hello ppl, just got a 2005 high millage gx470. Went through a car wash, and after wipe-dried the body had a difficultly starting it and had to boost it. i forgot to shut the lights on, and the car was nearly dead after 5 minutes. long story short, my reverse camera stopped working. not sure if the starting issue was related, but now after a week the car starts normal, but im still getting dark screen when reversing. i took it apart and cleaned it up. fuses seem to be ok... the question is... is there any way to get an aftermarket camera to work on the factory navigation screen without spending hundreds on NAVTOOL interface or spending 500 on the oem replacement camera?
thank you all. any input is apreciated.

 

How old is the battery? Modern cars are highly dependent on getting good voltage to the computers, so if it's older than 4 years (3 years if you live in a hot climate) you ought to think about a swap.

Chip H.

 

Changed the battery, took the back door apart, tested the voltage on the positive side. the camera has juice to it...

 

The fact that it had other electrical issues after a car wash (like difficulty starting) tells me there's a real possibility something else is going on and the camera could be fine. Sometimes an older/dying car battery can cause what seem to be electrical gremlins. Also a corroded ground cable can cause problems. It might need further troubleshooting.

I would probably grab a used GX camera out of a salvage yard if it does indeed end up being the issue. Way cheaper than buying new. No idea about adapting an aftermarket camera, I'm sure there's a way, the question is how much time and effort you want to put into it.

FWIW, I've taken my GX through automated car washes since new and never once had any electrical issues or problems with the camera. So it's definitely unusual that a simple car wash ruined the camera, but anything is possible.

 

If the splash panels ("Apron") are gone, that could have let water hit the alternator.

OP - look in the right front wheel-well. If you can see the alternator, yours are missing. They tend to break-off after many years. The P/N for the one by the alternator is 53736G, and is about $20.

http://www.lexussouthatlantaparts.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_assembly=795863&ukey_make=1082&ukey_model=15663&modelYear=2004&ukey_category=21743&ukey_driveLine=8091&ukey_trimLevel=19100

If you decide to order the full set, be aware that one of them is specific to vehicles with the KDSS option.

Chip H.