# dash cam wiring query



## amit91987 (Apr 1, 2014)

Hi

I have just purchased a Dash Cam and would like to hard wire rather than using the cigarette lighter connection.

I have tested for a 12v live using the dome light unit and found that there is one connection that always produces roughly 12v when the car is on or off.

Would it be okay to use this to tap the dash cam into? Also does anyone know what that cable could be? I was thinking maybe the alarm.

If it is not safe to do so, any recommendations where I can find a 12v live which is simple to add the camera wire to?

Thanks


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

Do you really want a permanent live? Unless the cam has got some intelligent technology it could drain your battery.
If it does need permanent power, say for incident monitoring while parked, then I would avoid the dome light area as some wires could be alarm linked and any activation of your camera when parked up could cause a current draw and set off the alarm. On top of that some wires may be for the microphone. Also everything in there is low current so there is little margin for additional loading.
Assuming that you intend to mount the camera behind the rear view mirror I suggest that you route the cables behind trim / rubbers across the top of the screen and down the drivers side A-pillar and in to the fuse box below wheere you should be able to find a suitable power supply.


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## amit91987 (Apr 1, 2014)

Thanks for your reply. Sorry I meant I wanted the camera to feed off an ignition live so that the camera is powered when the car is on and switches off when the car is off.


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## Jasons (Oct 14, 2013)

Why not take it from the underside of the cigarette lighter?

Easy to get to and easy to take the wiring from there, up the A pillar and across to the centre of the screen.

That's what I did for my blackvue camera.

J


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## amit91987 (Apr 1, 2014)

Thanks Jason.. How did you connect the wires to the cig lighter?


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## V6KMO (Mar 24, 2013)

if not done the job already check this out. Really quite easy


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## Mk2Stu (Jan 12, 2014)

There are plenty of spare/empty fuse locations in my fusebox, both perm 12V and ignition switched 12V. I just used a piggy back fuse connector with a 1A fuse fitted in one of the switched positions. Easy cable run up to the rear view mirror area from the interior fuse box


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## amit91987 (Apr 1, 2014)

Thanks everyone, I managed to sort this out last week. Works well!


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## Kyudo (Nov 29, 2014)

In my focus st I put another cigarette lighter in the glovebox and run it off that I've got a front and back cam
I left it running over 3 days to see if it would drain the battery but it didn't and all the wires are tucked away nice and neat


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## stangri (Jan 7, 2010)

Facing the same dilemma and on top of that I also want to hardwire the radar detector.

Radar detector came with the line tap and it needs 12V from what I understand.

Is there an ignition-switched 12V wire in the dome light housing? I couldn't take it apart yet, but looking at some ebay photos, looks like it feeds off 6-wire ribbon cable. Any idea as to what they are? Two of them must be a microphone, that leaves me with 4 candidate.

There are two reasons I'd rather plug into a dome light:
1. The line tap wire for the radar detector is rather short (and I want to use that instead of the long-ass fuse tap wire)
2. I don't know how to remove the pillar panels and they're quite large going all the way to the middle of the roof. It's going to be tricky to feed the wire into the door seal thru the pillar.

Any help/hints would be appreciated.


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## gogs (Dec 22, 2010)

I have my dash cam hard wired to a 2nd cig lighter plug underneath the ash tray and its only powers on with the ignition, as soon as the ignition is off the dash-cam powers off

Sent from my iPhone via the interweb


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## aquazi (Dec 24, 2014)

You dont need to remove the A pillar to wire the camera.... You can pull it forward enough with a trim tool to tuck the wire away.

I had a 12v to twin usb adapter (£2 from ebay) used a piggyback fuse adapter to wire it to my fuse box....then ran usb leads to my dashcam near the rear view mirror and tucked the wires away.

Only trim which needs to be removed is the fuse cover!!























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## stangri (Jan 7, 2010)

aquazi said:


> You dont need to remove the A pillar to wire the camera.... You can pull it forward enough with a trim tool to tuck the wire away.
> 
> I had a 12v to twin usb adapter (£2 from ebay) used a piggyback fuse adapter to wire it to my fuse box....then ran usb leads to my dashcam near the rear view mirror and tucked the wires away.
> 
> Only trim which needs to be removed is the fuse cover!!


Thanks for the tip and photos. So does your wire run thru the A pillar? Isn't that where the airbag is? I'm reluctant to run the wire thru the A pillar because of the airbag.

PS. How's the fuse cover trim removed?


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## aquazi (Dec 24, 2014)

The wire sits more between the windshield and the a pillar... The surrounding of the windshield is black so it's not visible inside or outside the car.... Makes sense when you look at your car and try to tuck the wire behind the a pillar.

And the fuse cover just pulls off... I used a trim tool... But a flat screwdriver covered in electricAl tape (to prevent marks) would work too... Just pry it open pops open really easy.

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## stangri (Jan 7, 2010)

aquazi said:


> The wire sits more between the windshield and the a pillar... The surrounding of the windshield is black so it's not visible inside or outside the car.... Makes sense when you look at your car and try to tuck the wire behind the a pillar.
> 
> And the fuse cover just pulls off... I used a trim tool... But a flat screwdriver covered in electricAl tape (to prevent marks) would work too... Just pry it open pops open really easy.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk


Thanks again for your prompt reply, will try that tomorrow. I need to run 2, possibly 3 wires there tho -- dashcam, radar detector and probably another wire for cell phone charger. You recon they will all fit?


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

stangri said:


> aquazi said:
> 
> 
> > The wire sits more between the windshield and the a pillar... The surrounding of the windshield is black so it's not visible inside or outside the car.... Makes sense when you look at your car and try to tuck the wire behind the a pillar.
> ...


Watch the loadings on those circuits, especially if you are going to run them all off one spare fuse. Try and determine from the fuse box cover what size fuse would have been on that supply circuit if fitted.
If piggy backing on a fused circuit in use be even more careful about the total load.

BTW - you don't even a screwdriver. The manual shows the fuse box cover being removed with the ignition key.


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## stangri (Jan 7, 2010)

ZephyR2 said:


> Watch the loadings on those circuits, especially if you are going to run them all off one spare fuse. Try and determine from the fuse box cover what size fuse would have been on that supply circuit if fitted.
> If piggy backing on a fused circuit in use be even more careful about the total load.


I have a multimeter but no idea on how to check the per-device load. Would appreciate an advice.


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## Templar (Mar 9, 2012)

The instruction manual that comes with the cam should have the load ratings, usually at the back.


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## R7SAN (Aug 26, 2011)

Here is how a forum member wired their dash cam to the live-switched interior light

http://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=321020&p=2521287#p2521287

Also another thread discussing various dash cams - on page six another example of how to wire to the interior light 
(see franksm comment)

http://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=200370&hilit=camera


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## stangri (Jan 7, 2010)

R7SAN said:


> Here is how a forum member wired their dash cam to the live-switched interior light
> 
> http://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=321020&p=2521287#p2521287
> 
> ...


Thanks, that's a very nice guide. I'm thinking of running dashcam and the radar detector off the interior light leads and the phone charger from the fusebox still.



aquazi said:


> You dont need to remove the A pillar to wire the camera.... You can pull it forward enough with a trim tool to tuck the wire away.
> 
> I had a 12v to twin usb adapter (£2 from ebay) used a piggyback fuse adapter to wire it to my fuse box....then ran usb leads to my dashcam near the rear view mirror and tucked the wires away.
> 
> Only trim which needs to be removed is the fuse cover!!


Hey mate, one more question -- can't quite make which fuse did you tap in? I've got a mini fuse tap and everything I've tried is always powered, not on ignition on. 

So which fuse (# and description) did you tap in and I'm guessing you've got a medium fuse tap, haven't you?

Thanks!


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## cowboybebop (May 20, 2009)

I did the same as Auqazi

it worked perfectly


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## stangri (Jan 7, 2010)

cowboybebop said:


> I did the same as Auqazi
> 
> it worked perfectly


Which fuse did you use? I'm thinking of using one of the electric window fuses (just got a medium-sized fuse tap today, will try tomorrow), but my concern with it being ignition-on only is that the windows roll up slightly after the door is closed.


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## aquazi (Dec 24, 2014)

Just use a blank one... I think i used 30.... But can run out and check tonight.. Used a multimeter to find a blank one that was ignition only.

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## stangri (Jan 7, 2010)

aquazi said:


> Just use a blank one... I think i used 30.... But can run out and check tonight.. Used a multimeter to find a blank one that was ignition only.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk


Thanks for the tip, will try to use the multimeter. Had no idea some of the blank ones are still powered!


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## stangri (Jan 7, 2010)

#30 is the correct one -- medium-sized unoccupied slot!

Wired Radar detector and mini 0806 into that one.

THANK YOU SO MUCH gentlemen for all your help!


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## aquazi (Dec 24, 2014)

Congrats!

It really is nice and simple in the TT with the fuse box being so conveniently located!

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