Chevrolet Tahoe Backup Camera Not Working [Quick Fix]

Did your Chevy Tahoe backup camera suddenly stop working? You’re probably thinking of taking it to a dealer. But if you’re also considering resolving the issue yourself, keep reading.

After reading this article, you will be able to repair your backup camera yourself.

But first, you should know why your Chevrolet Tahoe backup camera isn’t working.

Here are some common causes of the Chevy Tahoe Backup Camera issues:

Your camera’s control module is problematic.
The camera’s wires are loose.
The camera’s fuse is blown.
Your shifter is misaligned.
You have a short circuit.
Your camera is damaged.

Table of Contents

How to Fix Chevrolet Tahoe Backup Camera Issues

Replace Your Camera’s Control Module

One sign that may tell you that your Chevrolet Tahoe backup camera isn’t working is when the camera shows a black screen. The main culprit behind this issue is a bad control module.

Your backup camera’s control module is responsible for activating the video display of your backup camera when you shift your gear to Reverse. When this module gets bad, it may fail to turn the camera’s display while you are reversing.

This might be why the backup camera shows a black screen.

To fix this issue, you’ll have to change your backup camera control module. The control module for the Chevrolet Tahoe is located below the carpet underneath your passenger seat.

Before changing the control module, you should confirm the device is faulty. This is because there are other possible issues in the Chevy Tahoe backup camera that can cause the camera to display a black screen.

You can test your camera’s control module by unplugging it from your car and connecting it to a backup camera in another vehicle. If the control module works well with the backup camera in the other car, the problem might be from another source.

However, if the control module doesn’t work with any backup camera, your control module is faulty. Get a new control module and replace the old one.

If your backup camera still shows a black screen after this, try the next tip.

Inspect Your Camera’s Wires

Your Chevy Tahoe backup camera may also fail to work if it isn’t getting any power. When this happens, the camera might display a black screen when you turn it on.

If your backup camera isn’t getting any power, it’s probably because some of its wires are frayed. To resolve this problem, you’ll need to fix the affected wires.

Locate your backup camera’s wires inside your liftgate. You’ll have to pry out the panel on the liftgate carefully to reveal the wires.

You can quickly fix the bad wires on your backup camera by wrapping the fraying parts in electrical tape. A more lasting solution is to splice and solder the bad parts of the wire.

You’ll need a cable stripping tool, a hot soldering iron, solder, some rosin paste flux, and a brass wall cleaning pad.

Here’s how to splice and solder your Chevrolet Tahoe backup camera:

Cut off the wires in the area where they are fraying.
Use a cable stripping tool to remove some of the insulation on both parts of the wire.
When you have enough exposed wires, twist the parts of the wire together.
Next, you need to tin the tip of your soldering iron.
Place the tip of your soldering iron in the rosin paste flux to collect some of the flux on the device.
Rub your soldering iron on the brass cleaning pad to remove excess flux from the iron.
Add some solder to the tip of the soldering iron. Then move the iron to the flux again and collect some of it.
Rub the tip of the soldering iron again on the brass wall cleaning pad.
Now, place the hot iron over the wires you’ve twisted.
Once you are done soldering the wires, wrap the soldered area in electrical tape to protect them.
After soldering your backup camera’s wires, close your tailgate. Then, shift your gear into Reverse and check if the camera is working.

If your backup camera fails to work, move on to the next step.

Change Your Backup Camera’s Fuse

Another reason why your Chevy Tahoe backup camera may fail to work is because the camera’s fuse is blown. Replacing the bad fuse should fix this problem.

If you see a black screen on your backup camera, check if the device’s fuse is blown. You can locate your backup camera’s fuse by studying the fuse diagram in your vehicle’s user manual.

Once you find the fuse, inspect it carefully. If the fuse looks blackened, it is most likely blown.

Your backup camera should resume working after you change the blown fuse.

Align Your Shifter

If your Chevrolet Tahoe backup camera isn’t working, your shifter may have moved out of place. When your shifter is misaligned, your backup camera won’t be able to tell that you are reversing. So, it will not turn on.

You’ll have to align your shifter to fix this issue. That said, aligning your shifter is a lot of work. So, before you disassemble the shifter, you might want to confirm that it is misaligned.

You can tell that your shifter is misaligned if your backup lights don’t flash when you set your gear to Reverse. Ask someone to stand behind your car and observe the backup lights when you shift into the Reverse gear.

If the backup lights fail to turn on, your shifter is most likely misaligned. In that case, you can go ahead to align your shifter.

Follow these steps to align your shifter:

Go underneath your vehicle.
Locate your shift cable beside the running board. The cable is a cylindrical piece.
Turn the blue part of the shift cable in an anti-clockwise direction to loosen it.
Now, you need to align the shifter with the Reverse gear.
Pull the shift cable slightly towards the cab of the truck to move your shifter backward.

Once you align your shifter, your backup camera should display your rear-view image properly. However, if the camera still fails to work, continue to the next tip.

Fix the Short Circuit in Your Car

Sometimes, your Chevrolet Tahoe may encounter a short circuit while running. This may prevent your backup camera and other devices in the car from receiving enough power. As a result, the camera might stop working.

To solve this problem, find the area where the short circuit occurred and fix it.

Here’s how to find and fix a short circuit in a Chevrolet Tahoe:

Open your hood.
Next, detach the negative terminal from the battery.
Sand the negative terminal post with sandpaper to ensure that the battery has a good connection.
Now, you need to test your battery with a DC multimeter.
First, measure the number of volts in your battery.
Place the red terminal on the multimeter over your battery’s negative terminal post, and the black terminal over the positive battery terminal.
The voltage should be 12.6 volts or more.
Switch to the DC amps tool and measure your battery again.
Also, move the plug on the multimeter to the DC Amps outlet.
To get the correct amps measurement, press the red terminal on the multimeter onto the battery’s negative terminal, and place the black terminal over the negative terminal post.
You will get about eight amps if the battery has enough power.
If the power in your battery is below 12.8 volts or 8 amps, you have a short circuit.
Now, you need to determine where the short circuit exists and fix it.
Leave your multimeter still plugged into your battery.
Disconnect each fuse from the fuse box and monitor the reading on the multimeter as you do so. You can ask a friend to monitor the reading to save time.
If the reading drops close to zero while you’re removing a fuse, that fuse is the source of the short circuit.
Change the problematic fuse to resolve the problem.

After replacing the fuse, reconnect the battery negative terminal and put your gear in Reverse. Then, check if your backup camera is working. If it isn’t working, go to the next step.

Replace Your Backup Camera

If none of the tips above fixes your backup camera, the camera might be damaged.

In that case, you’ll need to replace it.

The guide below will show you how to replace your Chevrolet Tahoe backup camera:

First, you need to remove your old backup camera from the car.
This camera is located inside your applique, which is held down by a trim panel and several screws.
So, you have to take out the panel and screws first.
Open your hood.
Use your screwdriver to pop out the pushpins holding the panel to your backseat.
Then, pull them out of the panel.
Close the hood.
Next, unscrew the T30 bolt at the bottom of the tailgate with a T30 socket.
Use a screwdriver to pop out the trim piece behind the bolt.
Remove the second T30 bolt, which is located on the strap handle on the inside of your tailgate.
Pop out the trim piece under this bolt too.
Now, you can remove the trim panel housing your backup camera.
Use a body panel tool to remove the panel from the tailgate.
You’ll discover you can’t detach it completely because it is hooked to a window latch at the bottom of the tailgate.
Unfasten this latch to release the trim panel.
This will reveal the automatic trunk opener.
You need to remove the plug on the trunk opener to remove the trim panel from your vehicle.
Use a flathead screwdriver to pry out this plug.
Now, take out the trim panel.
You’ll notice some 10-mm bolts hidden inside the holes on the tailgate.
Use a 10-mm socket and a ratchet to remove these bolts.
Now, you can detach the applique easily. You might need to wiggle it several times to remove it.
You’ll see a white clip on each side of the applique. Detach these clips from your car.
After removing the applique, turn it over to reveal your backup camera.
You’ll see that there are 2 Phillips screws holding the backup camera to the applique.
Unscrew these bolts to release your backup camera.
Now, you need to remove your camera’s connector. The connector is located on the inside of the tailgate.
Use your screwdriver to pry out the loop inside the connector. This should release the connector.
Take out your new backup camera and connector.
Insert the new camera and screw in the bolts.
Remember the white clips you removed earlier? You need to attach them at the top of your applique.
Now, push the applique onto your tailgate until you hear a click.
Replace your connector, screws, and trim panel back on the tailgate.

Once you’ve put your tailgate back together, turn on your backup camera. The camera should be working now.

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Wrapping Up

If you apply these tips correctly, you should be able to fix your Chevrolet Tahoe backup camera. Avoid changing your backup camera unless all the previous solutions haven’t worked.

If your backup camera fails to work, even after you’ve replaced it, contact your dealer.