looking to do a dash cam hardwire installation. questions for those who've done it

[achilleas101]

Ok, i'm probably going to pull the trigger on a Blackvue DR500, and would want to hardwire it. i've been searching around for good DIY threads (this probably being the best one http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...light=dash+cam), and i've seen some info but not a full step by step tutorial. So i have some questions.

First, this is what i'm looking to get. It comes with the Power Magic Pro, which i believe is the first part of what i need to a) hard wire into the fusebox and b) have the option to run it constantly, even when parked as surveillance mode.

http://www.amazon.com/BlackVue-DR500...s=blackvue+500

So here are my questions.

1) Am i correct to assume that the core camera comes with basically a cigarette lighter adapter for power? Thus you need to plug that into the power magic pro in order to have a hardwire option?

2) what kind of add a fuse do i get? ATC? ATO? ATM? i think i've seen all 3. ATO looks like the terminals are too small, but not sure about ATM vs ATC. i believe this pic is of an ATM.


3) the power magic has terminal leads at the end of the wires. am i supposed to cut those off, strip the wire back, solder together, and then heat what i believe is the heat shrinking tubing at the end of the add-a-fuse?

4) For running the wire from the camera down to the fuse box, people say that you can use a bone tool, or other type of skinny trim tool to push the cord into the gap between the roof and headliner - so to be clear, you do NOT actually pop off, or peel off the headliner. you literally just jam the wire into the gap? because it doesn't look like much of a gap there upon initially checking it out.

5) the a-pillar though, you can pop off the airbag button, remove the torx screw and pull it back a bit, but you want to run the cable on the OUTSIDE (left) of the pillar, not the inside (right), or does it matter?

6) where the heck do you ground it?

i appreciate any help people can provide. this doesn't seem too complicated, but just want to make sure i know what i'm doing before i go messing up the car. i used to do my own car stereo head unit and speaker upgrades, so crimping and soldering wires is not something i'm afraid of. but with electricity, i don't believe you can be too careful!

[lapisia]

What I did was ran the wire along the rearview mirror up to the headliner then tucked it under the headliner. The headliner does "peel away" if you pull hard enough, and it gets easier away from the center. I then ran the wire across the A pillar and into the plastic trim outside of the pillar all the way into the fusebox. The only wires I see are the little bit that I see going up the mirror and the part that exposes itself from the trim into the fusebox.

It's a very easy install as long as you have the necessary tools. I recommend that you run the hardwire into the driver's side because I discovered that the fusebox on the passenger side doesn't have any accessory fuses available for you to use that are not considered vital/safety operations.

Watch this dude's video for more info:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su882DHtAus

He also has an install video on how to "tuck the wires in" but to be honest his install was very sloppy.

[GarrettA4q]

Sounds like you have far information than I usually have before I attempt a job. Just ground the wire to the frame. Or locate a ground somewhere around the fuse box, most likely there is one close by that the factory used. (sorry I have a B6 otherwise I would look). As long as your ground is secure, I believe you are pretty safe to test and connect wires to see which works best. I might look into using the accessory wire for your power source.

[PitchS4]

This is great to have but has anyone actually had success with dashcam videos holding up in court or in insurance arbitration?

[Zaider]

I had my DR500 installed on saturday by my audio guy. Didn't use the power magic because my car sits in the garage for most of its life so there is no need.

He used the bone tool to hide the wire along the headliner, then removed the a-piller and ran it along there and then down to the fuse panel. I believe he used a zip tie to prevent the wire coming loose from behind the a-pillar. There was another piece of trim he removed to get the wire from the a-pillar to the fuse panel without being visible. He just soldered some wire to the actual cigarette adapter, wrapped it in electrical tape and then shoved that into the gap above the fuse panel.

The only wire I see is the 1" that comes from the headliner to the camera.

Honestly, I believe you're over complicating it in your head a bit.

This is great to have but has anyone actually had success with dashcam videos holding up in court or in insurance arbitration?

Why wouldn't it? If red light cameras hold up as proof you went through the light, and cell-phone video or picture can be used in court, why wouldn't this?

[achilleas101]

What I did was ran the wire along the rearview mirror up to the headliner then tucked it under the headliner. The headliner does "peel away" if you pull hard enough, and it gets easier away from the center. I then ran the wire across the A pillar and into the plastic trim outside of the pillar all the way into the fusebox. The only wires I see are the little bit that I see going up the mirror and the part that exposes itself from the trim into the fusebox.

It's a very easy install as long as you have the necessary tools. I recommend that you run the hardwire into the driver's side because I discovered that the fusebox on the passenger side doesn't have any accessory fuses available for you to use that are not considered vital/safety operations.

Watch this dude's video for more info:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su882DHtAus

He also has an install video on how to "tuck the wires in" but to be honest his install was very sloppy.

thanks for the info, and the video link. that actually had some other videos in the similar search come up that were useful.

Honestly, I believe you're over complicating it in your head a bit.

i always do before i tackle something i'm new to. i'm overly analytical, and when i'm not familiar with something, have a tendency to way over analyze.

[FiftyPence]

NOTE I HAVE A RIGHT-HAND DRIVE S4

I would say that it is always nice to have all the available information before proceeding with something like this, the alternative would be to make a start then realise you need X, Y, Z part and in some cases your vehicle may not be in a driveable condition to go fetch the missing parts you need.

The youtube video by blackboxmycar.com was helpful when I installed this same exact model dashcam.

I left my power magic pro on the infinite recording setting and the car battery was down to 50% when I returned from a 1 week vacation so bear in mind you may wish to flick the OFF switch if you leave the car for any more than a couple of weeks. But on my return after a couple of days driving to the office and back (~2hrs driving in total) the battery was back up to 100%. Battery figures were all based on the display in the MMI.

I suggest you remove the A-pillar trim by flicking out the AIRBAG badge with a trim tool and undoing the torx bolt and in doing so you can route the blackvue wire down the inside of the a pillar.
I also found there was plenty of room to push the wire into the headliner from the mirror.
A circuit tester light is also handy because it can show you when a fuse is live. This is how I determined which fuses to use.

This is my trim removal tool kit which always comes in handy.


This is a shot of my power magic pro control box. Remember, if you leave the switch in the I 'ON' position then the power magic pro is being used and the dashcam will record based on the dipswitch settings. If you flick the switch to 0 'OFF' then the dashcam will only turn on when the ignition is on, ie you are driving, and the dashcam will switch off shortly after you turn off the ignition.


This shot is taken from very low down outside the vehicle and shows the power magic pro control box which I have placed under the glove compartment/ above passenger footwell.
I assure you it is not usually noticeable at all by driver or passenger unless you really bend down to look for it.


This is a shot from the drivers seat toward the mirror, you can hardly see the blackbue dashcam at all because it has been positioned behind the mirror.
Seeing as your drivers seat is on the other side I suggest you orientate the blackvue dashcam so that it is on the passenger side of the mirror with the SD-card slot toward the passenger side and the lens is closest to the centre line of the vehicle.


I used 2 x add-a-fuse shown here and the cigarette lighter socket and wiring is hidden inside the dash there.
See that silver screw top left in the picture? That is your ground/earth point.


This shot shows the layout of the fuses on my passenger side and from this we can determine which fuses I piggy-backed onto.

It seems I used the MMI-radio fuse on the brown fuse panel and the diagnostic connector on the black fuse panel. May I remind you that this is in my right-hand drive UK car and these fuse panels are on my passenger side. I do not know if these are located on your USA left-hand drive drivers side or if they are infact the mirror image of mine and you will find them on your passenger side.

[audirings4]

I actually installed my Blackvue and Magic Box Pro this weekend.

I used these two videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8Gow5pbeEg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exSfS4yz1F8

I ended up using add-a-fuse (add-a-circuit).

Do not wrap the wire around the fuse. IMO this is not safe.

Most of the wires can be tucked in around the fuse and then run up the A-piller.
The cover is held in by one screw underneath the "airbag" labeled cover.


I also removed one side of the visor clip by removing the cap on the left side and pulling out the clip.

This gave me the ability to tuck the wires in neatly.

Hope this helps.

[achilleas101]

all of this is good and helpful, thanks guys!

Audirings- what type of fuse taps are those though, for ATM? ATC?

[FiftyPence]

1) Am i correct to assume that the core camera comes with basically a cigarette lighter adapter for power? Thus you need to plug that into the power magic pro in order to have a hardwire option?

2) what kind of add a fuse do i get? ATC? ATO? ATM? i think i've seen all 3. ATO looks like the terminals are too small, but not sure about ATM vs ATC. i believe this pic is of an ATM.

3) the power magic has terminal leads at the end of the wires. am i supposed to cut those off, strip the wire back, solder together, and then heat what i believe is the heat shrinking tubing at the end of the add-a-fuse?

4) For running the wire from the camera down to the fuse box, people say that you can use a bone tool, or other type of skinny trim tool to push the cord into the gap between the roof and headliner - so to be clear, you do NOT actually pop off, or peel off the headliner. you literally just jam the wire into the gap? because it doesn't look like much of a gap there upon initially checking it out.

5) the a-pillar though, you can pop off the airbag button, remove the torx screw and pull it back a bit, but you want to run the cable on the OUTSIDE (left) of the pillar, not the inside (right), or does it matter?

6) where the heck do you ground it?

1) Yes, cigarette lighter from blackvue plugs into the socket in the power magic pro
2) ATO/ATC. You do not want 'mini' add-a-fuse, you need regular size
3) According to the picture you provided, those add-a-fuse need to be crimped, they are not heatshrink tubing
4) Push the wire into the headliner but remove the a-pillar trim. For me, the wire went into the headliner with a simple push, not difficult or forced at all.
5) I just located the wire in the a-pillar behind the airbag as best I could.
6) Ground is located at the silver bolt point I illustrated in the fuse box picture in my post above.

[FiftyPence]

You may wish to install the custom firmware which will vastly improve video quality. Refer to http://forum.dashcamtalk.com/viewtop...t=669&start=70

PM the user Mio and ask nicely for the files.

[lapisia]

NOTE I HAVE A RIGHT-HAND DRIVE S4

What did you use to adhere the power magic device to the plastic of the car? I tried using 3M mounting tape and even the super sticky 3M gooey plastic mount thing that came with my itronic but the stupid thing just won't stick. I ended up having to super glue the thing along with the supermount near the footwell around where the hood release lever is.

[FiftyPence]

My power magic pro came with double sided tape so I simply removed the backing and stuck it there

Note that to the right of that picture the plastic is ribbed but precisely where I mounted the power magic pro control box it is perfectly flat plastic and an ideal mounting point which adhered nicely.

[FiftyPence]

Also, don't forget - you can use a 64gb SD card as long as you format it as FAT32.

I use a SanDisk Ultra 64GB MicroSDXC Class 10 which I purchased from Amazon.

[lapisia]

Hijacking the thread a bit but anyone done the Rear camera install hardwire? I am about to do mine, but the fusebox looks a bit more complicated than the fronts. Anyone has a pic showing which ground point they used to ground the hardwire for the rear trunk fuse box?

much appreciated.

[Zaider]

Hijacking the thread a bit but anyone done the Rear camera install hardwire? I am about to do mine, but the fusebox looks a bit more complicated than the fronts. Anyone has a pic showing which ground point they used to ground the hardwire for the rear trunk fuse box?

much appreciated.

For a grounding point, why not just ground to the chassis? Anywhere where a metal screw goes into metal should do. Just clean off any paint to make sure you get a good solid connection.

[audibmi]

2) ATO/ATC. You do not want 'mini' add-a-fuse, you need regular size

this highly depends on the fuse bank and particular fuse that you want to tap in to. on my *north American* spec 2013 s4, i use the soundaktor fuse location on the driver side fuse panel which is a mini fuse.

[Tweakophyte]

Do any of these DVRs tie into the rear backup camera?

[achilleas101]

You may wish to install the custom firmware which will vastly improve video quality. Refer to http://forum.dashcamtalk.com/viewtop...t=669&start=70

PM the user Mio and ask nicely for the files.

how much recording time are you getting on a card (16 or 32gb) at the regular quality vs the higher bitrate? and have you noticed a difference in being able to read license plates with the higher bitrate?

[achilleas101]

this highly depends on the fuse bank and particular fuse that you want to tap in to. on my *north American* spec 2013 s4, i use the soundaktor fuse location on the driver side fuse panel which is a mini fuse.

after seeing this post, i checked and verified. apparently there are 2 different sized fuses in our banks! what are you using the for the constant power feed? the soundaktor is only "ignition on" right?

[lapisia]

after seeing this post, i checked and verified. apparently there are 2 different sized fuses in our banks! what are you using the for the constant power feed? the soundaktor is only "ignition on" right?

Just use one of the fuses in the middle row. I believe I used wipe motor or something. Check your manual and pick one that doesnt sound important.

[audibmi]

after seeing this post, i checked and verified. apparently there are 2 different sized fuses in our banks! what are you using the for the constant power feed? the soundaktor is only "ignition on" right?

soundaktor is switched with ignition. i am not using constant power as i opted to use an external rechargeable lithum ion battery rather than the blackvue power magic device with car battery.

the external battery is about the size of an iphone and recharges while the car is running. this way i don't worry about draining the car battery when the dashcam is in parking mode.

[QuattroRocket]

Just put mine in last week, maybe this will help Accessory-wiring-issues

I wired to the pass side fuse box since I was trying the camera on the right of the mirror (which isnt working so I have to move it by the way, the mirror is in the way since the field of view is so wide).

[dparm]

Run the wiring down the a-pillar and you can go right into the fusebox. No cutting or hacking of wires necessary. You don't even have to remove any trim pieces -- use an old credit card to just tuck the wiring in. I did that on my 9500ix and it worked perfectly.

[achilleas101]

Just use one of the fuses in the middle row. I believe I used wipe motor or something. Check your manual and pick one that doesnt sound important.

yeah, the horn one is looking good right now. :)

soundaktor is switched with ignition. i am not using constant power as i opted to use an external rechargeable lithum ion battery rather than the blackvue power magic device with car battery.

the external battery is about the size of an iphone and recharges while the car is running. this way i don't worry about draining the car battery when the dashcam is in parking mode.

i actually came across your other post, but what isn't clear to me is this:
a) how do you set up the wiring to go from the camera to the battery. that's a missing link i don't get. ok, you plug the lighter plug into the lighter socket you got, but the wires coming out of the lighter socket go into what, and how? are you splicing wires from the battery's power cord?
b) how do you set up a switch to control between 24/7 recording (running off the battery) and only recording when the car is on (via the fuse box connection)?
c) how do you set it up so that the battery recharges?

[achilleas101]

Run the wiring down the a-pillar and you can go right into the fusebox. No cutting or hacking of wires necessary. You don't even have to remove any trim pieces -- use an old credit card to just tuck the wiring in. I did that on my 9500ix and it worked perfectly.

now that's a nifty trick. will probably try that first.

[FiftyPence]

I use a 64gb card, you can find the factory video recording time specs for a 32gb card in the blackvue manual.

The custom firmware to increase video quality makes a huge improvement to the clarity of licence plates shown in video footage.

PS: just get on and do it already, it's been over 24hrs now!

[achilleas101]

I use a 64gb card, you can find the factory video recording time specs for a 32gb card in the blackvue manual.

The custom firmware to increase video quality makes a huge improvement to the clarity of licence plates shown in video footage.

PS: just get on and do it already, it's been over 24hrs now!

good info... i actually put the order in yesterday on Amazon. should be delivered by Friday. So depending on how the weekend goes, this might be a Sunday project.

[FiftyPence]

Ha, I thought you guys in the US can order something from amazon and receive it at your door first thing the next morning

[achilleas101]

Ha, I thought you guys in the US can order something from amazon and receive it at your door first thing the next morning

sure, if you want to pay for that kind of shipping charge. Prime membership gives you 2 days shipping. I don't pay for Prime membership, and i can wait a few days for free shipping. i'm kind of cheap that way.

[dparm]

now that's a nifty trick. will probably try that first.

No problem. I was able to run it from the rear view mirror up to the headliner, over to the A-pillar, and then right to the fusebox inside the dashboard without any tricks. Took me all of 10 minutes.

[lapisia]

No problem. I was able to run it from the rear view mirror up to the headliner, over to the A-pillar, and then right to the fusebox inside the dashboard without any tricks. Took me all of 10 minutes.

Yep, at most is to use a torx driver to loosen the screw in the A pillar to make life much easier.

[SmellMyFart]

I chose cr500hd over this one because this one dies due to over heat. Lots of ppl experienced it.

[achilleas101]

I chose cr500hd over this one because this one dies due to over heat. Lots of ppl experienced it.

you mean the finevu cr500? i looked at that, but it was more expensive and has fewer features. plus, the overheating problems were on the blackvue 400, not the 500. at least from the research i've done.

[SmellMyFart]

you mean the finevu cr500? i looked at that, but it was more expensive and has fewer features. plus, the overheating problems were on the blackvue 400, not the 500. at least from the research i've done.

Maybe u r right. I don't rmb which one always fails due to overheat. I have my finevu cr500hd installed at 310. Not bad but I rmb the guy who sold me the dash cam told me that a new model that comes with displaying the real time video on ur iphone and a gps is coming out very soon.

[audibmi]

yeah, the horn one is looking good right now. :)


i actually came across your other post, but what isn't clear to me is this:
a) how do you set up the wiring to go from the camera to the battery. that's a missing link i don't get. ok, you plug the lighter plug into the lighter socket you got, but the wires coming out of the lighter socket go into what, and how? are you splicing wires from the battery's power cord?
b) how do you set up a switch to control between 24/7 recording (running off the battery) and only recording when the car is on (via the fuse box connection)?
c) how do you set it up so that the battery recharges?

probably best to explain with a photo schematic. with ignition, battery charger charges battery pack and powers dashcam. when car is turned off, the battery pack powers dashcam for up to 20 hours. there are on/off switches on both the charger and battery pack if you don't want camera to run with ignition off.

going counterclockwise from the top:

1. mini fusetap
2. female cigarette socket with spade on black wire to connect to ground bolt on car chassis, and red wire to connect to fuse tap
3. battery quick charger with male cigarette plug (to receive 12V from fusetap) and plug to connect to battery's 8.4V input
4. 12V output from battery to a female cigarette socket
5. male cigarette plug from Blackvue power cable to connect to Blackvue dash cam.

no soldering required. everything is plug and play.



Same wiring diagram for my GoPro Hero 3, except I use a Belkin 5V USB cigarette adapter to connect usb cable to power Gopro camera. I can turn on gopro camera with the remote or with my iphone. the remote display mirrors the display settings on the camera.



Gopro has much better resolution compared to Blackvue, and is much smaller. Both have iphone apps for live streaming video. Only disadvantage with Gopro is that you must manually power on and off, but it does have infinite video loop record function now.

[QuattroRocket]

I use a 64gb card, you can find the factory video recording time specs for a 32gb card in the blackvue manual.

The custom firmware to increase video quality makes a huge improvement to the clarity of licence plates shown in video footage.

Care to explain this custom firmware you are using ? Where did you get it and what does it offer over stock ?

[ptx415]

Care to explain this custom firmware you are using ? Where did you get it and what does it offer over stock ?

http://forum.dashcamtalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=669

[achilleas101]

probably best to explain with a photo schematic. with ignition, battery charger charges battery pack and powers dashcam. when car is turned off, the battery pack powers dashcam for up to 20 hours. there are on/off switches on both the charger and battery pack if you don't want camera to run with ignition off.

going counterclockwise from the top:

1. mini fusetap
2. female cigarette socket with spade on black wire to connect to ground bolt on car chassis, and red wire to connect to fuse tap
3. battery quick charger with male cigarette plug (to receive 12V from fusetap) and plug to connect to battery's 8.4V input
4. 12V output from battery to a female cigarette socket
5. male cigarette plug from Blackvue power cable to connect to Blackvue dash cam.

no soldering required. everything is plug and play.



Same wiring diagram for my GoPro Hero 3, except I use a Belkin 5V USB cigarette adapter to connect usb cable to power Gopro camera. I can turn on gopro camera with the remote or with my iphone. the remote display mirrors the display settings on the camera.



Gopro has much better resolution compared to Blackvue, and is much smaller. Both have iphone apps for live streaming video. Only disadvantage with Gopro is that you must manually power on and off, but it does have infinite video loop record function now.

damnit.. wish i'd waited to see this post before buying anything. the gopro hero3 has 1080p 60fps which is what i was searching for but couldn't find.

meantime, where'd you get all these parts? the only places i've found that have the tpower C don't seem to have those cigarette lighter adapters you have. (the female that the camera plugs into). Also, the female socket that the fuse tap gets connected to - where'd you find that?

[audibmi]

damnit.. wish i'd waited to see this post before buying anything. the gopro hero3 has 1080p 60fps which is what i was searching for but couldn't find.

meantime, where'd you get all these parts? the only places i've found that have the tpower C don't seem to have those cigarette lighter adapters you have. (the female that the camera plugs into). Also, the female socket that the fuse tap gets connected to - where'd you find that?

crimp on spade connector to attach to ground bolt: any automotive shop should have these, but I had a few spares lying around.

minifuse tap: $5

http://www.ebay.com/itm/15A-Mini-Bla...item3a7d50154f

female cigarette socket: $3.67

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12v-Female-C...item3f2048fa83

t-power battery pack: $99 (I purchased with camera so it was cheaper than buying separately. this kit includes the female socket that plugs into the battery pack. try emailing them with a best offer. they ship fedex for free and arrived in 2 days!)

http://astrobile.com/t-power-externa...-blackbox.html