[hneel]

Recently I installed my dashcam and the map lights seemed the best way to get power. I soldered a cable to the red and black wire and routed it under the roof. Only a small piece of cable is visible. The dashcam is, off course , mounted at the top of the window screen.

However, it looks like it is now permanently powered. Could that be true? I thought the map lights would automatically turn of after a couple of minutes after locking the car. I tested this and 40 minutes later the dasmcam was still running.

Would it be better to route a wire from the cigarette lighter to the top? Or what's the easiest alternative?

[Shambles]

Mine is connected the way you have done yours.

I unplug the power lead from the camera when I'm done, then stow the camera in the overhead compartment.

On the two occasions I've accidentally left the camera running I've returned to my car several hours later to find it's turned off, as the map light power has been disengaged. By unlocking the car I could see the camera booting up again as the power to the map lights was restored.

Can't say how long it is before the power is automatically dropped I think I'll time it in the next few days.

[AlanHo]

I've routed the feed to the dashcam which is mounted behind the rear view mirror as follows :-


Vertically up and tucked into the small gap between the windscreen and roof headlining.
Across the top of the screen (inside the headlining) to the A pillar
Around the A Pillar and then tucked into the flange of the rubber door frame seal
Inside the flange of the door seal all the way round the door frame until opposite the driver's seat.
Out of the door seal and across the car under the driver's seat to the central binnacle
Plugged into the Power socket in the central binnacle.


The only bit visible is the short run around the A pillar


You then only have power to the camera when ignition is on.


Simples.

[asathorny]

I followed Alan's superb advice...   

[wbm00]

I followed Alan's superb advice...   

I did too except I routed it on the passenger side. From the A pillar it went down alongside the passenger airbag deactivation switch, behind the glove box and towards the central power point. The reason for this was the limited length of the cable supplied with the camera.

[hneel]

I noticed a red wire and a yellow wire go to the map lights. The red one is permanently powered, the yellow one is 'managed'. The latter goes on when the door lock is opened etc...

What I would like is to move the red wire from permanently powered to switched powered. This has another advantage (IMO) that the map lights can't be accidentally left on. (The yellow wire can stay as it is. I wouldn't want to change that functionality).

Does anyone know how this could be done? Where does the red wire go to? Perhaps the fuse box?

[AlanHo]

There must be a relay involved somewhere - because my map lights extinguish about 30 seconds after I switch the engine off.  This may not be a simple modification.

Is it really worth the bother when it is so easy to run the car cam feed in the headlining to the A Pillar, down the A pillar tucked into the flange of the door seal and then under the drivers seat to the power socket in the central binnacle.

[druggist]

I bought an Add-a-Fuse and attached it to a cigarette lighter socket, which I put under the dash. I then routed the wire from the dashcam and the wire from the GPS as Alan suggested and plugged then in to a USB to 12V plug in the cigarette lighter socket that I installed.

Atc Add A Fuse - Atc-plug - Fuse Taps - Fuses Flashers Relays - by Made In The U S A - The Atc Fuse

[The Gonz]

Cool. Similarly, I connected a 12V-to-5V USB adapter directly to the rear contacts of the accessory socket in the centre console and fed my dash-pocket-mounted GPS. Of course no need to route anywhere near the windscreen in my case. Cost: $5 for the adapter, part of a comprehensive set of adapter connectors and cables including USB, mini-USB, micro-USB, iPad and iPhone - lots of spare adapters as a bonus!