[Pottah]

I have an Anker Roav C1 dash cam that I pulled out my by previous car and it has a "parking mode" with built in battery so it will turn on at impact if the car is off and I wanted a clean install where I could hide the wire as much as possible. While this is a great install guide, I wasn't interested in running the wire to the trunk and tapping into the fuse box. Partly because I'd have to purchase a new cable but mostly because it was more work -- work smarter not harder! I also didn't want the wire sticking out of the cup holder area or having the wire hanging out of the center console so instead I routed it to the rear 12V cigarette lighter adapter. I don't think that socket would EVER be used otherwise.

I found that the 10-12ft USB cable it came with would reach if I routed the cable just right so I tucked it underneath the roof lining and behind the weather stripping but instead of going all the way down to the door sill I went straight across the bottom of the glove box and was able to tuck it between that and the trim then tucked it behind the center console trim and had just enough to plug it in the rear 12v. Check out the video below if you're interested. I hope this helps others!

[Fabb]

Good video! Very creative way to route the dashcam. One question: does the cinerite light port lose power when the car is shut down? Does the parking mode work if that's the case then?

If it's keeping the 12V power when the car is down, wouldn't this be draining the battery power till it depleted?

[Pottah]

Originally Posted by Fabb

Good video! Very creative way to route the dashcam. One question: does the cinerite light port lose power when the car is shut down? Does the parking mode work if that's the case then?

If it's keeping the 12V power when the car is down, wouldn't this be draining the battery power till it depleted?

Thanks! The port turns off when the car is off but the dash cam has a built in battery it utilizes for the parking mode feature. No risk of draining the car battery.

[Caduceus]

US spec vehicles don't have a 12V outlet underneath the glovebox do they? Above the passenger's feet? That's a pity.

[Pottah]

Originally Posted by Caduceus

US spec vehicles don't have a 12V outlet underneath the glovebox do they? Above the passenger's feet? That's a pity.

I didn’t see one but I also didn’t look for one

[spoon27]

Originally Posted by Caduceus

US spec vehicles don't have a 12V outlet underneath the glovebox do they? Above the passenger's feet? That's a pity.

Yes there is. I have the OG LCI and can confirm it’s there.

[MR RIZK]

Not sure if there is a compatible tap from these guys. Maybe reach out to them

https://www.mirrortap.com/index.html

[Pottah]

Originally Posted by MR RIZK

Not sure if there is a compatible tap from these guys. Maybe reach out to them

https://www.mirrortap.com/index.html

I already have a mirror tap for my radar but as I said I already ran the wire so there’s no need.

[Pottah]

Originally Posted by spoon27

Yes there is. I have the OG LCI and can confirm it’s there.

Do you have a pic? I’ll have to look when I get my car back from PPF install but mine is an M2C so maybe they got rid of it?

[Megator]

Originally Posted by Caduceus

US spec vehicles don't have a 12V outlet underneath the glovebox do they? Above the passenger's feet? That's a pity.

The 12V outlets are switched off when the car is switched off. So if your dashcam has parking mode that is dependent on a constant 12V source then it wont work when plugged into the 12V outlets.

This is how a lot of cams are wires, GND, constant 12V and switched 12V (ignition signal) to let it go into parking mode.

OPs has a battery for parking mode which is also a solution. OP how long does the internal battery last BTW? and also BTW it is probably constantly filming without saving it to the SD card (its stored in an internal buffer memory) otherwise it wouldnt be possible to get the 5-15sec before "impact" on film.

[Pottah]

Originally Posted by Megator

The 12V outlets are switched off when the car is switched off. So if your dashcam has parking mode that is dependent on a constant 12V source then it wont work when plugged into the 12V outlets.

This is how a lot of cams are wires, GND, constant 12V and switched 12V (ignition signal) to let it go into parking mode.

OPs has a battery for parking mode which is also a solution. OP how long does the internal battery last BTW? and also BTW it is probably constantly filming without saving it to the SD card (its stored in an internal buffer memory) otherwise it wouldnt be possible to get the 5-15sec before "impact" on film.

Not sure how long the internal dash cam battery lasts but it’s a 470mAh built-in battery. It does not record when off. It only gives power to the impact sensor when off so once it detects an impact it’ll take a few seconds to turn on then record for 30 seconds before shutting off. That’s good enough for me. I know there are better (and more expensive) dash cams out there I was just noting what I have and sharing an another way to wire dash cams without connecting to constant power, via mirror, or going all the way to the trunk.

[Megator]

Originally Posted by Pottah

Not sure how long the internal dash cam battery lasts but it’s a 470mAh built-in battery. It does not record when off. It only gives power to the impact sensor when off so once it detects an impact it’ll take a few seconds to turn on then record for 30 seconds before shutting off. That’s good enough for me. I know there are better (and more expensive) dash cams out there I was just noting what I have and sharing an another way to wire dash cams without connecting to constant power, via mirror, or going all the way to the trunk.

Ah intresting, I bought my Thinkware F800 Pro like 3-4 years ago so the ROI has been pretty good. Not critizing your instal more warning/advising ppl on options and pro/cons. I decided to go to the trunk and it was a PIA. Had to cut and extend the proprietary power cable.

BTW for thoose who wonder what parking mode is good for.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AqC...ew?usp=sharing

In the end I went to the police (no note left behing) who contacted the owner of the car and I got paid for my damages.

[Pottah]

Originally Posted by Megator

Ah intresting, I bought my Thinkware F800 Pro like 3-4 years ago so the ROI has been pretty good. Not critizing your instal more warning/advising ppl on options and pro/cons. I decided to go to the trunk and it was a PIA. Had to cut and extend the proprietary power cable.

BTW for thoose who wonder what parking mode is good for.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AqC...ew?usp=sharing

In the end I went to the police (no note left behing) who contacted the owner of the car and I got paid for my damages.

Woah wtf happened? Looks like they either confused the gas/brake or thought it was in reverse. Glad you were able to catch them!

[Megator]

Originally Posted by Pottah

Woah wtf happened? Looks like they either confused the gas/brake or thought it was in reverse. Glad you were able to catch them!

Hard to see but its a narrow street, that barely fits 3 cars wide. He just grazed my rear bumper and I think hit the rear tire. My car always has the handbrake on just a few clicks. Trans lock must have also been slightly disengaged. Which allowed the car to violently shoot forward.

Vid might be a bit confusing as the perspective flips halfway through from rear cam big to front cam big.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by Caduceus

US spec vehicles don't have a 12V outlet underneath the glovebox do they? Above the passenger's feet? That's a pity.

The 2021 M2C U.S. owner's manual says there is a power socket in the "front passenger floor area" below the glove compartment, and it has a picture with an arrow pointing under the left side of the glove box.

I looked on mine and there's a hole underneath the glove box the exact size of a power socket, but there's no socket. It's just a hole. So maybe it was there before but since removed? Or maybe mine is just missing the power socket?

[Pottah]

Originally Posted by wjones14

The 2021 M2C U.S. owner's manual says there is a power socket in the "front passenger floor area" below the glove compartment, and it has a picture with an arrow pointing under the left side of the glove box.

I looked on mine and there's a hole underneath the glove box the exact size of a power socket, but there's no socket. It's just a hole. So maybe it was there before but since removed? Or maybe mine is just missing the power socket?

I saw that too. Just an empty hole. I'm thinking we didn't get it.

[wjones14]

I got a Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 today and am planning on this same install. I don't care about the parking mode. I was just looking for the smallest camera possible that would record the view from the windshield while driving.

So I attached it to the windshield and hooked up the long USB cable to the rear 12v socket. I didn't route the wire yet, but just hooked it up loose to test the camera operation, get the phone app paired, etc.

The Dash Cam Mini has no on/off switch, so it just turns on automatically as long as it has power. It also has no battery so it will shut off as soon as the power is off.

When I came home from a short ride and shut the car off, the camera stayed on. So I wasn't sure what was going on, since I thought the 12v socket would turn off when the ignition was switched off. Waited a bit, and found out that it stays on for 10 minutes and then does shut off. I guess this is normal and by design, but does anyone know differently?

[brugada_thug]

Originally Posted by wjones14

I got a Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 today and am planning on this same install. I don't care about the parking mode. I was just looking for the smallest camera possible that would record the view from the windshield while driving.

So I attached it to the windshield and hooked up the long USB cable to the rear 12v socket. I didn't route the wire yet, but just hooked it up loose to test the camera operation, get the phone app paired, etc.

The Dash Cam Mini has no on/off switch, so it just turns on automatically as long as it has power. It also has no battery so it will shut off as soon as the power is off.

When I came home from a short ride and shut the car off, the camera stayed on. So I wasn't sure what was going on, since I thought the 12v socket would turn off when the ignition was switched off. Waited a bit, and found out that it stays on for 10 minutes and then does shut off. I guess this is normal and by design, but does anyone know differently?

mine does the same, so I believe it is normal design. Been using my dash cam by this method for almost 6 months now, no issues.

[Pottah]

Originally Posted by wjones14

I got a Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 today and am planning on this same install. I don't care about the parking mode. I was just looking for the smallest camera possible that would record the view from the windshield while driving.

So I attached it to the windshield and hooked up the long USB cable to the rear 12v socket. I didn't route the wire yet, but just hooked it up loose to test the camera operation, get the phone app paired, etc.

The Dash Cam Mini has no on/off switch, so it just turns on automatically as long as it has power. It also has no battery so it will shut off as soon as the power is off.

When I came home from a short ride and shut the car off, the camera stayed on. So I wasn't sure what was going on, since I thought the 12v socket would turn off when the ignition was switched off. Waited a bit, and found out that it stays on for 10 minutes and then does shut off. I guess this is normal and by design, but does anyone know differently?

Yup, noticed the same thing so you're fine.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by Pottah

I have an Anker Roav C1 dash cam that I pulled out my by previous car and it has a "parking mode" with built in battery so it will turn on at impact if the car is off and I wanted a clean install where I could hide the wire as much as possible. While this is a great install guide, I wasn't interested in running the wire to the trunk and tapping into the fuse box. Partly because I'd have to purchase a new cable but mostly because it was more work -- work smarter not harder! I also didn't want the wire sticking out of the cup holder area or having the wire hanging out of the center console so instead I routed it to the rear 12V cigarette lighter adapter. I don't think that socket would EVER be used otherwise.

I found that the 10-12ft USB cable it came with would reach if I routed the cable just right so I tucked it underneath the roof lining and behind the weather stripping but instead of going all the way down to the door sill I went straight across the bottom of the glove box and was able to tuck it between that and the trim then tucked it behind the center console trim and had just enough to plug it in the rear 12v. Check out the video below if you're interested. I hope this helps others!

I got my install done this morning. This explanation and video were a great help!

I routed the wire the same way as in the video. Total time was 10 or 15 minutes. The only part I had trouble with was the trim piece directly underneath the glove box. This is about 54 seconds into the video, where it kind of glosses over how to get the wire behind the trim piece. There is a gap and it seems like two separate trim pieces, but mine are locked together and I was afraid to pry them apart and break something. I couldn't get the wire behind the trim piece or into that gap. It's fine the way it is, but I'm curious whether those trim pieces can be separated more to get the wire behind?

Otherwise, I like the stealth aspect of this dash cam, and like the way it's installed.

[Pottah]

Originally Posted by wjones14

I got my install done this morning. This explanation and video were a great help!

I routed the wire the same way as in the video. Total time was 10 or 15 minutes. The only part I had trouble with was the trim piece directly underneath the glove box. This is about 54 seconds into the video, where it kind of glosses over how to get the wire behind the trim piece. There is a gap and it seems like two separate trim pieces, but mine are locked together and I was afraid to pry them apart and break something. I couldn't get the wire behind the trim piece or into that gap. It's fine the way it is, but I'm curious whether those trim pieces can be separated more to get the wire behind?

Otherwise, I like the stealth aspect of this dash cam, and like the way it's installed.

Glad my video was helpful! All I did to get the wire between the two trim pieces was use a trim removal tool to help push it in. Like you, I was afraid of trying to pull them apart and potentially breaking something. However, I believe I saw a video on how to replace the cabin air filter recently that shows you can remove the entire bottom piece that is held on with a couple screws so that may be an option.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by Pottah

Glad my video was helpful! All I did to get the wire between the two trim pieces was use a trim removal tool to help push it in. Like you, I was afraid of trying to pull them apart and potentially breaking something. However, I believe I saw a video on how to replace the cabin air filter recently that shows you can remove the entire bottom piece that is held on with a couple screws so that may be an option.

Awesome, thank you! I found the cabin filter replacement video here. Another great video by YouTube user FaRKle0079 where he does the work on his M2C. Yep, two 10mm nuts to remove that piece beneath the glove box, and that separated the gap. I was able to get the wire in there behind that trim piece. Now I am 100% pleased with the install.

Since I know that trim piece needs to come off when the cabin air filter is replaced, I may give the BMW service technician a heads up before the next service that the dash cam wire is running through there now, just so he knows what it is.