Reverse camera doesn't retract.

[MoFoHo]

Hi all!
The rear boot/trunk of my 640d has gotten quite stiff recently. Apart from staying opened when I......open it, it also stays in the rear camera view position after a reverse manoeuvre. Can the swivel points be lubricated with a little light oil or something?

[Qsilver7]

When I picked up my 2015…the trunk roundel seemed stiff and wouldn’t completely shut on its own when compared to my 2013. So I did spray some lubricant on each side were the roundel swivels…and I haven’t had any issues.

As soon as I sprayed the lubricant…it immediately operated smoother…as you would assume it should.

I used a product called Tri-Flow which is popular among cyclist that they use on their chains. It contains TEFLON. I also use it to maintain (winterize) the driver’s door lock cylinder, door latches & hinges, & hood hinges.

One should really consider doing some lubricating maintenance to the driver’s door lock cylinder because it is the ONLY way to unlock the vehicle if there is a power failure (dead battery). You can’t even pop the hood if the battery dies when the vehicle is locked. If you lubricate the driver’s door lock cylinder at least once a year…you can see that it is working and not gummed up for if it really needs to be used to access the vehicle manually.

[MoFoHo]

That's great thanks! I actually think I may have some of that Teflon spray kicking around too.
Good call on the drivers door lock lubing. I presume it's a 'break in' scenario if the lock is unusual?? Crumbs!

[Qsilver7]

Yeah…if the battery dies and your driver’s door lock cylinder is toast…you’re pretty much in a real pickle unless you can figure out a way to get enough power to the car to unlock the doors so that you can pop the hood to access the jump start terminals.

Good luck with your trunk Roundel…I hope a little lubrication gets it in working order that meets your approval.

[MoFoHo]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Yeah…if the battery dies and your driver’s door lock cylinder is toast…you’re pretty much in a real pickle unless you can figure out a way to get enough power to the car to unlock the doors so that you can pop the hood to access the jump start terminals.

Good luck with your trunk Roundel…I hope a little lubrication gets it in working order that meets your approval.

All done, and seems to be fine now. It took some working back and forth before loosening up, but it seems much more free now. I noticed that the rubber cover over the camera has perished, I've seen the same on a few of these reversing cameras now-something easily replaced?

The drivers door lock certainly felt like the key had not been used in a long time. So a bit of that lube spray on the key again, loosened the lock up nicely.

Many thanks for the tips and advice. :-)

[Qsilver7]

Great…thanks for the follow up…glad the trunk’s Roundel and the driver’s door lock cylinder appear to be working better.

I’ve seen some past threads about the rubber boot that protects the back-up camera.

I don’t know how difficult the task is…but the rubber boot is sold separately…and I think access to replace it requires removing the unit from the rear side…which means you have to remove the trunk lining. It appears to be more work in removing the lining and the camera/Roundel unit…but once out, the rubber boot appears to be an easy piece to replace.

Again, this is from a foggy memory…but the rubber boot appears to be held in by tabs tucked in or snapped on to the top, bottom, and sides of the camera (once removed from the trunk). I don’t think you can access the removal and replacement from the exterior…but again, once the cam/Roundel unit is removed from the trunk the boot isn’t that difficult to replace.

The rubber boot is #13 in the diagram:

https://bimmercat.com/bmw/en/search/...iX/USA/41_2152

[keloj30361]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Great…thanks for the follow up…glad the trunk’s Roundel and the driver’s door lock cylinder appear to be working better.

I’ve seen some past threads about the rubber boot that protects the back up camera.

I don’t know how difficult the task is…but the rubber boot is sold separately…and I think access to replace it requires removing the unit from the rear side…which means you have to remove the trunk lining. It appears to be more work in removing the lining and the camera/Roundel unit…but once out, the rubber boot appears to be an easy piece to replace.

Again, this is from a foggy memory…but the rubber boot appears to be held in by tabs tucked in or snapped on to the top, bottom, and sides of the camera (once removed from the trunk). I don’t think you can access the removal and replacement from the exterior…but again, once the cam/Roundel unit is removed from the trunk the boot isn’t that difficult to replace.

The rubber boot is #13 in the diagram:

https://bimmercat.com/bmw/en/search/...iX/USA/41_2152

If the rubber boot needs to be replaced, you're correct that it usually requires accessing the unit from the rear side. This typically involves removing the trunk lining or any other interior panels that may be obstructing access to the camera or Roundel unit.

Once you have gained access to the unit, the rubber boot is usually secured in place by tabs or snaps that are tucked into the top, bottom, and sides of the camera. Carefully disengaging these tabs or snaps should allow you to remove the old rubber boot.

To install the new rubber boot, ensure that it is the correct size and design for your specific camera or Roundel unit. Align the boot with the unit and firmly press the tabs or snaps into their corresponding slots to secure it in place. Make sure the boot is properly seated and doesn't obstruct the camera lens or any other components.