie over it.
Or a big condensator.

I don't think it is causing much of a drop in voltage and sorry, I don't understand what you are suggesting. Cheers. Andy

[Steve_D]

If it is preventing engine start even when switched off then there has to be something fundamentally wrong with the way it is wired in.

Steve

[donkeasy]

Is you battery full?

Edited by donkeasy on Tuesday 1st June 00:39

[NAPiston]

cito quod fortis said:

Steve. When it's all wired in, I can't start the car, even with the camera off (and the in-line power switch off).

What is the possibility the camera is allowing current to go the opposite direction of what you think and some component on the car is getting reverse current through it when you try and start the car? Could there be a ground and a positive mixed up somewhere? What about wiring in a diode into the positive and ground wires going to the camera to make sure that the current is going the direction that you intend?

just guessing, not an auto electrician...

[spatz]

I understand he has an immobilizer installed, these work that there is an additional relay cutting of the feed to the starter circuit if the system is active, (you cannot start the car). Probably worth looking there.

[donkeasy]

immobilizer....looks like, you have your problem maker there.

About what I meant with the extra batterie or a condensator.
I had once a simmular kind of problem in my campervan
when I switched the electrical airco on the 12V system on,
it gave a big dip and the system went down.
The extra batterie holds your voltage/current more stabel.
A big condensator can do te same but then shorter time and quicker.
The last was the solution in my case.

[V8Dom]

Hi

if you disconnect the camera circuit completely will the car start or not??

Dom

[cito quod fortis]

Thanks for all the comments, help and suggestions. I've tried several things now without any joy, so I'm going to give the job to an auto electrics guru next week to sort out - I don't want to damage anything! Thanks again. Andy