Discreet, mirror-powered dash cam. My install & DIY guide.
#31
I believe it's this.
It's what I ended up buying anyway:
It's what I ended up buying anyway:
#32
I bought the voltage regulator and breadboard cables on ebay for about $5 total and used the instructions on this thread to connect it to the wire harness on a lexus nx. The ground cable was actually black and not purple, but the location is the same. The regulator is bigger than the one OP made but it's hidden in the headliner and works great so far.
#34
Yeah, the mirror is the homelink one with compass, garage door opener buttons, and the electronic dimming feature.
I took a picture of the wiring from a couple nights ago when I did the installation. It was so easy that I thought I did something wrong but it worked the first time.
Thanks for the instructions!
I took a picture of the wiring from a couple nights ago when I did the installation. It was so easy that I thought I did something wrong but it worked the first time.
Thanks for the instructions!
#36
Hey Chyeea, if it runs on 12V you can tap it directly to the mirror... in fact you could make something exactly like i did, except you wouldn't need the USB converter. Are you in Norcal? I could totally help you with it. You would basically chop your existing cable that came with the cam, and add a fuse and then crimp on two pins.
Last edited by k3vn; 06-04-16 at 06:19 PM. Reason: typo! meant cable that comes with cam...
#37
Hey Chyeea, if it runs on 12V you can tap it directly to the mirror... in fact you could make something exactly like i did, except you wouldn't need the USB converter. Are you in Norcal? I could totally help you with it. You would basically chop your existing cable that came with the car, and add a fuse and then crimp on two pins.
#38
^ agreed, excuse the typo. What I actually mean is chopping up the charging cable that came with the camera. Cut it down to like 5-6", add a fuse and pins for tapping. Most of us probably have random 12V power cables lying around the house that could be chopped up.
#40
Just did mine too! I've actually had this on my past three cars and swap it over. It lasts long in the sun and produces nice video equivalent to a Go Pro. I hard-wired into 12V and ground in the wire harness directly above the sunroof controls. Pull panel down with fingers and used multimeter to find my wires to tap. See my pics here and my blog post for more specifics:
http://e46cooling.blogspot.com/2016/...d-bmw-e46.html (See #10)
http://e46cooling.blogspot.com/2016/...d-bmw-e46.html (See #10)
#42
Thanks op for this awesome guide and others for helpful info! I installed an A119 today using that kit on amazon. It's super inconspicuous, I can't even see it from my seat.
Also bumping this thread because I think it's important to have a dash cam to protect ourselves, and everyone should know about this sleek DIY.
Also bumping this thread because I think it's important to have a dash cam to protect ourselves, and everyone should know about this sleek DIY.
#44
Thanks op for this awesome guide and others for helpful info! I installed an A119 today using that kit on amazon. It's super inconspicuous, I can't even see it from my seat.
Also bumping this thread because I think it's important to have a dash cam to protect ourselves, and everyone should know about this sleek DIY.
Also bumping this thread because I think it's important to have a dash cam to protect ourselves, and everyone should know about this sleek DIY.
Last edited by k3vn; 06-03-17 at 11:31 AM.
#45
2015 ES300H wire diagram - rearview mirror available?