DIY Tutorial for Hardwiring a Dashcam and Radar Detector

[Glen]

Anyone in the LA area do this? I have a dashcam and a radar detector I'd like to install but I am scaredy-cat when it comes to this stuff.

I am more scared than you to do it. Lol....trouble is how do you find a good shop that will do the correct install. I just want to do front and rear cameras. Living here in NJ you get the BS and run around Sue from most install places. This was by far one of the best write ups I read. Thanks to everyone that contributed to it. First class. ?

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[mlhunt856]

Thanks to @MachDoc and everyone else who contributed to this most excellent and informative thread. Greatly appreciated. I'm not going to DIY my dashcams (I hate anything involving cable management) but I'll at least know enough to feel out potential installers and see if they know their **** ? .

 

[Ghost Ryder]

How do you remove the headliner? Do you just pull down? I head that it was attached with magnets. Are there any clips?

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

How do you remove the headliner? Do you just pull down? I head that it was attached with magnets. Are there any clips?

Removing the entire headliner is a major undertaking. That would require removing all the trim on the A, B, and C pillars as well as the cargo area. The photos you see of the headliner completely down were taken while glass roof recall work was being performed. There are a couple spots it’s a bit loose from magnetic attachments. But mostly you would want to tuck the wire into the edge of the headliner.
A bonus of doing this is that you will be able to remove the wire in the future. I ran my wiring while the headliner was out. Now that I’m changing cars my options are to try and remove the headliner myself or abandon the wires in place and order new wires. I chose option number two.

 

[Ghost Ryder]

Removing the entire headliner is a major undertaking. That would require removing all the trim on the A, B, and C pillars as well as the cargo area. The photos you see of the headliner completely down were taken while glass roof recall work was being performed. There are a couple spots it’s a bit loose from magnetic attachments. But mostly you would want to tuck the wire into the edge of the headliner.
A bonus of doing this is that you will be able to remove the wire in the future. I ran my wiring while the headliner was out. Now that I’m changing cars my options are to try and remove the headliner myself or abandon the wires in place and order new wires. I chose option number two.

Thanks, I'm interested in the section at the back, near the rubber boot/conduit. I'm trying to figure to get the headliner down lower enough to be able to feed a wire through there.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

Thanks, I'm interested in the section at the back, near the rubber boot/conduit. I'm trying to figure to get the headliner down lower enough to be able to feed a wire through there.

That shouldn’t be too hard. I know a few of our members have pulled the wire through the boot.

 

[Ghost Ryder]

That shouldn’t be too hard. I know a few of our members have pulled the wire through the boot.

Yeah, I saw a couple of pictures, but its unclear how they got under the headliner. Are there clips at the back or just magnets?

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

Yeah, I saw a couple of pictures, but its unclear how they got under the headliner. Are there clips at the back or just magnets?

Since I’m trading cars I took a quick look at my new car yesterday. In the back the headliner is just tucked into the rubber weather stripping around the hatchback. If you roll the lip of the weather stripping down, the headliner pulls right down away. Enough to get you hand in. Hope that helps.

 

[Glen]

Can any of you New Jersey guys recommend an installer? I am not going to tackle this job. In case anyone can. Just pm me. Thanks.

 

[mlhunt856]

Where in Jersey? I'm getting my rear cam and battery installed in a couple weeks. I'll let you know how it goes.

Going to print out the first page of this thread and go thru it with the installer. It'll at least give me some idea of if they have a clue.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

@MachTee or anyone else who wants to answer:
Can I ask where you mounted your cam that you are getting good GPS signal? I’m thinking of adding a GPS antenna to my Thinkware X1000 And want to make sure I put it in the right spot? Does it have to go on the dotted part of the windshield? With my EZPass and Radar sensor for the cam, the black dotted area is getting crowded fast.

 

[mlhunt856]

Can I ask where you mounted your cam that you are getting good GPS signal?

I have a Thinkware U1000 front camera installed and just running off 12V for now (waiting for my install appointment to get the full system put in). I put it just to the left of the mirror module, up in the part of the window that's partially shaded, just far enough away from the mirror to make it easy to remove from the mount. It announces GPS lock almost immediately when I power up the camera.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

I have a Thinkware U1000 front camera installed and just running off 12V for now (waiting for my install appointment to get the full system put in). I put it just to the left of the mirror module, up in the part of the window that's partially shaded, just far enough away from the mirror to make it easy to remove from the mount. It announces GPS lock almost immediately when I power up the camera.

Thank You.

 

[MachTee]

@MachTee or anyone else who wants to answer:
Can I ask where you mounted your cam that you are getting good GPS signal? I’m thinking of adding a GPS antenna to my Thinkware X1000 And want to make sure I put it in the right spot? Does it have to go on the dotted part of the windshield? With my EZPass and Radar sensor for the cam, the black dotted area is getting crowded fast.

To the left of the mirror housing. Not sure how big your radar sensor is, but I still have some room left.

 

[mlhunt856]

To the left of the mirror housing. Not sure how big your radar sensor is, but I still have some room left.

Yeah that's about exactly where I put mine too. Doesn't seem to be obstructed at all