Thread: Dash cam install in 2014 D4

To most here I’m guessing this might have been an easy task but to anyone remotely nervous about getting involved in Disco electrics etc this turned out a relatively straight forward, neatly hidden install.
My better half purchased a decent dash cam for Xmas for me and stated I could now elevate myself to ultra tosser status being also a boxy landrover owner. Just doesn’t get it I’m afraid.
I digress, this install was for a capacitor type cam with no “constant” power after ignition turned off. Mine had a male cig lighter male socket for power about the size of a banana that was NOT TO BE CUT. Problem here I didn’t want and ugly cables hanging everywhere and use a cig socket as I have one used for TPMS.
After a search that didn’t reveal much here what I did was the following. You’ll need the normal tools like, multimeter, T30 torx bit, drill (tiny hole), wire stripper/ crimper, electrical tape, spade connector x 1, eye connector x1, self drilling metal screw to earth a wire and some heat shrink and smaller cables ties.
You will need to purchase a female cig socket that you can cut with about 15 cm of wire and the best thing ever invented a mini blade piggy back fuse.


After opening the passenger door, fully peel back the rubber door trim from the A pillar trim. After the car goes to sleep again flick the the SRS airback tab off the passenger side interior A pillar and expose the T30 torx screw and remove it. Remove the trim out at the top and up gently. You will see this F96565A7-4AD9-49A5-B5B3-2410B2054E3C.jpg
you will see the airbag and two thick strands of cable behind the bag. Your power cord will cable tie to these. NOT the airbag.

Fully lay the glove box open and this will reveal a fuse panel. I removed the f53 fuse as this is for cig lighter socket so not to critical. Your piggy back fuse will slot in there.




Use the fuse you took out back in the new fuse and put a fuse rated for your camera in the other slot that has the red power cable attached to it. Plug it in F53.

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I prepared the female socket like this. The red one goes to the centre point as this is ALWAYS positive. This might be your only need of the multi meter to do a continuity check to get right.



Earth the round end to to the metal bracket on the left side of the glove box. Stick you finger behind to check for room. End result will be a fused female socket behind the Glove box. There is reasonable amount of room.


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You will need to feed the power cable up through the side of the dash ( make sure you do this or you have to pull it out) and up the through the A pillar then jam in in under the hood lining and windscreen. I put small cable ties every 15cm just to give it some thickness so it wouldn’t come out. Bring the end out and fit to your camera and pull all this cable firmishly back down to glove box and tie up down there later. Cable tie carefully around the A pillar wires so as it can never come loose and interfere with the airbag.

Replace the A pillar cover and door trim. Nearly done but it’s not time for a beer yet.

All you will be left with is to plug the male cig sockett into the female socket and bunch up extra cable and neatly attach to the big bundle of wires on the left. Lastly plug the power end of female socket to the power cable from the piggy back fuse socket. Ensure this is a solid connection and tape it up. You are done. Mine looked like this.



Nothing should power up yet. So make sure your glove box still shuts, A pillar in place and everything looks good. If you are happy, shut the passenger door and reopen and your camera should power up ( assuming you’ve set it up to do this). It will power down when it goes to sleep or you lock the car.

For those with power banks to keep the camera live in park mode will have to get constant power from somewhere. Others may help here. I mainly wanted this for filmiming the odd adventure with crash cam second. But I have both now.

My my camera had the complication of running a second wire from the remote gps unit. No biggy but more fiddling around. Probably easier the get one with GPS built in like the BlackVue. Mine has wifi and stunningly a good picture so can’t complain and no issue with the install to date.

Lastly Im not and auto electrician in the slightest and to be ultra careful you should disconnect battery or pull the airbag fuse out. They can stay armed for 30 minutes. Anyway if this helps anyone good luck. If anyone has seen an oversight please let me know.

Cheers

Steve

we use the lighter socket, easy simple and no major work if it needs replacing, dashcams can and will fail, we've had 3 in 7yrs, price or reputation is not a factor for longevity either, our current one has lasted the longest, and it is the cheapest one we have had so far.