Completed a brief write-up of my dash cam and radar install "on a budget". Tried to put as much info in one thread as possible for future DIY'ers
My car gets very little mileage (especially these days) so I wasn't looking for a crazy/expensive set-up; just something functional to provide features I need with a
clean as possible install. Apologies in advance for mahoosive crap quality pictures and the condition of my car. Some detailing posts will be coming soon!
Here's what I bought:
>
Uniden R3 - $280 (best reviews for performance/value)
>
Generic Mirror mount + Wiretap - $46 (May go Blendmount route eventually but had nothing to lose as had some leftover gift card balance. It's c.$120 for the blendmount + $30 for hardwire kit, but this included the mirror tap)
>
Nextbase 222 Dash cam - $30 (on sale, another one to possibly upgrade in the future but these had solid reviews and I couldn't justify $400+ on a dual Blackvue system or similar with my limited use)
Total cost $370 (was sub $300 for me using 4th of July sales / gift cards)
Total time approx 2hrs including research and mocking up the wiring
Tools:
> Trim removal plastic tools
> Torx screwdrivers
> Double sided mounting foam
Resources
As usual some great threads/info on here which I used. Honourable mentions to save you a search:
Mirror Tap,
Wires,
Cable routing,
Headliner
Process
1 - Radar mount + mirror tap
> Remove the cover behind the mirror. Super easy, start at the side and gently pry with a trim tool
> Work your way back, away from the mirror. Almost no force needed, just gently pry. The cover splits into 2 halves, so repeat on the other side, gently prying up.
> Insert trim tool between the 2 halves and they'll come away easily. Again, no need to apply force or worry about broken trim.
> You can now see the connectors. The main connector can be pulled towards you as it has some slack. I didn't even need to unplug this as there's enough slack
> Grab the mirror tap. The "Green" wire (bottom row, middle) is the 12v, and the "Brown" with black stripe (top row, all the way right) is the ground.
> Insert mirror tap connectors into the harness, next to the original wires. Make sure to press them all the way in, so they're tight.
> At this point, plug the mirror tap into the detector and switch on your car to ensure it's powering up.
> With the cover off, I installed the mount to see how much of the wire tap cable I needed to hide, and to route it properly.
> Reverse the process. Push the harness connector back down into its hole. Re-attach the cover trim. Sit the cover trim halves flush against the windscreen glass, then slide them so they meet in the middle and click. Tuck any wiring before firmly clicking into place. Easy.
> FYI for a $46 mount inc. mirror tap, this seems pretty damn solid so far. It fits perfectly into the tiny mirror stalk gap. The detector is held solidly and doesn't move (will test this on an extended drive). Also importantly, it's VERY EASY to uninstall the detector from the mount, just unclip the power cord, press the mount release on top of the unit and slide it towards you, takes a couple seconds.
2 - Dash cam + wiring
> For the dash cam, I took advantage of the 12v socket under the glove box in the passenger footwell.
> Found a nice mounting spot for the camera which gave an unobstructed view forward. Camera came with multiple mounts, I used the sticky mount (not suction).
> The Nextbase has a great magnetic mount system so you can easily remove the camera. The USB plug fits in nice and flush into the mount itself. It does have a large plastic cover on the wiring, I used some double sided foam sticky pads and stuck this right at the top of the windscreen, by the headliner. The mount is behind the mirror so my view is clear, but I can easily operate the camera / remove if needed.
> From the above pic, you can see I ran the wiring up to the headliner where I stuck the plastic wire cover. Then I ran it towards the passenger side, in between the headliner and the plastic cover we removed for the Radar wire tap
> Next I tucked the wire into the headliner. Didn't need to unclip it or anything, there's plenty of room in there. I pushed the wire into the headliner with my fingers, then used a trim removal tool to push it in as far as I could. Keep running it across until you hit the A-pillar, then tuck it behind the top of the A-pillar trim. Used the same process as before, pushing in with a trim tool. Not much force needed at all.
> Tuck the wire down the A-pillar until you come to the top of the dash. There's a "velour" type seal which you can easily lift with your fingers to tuck the wire behind. Keep tucking the wire until you reach down to the passenger footwell.
> Here I removed the 4 torx screws of the plastic cover in the passenger footwell. Didn't even need to remove the cover, it just loosened enough so I could tuck all my spare cable under the cover
> Finally, plug into the 12v port under the glove box
Completed install:
Radar, Camera and Toll pass all mounted
Job done. Totally reversible, and clean install. Super easy to do. Shout if you have any questions. I'll be testing out over the next few weeks so will feedback if I get any issues.