Fitting a dashcam

[Ducks]

Originally Posted by Quacker

I've got the Goluk T3 in my Volvo as well. Super little camera. It is hardwired but the dealer did this one and it is wired into a fuse that turns off when the car's system switches off. I know that the T3 does go into parking mode if the ignition is kept alive for long enough, so keep wondering whether it would be OK, without draining the car battery over say three weeks without driving, if wired into a constant live? That way the camera would wake up only when something substantial moved in its field of view.

Certainly my daughter's Qashqai has a camera I wired into the [cigarette lighter] power socket which remains live constantly. She often forgets to unplug it when leaving the car and I don't think I've set it to activate park mode. Its a cheap Koenig camera. The point being that it has been constantly on for a week or more while the car was not used and the car battery has been fine.

I've just bought an Aukey front and rear combination linked camera set and I've a mind to use a hardwire kit to plumb that into a constant live. The main concern I have with this is that there are two cameras sucking power when its recording and some little power when its sleeping, so have some doubts about wiring it that way.

The hardwire kit I got.. stops the battery from going flat. It would eventually switch the camera off if the batter reaches a certain level. Worth having over a constant live

[Quacker]

Originally Posted by Ducks

The hardwire kit I got.. stops the battery from going flat. It would eventually switch the camera off if the batter reaches a certain level. Worth having over a constant live

I've wondered about how effective these ones are, because there must be a significant voltage drop before they cut the power to the camera in the first place?
Also what puzzles me is whether the car actually shuts down all systems itself anyway once the voltage drops to that sort of level or after a set time has passed since last driven. My BMW X5 and Range Rover certainly did. Indeed one of the problems with the X5 was that when left in certain places, such as my local railway station, radio interference would prevent the car's systems shutting down, resulting in a flat battery if left for four days or more. No dashcams or sat-navs in those days [early 2000's].

[BicesterTerrier]

Glad I found this thread, I have a couple of questions -

In the Swedespeed article linked the removal of a plastic cover to reveal a bolt is mentioned, is this the cover with the airbag label on it at the top of the A Pillar?

How on earth do I remove the fusebox cover. Managed to remove all the trim from inside the door and pull carpet back but can't for the life of me open the fusebox cover.

Is it possible to fold the carpet fully back down there or just at an angle away from the fusebox.

I was going to run the cable across the joint between roof lining and A pillar so glad I found the thread, looks like I need to took it away better.

Cheers,

Rich

[Lexman8]

Yes, it's the small plastic airbag cover near the top of the A pillar. It just pops out.

Others have reported difficulty in getting the fuse cover off but I don't know what the solution is.

[volvocamper]

I fitted my dashcam into my XC90 just yesterday. The dealer supplied a lead which goes to the underside of the 12v socket in the centre console to power it. You pull the connector off back of the 12v socket, plug the connector into one end of the dealer supplied lead and the other end attaches to the 12v socket. It then has a + and - lead coming out of it to power your camera without interfering with the original wiring. I fitted an inline 5A fuse in the + feed line.
The sidepanel unclamps from the tunnel easily to gain access to the 12v socket. I then unscrewed the panel under the glovebox (2 x hexagonal bolts) and the end cover from the dash (it just uncoils) and then up the A-Pillar trim and across the edge of the headlining to the camera. As others have said, the plastic airbag cover prises out to reveal an 8mm bolt, remove this bolt and the A-Pillar trim can be unclipped. It will be tight at the bottom and i found it better in the (slight) sunny warmth yesterday as cold conditions can lead to plastic parts becoming brittle.
The cable the dealer supplied is one they use for their (Volvo dealer supplied) dashcam installs and is made by RoadHawk so you may be able to find it on line if the dealer wont play ball. The cost of the lead/hardwire/screen mount was £22.80 so not a silly price either.

[BicesterTerrier]

Thanks both.

Piggy backing the lighter socket sounds nice, I have a Nextbase Duo, the supplied lighter socket lead has an inline fuse, wonder whether with a bit if a fiddle I could use a scotch lock or something similar to piggy back the lighter, could just cut the end off the supplied cable.

Not faffing with the fuse sounds like a much better option.

EDIT - It doesn't come with an inline fuse.....manual also states not to cut plug off too.....

[nu11eaf]

Originally Posted by BicesterTerrier

Thanks both.

Piggy backing the lighter socket sounds nice, I have a Nextbase Duo, the supplied lighter socket lead has an inline fuse, wonder whether with a bit if a fiddle I could use a scotch lock or something similar to piggy back the lighter, could just cut the end off the supplied cable.

Not faffing with the fuse sounds like a much better option.

EDIT - It doesn't come with an inline fuse.....manual also states not to cut plug off too.....

What ever you do never ever use scotch lock connectors on any wiring, they are the worst connections ever invented. Using them ultimately leads to problems in future.

[Boatie]

I still haven't got around to installing mine. (front & rear cameras) I have found the time to work out how some of the trim comes off. I intend to run the rear cable at low level. I've got back to the rear seat and can't imagine getting into the spare wheel well will be that difficult. I have also found out how the rubber gaiter into the tailgate fits. If you ease it out from the tailgate there's a rectangular plastic fitting underneath that the rubber kind of fits over. This fitting is loose in the tailgate but it's impossible to get the rubber back over it in situ.The fitting is held into the hole in the tailgate by 4 tangs. Once you manage to depress these the fitting comes out when it's possible to get the gaiter over it.

For connecting to the fusebox (once I decide which fuses to tap into) I've got 2 fused 'piggyback' connectors (from E Bay)


Frank

[BicesterTerrier]

Originally Posted by volvocamper

............ You pull the connector off back of the 12v socket, plug the connector into one end of the dealer supplied lead and the other end attaches to the 12v socket. It then has a + and - lead coming out of it to power your camera without interfering with the original wiring. I fitted an inline 5A fuse in the + feed line..........

Don't suppose you have a part number or packaging of the lead do you??

Rich

[volvocamper]

Originally Posted by BicesterTerrier

Don't suppose you have a part number or packaging of the lead do you??

Rich

It was in a small box and a plastic bag, no instructions but the dealer workshop manager mentioned it and said they would order it in and send on which they did this week. It was straightforward to fit if you have basic understanding of 12v electrics (and if not best left to dealer to fit).
The below is the description on the invoice. Other suggestion is if you ring the dealer (MR King, Halesworth, Suffolk, 01986 874464 - Ross Beynon is the name on the invoice in their parts dept who sorted it) and they will order it, take payment (£22.80) when it is in and will then send out to you. It is a great little connector and leaves wiring completely untouched + v v easy to pull the tunnel side panel off for full access to the 12v accessory socket and its + and - feed. Dont forget a 5A inline fuse in the +ve feed to the camera though as the accessory socket is covered by a 15A fuse!