Retrofitting an Aftermarket Reversing Camera to an Aftermarket Head Unit (Civic Type R FN2)
Introduction
This guide covers retrofitting an aftermarket reversing camera together with an aftermarket double-DIN head unit to a Honda Civic Type R (FN2), as documented on a 57-plate car running a Pioneer AVIC-F930BT. It walks through adapting the single-DIN dash aperture using a double-DIN conversion kit and 103mm cage, mounting the head unit securely, and then routing the camera's video feed and reverse-trigger wire from behind the head unit all the way back to the reversing light, so the screen automatically switches to the camera view when reverse gear is selected. Electrically the work is simple; the time goes into the long cable run through the cabin and into the boot. Applies to the FN2 Civic Type R and similar three-door Civics using an aftermarket double-DIN conversion. Adapted from a community writeup by smig on Civinfo (https://www.civinfo.com/threads/how-to-fit-an-aftermarked-reversing-camera-to-an-aftermarked-head-unit.65100/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Trim removal tools / plastic pry tools
- Rotary tool or sharp craft knife (for trimming dash plastic and notching the light cluster)
- Phillips and flat screwdrivers
- Socket set (for the reversing light cluster nuts)
- Soldering iron and solder, or insulated 'chocky block' connectors
- Crimp/pin connector and crimping pliers
- Long metal rod and a length of TV coaxial cable to use as draw wires
- Electrical tape
- Multimeter or test light (to confirm the reverse feed)
Parts Required
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Aftermarket double-DIN head unit (this install used a Pioneer AVIC-F930BT)
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Double-DIN fascia conversion kit with 103mm cage and chassis side plates (Impulse car audio kit, or the genuine Honda double-DIN kit)
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Vehicle-specific / Pioneer wiring loom adapter (supplied with the fascia kit)
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Aftermarket reversing camera with RCA/AV output (YW-style camera)
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Pin/spade connector for the reverse feed tap
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ Disconnect the battery before cutting into the dash or working on the head unit loom to avoid shorts.
- ⚠ Confirm the correct reverse feed (the brown wire at the bulb holder) with a test light or meter before tapping in; connecting to the wrong wire can damage the head unit or lighting circuit.
- ⚠ The camera's black ground cable is left unused by design; only the red power wire and the reverse-signal wire are terminated at the bulb connector.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Prepare the dash aperture and test-fit the new fascia
Remove the factory single-DIN head unit and its housing. At the corner of the dash pocket where the original radio sat there is a small plastic tab that fouls the new trim; cut it away so the replacement double-DIN fascia can seat flush. Offer the fascia up and confirm the fit before committing to any wiring.
2 Fit the 103mm cage into the fascia
Drop the 103mm metal cage into the fascia and check that the trim ring passes cleanly through all four corners. Trim any plastic that gets in the way, then fold the cage's locking tabs over to hold it captive in the fascia. Before doing so, wrap the cage edges in black electrical tape: the cage is a hard rubberised material and rubs the fascia and the head unit face, leaving scratches and blemishes if left bare. Note that the genuine Honda double-DIN kit also needs some plastic cut away for a 103 cage to sit inside its fascia.
3 Bolt the chassis side plates to the head unit
Attach the chassis connection plates to each side of the head unit. Use the fixing position marked hole number 2 at both top and bottom, and seat the copper coloured piece into slots 17 and 19 underneath each plate so the plates locate correctly.
4 Confirm the head unit locks at the correct depth
Slide the assembled head unit into the cage and make sure it engages and locks at the intended depth, so the face finishes flush within the fascia rather than sitting proud or sunken.
5 Cut the dash for the double-DIN chassis and connect the loom
The double-DIN chassis is deeper than the original, so square off the lower-left corner of the dash opening to give it clearance. Connect the supplied replacement wiring loom to the vehicle harness following the instructions provided with the conversion kit.
6 Wire the camera video and reverse trigger at the head unit
Connect the camera's yellow AV cable to the brown connector labelled 'rear view camera in' on the loom. Separately, take a wire from the head unit's 'reverse gear signal input'. Both of these will be carried to the rear of the car and terminated at the reversing light circuit, which is what tells the head unit to switch to the camera image.
7 Route both cables from the cabin back to the boot
Drop the driver's knee panel and route the pair of cables rearward: past the dash and the boot-release trim, then release the trim next to the kick-plate garnish and tuck the wiring down against the carpet's outer edge. Raise the rear seat base and pop out the inspection panel by the seatbelt anchor to feed the cables through. Remove the rear armrest to reach the rear speaker and draw the cables through there. Ease each panel off the body, fold the rear seat forward, and steer the cables toward the rubber grommet high in the boot opening.
8 Pass the cables through the boot grommet
The moulded plug on the yellow AV cable is too bulky to pass the grommet, so cut the yellow AV cable about 12" from its end and rejoin it after it is through. Pull the grommet out of its hole, push a metal rod through, tape the cables to it and draw them into the boot. To cross the boot's side cavity, feed a length of TV coaxial cable through first and use it as a draw wire to pull the cables the rest of the way.
9 Terminate power and trigger at the reversing bulb
Crimp the camera's red power cable together with the wire from the 'reverse gear signal input' into a single pin connector. The camera's black ground cable is deliberately not used. Push that pin connector in behind the reversing bulb holder, tapping onto its brown wire (the reverse feed). Then rejoin the yellow AV cable you cut earlier, either by soldering or with a chocky-block connector.
10 Mount the camera and refit the light cluster
Back the 3 nuts out from behind the bulb inspection panel to free the reversing light assembly. Screw the camera into place beside the rear number plate light using the supplied screws, and feed its cables behind the centre panel and into the boot. Cut a cable-sized notch into the removed light cluster so it will sit flush over the wiring, refit the cluster with the cables seated in that notch, join the colour-coded connectors, tidy the wiring and replace any trim removed earlier.
Pro Tips
- 💡 Faster cable route: instead of threading through the seats and panels, tuck the camera cable behind the roof lining and airbag along the tops of the door seals; it exits right at the boot grommet and takes only a couple of minutes.
- 💡 The task is time-consuming rather than technically hard. Do it in good light and reasonable warmth to make the fiddly cable runs easier.
- 💡 Some installers find it easier to remove the rear centre light cluster and mount the camera to it off the car, rather than working in situ.
- 💡 The YW-style camera simply screws to the underside of the rear panel using the screws supplied with it.
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