Questionable Backup Camera Wiring Repair Under ESP

[Antimatter_KingRanch]

Hi all,

Wondering if anyone can help out here....

My backup camera began flickering a few weeks ago and then ultimately fully failed (just showed a gray screen).

I have a $0 deductible Ford ESP still, I took it in, and they told me they put in a new camera under warranty.

That was obviously not the only issue, as below you can see the wiring harness looks to have shorted out (which I assume is what caused the camera to fail in the first place).

The wiring repair is not noted anywhere on their repair order, and when the dealer called me to go over the diagnosis and confirm that warranty approved a camera replacement they did not mention wiring.

But when I open the tailgate step I can see they added this pigtail splice instead of replacing the wiring harness.


At a minimum, it looks like they left frayed shielding exposed when they put in that splice.

Does anybody know if this is even up to spec for a warranty repair? Or should they have replaced the harness? I know what a minimum they probably should have put the proper tape wrap back over it instead of leaving the exposed wire shielding.... Also not sure if that clear plastic is supposed to be a heat shrink or not...


Wanted to make sure I'm going down the right path before I go back to the dealer that did the repair. The camera is working currently but given the tailgate isn't watertight I would rather not ignore it going into winter.

Sponsored

 

[fordtruckman2003]

That looks fugly

 

[Antimatter_KingRanch]

That looks fugly

I agree.... I was hoping to get somebody who has access to a shop manual to confirm it's not spec

 

[jhelrey]

You are going to need a new cable. The shielding is damaged and no longer well, shielding from outside interference.

 

[Buyer2021]

I was hoping to get somebody who has access to a shop manual to confirm it's not spec

FWIW the workshop Manual does not dictate exactly how specific harness / wire-breaks should be remedied.

Having said that, Ford sells many pigtails for harness repairs, and "Section 5-1 Connector Repair Procedures" in the wiring diagrams Workshop Manual includes many pages describing / illustrating proper repairs / splices of wires without replacing entire harness sections end-to-end. IMO there's nothing wrong with properly executed wire-splices, they can be as robust as original when done correctly.

I tend to agree, it doesn't look like the repair you show is done in accordance with those procedures. Certainly not in terms of neatness and final splice protection.

Good Luck!

 

[Antimatter_KingRanch]

FWIW the workshop Manual does not dictate exactly how specific harness / wire-breaks should be remedied.

Having said that, Ford sells many pigtails for harness repairs, and "Section 5-1 Connector Repair Procedures" in the wiring diagrams Workshop Manual includes many pages describing / illustrating proper repairs / splices of wires without replacing entire harness sections end-to-end. IMO there's nothing wrong with properly executed wire-splices, they can be as robust as original when done correctly.

I tend to agree, it doesn't look like the repair you show is done in accordance with those procedures. Certainly not in terms of neatness and final splice protection.

Good Luck!

Thank you both... Got an email out to the dealer, so hopefully they just do the right thing... But good to know what exists as far as requirements.

 

[Buyer2021]

just a follow-up / further clarification ..... the WSM repair procedure section I mentioned includes both soldered and crimp-connector wire splice repairs. Different gauge wire and working-space considerations guide what's appropriate.

 

[Antimatter_KingRanch]

Took a very different path than expected.... They flat out denied ever touching the wiring, got to the point where despite me talking calmly the service advisor was screaming enough guys in the service bays a few hundred feet over put down their impacts and started looking....

The service manager stepped in, and they at least hit it with a heat gun to shrink the crimp and put electrical tape over the mess of shredded shielding...

It's not shielded anymore but the camera works for now.

Feel free to message me if you're in Minnesota and need to know what dealer to never hand your truck over to.

Sponsored