Dash-cam fitting

[DaveK0974]

Just checking my method was ok.

 

Fitted a dash-cam in my recently acquired 2016 space-back, it's up behind the rear-view mirror so i ran the power lead up above the roof trim, down the A-pillar between the trim and the rubber door seal, down the dash by the door seal, coiled the spare between the EOBD plug and the sidewall then ran the two wires into the fusebox through the bog hole on the right

 

I used a piggyback connector on the rear-wash/wipe (27) and made sure the take-off supply came from the switched side not the wiper side contact and used a 2A fuse. The ground was taken with a spade under the screw on bottom-right corner of fuse box.

 

It all works and seems ok, I chose the rear W/W as its very lightly used and always a switched supply.

 

Sound ok?

[chrisgreen]

Yep - piggybacking off the rear wiper is absolutely fine. It's what I have my piggyback fuse plugged into as well and works fine for both a dash cam and hard wiring a sat nav. 

[DaveK0974]

Ok, thanks

 

[steelviper]

where would be the easiest place to fit the earth connector? as I have just fitted a hardwire kit but struggled for ages to earth it to a chassis bolt under the drivers foot rest  

[Andacami]

Most folk have gone to the fuse box for switched live. There are at least three bolts within easy access into the chassis there too.

 

If you've got to the footrest, suggest it won't take much to get to the fuse box area for the earth...

Edited 2 July, 2017 by Andacami

[chrisgreen]

There's a viable earth screw under the fuse panel. Do a search and have a look at the picture from my ŠKODA Rapid sat nav hardware to see exactly where the screw is.

Edited 2 July, 2017 by chrisgreen

[mattshaw]

Guys there is a really good thread about this with some very useful photos in the Fabia III forum. 

[PerArdua]

This is something I have been meaning to do for a while. My cheapo dash-cam (but perfectly functional one) is currently wired so the power lead runs down the passenger side A pillar and rubber seal, under the glovebox, under the centre console trim and emerges at the side of the passenger seat squab and then plugs into the fag lighter socket. I have to manually remember to plug in and unplug the cam at the start and finish of the journey.

 

There's a great little motor spares shop in my town centre (a century-old family run business, car spares and hardware store - it looks like that 2 Ronnies 'four candles' sketch!) where I could get all the piggybacks, fuses and choc blocks for pennies. I'll hardwire my cheapo Chinese dash cam at first and then maybe invest in something better if I get a bit of spare cash later.

 

It sounds really easy to do - with a young family and a busy job though, it's just about finding the time!

[steelviper]

It really is easy to do half hour job max maybe an hour depending how you want to hide the cable, 

 

It makes such a difference haveing the 12v free again 

 

[chrisgreen]

6 hours ago, PerArdua said:

This is something I have been meaning to do for a while. My cheapo dash-cam (but perfectly functional one) is currently wired so the power lead runs down the passenger side A pillar and rubber seal, under the glovebox, under the centre console trim and emerges at the side of the passenger seat squab and then plugs into the fag lighter socket. I have to manually remember to plug in and unplug the cam at the start and finish of the journey.

 

There's a great little motor spares shop in my town centre (a century-old family run business, car spares and hardware store - it looks like that 2 Ronnies 'four candles' sketch!) where I could get all the piggybacks, fuses and choc blocks for pennies. I'll hardwire my cheapo Chinese dash cam at first and then maybe invest in something better if I get a bit of spare cash later.

 

It sounds really easy to do - with a young family and a busy job though, it's just about finding the time!

It is very easy to do - I did my hardwire in about 10 minutes (and most of that was taking the fuse box cover off and the piece of dash trim at the side of the dash off to run the 12v socket cable in). It's a doddle.

[DaveK0974]

Yep, took 30 mins, looks really neat and no plug to plug in each time. Only issue i have is that the stupid suction cup falls off the screen every couple of weeks

 

If only the sat-nav could be wired so neatly.

[chrisgreen]

2 hours ago, DaveK0974 said:

Yep, took 30 mins, looks really neat and no plug to plug in each time. Only issue i have is that the stupid suction cup falls off the screen every couple of weeks

 

If only the sat-nav could be wired so neatly.

What sat nav do you use? Depending on which one you have I may be able to recommend some non-suction cup mounts to use instead that will look even tidier in the car. 

[DaveK0974]

Its a Garmin but i can't remember the model, possibly a 55 or 56, it's the wire thats the PITA, the dash-cam was easy as it sits up behind the mirror but the sat nav down low means the wire hangs down over the dash. 

[chrisgreen]

Perfect - if it's a Garmin you have a couple of better options. Forget about the suction mount - it's rubbish and it blocks your view.

 

get either of the following (I've owned both, and can vouch for both being good)

 

genuine Garmin option

Garmin Dashboard Mount https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000F7689A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kOwxzbN5QT2MS

 

I stuck this on the dash by the A pillar, which means you have minimal cable trailing up from behind the dash.

 

third party option

Car Mount, Spigen [Stealth] Car Mount Holder [Only Landscape] Car Mount Phone Holder for Nexus 5x / Nexus 6P / iPhone 6s / 6 /6s plus /6 plus,Galaxy Note 5/ Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and More Devices - Black (SGP11359) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RDQVPTY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gPwxzbVEBPGES

 

Either option is infinitely better, tidier and more OEM-looking than the horrible suction windscreen mount. 

 

Chris

 

[DaveK0974]

 

Garmin option looks great, i'll order one soon.

[PerArdua]

just viewed an excellent pictorial guide on the Octavia II forums where the poster fitted a 3-way female 12v adaptor into the driver storage slot. I have a 12v adaptor with 2 12v and 2 USB outlets which i have currently mounted in the tray between the front seats (where an armrest would mount I believe), which I am using to power my dash cam and a DAB radio transmitter under the passenger seat (A 'DABmotion' model). It is this adapter I manually plug in and unplug at the start and end of a journey.

 

I intend to try and hardwire in this adaptor through fuse 27 and then mount the adaptor under the dash. There's plenty of space, so it should fit... I'll then have a switched 12v supply.

[chrisgreen]

As has been previously posted, the best fuse to piggy back is the rear wiper (can't remember the number off the top of my head, but it's in previous Rapid hardwire posts including my own), which is a switched 12v supply that is significantly under loaded (the rear wiper doesn't need much), so is perfect for a hidden 12v socket.

[PerArdua]

Okay - the little shop has sold me a 'hard wire dash cam kit' for a few quid that has everything I need including the fuse piggyback. Unfortunately it's a micro blade fuse- too small for the rear wiper.

 

reckon I could use fuse 22? ("Front and rear windscreen washer jets - without KEyless start and heated windscreen")? 22 is one of the micro fuses.

Also, I don't have heated rear seats (or front for that matter) - and hence there is no fuse fitted and so on mine is a spare fuse slot. Useable? 

[PerArdua]

So, I successfully hardwired both a dash cam and my DABmotion DAB adaptor/transmitter yesterday evening using some of the previous guides on here to help. I used this hardwire kit I picked up from my local automotive spares shop:

http://www.ringautomotive.com/uk/products/Cars/Dash+cameras/Dash+Camera+Accessories/RBGDCHK

 

It has a micro fuse piggyback so I can't use fuse 27 (rear wiper) as others have done. A little trial and error and I have gone for fuse 34 (heated windscreen washer jets) - which in my car doesn't even have a fuse fitted 'cos I don't have them, so it's a very lightly loaded circuit normally - and presto. The piggyback came with a 5amp fuse. I finally found the earth using a search on this forum and Chrisgreen's satnav install guide (at the bottom right of the fuse box).

 

I strapped the female 12v socket away under the dash and then similarly strapped up and tucked away the multi adaptor into which I plugged in the dash cam and the DAB Radio unit. I ran wires through A pillar trim and centre console trim respectively, as many others have done and tucked away excess coiled up in the space between the OEBD port and sidewall.

 

It all works and is nice and tidy. Thanks for the impetus from the OP who made me realise how simple this really is.

 

I didn't take any pics tho guys - didn't have much time. Sorry.

[DaveK0974]

Excellent, I will be hardwiring my sat-nav as soon as i get the mount

 

[Robertino]

I`m looking for anybody in/around London who would be able to wire in dash cam (I have hard wire kit from manufacturer). I`m based in West London near Heathrow, but can travel within reasonable distance. I also need to wire in GPS tracker:

 

Please PM if you want to earn extra money with your electrical knowledge!

[chrisgreen]

Hi Robertino, this really is something you can do yourself. It requires no specialist electrical knowledge. Just the ability to plug in a fuse, undo and then do up one screw, and to snag some cables behind the trim. You can fit a 12v socket splitter behind the dash trim that can power both of your devices. Or, if your tracker uses USB power, just fit a single 12v socket and bung a double USB adapter in it.

[Robertino]

Can you please show me fuse off ebay I need to buy? I assume there are quite few empty slots in fuse box for this fuse? Dash cam needs to be powered all the time, even with engine off, as it also recording in parking mode with G sensor and motion detection.

[Robertino]

This is a kit I have been sold to wire it in

 

 

[PerArdua]

I piggybacked off the 'washer jets heater' fuse - as my car is not fitted with heated washer jets. Of course this is a switched circuit that is only on with the ignition.

 

I did read somewhere that for a permanently powered circuit you could try the remote central locking circuit. Alternatively, since the 12v outlet sockets are permanently powered in the Rapid, that would be a good one to piggyback off. I'm no expert though - and do refer to the manual to select the right fuse number. The rapid is also awkward as it has a mixture of small and large sized blade fuses - I wanted to feed off the rear wash wipe as Chrisgreen suggested, but the kit I used had the smaller fuse piggyback hence I found an alternate.