I have to hard wire a Dash Cam into my 07MY TDV6.

Before I grab the multi meter and go searching can someone recommend a spot on the cabin fuse box to take switched 12v power from. I would prefer a vacant spot in the fuse box but failing that as recommended used spot.

Better still, is there switched power up in the overhead console.

Thanks

Garry 07MY RRS TDV6
Arctic Frost
Aspen Interior

Follow this link and scroll down to the 6th post for a neat description of how to get switched power from the overhead console:

http://www.rrsport.co.uk/forum/topic10937.html

It worked for me. You'll obviously have to use a hardwire kit to step the voltage down for the camera and these tend to come with much longer cables than you need for such a short run. Reduce the length of the cables as much as you can as they can emit RF and cause interference on the radio owing to the close proximity of the aerial incorporated into the windscreen. Although it only seems to be a problem when the station you are listening too is a bit weak. 2008 MY Java Black TDV8 HSE

Paddi - thanks for that link - all straight forward.

I don't have to worry about any RF as my aerial is not in the windscreen but is in the rear side cargo area glass but thanks for the tip.

Cheers

Garry 07MY RRS TDV6
Arctic Frost
Aspen Interior

Oh gosh - you're right of course. Forgotten that. Makes it all the more surprising that I get a bit of interference . I'm going to try and shorten the lead from the transformer to the camera a bit more. Main reason I think though is that the stations I want to listen to are on the limit of FM reception. Local stations are loud and clear (but are complete CR*P). 2008 MY Java Black TDV8 HSE

Thanks for that. I am going to wire in a small USB socket which has the 12v to 5v reducer built in.

Cheers

Garry 07MY RRS TDV6
Arctic Frost
Aspen Interior

Pulled the light - didn't quite go to plan as the mounting frame also came out - the fitting needs to be treated gently not the sharp pull as suggested.

See my response here

http://www.rrsport.co.uk/forum/post482167.html#482167

Garry 07MY RRS TDV6
Arctic Frost
Aspen Interior

Different spec cars seem to have different wiring - on my TDV6 the green and white wire is NOT switched and in fact seems to do nothing.

The Blue and Purple wire is constant 12v, the black wire is an earth and I do not have the solid purple wire - in its place I have a brown wire that is 12v when the door is open and is 12v for a few seconds when the ignition is turned off - fades from 12v to 0 volts over 2 seconds.

umbertob wrote:

Detail of the hot connection to the overhead lights harness. Make sure you pick the striped green/white wire only, the others are either not 12v or they are unswitched

Click image to enlarge

Maybe piggy back fuse is your only option. Mine is fitted as per these instructions

http://www.rrsport.co.uk/forum/topic28640.html?highlight=blackvue

Yes I think so - I will chase up some tomorrow after I have done some work on the fusebox with the multimeter.

Cheers

Garry 07MY RRS TDV6
Arctic Frost
Aspen Interior

The green/white wire goes live when the car is unlocked (lights up the overhead console) and after a few minutes goes dead but when car is started it is live again. On stopping the engine it remains live for a few minutes and then goes to off after a few minutes.

At least that is what mine does. So when you are sat in the car with engine off it can be a bit confusing when a meter shows no current. Had me foxed at first until I figured out what was happening. 2008 MY Java Black TDV8 HSE

I just use a piggyback fuse on fuse 58 behind the lower glovebox.  Bodsys Brake Bible
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Paddi wrote:

The green/white wire goes live when the car is unlocked (lights up the overhead console) and after a few minutes goes dead but when car is started it is live again. On stopping the engine it remains live for a few minutes and then goes to off after a few minutes.

Now that is interesting to know. I will check it out.

However may not suit my needs as it would be nice to have the cam still working with engine off and ignition on. I am thinking of the scenario where there is an incident and you stop to discuss the incident but want the cam to continue running to record the discussion in case the other party gets a bit bolshie.

Bodsy - thanks for that. My local electronics shop does not have "piggy back" fuses but does have a similar product which is a standard fuse with a wire coming off the back of the "dead" side to power the accessory.

Thanks to everyone for your input - greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Garry 07MY RRS TDV6
Arctic Frost
Aspen Interior

All done - the green and white wire still had no power at all - but there may have been a reason for that.

I couldn't get a piggy back fuse fitting but was able to buy fuses that had a power wire off them.

So I ran a single wire from fuse 58 (Telephone, infotainment display, multi-media module, TV tuner) up to the overhead light fitting. In the fuse box the lower contact of number 58 is the active side so I put the fuse in so the accessory lead is on the dead side so the fuse covers the original function and power to the dash cam.

Up in the overhead console I installed a USB socket that fits where the sunroof switch would have been if I had a sunroof. I just plugged in the the USB cable and ran it out the spot where the rear vision power cable runs - the dash cam worked fine.

Taking power for fuse 58 means that it stays powered like the radio does. Switch off and remove the ignition key and power stays on for about 2 minutes then switches off. Switch off and leave the ignition key in the ignition and power stays on for about 10 minutes - ignition on accessory and power stays on.

Now that it all works I reassembled the light fitting and the overhead light worked but the map lights wouldn't . Now I normally look for the easy and obvious things first but this time I didn't follow my own advice.

After about an hour of stripping down the entire light fitting it dawned on my I check the fuse - doh blown Maybe that is why the green and white wire did not have power. the map lights are on a different circuit to the interior light.

Now it is No 1 fuse - the top left of the fuse box - designers of these cars should be made to work on them - it is the hardest spot to get at. Now trying the get the new fuse it I dropped it - never to be seen again - the A pillar runs down beside the fuse and it has a big hole so the fuse goes into there almost all the way down to the sill. So out with another fuse and this time use the little tweezer thing but the spot is too hard to get too and the plastic too and another fuse down the big hole.

Here is a pic of where it is take through my borescope still holding the fuse

Click image to enlarge

Fuse 58 is maybe not the best choice as i found today. When you unlock the car even with the ignition off the circuit powers up so the dash cam comes on - not such an issue, however when you start the car power is cut and confuses the dash cam so it shuts down - so I need to switch the car off and restart to reset the dash cam. So another take off is needed.

Fuse 55 which is for the cig lighter just comes on and off with the ignition so is maybe the place to take power from. So I will swap over and see what happens.

Garry 07MY RRS TDV6
Arctic Frost
Aspen Interior

Fuse 55 - the lighter fuse is no good either - it has permanent 12v to the fuse box and is switched through the ignition switch and through the socket as the power finds its way to earth. So with the cam plugged in to 55 the cam is on all the time.

Maybe a good spot to take permanent power from.

Fuse 19 (rear console power socket) is the one to go for - it is fully switched with no funny stuff - no power when ignition off and power on accessory and ignition on.

There, of course maybe other spots but I haven't checked them.

The RRS has a mix of switching on the upside (+ive) of the fusebox and on the downside (-ive). Also on others that are various timers and delays and can cause a lot of confusion.

Garry 07MY RRS TDV6
Arctic Frost
Aspen Interior