PSA: Rear Camera Flaw Might Explain Video Quality

[satchurator]

Hey folks, the rear camera quality has been discussed at length in other threads but I wanted to raise one scenario that could explain some of the worst cases.

In summary, if your rear camera video quality is atrocious instead of merely poor, it might be due to a failing lens cover.

In my case, a few weeks ago I noticed the video quality of my rear camera had gotten MUCH worse. It was very blurry - and I assumed it needed cleaning.

Then, before and after a short drive, the rear camera video went from very blurry to completely white and unusable.

The lens / cover had completely fallen out, exposing the camera sensor beneath. I also noticed that the adjacent washer nozzle was missing.

My theory is that the washer nozzle failed first, resulting in the camera internals experiencing repeated dousings of washer fluid. Whatever adhesive the camera lens/cover uses could have failed, leading to it detaching.

I was able to have the camera replaced under warranty. Interestingly, the washer nozzle had somehow gotten unseated and pushed inside the housing containing the washer and camera. So the nozzle got replaced too.

The takeaway: this camera's lens/cover is susceptible to detachment. If your rear camera video is unquestionably out of focus, your camera lens might be detaching and is potentially fixable under warranty.

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[Warrior 6]

Is picture improved better than before the incident or the same?

 

[chun]

Would be curious if a 3rd party lens could be fitted. That could improve camera quality a lot; as different lens could offer different fov/aperture ; resulting in different focus and fish eye effect.

Realistically, there's no reason it couldn't be fitted, but finding the right one wouldn't be so easy

Could be a business idea.

 

[satchurator]

Is picture improved better than before the incident or the same?

It's the same as I remember prior to the fuzziness beginning.
My point here is that there may be some folks whose baseline experience is an already partially detached lens.

 

[Fantasmos]

Mine is really clear and the 360 works flawlessly. I will post some photos if you want. Not sure what more people need - a 4k close up of that garage door I guess.

 

[TaycanOr911]

@Fantasmos I would love to see pics. My camera is the worse than any car I've ever owned or even rented.

 

[Vim Schrotnock]

It is officially acknowledged that the Taycan has the absolute worst backup camera quality/cost ratio of any car on the road today.

 

[Fantasmos]

I think it is more than good enough. Here’s a photo of a screen compressed by the forum and jpeg format. In rl it is super crisp.

 

[whitex]

I think it is more than good enough. Here’s a photo of a screen compressed by the forum and jpeg format. In rl it is super crisp.

In good lighting conditions with nothing near the Taycan. Now park close between 2 cars, or near a wall. The backup camera is ok if you're looking to stay at minimum 3 ft away from anything in every direction.

Not only that, If there was a light pole at around 10:30 or 1:30 o'clock positions, it can completely dissappear on the surround and 3d views. Here is an example:

 

[PanameraFrank]

Mine is really clear and the 360 works flawlessly. I will post some photos if you want. Not sure what more people need - a 4k close up of that garage door I guess.

Okay, I like your optimism but the Taycan (and electric Macan) cameras are garbage. It's actually hilarious going from them to basically any other vehicle.

I don't think it's a deal breaker, I can park my car without cameras, but let's not pretend they are anything short of atrocious and probably the worst in the entire industry.

 

[Fantasmos]

Low light conditions, in my underground garage, perfectly centered in the middle of my spot. I think your camera needs calibration. It distorts the lines of the parking spot. I don't have the 3D view, I may enable it at some point but that should not make difference I guess.

 

[whitex]

Low light conditions, in my underground garage, perfectly centered in the middle of my spot. I think your camera needs calibration. It distorts the lines of the parking spot. I don't have the 3D view, I may enable it at some point but that should not make difference I guess.

If that post/pole had a grey base, it would disappear in the surround view. Also, in your example, most of the surrounding of the car are a flat surface. Anything taller than a a foot gets very distorted. For example the car to the left of the Taycan is pretty far away (I can open my door all the way without hitting it, and no, it's not as tall as it looks so that my driver's door can fit under it ), the area on the right is probably 6-8", but the red indicator is essentially blocking my view to see how close I am (and I had to disable maneuvering assist or else the car just slams on its braked no matter how slow I drive into my garage).

The best proof for me about how unreliable the stitched view can be is the fact that it sometimes moves on the screen even though the object in reality are still.

 

[Fantasmos]

Well, I guess there are cases it doesn't perform well. In my daily usage I couldn't care less. My parking is exactly the same as it was with the older and worse camera of my Panamera 970.2, with the Tesla 3 I used while waiting for the Taycan, the previous generation Cayenne and even with my wife's Fiat 500 So maybe it's a me thing.

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