Dash cam cable management?

"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich) 01/28/2016 at 18:50 • Filed to: None

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I recently picked up a G1W dash cam, and need to install it. I’m wondering what the best way is to run the power cable from around the rear-view mirror area, down the passenger side pillar (or driver’s side, if that makes more sense), then around the foot well and to the 12 volt outlet. How do people generally do this? Just wedge it into the crack between the A-pillar and the windshield? Use some sort of clip or mild adhesive?

Ideally I’d like to keep it clean looking and out of the way as much as possible.

Urambo Tauro > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/28/2016 at 18:57

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Depends on the car, but generally you can pop the plastic trim loose and hide the wires behind it. Instead of plugging into an existing socket, you could wire up a power source under the dash.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Urambo Tauro 01/28/2016 at 18:59

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2001 Honda Civic, if that helps. I’ll have to see how loose the trim is. I can’t say I’ve tried popping it loose yet.

Shankems > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/28/2016 at 19:01

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Straight down the windshield and bisect the dash. Apply wire hider.

Takuro Spirit > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/28/2016 at 19:02

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If you have curtain airbags be careful. Some of those clips are one-time use.

I have a dedicated hard wire kit for mine, so I ran the wire up along the rearview mirror wiring through the headliner an down the a-pillar to the wire harness in the kick panel where it’s tapped into ignition-on power.

McMike > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/28/2016 at 19:04

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There is 12v in the dome lights right behind the rear view mirror. See if you can pull the assembly, and fish a wire up to there and tap it...

That is, unless you need it to only be hot when the ignition is on..... I believe the console 12v outlet is only hot with the ignition is on.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > McMike 01/28/2016 at 19:27

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Interesting idea. I suspect that’d involve pulling down the headliner. I suspect it’d only need to be hot when the ignition is on. Although now that I think about it, it should have power all the time, as the dome light has settings for off/on all the time/only when the door is open.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Takuro Spirit 01/28/2016 at 19:28

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No curtain airbags - my car is too old for that. If the camera ends up being that good, I might have to look into one of the hard wire kids.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Shankems 01/28/2016 at 19:28

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Use electrical tape to hold it all down, right? :P

Rico > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/28/2016 at 19:34

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I got a G1W last month. The way I did it is routed the cable tucked in the headliner down the A pillar area closes to the door. My car has a rubber flap that goes down the entire A pills which i was able to pullback using a credit card. Tucked it in down to the door sill and under the passenger mat.

Now here’s where I switched it up. I already have my front cig lighter taken up by my car charger so I routed the cable between the passenger seat and center console to the back seat cig lighter.

I have the C model that doesn't have a battery and the only issue I have is if I don't drive my car for more than 2 days the date (and only the date) resets to 1/1/2001.

GeorgeyBoy > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/28/2016 at 19:35

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Went in the headliner and inside the pillar cover. I then used one of those add a fuse things and wired it directly into the fuse box at the footwell.

S2Konstantin > Urambo Tauro 01/28/2016 at 19:37

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Yup, this is much simpler and cleaner than running the wire to a plug. Just about all cars have dome lights in that area that use 12v. All you gotta do is pop the dome light bezel off, find the 12v wire, splice into that and then ground the other wire of the dashcam to an unpainted bolt. That’s how I installed one on my old E39.

S2Konstantin > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/28/2016 at 19:39

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You’re better off having it powered at all times IMO. That way you can catch a hit and run (hopefully) when the car is parked. As long as your drive your car daily or almost daily, it shouldn’t be killing the battery.

yitznewton > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/28/2016 at 20:08

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I hardwired that model in my S2000. It was pretty easy, probably easier than a Civic because there’s no headliner. Only gotcha was, the official wiring kit has a round wire instead of flat like e.g. my Valentine One, so it deforms the trim a bit.

Wiring it up to the fusebox was also not too bad, although it gets messy fast if you have more than one thing to cram in there.

Takuro Spirit > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/29/2016 at 09:56

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I’ve heard pros and cons, especially since I own two. The older non-capacitor ones like to overheat, but since I’m up in WI I haven’t had a problem. One of my two died after a couple weeks but the Amazon seller replaced it for free.

I’ve had them now almost a year and no complaints, other than the replacement that I got likes to forget what day it is, and sometimes the front one shuts off after just setting off, either its a voltage drop issue, or a hardwire kit issue. Its close enough I can either unplug/plug it back in, or I cycle the key off and back on at the next stop sign. Or while moving....