289D Camera Software/Hardware Issues

[RTSmith]

Sorry- long post, but details needed. 3 year old 289D, 240 hours. Ser#TAW06045. Machine would not hold pressure on the aux hyd circuit like my older machines would. As in grab something with a grapple, and it would shortly lose it. Dealer had it under warranty and replaced valve, rebuilt cylinder on grapple, and a few other things before someone at Cat & their tech said that the way the circuit is valved, it was not able to hold pressure. So I am "OK', (glad I didn't invest a lot in a 4N1 bucket).

Went to retrieve machine from dealer, and no backup camera. As in the little icon wasn't showing on the display, and no camera picture. Tech who had worked on the hyd fiddled around for a while checking connections and such. Young tech with a laptop drives up, hooks it up, piddles for a few minutes and camera reappears.

Take it home. Few weeks later, start machine, no camera. After a few minutes of running, look up and it is there and working. May work fine for weeks, then drop out for a few minutes, or days. Had been good for probably 6 months, until Saturday, not there. I have seen no pattern to this. Dealer had me "reset" the monitor by pushing the two outside display buttens. I have done this both with engine running, and engine off. Both ways, display restarts and needs a code entered, but no bearing on the camera's presence. Of course now out of warranty......

Possibly one thing in a pattern- I don't believe I have ever started with camera, and lost it. But I have started without it, and had it come on (even while running, without a restart).

Ideas?

Pic is of what looks like software versions and such.

 

[dtcohen]

Sounds to me like you have a bad connection on the camera harness. There is a round connector close to the camera, then there is a 4 pin deutsch onnector in the cab. The connector in the cab is over your right shoulder if you are sitting in the seat. You will have to remove the gray interior trim panel to access it. The wire colors on one side of the connector will be two reds and two whites. The mating side of the connector will have blue, orange, white, and black. Check both connections to make sure they are clean. Then start checking that harness for any rubs or frays. The orange and black wire are power for the camera. Make sure you are getting a consistent 12v on the orange wire, and a good ground on the black. There is also a fuse for the camera. Make sure it is properly seated in the fuse block with no corrosion. There is nothing in the software to turn the camera on or off. The display automatically recognizes when the camera is plugged in as the display powers up.

 

[RTSmith]

Sounds to me like you have a bad connection on the camera harness. There is a round connector close to the camera, then there is a 4 pin deutsch onnector in the cab. The connector in the cab is over your right shoulder if you are sitting in the seat. You will have to remove the gray interior trim panel to access it. The wire colors on one side of the connector will be two reds and two whites. The mating side of the connector will have blue, orange, white, and black. Check both connections to make sure they are clean. Then start checking that harness for any rubs or frays. The orange and black wire are power for the camera. Make sure you are getting a consistent 12v on the orange wire, and a good ground on the black. There is also a fuse for the camera. Make sure it is properly seated in the fuse block with no corrosion. There is nothing in the software to turn the camera on or off. The display automatically recognizes when the camera is plugged in as the display powers up.

Great info. Thanks much. Will do some tracing and checking.

 

[RTSmith]

I've checked the connection @ camera of course. Not the other one. Seeing as this started after cab was up and down several times, that connection sure is getting suspicious. How the display and camera interacted has been my large question, and your input is good. Again, thanks.

 

[RTSmith]

UPDATE- Thanks much DTCohen. Got the machine from barn Saturday, and as I pulled out looked over my right shoulder (as the camera still wasn't working). Popped fuse box cover and found the camera fuse. Couldn't pull it out with my fingers, but wiggled it around a lot while trying. Restarted machine and HAD CAMERA! Camera worked fine all weekend. I suspect some corrosion on fuse blades. As a weekend warrior it sits more than it runs. Thank so much for the operation explanation.

 

[dtcohen]

RTSmith, glad you got it sorted out and that it was a simple fix!