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Hi all, my CGTS arrives in a couple months, and I'm looking to get a few accessories in anticipation. One item I hear is good to have is a dashcam for continuous recording. Does the community have a recommendation along with an install video (preventing wires, etc) for a 718? I searched for a thread on this, but I wasn't able to find one. I did find a couple generic review articles on dashcams below and some videos on youtube. It seems like I see a bit about blackvue online. I also see some Garmin recs.
Hey Jonrviper
No video, but I have the VIOFO A129 Pro Duo 4K Dual Dash Cam and like it a lot. Matter of fact, it saved me $1300 within 6 weeks of installing it as I was parked in a garage and some idiot rear ended me. Sent the video to my insurance company and both insurance companies declared the other guy at fault (my video showed the GPS speed at 0 so hard to argue with that) and I got my car fixed. I installed it to the right of my mirror and then tucked the cables into the edge of the windshield frame. Pulled the A Frame cover, ran the wires down there, then ran the power cable to the 12V outlet in the passenger footwell and the wire for the rear dashcam under the illuminated door sill, the up the door frame, and finally to the back headrest of the passenger seat. I ziptied it in place so it's solid (though upside down to make it aim the right way, but the dashcam's software lets you autocorrect for that), without having to use the camera adhesive and make it semi-permanent. If you didn't know, you'd never see it. And the dashcam slips right off the GPS mount if you want to take it with you or hide it when you park (though you can hardwire it for "parking mode", I don't). Hope this helps.
Last edited by confused66; 04-04-2022 at 04:55 PM.
Reason: bad spelling
I used the cigarette lighter power outlet in the passenger footwell. Note however this turns off eventually when the car is not running so if you want continuous operation you would either need to hardwire to the fuse box or use a dashcam battery pack
I used the cigarette lighter power outlet in the passenger footwell. Note however this turns off eventually when the car is not running so if you want continuous operation you would either need to hardwire to the fuse box or use a dashcam battery back
I had made a couple of posts about installing my BlackVue 900S dual camera setup at the links below, but there's no video. All in all it's not too tough. I like the BlackVue a lot. The video is 4K and the recording is very reliable. I had problems years ago with cheaper cameras that would corrupt their memory cards and stop working but you wouldn't know it until you tried to fetch a recording.
I used a fuse tap and tap out of the fuse box on the passenger foot well. There is also a ground point close by to the box. Then spited the power; one to a RJ11 cable that I ran up the dash to power the radar detector and the other to a 12V to 5 V transformer. I put the transformer in the center console. Now I have 5V power. I then ran one usb cable to the passenger foot well so that I can power devices in the cargo net area and ran another mini usb cable, behind the A pillar, up under the headliner to power the dash camera. This additional circuit I protected with a 5A fuse. I also put in a inline fuse, 5A to protect the radar detector. Sorry I did not take any pictures or video. But I remember it was not very difficult; took about 3 hours in an afternoon to do.
Last edited by planolemans; 04-06-2022 at 11:06 AM.
I used the cigarette lighter power outlet in the passenger footwell. Note however this turns off eventually when the car is not running so if you want continuous operation you would either need to hardwire to the fuse box or use a dashcam battery pack
That’s how I want to route my dash cam, as well. I read in the owners manual (991.2) that the accessory power stays on for 30 minutes after shutting off the ignition. Although that isn’t too long, do you find that this causes any unnecessary drain to the battery?
Very nice and clean install! I also want to mount a rear camera, but not sure the best way to run the wiring to the back. I was thinking maybe I could go along the weatherstripping below the doors, but from your photos it looks like you ran it through the headliner?
That’s how I want to route my dash cam, as well. I read in the owners manual (991.2) that the accessory power stays on for 30 minutes after shutting off the ignition. Although that isn’t too long, do you find that this causes any unnecessary drain to the battery?
Very nice and clean install! I also want to mount a rear camera, but not sure the best way to run the wiring to the back. I was thinking maybe I could go along the weatherstripping below the doors, but from your photos it looks like you ran it through the headliner?
I did a direct wire to the passenger side fuse box. I'm not sure about all detectors, but if you use a Power Magic Pro you can set a limit on the time duration and the battery level before it will shut off. I use this on my BlackVue, although I do wish the time durations could be shorter and there were more battery levels. On my Thinkware in my other car you can set the limits in the detector settings itself. I've had no battery issues and I've done this for years in a series of Porsches. I'm sure it has some small long-term negative effect but I've never had an issue. I do use the Porsche Charge-O-Mat when I don't expect to drive for more than a few days, but that has nothing to do with the use of a camera.
I ran the wire for the rear camera above the door. The cable runs straight from the front camera to the rear camera so there's no advantage of taking a lower route that I can think of. Also, I mounted the rear camera on the plastic trim with the adhesive pad just below the rear window glass. It provides a nice high view above the wing. Surprisingly, the cable along the plastic trim there doesn't have a problem dropping down into view if you plug it in with the cable turned in a manner where it wants to lay flat.
And the rear view from the camera when mounted in that position.
That’s how I want to route my dash cam, as well. I read in the owners manual (991.2) that the accessory power stays on for 30 minutes after shutting off the ignition. Although that isn’t too long, do you find that this causes any unnecessary drain to the battery?
I have not had any issues, however I generally park my car in settings where there is not much happening around it that would trigger the camera (home garage, underground office garage). If you always park it on a busy street where the camera kept getting activated due to sensing motion that may change things. I'm not sure how much more power it would consume if it was logging a bunch of motion events.
Originally Posted by vickytor
Very nice and clean install! I also want to mount a rear camera, but not sure the best way to run the wiring to the back. I was thinking maybe I could go along the weatherstripping below the doors, but from your photos it looks like you ran it through the headliner?
I did mine below the door - once it got to the rear of the car I then routed it up through the panel where the seatbelt is and then to the roof via the green arrows in the picture.
I guess you could do it via the headliner - I never thought of that. Since I had routed both the power and rear wires down to the foot-well area, it was natural to run the rear wire via the door sill.
I did a direct wire to the passenger side fuse box. I'm not sure about all detectors, but if you use a Power Magic Pro you can set a limit on the time duration and the battery level before it will shut off. I use this on my BlackVue, although I do wish the time durations could be shorter and there were more battery levels. On my Thinkware in my other car you can set the limits in the detector settings itself. I've had no battery issues and I've done this for years in a series of Porsches. I'm sure it has some small long-term negative effect but I've never had an issue. I do use the Porsche Charge-O-Mat when I don't expect to drive for more than a few days, but that has nothing to do with the use of a camera.
I ran the wire for the rear camera above the door. The cable runs straight from the front camera to the rear camera so there's no advantage of taking a lower route that I can think of. Also, I mounted the rear camera on the plastic trim with the adhesive pad just below the rear window glass. It provides a nice high view above the wing. Surprisingly, the cable along the plastic trim there doesn't have a problem dropping down into view if you plug it in with the cable turned in a manner where it wants to lay flat.
And the rear view from the camera when mounted in that position.
Thanks for the photos and advice!
Originally Posted by marsh
I have not had any issues, however I generally park my car in settings where there is not much happening around it that would trigger the camera (home garage, underground office garage). If you always park it on a busy street where the camera kept getting activated due to sensing motion that may change things. I'm not sure how much more power it would consume if it was logging a bunch of motion events.
I did mine below the door - once it got to the rear of the car I then routed it up through the panel where the seatbelt is and then to the roof via the green arrows in the picture.
I guess you could do it via the headliner - I never thought of that. Since I had routed both the power and rear wires down to the foot-well area, it was natural to run the rear wire via the door sill.
Since I was thinking to power the both cameras from the passenger footwell accessory port, it makes sense to run the rear power cable along the bottom door will up to the rear window. I’ll go that route and see how it works out.
...Since I was thinking to power the both cameras from the passenger footwell accessory port, it makes sense to run the rear power cable along the bottom door will up to the rear window. I’ll go that route and see how it works out....
Just FYI: The second camera in a dual camera dashcam connects straight to the main camera and records on the memory card there. It doesn't have a separate power line.
04-04-2022, 11:46 AM
Dashcam recommendation and install video?
