Earlier this year, I bought a 2008 Land Rover Range Rover with over 216,000 miles on the clock for a very small amount of money. I needed a beater to live on the streets near my apartment in New York City, and figured an already-beat-up SUV that could soak up the bumps found on the city’s terrible roads would do nicely.
For one reason or another, I haven’t really been driving the Rover that much since I bought it. The truck has mostly just lived at my parents’ house in the suburbs, sitting on a battery tender (for some reason, the battery just dies after a few days of sitting, and I’m too lazy to figure out why).
Now that the holiday season is fast approaching, I finally took the time to go get the Range Rover, since I plan on driving it a lot in the next two months. It’s now sitting on my block, street-parked amongst a horde of other forlorn SUVs destined to a life of low-speed bumper taps and sideswipes. And there’s one feature that’s driving me absolutely insane: the rear-view camera.
It’s Just A Camera, What Could Possibly Be Wrong With It?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-tech, especially when it comes to making parking easier. Ask any of my friends—I’m notoriously bad at parking (parallel or otherwise). Having a backup camera is a huge help for me when it comes to street parking this giant SUV. It allows you to get super close to the car behind without actually touching it. Seeing it standard on a car from 2008 is an absolute luxury, and when you consider how little I paid for this, it’s tough to complain. But I’m gonna do it anyway.
In this Range Rover, the backup camera is mounted in such a way that you can’t actually see the leading edge of the rear bumper. It’s integrated into the spoiler above the rear glass, pointing down. That’s not a bad thing on its own—plenty of cars have backup cameras like this. This angle is actually preferred for people who like towing, because you can use the camera to line up the tow ball to the trailer with perfect precision. But because of how the Range Rover is shaped, the lower portion of its rear end sticks out beyond the upper portion, where the camera is located.
This means the camera is looking down a sloped rear windscreen. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think you could see the rear edge of the SUV’s bumper through the camera. But it’s actually just the bottom of the glass. In reality, you can’t see the rear bumper at all, which means it’s actually impossible to tell exactly how close you’re getting to the car behind you. And it drives me mad.
The photos above show me parked in front of a Mercedes-Benz ML, which gives you a good idea of the discrepancy between what’s shown on the screen and the actual distance between the two cars. There’s gotta be nearly a foot of room here, which, in New York City, could mean the difference between squeezing into a parking spot or not. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve had to get out of my car to make sure I had enough space to squeeze into a parking spot because of this.
Is There A Fix?
Weirdly, there isn’t a lot of talk online about the placement of the backup camera in these L322-generation Range Rovers. Most of the stuff you’ll see on forums and on Facebook Groups talks about replacing the camera once it goes bad, rather than relocating it—a very Land Rover situation.
Turns out these cameras fail enough that they’ve gained a reputation in Range Rover circles as displaying a “black screen of death” on the infotainment screen when they go bad. Water intrusion means they simply stop working, displaying a fully black screen when the truck is put into reverse. They can also fail in other ways, turning foggy and useless, like in the video shown above. The fix is fairly straightforward—all you have to do is replace the camera module itself. But be prepared to pay nearly $200 for a used unit from eBay.
The only “relocation” kit I was able to find online is this one shipped from China, which fits into the license plate light—though it’s more of a generic replacement that might not wire directly into the car without some fiddling. The more I think about it, the more I realize this is a pretty niche complaint. Chances are, not many people were street-parking this $77,000 ($118,000 adjusted for inflation) SUV when it was new, so they didn’t have to worry about getting super close to other cars and squeezing into tight spaces. And nowadays, owners are probably just happy that the camera is working at all.
I guess I should be, too, considering just how little I paid for this thing. Ultimately, it’s up to me to judge the distance between my car and the one behind me, at least according to the bible (a.k.a. the owner’s manual). It even calls out how the camera may not be as all-seeing as it is on some newer cars:
Caution: It remains the driver’s responsibility to detect obstacles and estimate the vehicle’s distance from them when reversing. Some overhanging objects or barriers, which can cause damage to the vehicle, may not be visible to the camera. Always be vigilant when reversing.
It’s important to note that in addition to the camera, these L322-generation Range Rovers also have distance sensors front and rear. So even if the camera isn’t angled in the best way, you’re not totally on your own when reversing this big hulk of a vehicle. The sensors are a bit conservative, though, so it’s tough to be inch-precise based on the beeps alone. Still, I’m glad they’re there, and that they work as intended.
I’d like to add Apple CarPlay to this Rover at some point in the future, which might involve installing an entirely new head unit (there are ways to get CarPlay on the stock infotainment system, but that’s a story for another time). Perhaps I’ll consider throwing in a totally aftermarket camera that bolts to the license plate area at the same time. First, I need to drive this truck a few thousand more miles to make sure it doesn’t start falling apart. The last thing I want is to throw a bunch of money into a car that doesn’t run.
Stay tuned.
Top graphic image: Brian Silvestro
Just shoot me if I ever live somewhere that requires me to see the last foot of space between me and the car behind me while parking.
Amen. Could not possibly pay me enough to live in a city, especially that one.
So we should shoot you if you ever have to live in any major world city?
Think of the upside: one more available parking space!
For sure. Instead I have space at my house to park as many things as I would like. Imagine that!
Yes please.
Well I have bad news for you… I’m all out of ammo…
Just use a New York camera. It goes “thunk” when you’re close enough to the other car.
When you see the other car start to move, back off slightly and you’re done.
This used to be city parking wisdom, but those days are, alas, gone. My kid parked her car in this fashion a few months back and found herself with a hit-and-run charge, i.e. causing damage and not reporting it immediately. Turns out the other car was a newish Mercedes connected to the Mercedes app. The owner was immediately alerted, rushed out of his house and took pictures of a mosquito bite of paint damage on his front bumper.
Haha
A HS buddy of mine had a B110 Datsun 1200 on which the previous owner had replaced the stock tinfoil bumpers with a pair of steel I beams. It was quite a look, very industrial.
He told me how one day he came out to his car and found it had been boxed in tight by some jerk with a fancy car. My friend was in a hurry and in a mood. Despite the Datsun only weighing 1500 lbs (without the I beams), being RWD on bald bias plys and thanks to huge engine carbon deposits having MAYBE 45 hp on a good day the fancy car was considerably less fancy by the time my buddy had cleared enough room to get out.
Moral of story; don’t box someone in who has considerably less to lose than you do. They will gleefully demolish your car and not leave a note.
I thought New Yorkers parked as Parisians do – backup up until the bumpers meet then put your foot in it to make room? All the cars in New York certainly LOOK like that is the standard method.
It’s a bit kludgy but you could put a stick on the tailgate to show where the bumper ends. Alternatively find a JDM van’s parking mirror. While the power retracting mirror on a Hilux Surf would be overkill but a regular HiAce part would be doable
There are posts like that that light up used for towing and large trucks.
Also magnetic ones for connecting trailers.
Coulda just bought a Fiat, then no troubles parking!
I drive a lot of rentals. Very few cars actually show you the exact edge of the bumper in a backup camera, and the few that do usually use a misleading perspective to do it that causes other issues. If you want to be precise, you need to learn the car. Backup cameras are first and foremost safety devices, letting you precision park down to the millimeter is a distant second.
This is frankly somewhere between a skill issue, and a non-issue.
My neighbor traded in his newer Tahoe for a brand new Range Rover four months ago.
For the last two months, he’s been driving a Disco110 that says “RANGE ROVER SEATTLE LOANER VEHICLE”.
Seriously Brian, get out now, just give up, they can’t be tamed.
I dealt with this on my 2006 Supercharged. Yes, whoever at BMW and/or Land Rover decided to put the camera there was pretty goofy, and it was a mistake not repeated on future models. My L405 has the camera in a conventional spot near the license plate recess.
How do New Yorkers get in and out of parallel parking spots? I live in Berlin, where street parking is not exactly plentiful, and leaving only a metre between cars is considered rude. I would only ever park as close to another car as you are in the picture if I knew that that other car cannot be boxed in on the other side.
I can answer this. Basically you just bump the car in front and back – that’s why you see a lot of rubber bumper protectors in the city. If you have car in Manhattan, you need to expect your bumpers to be scratched and dented.
I heard that the French used to do that, and that they left their cars in neutral and unbraked to make it possible (unless on an incline), and always thought it was an urban legend. Germans would go absolutely ballistic.
Not a myth. I have only been to Paris a couple of times but remember a poor dutch car parked outside the hotel. Parking brake set and/or in 1st gear. Then a french driver wanted to squeeze in. And they did not give up… Not pretty.
LOL – absolutely not a myth in any way. Parisians have no fucks to give when it comes to cars. Which is why when I have been there my car has stayed safely in the hotel’s underground car park the entire time. I have no problem driving in any other city in Europe, even the free-for-all that is Budapest, but I won’t drive in Paris unless I absolutely, positively have to.
Germany truly is driving heaven though. Like nowhere else on earth I have been.
Not only that, but because the larger cities in France are ancient, they weren’t built wide enough for modern needs, so cars get parked half on the sidewalk, passenger door right up against the wall.
Doesn’t even have to be ancient, there’s plenty of Victorian streets in the UK where people have to park on the pavement on both sides of the road, leaving just enough room to drive. Pedestrians have to walk single file on what’s left of the pavement, or in the middle of the road.
for example (That picture must have been taken on a quiet day, usually there’s zero parking spaces on that road)
Leaving less than 1 metre of space for pedestrians will net you a ticket in Germany, even if full or partial parking on the sidewalk is allowed (there are traffic signs for that). If it is not, you get a ticket, no matter how much space you leave.
If the road surface isn’t wide enough for parking on both sides and a lane in the middle, tough! You get to park on one side only.
This explains why Giorgetto Giugiaro (Italdesign) specified his one-off five-door VW Golf GTI with battle ram US bumpers.
When I visited Paris 20 years ago, I noticed that the cars parked along the street were literally only inches apart. I had no idea how they were able to get their cars in/out. Years later I learned that they left the cars in neutral to get bumped for/aft.
Same here. ~10 years ago a colleague showed how their new car with ‘autopark’ could get in a really tight spot. Me: “Think about what your new car would look like, if my old got boxed in like that.”
Oh how I wish “leaving only a meter” was considered rude everywhere. Personal space isn’t just for humans, give my car some breathing room.
In Brooklyn, an inch in front and an inch in back is plenty.
My wife couldn’t get out of the spots I parked in.
I don’t think that’s why we don’t live together, but I never asked.
The camera also adds about 10 pounds, so you actually might be able to squeak by that toddler you think you’re about back over.
Giant SUV? It’s roughly the same foot print as a Honda Pilot or Camry of the same vintage.
You daily a Miata so I suppose.
The L322 feels larger than it is when you’re driving it; it has the gravitas of a large car. And, really for a five-seat European SUV that began development in the 90s and that was introduced in the early 00s, it’s actually pretty long. Compared to the L322’s 195 inches or so, the E53 X5 was 183.7 inches long, and the contemporary Touareg and Cayenne were 187.2 and 188.2 inches long, respectively.
At the same time, the Range Rover hasn’t grown too much in length. Today’s SWB Range Rover measures about 198.8 inches, where the X5 is 194.3 inches and 194.1 inches for the Cayenne.
Suppose it’s big for NYC. He needs to take the receiver off and simply get used to it..
Brian I live in Harlem, so if you want help with your Carplay thing, or any other wrenching help reach out to me!
I tend to think of Range Rovers as content cars. That’s why you see youtubers buying them- something always goes wrong and always needs to be fixed. A 2008 Range Rover is worth about 9 videos, maybe more, then you sell it and buy another one. IT’s been working for every British youtuber for years. Range Rover, BMW and Mini, loads and loads of content. This one has been worth what, 3 articles, 4? So if you look at it that way, it’s at least a decent career investment.
An early intern/part time contributor here was a college-age dude with a severe infatuation for Discoverys, and that did lead to several stories.
That’s got to be the worst camera placement in a vehicle. The camera should be in a position to at least see the rear bumper.
Speaking of CarPlay/Android Auto conversions. I just bought a kit called Roadtop for my Q3. I’m still going back and forth with the company for tech support because as normal, it will say something like plug in the pink wire from radio to the blue socket on the harness and when you pull your radio, the car doesn’t have a pink wire. Also oddly, my kit needs to splice into the headlight control unit which when I did that it made my self levelling headlights go bonkers and point all the way down making my headlights shine only about 10′ in front of the car. It also somehow disabled my high beams. When I get back in there this weekend I’m going to just not plug the headlight control splice harness from the kit and see how it works. I really think its there just to change the display from day to night mode based on the headlight function.
My backup camera has been disconnected on my Sorento for over a year. Cause it’s on the CAN network, and when it failed, it would send the entire vehicle into a panic every time I threw it into reverse.
The biggest annoyance is this also disabled the proximity detection of my key at the hatch, so I always have to manually unlock the hatch.
That being said, I find unless I’m trying to hook up a trailer, rear proximity sensors are 10x better than a backup cam. Which thankfully, still work.
Nobody outright “buys” an 18 year old Range Rover, they just make a down payment.
It does look pretty nice though. Hopefully it doesn’t give you too much trouble.
For most brands that put any actual thought at all in their rear view cameras, the full
“…Beep scream bloody murder here you go you messed it up…”
continuous red alert is not when you’re about to hit the obstacle behind you, but the last point you can get close to a vertical wall where you can still open your tailgate without hitting the wall with it.
For Range Rover, I don’t know.
I can see that – particularly with the now common auto open/close. I’ll just put the onions on my belt and do it the old fashioned way…
Loosen the nut holding the camera in place, shim to the desired location. Tighten. Done.
Check for a battery drain with key off, on my Acura it was the bluetooth system.
Hitch sticking that far out past the bumper seems like a dick move in the city.
It’s an extension that came with the car, and the previous owner didn’t have the key to remove it. So I’m stuck with it
I think the key is universal on these – or 5 minutes with an angle grinder and wafer wheel. Once came out to my car with a perfect hitch receiver sized punch out in the front bumper. They were kind enough to leave a number.
European locks can be proper hardware.
A good drill should be able to take care of that… 🙂
Brian I live in Harlem and have the tools to remove this if you want help!
Yours is no big deal. At lease you dont have a trailer ball sticking out another 10 inches.
I had to go back and look at that again.
That is a very odd extension.
Only reason for that should be they couldn’t get the correct parts when using it.
Could that have been a dealer thing?
Does it adapt to a larger size?
Hard agree ( says the man with the hole in his front bumper…)
Hardigree isn’t on this thread
Nope.
The dick move is using other people’s bumpers as your parking limiter.
Someone drove over mine because they didn’t have their foot on the brake.
There’s some bumper damage, but much less than it would have been.
I’m planning nerf bars front and rear.
I might sawtooth them.
(for some reason, the battery just dies after a few days of sitting, and I’m too lazy to figure out why)
2008 Range Rover is why.
it also works on P38’s too!
Tech: Hello! Land Rover Service!
Owner: My 2008 Range Rover is smoking from the exhaust and losing power.
Tech: Better bring that in. Thanks, I have another call.
Owner 2: My 2008 Range Rover is knocking from the timing cover area.
Tech: Better bring that in. Thanks, I have another call.
Owner 3: My 2008 Range Rover’s parking brake is screeching and won’t release.
Tech: Better bring that in. Thanks, I have another call.
Owner 4: My 2008 Range Rover’s making a lot of noise from the front differential.
Tech: Better bring that in. Thanks, I have another call.
Brian: My 2008 Range Rover doesn’t quite show me the exact end of the rear bumper from the back-up camera.
Tech: Hold please. I think I just had a stroke.
As my mother used to say, just go back until you hear a crunch.
Parking by Braille.
“Just keep going till it sounds expensive!”
We call that “parking by feel” where I live.
“The last thing I want is to throw a bunch of money into a car that doesn’t run.”
That feels like a callout on half the staff and readers here
Not me. The evidence suggests it’s fairly high on the list of things I want to do.
Buys second hand Range Rover with over 200k miles and says “The last thing I want is to throw a bunch of money into a car that doesn’t run”. Bwahahahaaa.
I’d rather use that money to keep it running than on stuff that isn’t vital!
Oh for sure. I feel your pain, too. I’ve gone from a Lexus with parking sensors to a huge and ancient Volvo estate with nothing to tell you where you are except for the crunch of the tow bar hitting things…
That gives me an idea for empty-aluminum-can-based parking sensors. You could snap the rim of a new one onto little custom mounts like those cheapo drinking lids. They’d be consumable of course, but then you have an excuse to dispose of the all the delicious beverages and maintain a steady can supply.
In fact, I can probably support several New York parkers on my household’s output of Coke Zero cans. Hit me up.
Plastic bottles would work better since you can reinflate them a few times for reuse.
In some parts of the US those will cost 10 cents each because you can’t collect the deposit on a crushed can
ah yes, good old-fashioned analog parking sensor