What to Do When the Reversing Camera Turns Black and White?
3 Answers
The solutions for a reversing camera turning black and white are: 1. Check the wiring and the connection points of the installation; 2. Replace the video power cable; 3. Visit a repair shop to inspect and repair the chip. The reversing camera is a system in a car that allows the driver to monitor the video feed of the areas on both sides and behind the vehicle from inside the car, helping to prevent accidents. The reasons for the reversing camera turning black and white include: 1. Poor wiring contact; 2. Aging of the video power cable; 3. Prolonged use of the reversing camera leading to reduced chip photosensitivity; 4. Malfunction of the reversing camera display screen; 5. The camera being obstructed or malfunctioning.
Just helped a neighbor with this issue yesterday. When the reversing camera suddenly turns black and white, there are usually a few simple checks you can do. The easiest is to see if the camera lens is blocked by mud, water, or frost—try cleaning it with a damp cloth. If it doesn’t recover after cleaning, the camera itself is likely damaged, often due to water ingress after heavy rain. You can temporarily use a phone flashlight to check the camera near the license plate bracket for internal condensation. Another possibility is loose wiring, especially from repeated trunk openings, which can disconnect the harness. Lift the inner trunk liner to spot the yellow connector and try reseating it. Also, remember to check the color mode settings for the reversing camera in the car’s display—one owner’s child accidentally switched it to monochrome mode last time. If none of these work, it’s best to visit a shop for diagnostics, as DIY disassembly can easily break clips.
Speaking of the issue with the reverse camera displaying a black and white screen, let me analyze it from an electrical circuit perspective. First, check if the camera's power supply is stable by measuring the voltage of the reverse light wire with a multimeter; it should normally be around 12V. Insufficient voltage can cause the camera to output only a black and white signal. Next, consider the video transmission line—the RG59 coaxial cable running through the car body is particularly fragile, and deep creases can lead to the loss of chrominance signals. Also, don’t overlook issues on the head unit side; a faulty video decoding chip in the infotainment system can also cause color abnormalities. There was a case where interference occurred after installing a dashcam because the power cable was wrapped around the video cable, creating electromagnetic interference. In fact, OEM camera systems have anti-interference designs, but aftermarket accessories are a different story. A simple test method is to restart the head unit after turning off the engine to let the system reinitialize.