Install/hiding wires of a windshield mounted “dash” cam

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by KentuckyKen, Apr 30, 2018.

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  1. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    Here you go Demian,
    I installed a Rexing v2 “dash” cam that mounts to the windshield. This model has a rear view camera that in integrated into the one piece body so you don’t have to run any wires back to the rear window.
    Pluses: easy installation w no wires to run to rear of car, picks up interior and driver interactions at side window (170 degree lens), 1080p recorded front and back in separate files, or can chose 4K front recording only, good camera for light and dark, Rexing gets good reviews, can add GPS logger if needed, all accessories needed for install using cig lighter (even pry tool for trim)
    Minuses: picks up less of rear view since it’s shooting from windshield through passenger space, hard wire kit is $10 extra, GPS logger is extra

    1. Find suitable location:
    I put it behind mirror on driver’s side as close to center pod and as high as possible. Passenger side obstructed view too much and was off center. I have my seat up as much as possible (too old to bend down) and the mirror as high as possible. This worked great as the rear cam just clears the bottom of mirror and I lost practically no visibility. How you have seat and mirror adjusted will affect your best location. Tried to take pix from driver’s head position to show this. You can see it just barely protrudes from side and bottom of mirror. The small rectangle on bottom is the rear facing cam lense.
    D80C68A2-0DD7-4B68-8D70-39581DF32671.jpeg
    Note that Rexing came with a mount w 3M tape so camera easily can be removed by sliding cam to left to leave just the mount on windshield
    A2959540-DA88-4E92-AB06-0034FD95A035.jpeg

    2. Run wires across top of windshield, down A pillar and under dash to either empty fuse location that turns off with ignition or to 12v socket.
    Wire hides easily under head liner, then under top part of airbag cover on A pillar, than down under rubber gasket that seals gap between left side panel and dash panel. Then across a horizontal gap between top and bottom side panel at bottom of dash. Then it’s all concealed under dash and you’re home free.
    Tips: Used orange pry tool included w kit to gently pry open top of air bag cover and rubber gasket. I snipped off the back corner of air bag cover to get wire to smoothly transition to go down rubber gasket. The gasket has room for wire at back without puckering or edge not laying down flat. Kit came w some small stick in wire clamps that were used from cam to headliner to keep wire under blacked out portion of windshield to make it un-noticeable. Pix are a progression from cam to headliner to A pillar to gasket to dash. Wire is totally secure and out of site. See pictures:
    405E7733-0552-4083-8363-CBB518EE4FE6.jpeg E9B71C0E-3D38-4D85-9936-CEFF49BC562F.jpeg 7C0B6C64-F771-42F9-9C8B-04631DE10ED5.jpeg 00CD3D26-9B39-498A-9C11-A19E9A02BC89.jpeg A41F4454-7A02-488E-82C7-4AE685DD5BD1.jpeg A344856F-A349-40BE-BF53-A4A724E1F172.jpeg 53F1FA86-3B40-457F-B12A-5AC85618ACE3.jpeg D0011AB9-DF3A-4582-9683-FCC4361BFBA2.jpeg
    I opted not to hard wire using the $10 additional kit that plugs into fuse location because at my age standing on my head and playing contortionist under there is no fun. Just ran it over to 12v socket and the plug even has a nice swiveling cover w an extra USB port. It also feels like the spring loaded contacts are such that it won’t work it’s way out of the socket
    .

    So bottom line is that hiding the wire and getting it down to fuse or socket was a whole lot easier than I imagined. And you can’t see the wire at all. Took less than an hour to hook it all up once I figured out where to mount it.

    It’s also rather unobtrusive from outside and doesn’t look particularly like a non oem camera that wants to be stolen.
     
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  3. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    Here’s a pix from front of car showing how it doesn’t seem to stand out. Hopefully it won’t attract much attention. Now I just have to remember not to pick my nose or swear at idiot drivers because now I’m in the movies! But at least in the event of a accident I have proof of what happened.
    14AF299C-B827-4AEA-9005-F9CBD644CAF3.jpeg
    9DCC26D0-79E1-40D4-87AB-CBACAE8C5C81.jpeg
     
    4sallypat, lorem101 and bluuk like this.
  4. jdonalds

    jdonalds Well-Known Member

    Pretty much the same way I ran mine. Easiest dash cam install I've done.
     
  5. Thank you so much, great job and the photos are going to be so helpful!
     
  6. megreyhair

    megreyhair Active Member

    Great work.
    Which fuse openning did you plug into? I am trying to look for a switched fuse opening for some driving lights. Did the cam block the light sensor behind the rearview mirror?
     
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  8. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    Sorry for late reply.
    There were several empty fuse location visible under dash but my back is so bad I’ve just plugged into cig lighter socket for now.
    Cam is on windshield directly in front of sensor on left side of mirror but still lets light get to it and I have not noticed the auto dimming activate in daylight becoause is it.
     
  9. ManKo

    ManKo Member

    Are you having any problem with that location as far as the wipers not reaching where the camera lense is?
     
  10. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    No. The driver’s side wiper just covers it (the lens is just below the mirror with mirror raised to its topmost location. I also noticed the passenger wiper just covers the Honda Sense camera.
     
  11. stanigu

    stanigu Member

    I know I'm bringing up an old thread...

    I was about to install a dashcam using KentuckyKen's method, but it occurred to me: Would running a wire down the A pillar interfere with the airbag operation? I'd hate to find out that it does if it ever deploys (hope not!)
     
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  13. toomie

    toomie Member

    Good question. I asked google...

    Here's what I got.

    https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/any-issues-with-airbag-running-wire-down-a-pillar.5034/

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Inside EVs mobile app
     
    stanigu likes this.
  14. stanigu

    stanigu Member

  15. toomie

    toomie Member

    Please take plenty of pictures and keep us updated

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Inside EVs mobile app
     
  16. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    The way I showed in my post is that you run the cable across the top of the A pillar trim not down it. After you go across the top of the windshield right to left, you pry open the top of the A pillar trim and push the cable under it. Then you run the cable under the flange of the rubber door gasket down to the dash. This way you don’t have to take off the A pillar trim and it doesn’t affect the air bag deployment. It doesn’t cross over the airbag because it goes downward under the gasket. It’s very easy and hides the cable completely.
     
    Tim66 and toomie like this.
  17. Tim66

    Tim66 Active Member

    I just installed the same camera as KentuckyKen. Thanks to his primer it was a piece of cake. However, I pulled the pillar weatherstripping loose and it was much easier to run the wire behind it than using the plastic pry bar. The weatherstripping snapped easily back in to place. I used the USB hardwire kit and plugged the cable into fuse #9 which is listed on the fuse block diagram as "Option". The only issue I have is that the rear facing camera picture is upside down. I can't figure out how to flip it.

    Tim
     
  18. Tim66

    Tim66 Active Member

    OK, figured out how to flip the camera view rightside up. Hold the MIC button down for 3 seconds. The manual not exactly a font of knowledge.

    Tim
     
    KentuckyKen likes this.
  19. 1inhiding

    1inhiding New Member

    Tim66 - thanks for the follow up - I just completed the same install with a Rexing V1 and it took me less than 10 minutes! And thanks to KentuckyKen for the original instructions as well! This should be one of the first things people do after they get a new car
     
    Tim66 likes this.
  20. RobinBrain

    RobinBrain Member

    Before you do the actual mounting, make sure the wipers clear the area the camera is pointed at. I made that mistake, and had to reposition the camera.
     
  21. Ohliuw

    Ohliuw Active Member

    I will be installing thinkware hardwired. For those who opted to hardwire - did you use AddAFuse cable or you connected directly to the empty slot? If you used fuse adapters, which adapters you got?
     
  22. Tim66

    Tim66 Active Member

  23. Nemesis

    Nemesis Active Member

    Hello all, I am about to do the dashcam install tomorrow, it is way to hot in Boston today. I purchasee the Rexing VIP pro dual camera, that has a separate camera to install on the back glass. What I want to insure is that the camera will have power when the car is off and parked. I read using fuse 9 was listed as an optional slot. My question is does fuse 9 stay hot once the car is off? If not, do any of you know which fuse stays hot to power the dashcam once the car is off? Thanks. I may have missed this but I read through this thread and didn't follow which fuse location stays hot.
    Thanks
     

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