Dash Camera Hard-Wire

[Texcal]

I want to add a dash cam to my new JL and don't know much about the wiring aspect of it. I've seen a few posts on here that discuss hard-wiring it but not specific instructions. There's been mention of hard-wiring to the Homelink buttons on the sun visor but I'm thinking I could wire to the powered rear-view mirror. Is this something that the aux buttons could handle?

With the mirror or the Homelink, is it possible to splice into a wire that is hot whenever the vehicle is turned off? I would like the camera to capture motion/impacts when the vehicle is parked. I don't drive everyday so I'm also worried about the camera draining the battery. Does anyone know of any solutions for this? Maybe a camera that draws power only when motion activated?

Again, I'm not super technical so clear suggestions are appreciated!

Oh, and this is my first Wrangler! I love it!

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[agordon117]

Pretty much any of the recent Blackvue cameras with the Power Magic Pro wired in will do what you want. Personally, I picked the Blackvue DR-750S 2CH. You aren't going to find a step by step tutorial that shows you exactly where to peel each panel to stuff the wires, or exactly how to splice each wire into the Jeep. The camera comes with instructions, but as far as exactly which panel and which wire, you won't find more specific info than in this thread: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/dash-cameras-i-want-one-but-whats-good.3310/

 

[weeitsmikelee]

Check out https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/how-to-install
There's plenty of guides and reviews. Got my dash cam from there

 

[DJohanis]

Figured I would jump in here as I have a similar question on hard wiring a dash cam on my Rubicon.

I picked up this universal hardwire kit from Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B075WPSZYH/
Anyone use this kit before? Where would the easiest place to tap into power with this harness be?

 

[FatBoy01]

Figured I would jump in here as I have a similar question on hard wiring a dash cam on my Rubicon.

I picked up this universal hardwire kit from Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B075WPSZYH/
Anyone use this kit before? Where would the easiest place to tap into power with this harness be?

Why would you even consider using such a kit. Not needed. Wasted money.

 

[Texcal]

Figured I would jump in here as I have a similar question on hard wiring a dash cam on my Rubicon.

I picked up this universal hardwire kit from Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B075WPSZYH/
Anyone use this kit before? Where would the easiest place to tap into power with this harness be?

I've never used it before. Not sure exactly where you would store all of that wiring. I think you may be able to tap into existing wires on the powered rear view mirror or the drivers side Homelink visor. There are a few threads floating around that touch on the subject but aren't super informative for people who don't really know what they're doing.

 

[weeitsmikelee]

Figured I would jump in here as I have a similar question on hard wiring a dash cam on my Rubicon.

I picked up this universal hardwire kit from Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B075WPSZYH/
Anyone use this kit before? Where would the easiest place to tap into power with this harness be?

Sorry nothing to add about that universal kit. Most dash cams will come with their own hard wiring cables and some people have connected it to their auxiliary switches, their powered mirror, or their homelink visor.

 

[bodam]

Does anyone know of a switched fuse?

 

[Texcal]

Does anyone know of a switched fuse?

I don't. But I don't know know much about electrical.

 

[RussJeep1]

Maybe a bad idea, but for now, because:

* I want to try keeping my Blacksys CH-200 on all the time, and
* May want to change this, and
* Because I don't have a power mirror and am unaware of whether FCA puts the wires there regardless of JL mirror type, and
* Because I do have a cargo area 12V adapter, which FCA wires as always on

I plugged my dual dash cam n there and snaked the wires-long enough with the Blacksys (one electric to the front camera, one from the front camera to the back camera)-- under my driver's side Mopar grab handles (front a rear) and through a channel in the space between the front windshield (which I will likely never take down) and the "A" pillar and called it a day.

I'll be watching battery power carefully to see if my Blacksys holds to its claim of not draining both batteries (regular and ESS) beyond cranking thresholds.

If this solution is bad, technically it's not hardwired.

If anyone knows this solution to be bad, please chime in.​

 

[weeitsmikelee]

On the BlackSys app you can change the voltage settings. If you change it to “external power” the dash cam shuts off after 8-10 minutes once the Jeep is off.

 

[RussJeep1]

On the BlackSys app you can change the voltage settings. If you change it to “external power” the dash cam shuts off after 8-10 minutes once the Jeep is off.

Thanks for your thoughts Mike. Your point provides me with a source of questions.

In the hardwired setup I got, it appeared that the red wire was meant to be hot, the black ground, and the yellow wire the---dare I say so--accessory wire--or wire that is no longer energized when the vehicle is off. Is that right?

Still more to point, I didn't use the hardwired setup. It sits in the box the dual cam came in. Instead, I energized the device via the cigarette lighter adapter and always on 12V/cigarette lighter plug in the cargo are of the rig, which, when equipped in the JL, is designed by FCA to always be on. I assume this setup carries only two wires, positive/hot and negative/ground .

I did this because I'm not sure if the wiring is placed by FCA near the mirror in non-power mirrors like mine, and because I wanted to try the always on option that the Homelink buttons don't, out of the factory, have (I've read the workaround, but again, it's based on the presence of a power mirror red wire directly connected to the battery. Nobody's yet to confirm the wires are located near the mirror even if the mirror is powerless. If that answer is in the affirmative I may change my wiring plan.)

For now I want the camera to be on all the time. But I really only want this when the rig is parked away from home; willing to accept recording at all times as well.

So I'm not sure if in my setup that the camera knows the vehicle is off without this yellow wire--unless it's done with some motion/absence of motion setting.

Are you aware of the mechanism the camera uses to determine that the vehicle is off?

Am I correct what this yellow wire is in fact for: to let the device know the rig is off?

 

[weeitsmikelee]

Oooh that’s pretty creative. I didn’t know the cigarette outlet in the back was always on. Do you have pics of your set up?

I used the homelink mod to power mine. For the BlackSys default setting (12.2v cut off?) the dash cam is on 24/7 but I usually leave it on “external power” since I get a bit too paranoid. I’ll try it out and report if I get a dead battery

 

[RussJeep1]

Oooh that’s pretty creative. I didn’t know the cigarette outlet in the back was always on. Do you have pics of your set up?

I used the homelink mod to power mine. For the BlackSys default setting (12.2v cut off?) the dash cam is on 24/7 but I usually leave it on “external power” since I get a bit too paranoid. I’ll try it out and report if I get a dead battery

Got it. But Mike, you have the power mirror from which to tap an always hot red wire correct (the homelink mod to make homelink on even when the engine isn't??)

I'm trying to find out, without disassembling anything, if FCA provides the wires for the power mirror in the area of same, even if the factory order delivers a standard mirror: my case.

What does the external power setting do and how does it relate to having BlackSys battery kit (maybe these questions belong on a Blacksys forum.)

I'll try to post pictures later--as you know its pouring right now in the NYC area.

 

[RussJeep1]

As a follow up, I'm working to see if I can use both cigarette lighters, front and back.

As you know, the Blacksys has two hot leads, the red and the yellow (accessory), the latter designed to work with users who want to record in parking mode and is expected to be de-energized when the vehicle is off; the former battery connected and always on. With the front cigarette's power connected to the yellow wire, and the always on cargo area's connect to the red, I'm going to see if I can duplicate the hard wired functionality in this 3 wire system.

Blacksys' provided cigarette cable has no parking mode: important if you want to record while the rig is off and parked because the rig's battery power is only monitored in the parking mode state. With the provided cig lighter cabl, the camera is either on only when the rig is if connected to the rig's front cig lighter, or always on if connected to the rear.

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