Dashcam install (heavy pics)

[Jeppo]

I tried this and failed few times now.
I could not even get one side out to see how it is looking inside. The location itself is a bit inaccessible.

It feels like I'm going to break the trim pry tool before the rubber bellows and the white flanged seat comes out. Any tips/pointers, how to proceed?

I also was afraid I’d break something. So, I exited the cable on the right of the rubber boot and used plenty of clear silicone sealant. You can see the cable indicated by the red arrow. So far, no issues.

 

[bhunted1]

This is your friend. Never leave home without it. Easiest way to punch through rubber boots, firewall boot, etc..
Amazon.com: Performance Tool W2935 Stainless Steel Wire Insertion Tool - Piercing for 1/4 Inch Wiring Hole : Tools & Home Improvement

 

[R2D2]

I'm a bit worried about water leakage in case I make a wrong opening.

I have done it in my previous car, fishing out the cable through the rubber tube. That is the cleanest solution. But I guess, anything that hides the wires (without pinching them) will do as well.

. So far, no issues.

Will try that idea.

 

[bhunted1]

I’ve used that tool several times over the years. It cut down my install times drastically. Best thing since pizza.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[R2D2]

I was able to do it yesterday with the help of some zip ties. Successfully moved the cable inside the rubber tube, without breaking anything. I had to poke a hole in the end of the rubber tube, but it's not visible once everything is put back together.

Unfortunately I have only limited pictures (under low light conditions, I was using the phone flash light to work and then used the same phone to take pictures). I will organize whatever I have and share then in my build thread.

Close to two hours, just to hide a dangling cable, but I'm a happier person now. I'm pretty sure I can do it in less an hour now.

Here are the details

 

[ConspicuousConsumption]

@GTP thanks, easy install thanks to you!

 

[ptcomputergeek]

I was curious if anyone here has tried the DONGAR Dash Cam Power Adapter, that seems like a really nice solution besides being ignition controlled. But the dash camera I am interested in has a built in battery, so maybe the built in battery will last a long time in standby mode.

 

[ptcomputergeek]

Dash Cam Power Adapter

 

[Chairborne Ranger]

I've used the Dongar adapter for my 2025 ST and it works well and is simple to install. If you need your camera to stay on all the time as you have noted then it's not going to work for that situation.

 

[svache]

I installed a Thinkware u3000 Pro with Powercell 8 battery (for parking mode, so my car's battery doesn't get drained) into my 2025 ST today. I wanted to add my experience because my situation was slightly different than what I've seen from others in this thread, and maybe it'll help others in a '25 ST in a similar setup.

I did a fuse tap on F60 (glass roof) and added the ground under a bolt, a bit to the right of the fusebox. This bolt sits out of view and is on backward. It is very easy to reach with an 8mm wrench, but you don't see it when looking into the area behind the glovebox. I added a picture to this post: it is roughly where the yellow arrow points at (the wire above, which you see goes behind the bare metal part, is my ground wire). The other fuses mentioned in this thread and elsewhere either didn't exist for me or had always-on power. The Powercell 8 battery has only two wires, ground and accessory (there is no need for always-on power in this setup, and you don't want to charge the backup battery when the car isn't on).

I placed the battery below the passenger seat and ran the wires from behind the glovebox to the passenger seat behind the panels. You can just pull them; they pop off quite easily. The power cable from the battery to the front camera then runs back from the battery the same way the other cable came, and then further up along the A pillar and towards the center of the window, where the dashcam sits (just below the mirror in the middle).

As for the rear camera, I did this on the driver's side (to avoid any interference from the power cables, not sure if this is still an issue, but it was years back, so I just keep doing it this way (I believe this was my 9th install). Basically, this cable went from the middle of my windshield, where the front camera sits, to the driver's side A pillar, then along the roof paneling (the weather strips are easy to pull off and give you easy access) to the B pillar, then the same way to the C pillar, and finally toward the tailgate. I then popped the middle part above the window on the tailgate off for easier access, and popped the wire canal (or whatever it is called, the thing that holds the wires from the car into the tailgate) to fish the cable through (this was not easy, but it looks great now that it's done), and to the top center where the rear camera was going to be.

Took me a few hours, mostly because I had the hardest time finding a suitable fuse (almost all were always on) and because I got stuck fiddling with the USB cable for the rear camera through that channel on the tailgate. It didn't exactly help either that this cable was quite thick lol. It would've been a lot quicker if not for these things.

I'm definitely happy to have a dashcam in my car again. I went without one for a few weeks since I got the ST, and it just didn't feel right. There have been several situations in the past where the dashcam really helped me, especially one time when I learned there was an APB out on me, as I was accused of a hit-and-run in a minor fender bender (it was actually the accuser who drove off when I went to the side of the road and stopped). My footage clearly showed that not only was I not the one doing the hit-and-run, but it also showed the other party breaking various laws before hitting my car (which, by the way, had no damage at all, but they did have damage to their car (which I assume is why they tried blaming me)). So yeah, these things are life savers imho.

Anyway, hopefully this helps someone in the future