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How to: Install Dash Cam

26K views 26 replies 11 participants last post by  blackbird123! 
#1 ·
So my roommate got into a little fender bender with his WRX a while back and afterwards picked up a dash cam. He highly recommended it to me and the video quality I saw off of it was stellar. Below is the Amazon link for the camera I got. I got it on Cyber Monday on a lightning deal for $120. It shoots in 1440p if only the front camera is being used, and 1080p when both the front and the rear are being used and audio too. Great for hopefully never accidents, recording shady traffic stops, and trips to Mexico. I'm still learning how to actually use the camera and know it's ins and outs, but I figured I'd make an install thread. The kit I bought didn't have the power cord and they refunded my account $6 to buy a 10' mini USB to standard USB cord. You'll see later the way I routed and placed my front camera, I needed 15' or more. It also comes with a sweet trim tool to help with hiding cables.

https://www.amazon.com/Z-EDGE-S3-Du...id=1513087415&sr=8-6&keywords=dash+cam+z-edge

I used the below link for help, it's a generic how-to for dash cams, but ironically it's on a FiST so things will be similar. The camera I linked doesn't need a fuse tap, it uses the 12v cigarette lighters, but you can certainly follow the instructions to fuse tap another 12v behind the glove box and plug the camera in there.

https://howtune.com/articles/170-install-the-wiring-for-a-dashcam-on-a-2014-ford-fiesta


Overall install time was about an hour I think. I split it up. I ran the cabling while on my lunch at work and had my roommates help me with the camera placement. You can do camera placement first if you want or cabling it doesn't matter, just if you do cabling first, obviously have an idea of where you want your camera and leave enough cord there so the camera can be plugged in but not too much such that you have an annoying amount of excess wires dangling.

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Overall notes about camera placement. You'll want it level, and you'll want something on the car in view for reference. In the front, I have the hood and leveled by using the windshield sprayers. In there rear I leveled via the black dots that surround the window at the top and kept a little of the wiper in frame. Each lens' angle can be adjusted too.

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Front

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Rear

I got pretty lucky on my camera placement. I originally put my camera behind the mirror on the left side of it, but when I put the mirror back to see how well it was hidden, the camera blocked the mirror from going back all the way to where I needed it. I panicked because the 3M gel tape they use is pretty serious stuff so I thought I was going to chisel it off. Thankfully it didn't set completely yet and I was able to pull (pretty hard) it off. You can see where it ended up and I'd recommend this spot to others.

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If your doing the fuse tap, route the wire along the right side of the windshield, I routed it around the left for now and into the armrest. I didn't want to wire it to the front 12v because my radar detector is plugged in there and the cord isn't long enough to make it to the armrest. Since it's just USB I tried plugging it into the front USB jack, but the front one is only 1v or something. Whatever it is, it's not strong enough to power the camera so it can't be used.

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Top of Driver's side A pillar. The head liner is a little stubborn and doesn't hold the cable too well. When I take the camera off the cable falls out, so just try your best to really jam it in there. Then wrap through the plastic of the A pillar to the weather stripping in the door jamb and down from there.

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My thumb is where it wraps through the A pillar plastic.

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Here's where it comes out of the weather stripping. Yes, I know my car is filthy, piss of.

Here's where the 15' cable is needed. It's not long enough to route all the way under the steering wheel or under the seat. So it's just kind of hanging from the steering wheel to the armrest. I can feel it on my leg, but the more annoying part is it rides along the hand brake right now and I have to be careful not to yank it. When I get the longer cord I'll route it under the seat.

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To route the rear camera cabling, I tucked along the passenger side and it was all super easy to tuck.

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Passenger A pillar, same as the drivers side. Tuck along headliner then wrap around behind A pillar plastic.

Max images per post is 10 so I'll add more in next post.
 
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#2 ·
Auto part Rim Wheel Car

Tuck under weather stripping to B pillar and tuck under plastic here. Continue this to the hatch.

I placed the camera in the center and leveled it with the black dots on the rear window at the top. You can see it in the rear view, but it's not even a little bit hindering. Even on the first drive I didn't notice it until I looked for it. The wing isn't in view so no issues there.

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Don't forget, we have a hatch where the window goes with it when opened. Make sure you leave enough slack so that when the hatch is opened it doesn't rip everything apart. The provided 25' cable is also way over-sized for our car. I coiled it up and tied it off where I routed it off of the main body of the car to the hatch. The coil is just dangling now, I'll eventually want to secure it somewhere cleanly.

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You can see the camera a little here and the dots I'm talking about.

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Here's that coil.

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And more here. If you look closely you'll see where it comes out of the weather stripping.

I think that's it for now.I don't think what I did is at all dependent on the camera, just be sure whatever camera you get is placed straight and with something for reference in frame.
 
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#4 · (Edited)
poletrain said:
The camera I linked doesn't need a fuse tap, it uses the 12v cigarette lighters, but you can certainly follow the instructions to fuse tap another 12v behind the glove box and plug the camera in there.
This is a strong argument for tapping a fuse behind the glove box. lol, get an add a fuse and the right USB version of the below for power, you tap into an existing fuse with add a fuse and dont need to move anything. That way you have to worry about the cord being in your way or using up plug
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Tec-Mini-Hardwire-A119S/dp/B01N0GR4ON

nice write up though! I havent seen the ones with the rear view camera before
 
#5 ·
I installed mine very similar. The headliner is stubborn and that stupid wire is always going to fall out. What worked for me is wraping the wire that runs across the headliner every 3-5 inches in electrical tape to make it a few more MM thick. This will help keep it stuck in there. I think i'll be hardwiring mine in soon and will share what wires I tapped into. I just caught a thief this past Friday stealing a box of tools and ST parts out of my garage. Here's the video from my dashcam that came on because the dumbass bumped my car on the way in..

 
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#7 ·
Well that's pretty scary, good thing you caught it on video. Any legal results from it?

My kit also came with 3M wire mounts so I can string them onto the wire and stick them somewhere. It will probably be difficult cleanly hiding them, though.
 
#6 ·
Wow thank you for the how-to and the links.

I eventually want to do this (I've looked at that same camera before) but tie it into a fuse.

I wonder if you could pull the hatch door panel off and actually route it through that wire tube/channel in the body to the door and then through the door and out wherever the camera is.
 
#8 ·
I thought the same thing, but those tubes are for the wires that are inside the hatch like the 3rd brake light and wiper controls. The shortest route would be to cut a hole in that tube and string it through the jamb of the hatch to the camera. You're opening up the inside of that tube to the elements now since that is outside of all the weather stripping now, and possible pinching, but I was more concerned about cutting a hole in that tube.
 
#14 ·
The A pillar just pulls inward and pops loose allowing you to easily and safely hide wires, there is a short tether that keep it from flying toward you in am airbag deployment, if you unsnap that test her, then there are clips that will hold the wire in place, it is where the OEM wires are ran down.



And to pop off the dash end caps, they just need to be prided outward

Also with this panel off there is tons of room to coil up and hide any extra wire there
 
#27 ·
The A pillar just pulls inward and pops loose allowing you to easily and safely hide wires, there is a short tether that keep it from flying toward you in am airbag deployment, if you unsnap that test her, then there are clips that will hold the wire in place, it is where the OEM wires are ran down.
Thanks @1LoudST! This is exactly what I was looking for. Did you have to disable the airbag to pull the A-pillar trim? Also, the clips on the trim appear to be single use. This is exactly so the trim piece doesnt fly off if the airbag inflates. Do you know where I could get replacement clips?
 
#18 ·
No, you do not have to remove it. You just remove these two retainers and slightly pull it down enough to reach the wire once you stick it through from the top. You don't want to pull it down a lot cause you can crease the headliner. Also you will want to pull the boot loose from the body and hatch to easily run the wire through it.


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#20 ·
No I ran if off to the side, and pulled down the rubber door gaskets, then tucked the wire up behind the airbag and put the gaskets back, I then pulled off the A pillar and made the turn and tucked the wire under the headliner next to the windshield.

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