Dash cam hardwired..

[Gatsoburner]

Anyone successfully wired a dash cam hardwired in the cab.

Struggling to locate a suitable point inside the car. Im definitely not cutting into the loom and want to keep all wires hidden.

I was considering rear of the cigarette lighter??
Or..mounting everything under the bonnet for easy access to the fuse box to piggy back. Camera's waterproof so can go up front on the bumper grille.

Ideally though I'd prefer inside on the windscreen, behind the RV mirror where ive currently mounted it..

My kit im using, bike designed by wanted smallest camera plus options to mount under the front number plate and be waterproof.

I have similar on my motorcycle

 

[Smudgemanuk]

I recently hardwired a dash cam in. I put it as high as I could get it on the windscreen, in the centre near the mirror

As for wiring it was usb-c coming out of the camera and I ran a wire along the gap between the black plastic trim and the windscreen, over to the drivers pillar. Then I remove the pillar cover and ran the wire down the edge of the pillar and in to the steering column cavity through a place near the drivers door. Next, I ran this wire across the steering column and to a 12v to 5v convertor that I placed behind the radio and wired in to the cigarette lighter wires through the gearstick cavity. Yes, it was quite an operation.

Sorry ive just realised I typed this answer out when replying to your earlier post on this matter. So it's a duplicate, but hope it helps, I am pleased with my results. No wires showing and the dashcam is barely visible.

 

[Smudgemanuk]

Here are some photos. The green line shows the wire path.

 

[Gatsoburner]

Thank you for the reply.
I don't understand Volts as what you can and can't use.
I think my kit pictured has an inline converter so im thinking the black and red can be soldered to the rear of the lighter, would that sound right ?
Have you images of the wiring after.

I've done the same thing but NS of the car, aiming to put a viewable screen inside the glove box that it comes with..

 

[Smudgemanuk]

I can see what you mean, it does look like a converter. I used two scotch locks to tap into the lighter wires without soldering because access is quite tricky. Of course red to red and black to black. Make sure you have the converter the right way round. It should be 12 volts from the car and probably 5 volts to the camera. The converter should have 4 wires, 2 out, 2 in.

 

[Duncodin]

My cigarette lighter is permanently live. If I connected dash cam to it it would never switch off.

 

[Smudgemanuk]

Same with mine. I forgot to add that my dashcam has a parking mode that requires it to be permanently live.

For an ignition live the radio could be an option if the camera is low power.

 

[Gatsoburner]

Thanks guys, appreciate you spending time replying.
I need to go back out in next few days and see what's offering power at different stages or not.
Ignition off my cigarette lighter doesn't work so I assumed it wasn't live, you chaps are saying its permanent live, or am I missing something.
Ill throw in 1 of my illuminated USB chargers and see if it lights up or not, should be a decider

 

[Mint]

The cigarette lighter is normally permanently live. Have you tried it to see if it actually works?
When I wired my dash cam I took a feed of the switched live to the radio.

 

[Jam03]

Cigarette lighter should be permanently live( it is on my facelift 2.2 anyway). When I got my car it wasn’t working, but thankfully it was just a blown fuse and no issues since then.
It’s actually a bit annoying because in my other car the socket isn’t always live so I don’t worry about leaving chargers plugged in.

 

[Gatsoburner]

Righty....

Today was the day, 5c, bit of rain but all good.

Fuse had blown on cigarette lighter so that's replaced and as you've all said it's a permanent live.
Dug in behind the centre console and found a feed of an unused bullet connector from the radio, earthed off the frame of the centre console.
Both off with the ignition and on with the ignition. Slight down side only powers up with radio on but never going to be driving without it on I'd say.
Currently hidden all the wires and screen behind the NS side panel circled until I can find a better location, the device 'Pings' on powering up so im confident it's recording etc.
Cameras small enough on the screen and zero wires on show almost.
Fed the screen cable down the A pillar, under rear of glove box and round to centre console behind panels, easiest bit !.

Few pictures attached.

Need to decide to bother or not with a rear camera, got them on my bikes but never bothered on my cars, kids ive fully fitted...we shall see.
Pretty happy though.

Thanks guys for your support and help