Comments on: How to retrofit a Night Vision System in your BMW

By: Hh

Hh — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 00:05:00 +0000

I would love to get my hands on one of those. I drive across the country and this device would aid in traveling in heavy fog and rural communities. $3500 is although expensive at least the piece of mind is the when you really need it.

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 09:15:38 +0000

Does anybody have an idea how to connect bmw flir camera to another car or monitor?

By: marius

marius — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:01:59 +0000

someone managed to install a camera used by another car or BMW?

By: tim warrington

tim warrington — Thu, 13 May 2010 20:45:13 +0000

this makes you want to buy a BMW just for this, what a gadget. They are also putting night vision on motorbikes.

By: htp

htp — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:36:42 +0000

If got one set of OEM BMW flir camera and controller from E60, is it possible to install them on another E60 or even to E39 and they workable?

Of course, if work on E39, some function on E60 may can’t work on E39, but basic night vision work, is it possible?

By: NAV-TV

NAV-TV — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:25:26 +0000

[Disclaimer: Vendor] NAV-TV offers interfaces that will allow any video source including FLIR cameras to display on your factory BMW navigation screen. We also offer the FLIR Pathfinder cameras and an upgraded controller that allows the image to display in color and has a 2X digital zoom. We do not offer any retrofit kits that will allow an OEM BMW FLIR camera to be moved into another vehicle.

By: Fionn

Fionn — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:11:34 +0000

How I got what? As I mentioned earlier I bought the camera from Ebay, I hope to buy the controller from RealOEM once I confirm that the controller will work with my model of camera.
I have already posted everything I know about the subject so I can’t contribute much more I’m afraid.

By: htp

htp — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:04:55 +0000

How much you got it? Can you kind enough to share when you got advancing information about the retrofit? Thanks.

By: Fionn

Fionn — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:21:31 +0000

Hi, I bought the camera from Ebay so I don’t know which model BMW that it came out of , I have no reason to believe that they would use a different model between different items.
I was told that both the camera and the controller would need to be programmed to the same code before it would work. I have no idea if it will work outside of a BMW or not but I’m hoping that it will. If I had more information on the controller and it’s connections then I would have a better idea. I am hoping that it just has power and video out connections. If it talks to the main ECU in the car or whatever then I think I’m wasting my time and will have to sell the camera again.

By: htp

htp — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:11:07 +0000

Hi, Fionn
From which model of BMW that you got the night vision camera? And you try to install it to the same model or another model?

And are you sure if added the night vision control unit with the camera, they will work?

Thanks.

By: htp

htp — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:02:57 +0000

Hi, Dave
Did you cover the problem and make the camera work?

Did you try to install a used BMW camera to another BMW or another brain car? Thanks.

By: Fionn

Fionn — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:02:51 +0000

Guys, I’ve discovered that you need to use an additional control unit to get the BMW unit to work, it may require coding / programming of the one or both components also in order to get it to work, not sure if it will work outside a BMW car as I haven’t bough the control unit just yet.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=NC31&mospid=48801&btnr=66_0134&hg=66&fg=05&hl=7

control unit no 66 54 9 129 760

Regards
Fionn.

By: htp

htp — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:55:46 +0000

Hi Fionn, Dave
Did you install used BMW original night vision camera on not original car(for example, another BMW or not BMW car)?

By: Fionn

Fionn — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:40:56 +0000

Dave, i’ve run into the same problem, did you ever get a solution?
Did you try using a BMW control unit? Does this help?

By: ٍSaber

ٍSaber — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:17:08 +0000

thanks all
i have 745li 2005 with no night visition system also no blutooth connection,
so if any budy advise ,hoe can i add this feachers in my car, in cas i bought the camera, does it compatable with the navigation screen.

thanks

By: dave

dave — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:28:48 +0000

I have a BMW camera and wanted to install it on another vehicle. The PathfindIR camera cable does NOT work for this camera. Does anybody know how to make the bmw camera work outside of a BMW? Thanks.

By: CarVideoMan

CarVideoMan — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:37:06 +0000

[Disclaimer: Vendor] Yes,, done many installations on vehicles ranging from a Toyota Prius (into the factory head unit using a NAV TV interface device) to a Baja 1000 vehicle. The camera itself is small (about 3″ cubed) and has a simple power in / video output. A typical installation should only take about 1-2 hours max. Keeping in mind that while the camera is 3″ cubed, you only need to expose the optic which is about 1″ in diameter so “hidding” it behind a grill is easy. Often you don’t have to even cut a hole in the grill since it has a 36 degree Field of View.

FLIR has a website with a movie called “Installation” http://www.flir.com/cvs/video/player.cfm?market=transportation
shows nearly everything you would do to connect the system.

By: Night Vision 3 Gen

Night Vision 3 Gen — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:08:33 +0000

[...] How to retrofit a Night Vision System in your BMW [...]

By: Horatiu B.

Horatiu B. — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:02:17 +0000

@CarVideoMan: Have you performed an installation yourself? I was wondering if you have any tips, photos or maybe even videos.

By: CarVideoMan

CarVideoMan — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:33:15 +0000

[Disclaimer:Vendor] Couple of things I wanted to point out. First the camera itself is around $2,495.00. Like most Car Audio / Video accessories depending upon cables, how you want to display the image, installation, and how crazy you want to go you could spend $300-thousands more. Heck, I personally have spent $1,800.00 on a head unit and another $1,200.00 on IPod interface, Bluetooth, BU camera, and installation.

The advantages of true night vision (thermal as opposed to active IR) is seen even in urban environments. Ask yourself, how many times have you driven in the city, after a rain, and get nothing but glare off the street from the lights or oncoming traffic? Thermal imagers don’t “see” the light, rather heat. Thus, pedestrians walking through an uncontrolled crosswalk wearing dark clothing are seen early and clearly.

The technology is solid, and where navigation systems were 8 years ago. I would encourage anyone to drive a vehicle with this technology. Like Naviation you will wonder how you ever lived without it.