Adding a wireless screen and reversing camera to an older car
The Marova team
Plenty of good cars on UK roads were built before touchscreens and reversing cameras were standard. A stand-alone wireless screen brings both to a dashboard without touching the car’s wiring loom. Here is what these units do, how they install, and where their limits are.
What you get
A 7-inch (18 cm) screen on a dashboard mount, powered from the 12 V socket, that pairs with your phone for navigation and calls, and receives a picture from a small camera fitted to the rear number-plate area. Most units support wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, so the map, music and messages you already use appear on the screen.
Installation, honestly
The screen is a ten-minute job: mount, plug in, pair. The camera is where the time goes. Wireless cameras still need power: the usual approach is to connect the camera’s power lead to the reversing-light feed so the picture appears when you select reverse. That means removing the boot trim and making one crimped connection. If you are not comfortable doing that, an auto-electrician will charge for roughly half an hour’s work. Route the camera cable away from the boot hinge so it is not pinched.
Limits to know before you buy
- The screen depends on your phone for navigation; without a phone it is a display, not a sat-nav.
- A wireless camera can lag by a fraction of a second; treat it as an aid, and keep using your mirrors.
- Check your windscreen line of sight: the mount must not obstruct the area swept by the wipers.
- Sun glare on a dashboard screen is real; a hood or a slightly recessed position helps.
Phone mounts
If you keep the phone as the main screen, a dashboard or vent mount with an extended arm brings it into view without covering the instruments. Choose a clamp that grips the phone case you actually use, and a base that does not rely on a suction cup on a textured dashboard.
From our range
Free UK delivery in 6 to 12 business days. 30 days to change your mind.