SVXdc

2008 and 2009 Legacy and Outback got the new style wheel (same as the one in 2008-up Impreza/WRX/STi and Forester). All had the cruise buttons on the right spoke. The left spoke had 6 audio buttons on Legacy GT Ltd, GT spec.B, 3.0R Ltd, and Outback XT Ltd, 3.0R LLB. On all other models, the left spoke had a blank panel. No more shift up/down buttons on the spokes; paddles on Legacy GT & 3.0R models. In 2008-up models with the blank panel, you could easily swap in the audio+cruise pods -- those cars were pre-wired, plug-and-play. However, in at least one case the OEM HU did not have SWC capability. The SWCs would work if you transplanted a different OEM HU, or switched to aftermarket. Off the top of my head, I don't know. cars101.com is a great place to compare pictures of most different models (see the "archives" link). I know I've seen at least one thread where someone demonstrated retrofitting a 2008-9 wheel into a 2005-7, and made the new-style cruise buttons work. Definitely required some custom wiring -- was not plug-and-play. He may have done the audio buttons too (but I don't recall). I don't remember any mention of retrofitting paddle shifters. It should be possible electrically (provided the car has an auto trans. w/ sport shift). But the older models' steering column structure and associated plastics might make it impractical.

Can you dig up the procedure you found that works? Or if not, what do you remember about it? Did it only involve pressing buttons? Did you have to press or turn either of the knobs? Did you have to press multiple buttons simultaneously (how many? 2? 3? more? -- did it require both hands?). If you had to hold some buttons, how long?

BTW, Samets sold me a PE627U1 he had bought (thanks!), and I spent some time trying to figure out the key sequence to access the dealer service menus. No luck so far. Probably going to have to get Panasonic's service manual somehow, unless we can find a Subaru dealer who knows the secret (or unless Subaru publishes a service bulletin with corrections to their shop manuals). UPDATE: I documented the procedure here (post #186 in this same thread). Also see my post #187.

Some of you may have noticed that several posts that were here have been moved to this thread: 2014 Base Stereo to 2014 Premium with color screen. I asked the mods to do that, since those posts were about transplanting one of the PE6xxU1 (4.3" display) HUs into a car that originally had a non-display HU. Let's keep this thread just about rear cameras (in 2012-2014 Legacy/Liberty/Outback cars that have a 4.3" display HU -- either factory-installed or a HU that has been successfully retrofitted). Please use that other thread to discuss transplanting (or start a new thread, if your topic/question warrants). I'll be happy to answer transplant questions there (as time permits). Thanks.

The Rydeen cameras will work from the OEM HU's 6V supply. The Rydeen's two red leads are electrically tied together. Rydeen intended for you to connect the one near the camera to the reverse lights. The other one (at the far end of the long video cable) is then available to provide the reverse gear signal to a HU or monitor screen that needs it. You only need to use one of the two red leads to send power to the camera. In your case, Hepy117, probably easier to use the one at the RCA plug. Similarly, the outer shield of the RCA plug will provide ground to the camera. The black lead with the ring terminal is tied to that same ground. You can use the latter if you find a convenient ground point within reach of that lead (a screw or bolt with bare metal underneath). Technically, Dr123's picture is showing the R24 side of the junction of harnesses. R60 is the one mostly hidden in his picture -- on the opposite side. As nstg8r suggested, get a short cable with a female RCA jack, and wire the cut end to your car's harness. Leave the Rydeen's plug intact, in case the camera fails and you need to replace it under warranty (or later want to move it to another car). You'll only connect 3 things to your car's harness: Ground (shield of RCA) to R24/R60 pin 9 (from HU i192 pin #13) Video(+) (tip of RCA) to R24/R60 pin 8 (from HU i192 pin #14) Power (red wire) to R24/R60 pin 6 (from HU i192 pin #11) No connection needed to R24/R60 pin 7 (HU i192 pin #12). The method you use to make your connections to the car's harness will determine whether you should go into R24 (where the factory wires from the HU terminate) or R60 (with the vacant slots). It would be a good idea to test with temporary connections before doing anything irreversible.

It's a 2nd sat radio antenna cable. See this thread (posted there, since it isn't about rear cameras, plus I'll be adding additional information there at some point).

It's on purpose. Since the factory position for the camera is to the left side of the car's centerline, the camera's image will be similarly pushed to the left (assuming camera pointed horizontally perpendicular -- straight back). Now imagine where the camera would show the stripes on a parking space that you were backing straight into (with car's body centered moving into the space). Those lines would appear to be shifted towards the right side of the image. Thus, the HU's parking guide lines attempt to match that location, to tell you how to back in. The HU should have a function to adjust the lines. We just need to figure out how to access that menu.

Everyone (and particularly Ben)- I've been looking for a 2005-2007 Legacy Ltd (non turbo). I've passed up a few that came from rust-belt states (lands of snow and road salt). However, ones that spent the majority of their miles in the south are extremely rare, so I may need to be a little less picky. What kinds of diagnostics can a Subaru dealer (or a shop who specializes in Subarus) do to minimize the chance of getting a car with severe problems (especially engine, but anything else that could be expensive)? Is there anything a traveling tech could do if the car can't be taken to a shop (just test driven and whatever he can do on the lot/driveway)? Any recommendations on local shops and/or traveling techs in the Atlanta area? And if anyone runs across a 2005-2007 Legacy with auto-AC controls, no major damage in its history, non black interior, and not used by a smoker, please let me know!

The harness from me (in your pictures) connects to your car's i88 harness. That one is strictly for the HVAC controls. The one with violet/white and orange/white wires is i85. Picture of front: As discussed earlier, the V/W and O/W wires are the two for SWCs. However, in 2005-2007 models that did not have SWCs from the factory those wires dead-end at harness i1 (which plugs into bulkhead harness B36). If you were using a factory HU (with SWC capability), you would want to add the missing segment of SWC wiring, from the clockspring to either the vacant slots on B36, or to the existing SWC wiring between i1 and i85. But since you're installing an aftermarket HU, you can just connect the SWC wires from the clockspring directly to your steering wheel interface module (or an aftermarket HU that has the equivalent function built-in, as many no-name Chinese HUs do). Optionally, if you wanted the ability to easily remove your aftermarket HU and SWC module, you could add the missing segment to make your car's i85 work, and then use this harness to connect to your i85: That would also allow you to swap back in a factory HU (and have working SWC function) when you sell the car. On 2007-2009 models, the factory i85 harness includes the wires for the 3.5mm aux jack (in the armrest center console). See i85 pin-outs in this post.

[Let me point out that Samets is transplanting a PE669U1 in place of his car's factory CE617U1. People whose cars had one of the Panasonic display HUs factory-installed already have the reverse gear signal present on the factory 28-pin harness.] In 2014 Legacy and Outback, the factory color is still BROWN/YELLOW. Subaru has used that across many models and years. You can download very helpful diagrams here. Look at the pages for "Back-up Light System" and "Rear Wiring Harness". The latter shows approximate locations of connectors. In your 2014, the place where you probably want to grab the reverse signal is pin #2 on harness connectors i154 and R332, located behind the passenger kickpanel. As for cameras, there are many, many different ones available. The most important thing (assuming good quality) is one that looks good to you mounted on your car. Most are very small. Some other features to look for: * Works from 6 Volts. Many do. If you use one that does, you can power it from the HU's 6V lead. Ideally you would also want a camera that has a power wire that runs to the HU end of its long video cable. However, if your camera requires more than 6V, you can still power it from the 12V reverse gear circuit. * Has a very small plug on the segment of the cable that comes out of the camera. Many have a standard male RCA plug and a typical coaxial DC power connector. Those will require a larger hole to pass through to get into the car. Other cameras have a micro-sized 4-pin connector that is barely larger than the diameter of the video cable. Those are much easier to thread through a smaller hole or existing wire conduit. * Does not have parking guide lines (or has a way to turn them off), since the HU adds its own lines. Before you install any camera (and especially before you drill holes, cut wires, slice things open, glue, etc.), TEST YOUR CAMERA! You want to make sure: It's not dead out of the box, It will work with your HU the way you were planning to wire it, and You will be able to mount it (and angle it, if adjustable) such that it provides a picture that is right side up, mirrored horizontally (as if you were looking in a mirror), and gives the view you wanted (not too much bumper and pavement or too much sky). If there are any problems, you want to be able to return the camera without having to spend hours extracting it from your car. And your next camera may require different mounting holes.

Thank you for verifying that! That checks off one question I'd been trying to answer. Of course, the 2013 or 2014 HU models could be different (but probably not). Yes, except that the HU overlays the parking guide lines and "check surroundings..." message, which many people would find annoying if trying to watch a movie. We really need to figure out how to access the dealer setup menu on these Panasonic HUs, to see if it includes the option to turn off the lines and/or warning message (not to mention adjusting the lines to suit your camera's view). +1000 on being difficult to crimp. I won't try to offer any help on that aspect, but see this guide for inserting and extracting terminals from the plastic housing. The factory shell is style "A" on my picture.

... It's just so strange that Subaru omitted your pin 8 wire but included everything else. Thinking about this some more -- It might be worth checking if the car's factory harness wiring includes the extra ground lead, not inserted into the 28-pin plug but instead folded back and taped down. It's a long shot, but you folks with cars that are mostly pre-wired like DrD123's might want to check that out. The wire should be BLACK/YELLOW (like the one for the mic at pin #6). If that extra wire/pin is present, it could be completely covered with tape. I wouldn't start cutting off or unwrapping the tape unless I saw some hint that the wire is there (part of it exposed, or a bulge that could be the pin). A better way would be to find junction connector i225 and see whether yours has 3 or 4 out of the 4 pins populated. It's tough to tell from Subaru's diagram ("Instrument Panel Wiring Harness"), but i225 should be located somewhere in the vicinity of the other radio harness plugs, perhaps up and towards the left side of the dash HU cavity.

Decipher which years/models are pre-wired for the OEM camera (either completely, or partially). If folks could post this info, we might figure it out: Model year (please verify against VIN digit 10 -- see this) Build date Model and trim level Moonroof or not Factory-fitted HU model number (at least the number printed on the front, such as "PE669U1", but also the Subaru P/N 862... if you've looked), and whether car has factory harman/kardon amplifier & speaker system Which camera wires (if any) you have on your 28-pin harness "i192" at rear of HU (out of pins 8, 11, 12, 13, 14) Which camera wires on the 10-pin trunk harness "R24" (sedans, out of pins 6, 7, 8, 9), or 4-pin tailgate harness "R330" (wagons) For Outbacks, whether you've checked continuity between HU and tailgate harnesses For the pin number layouts on those connectors, see DrD123's posts 22 (i192) and 23 (R24), earlier in this thread, and my pin-out tables (linked in post 1). A wagon that is pre-wired will have all 4 pins populated on the tailgate harness "R330". (in sedans, I think once you see wires at i192 and R24, there's no way for the middle to be missing)

We should try to decipher which years/models are pre-wired (either completely, or partially -- missing segments in the middle). It's just so strange that Subaru omitted your pin 8 wire but included everything else. I did mention that in post #1. Subaru's diagrams usually do not show wires that the devices on that page do not use, even when they're present on the harness. Similar example: The 20-pin power/speaker harnesses in 2010-2011 Legacys/Outbacks with the non-nav PE645U1 and PE605U6 actually have +12V Ignition (key at ON/RUN) at pin #13. I bet many people would like to use that for gauges if they knew it was there.

If your car doesn't have any or all of the factory camera wiring (or you have some, but choose not to use it), you can do this: * Connect pin 8 on the 28-pin radio harness to chassis ground. * Power the camera by tapping into the reverse lights (near the camera) * Connect the camera's shield and video(+) to pins 13 and 14 (respectively) on the 28-pin radio harness. That's all you need. You don't need to ground pin 13 -- the OEM HU already grounds pin 13 internally. You don't need pin 12. That's just another ground. If your car does have the factory camera wiring, Subaru does something unconventional -- they also ground the pin 13 shield wire via the joint connector in the rear of the car. Normally you don't want multiple ground points in a circuit. That can cause a "ground loop" (and create noise). Subaru must have found some reason to do it, though. Optionally, you can power most cameras from pin 11. Cameras like the Rydeens have a convenient red wire at the HU end of their cable that you can use for this. If you do that, insulate the camera's red wire near the camera (do not try to send power into both red wires!).

Sounds like you're talking about the OEM Kenwood nav (DVD based) from 2010-2012 models. That HU has an 8-pin socket for its camera input. That harness is not present in cars without that particular nav. Subarus are built with completely different radio wiring for whichever type of radio the factory intends to install. Further "upstream" (as you move towards the speakers, steering wheel, rear camera, etc.), the wiring often synchronizes for the different HUs.

Here's a better way to look at all that: Pin 6 is the mic enable input. As with the camera, the HU needs pin 6 grounded to tell it that a mic is present and enable the BT mic function (and activate the power supply to the mic). Subaru's wiring diagrams can be confusing, but what they're really saying is that the car's chassis ground is fed into pin 6, and also (if the car has a camera) into pin 8. That chassis ground is also used to shield the mic wires. But otherwise, those three functions are unrelated. They just all need grounds.

OK, let's clear up the pin-out on the 28-pin harness... Again, jpotts has it correct: You can connect pin 8 to just about any ground you want. If your car doesn't have any of the factory camera wiring, pin 12 is convenient. But a screw on the side or rear of the HU will work just as well. To enable the camera function, the HU may also need to see a video signal from the camera. Would someone test this? Start out by just grounding pin 8 and not connecting a camera yet -- see if the HU pops up a blank screen when you shift into reverse. Since other recent Subarus detect the video signal, I suspect these OEM Panasonic HUs will too. [ADDED: Done for PE627U1 -- HU does not try to detect video from camera. Wouldn't hurt to test the other models] One caveat: Before you dive in and start wiring to that harness in the trunk (sedans) or tailgate (wagons), you should verify that pins 11, 13, and 14 have continuity from the 28-pin radio harness plug all the way to the respective pins on the camera harness in the trunk/tailgate. Pin 12 isn't needed, but you can check it too. It's possible that an intermediate section could be missing in some cars (for example, the segment from R332 to R346 in wagons).

Yes -- see my post here.

jpotts is absolutely correct!

Great job! It just didn't make sense for the 2012 HU model to have the video-capable screen and reverse gear input without including the rear camera function like the subsequent-year models do. Thank you for testing that! I'm thrilled that people are working on this. I'll try to answer questions people have been asking and clear up some information...

That last character is a 'one' not 'i'. Compare to the preset "1" button, and the "i" in "ENTER SETTING" (label above preset 5 button) and on the LIST button. As DrD123 posted, the procedure shown in Subaru's service manual doesn't work. We need to find out the proper procedure for these HUs.

I was confused -- the service manuals show the 'dealer menu' procedure in the section "Rearview Camera System", and a similar procedure in the "Audio System" section. I edited my first post to clarify. Please try to dig that up. I'm wondering if the HUs are smart enough to hide those menus when pin 8 isn't grounded, or if that means the 2012 PE627U1 truly does not have the camera feature. Correct -- confirmed from pictures of the factory harnesses that other 2012 owners have sent me. Yes. Keep in mind that the HU may also be checking for the video signal, as I mentioned in my first post. I still need a 2013 or 2014 owner to check that. [ADDED: nstg8r confirmed that his 2012's PE627U1 started showing a blank screen by just grounding pin 8 (when shifted in reverse). So HU is not detecting camera video signal.].

This question is bound to come up: How can I view the camera image while I'm not in reverse? Two ways: A) Go into the HU's dealer service menu, and pull up the camera screen. B) Cut (or, preferably, extract) the factory reverse gear wire from the HU's 28-pin harness. Add a switch so you can select between: Normal operation (car's reverse gear signal connected as it was originally), and Forced 'on' (send +12V into the HU's input). Be sure to do that without sending +12V to the rest of the car's reverse gear circuit (otherwise you'll be lighting your back-up lights, and other bad things might happen with your transmission and traction control). Use a SPDT switch (3 terminals, with two 'on' positions). Wire the common pin to the HU's reverse signal input (pin #2 on the 28-pin socket). Wire one of the 'on' terminals to the car's reverse signal wire. Wire the other 'on' terminal to +12V Accessory power.

[uPDATED] All of the Legacy/Outback OEM Panasonic head units with 4.3" display -- USDM 2012 PE627U1, 2013 PE658U1, and 2014 PE669U1 -- are confirmed to have the rear camera feature, as well as the 2013 EDM PE438L1. [ADDED 7/15/2014: Thank you, jpotts, for confirming PE627U1 does have the camera function also!] [ADDED 8/22/2015: Other similar models with 4.3" screen: PE227K1 (AUDM), PE427L1, PE527S1, PE538S1, PE638S1. Need to confirm, but all of these probably have the camera function too.] BTW, the last character on each of those is the digit 'one', not letter 'i'.